Death Note is one of the best manga/anime out there. This live action adaptation is very close and well done for the most part. The live action actors who play Light Yagami and L do a wonderful job of translating from comic/animation to live action. The actor who stole the screen the most was Kenichi Mastuyama as L who was perfect in the role. For those who haven't seen the anime or manga the plot goes as this: an aspiring law student disgusted with the way justice is carried out one day finds a notebook that can kill people if you write their name down. He uses this notebook to take down criminals and become true justice aka Kira meanwhile a famous detective codenamed L tries to track down Kira and the cat and mouse chase between L and Kira begins. The plot is great considering that at least 12 episodes of the anime are condensed into the movie so some changes had to be made and the twists and turns are suspenseful.

As a non-aficionado of manga, I am always wary of manga-inspired productions. Nana, for example, panders purely to its manga fan-base and fails to engage a wider audience.Death Note, however, manages to break free of its comic book origins. Light finds the Death Note, a jotter that allows him to pass a death sentence on anyone whose name he writes in it. Ryuuk, the apple-addicted Angel of Death who owns the book, turns up to play sidekick to Light's procession of executions. The police are at a loss, till super-sleuth 'L' takes on the case and figures out the MO and narrows the suspects down to the lead detectives' family.Tatsuya Fujiwara is perfectly cast, his angelic features in shocking contrast to the character's dark heart. Ken'ichi Matsuyama is all quirky brilliance as L. The pace is brisk, the twists plausible and surprising. The ending sets up the sequel but in a forgivable manner. Fun, entertaining cinema.

Death Note is a surprisingly good anime. When I first saw it I was like, so he kills people with a notebook, riiiiight. But as soon as I watched the first/second episode I had to see more. There's a good sense of comedy and the suspense makes your blood rush. Overall I love this anime soooo much and I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this it.oh and for some people who might think this is scary or want to know about it, well all I got to say is it isn't all that bad. I was like 10-11 when I watched it. Although if you get scared easily this may not be the best for you but I would say it's worth the experience. This is an anime you will never forget and want to see over and over again. Hope this helps(sorry I'm new here/to this):D

First of all: I'm not a huge fan of animes. It has been a coincidence that I've started watching "Death Note" after a friends dragged me to watch it and man, this is true story-telling! All those characters, even the more fantastic ones, feel fascinating and refreshing. True, there are some Japanese cliché's but even those appear infrequent and besides the letters and the Japanese names it all could have happened somewhere else. On the other hand side, there is no plot which is more easy and complex at the same time. There are two genius kids, hunting each other and chasing each other until the very end, where the plot even gains speed until the very end (yes, you've heard right: This anime is truly complete which means that you can watch the whole story without begging for the end later on!). Psychological games, twists ans turns keep the plot from getting boring even once. A masterpiece and you couldn't ask for more! Watch it, you won't regret!