This is anime at its best. I'm fairly new to the world of anime, but I have to say from what I've seen that Death Note goes above and beyond your typical run-of-the-mill action based anime. Whereas a lot of anime strategically relies on action packed battles and fights, Death Note is a refreshing change of pace. It's slick, clever, and witty with the eccentric "L" heading the investigation. It's a constant game of cat and mouse as the lead investigator and the suspected "Kira" or "Killer" always seem to be one step ahead of one another. The two brilliant minds constantly outwit each other. The plot is complex but easily laid out for you and the story is remarkably intelligent and inventive. All the while you're watching you think, "Wow, this can't possibly get any deeper," but each new episode proves you wrong. What I like the most is that this is very, very complex material but it's flawlessly and easily presented so each new development in the case comes as an excited shock.
This is great stuff and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who might be looking for a change of pace in anime. It's not for everyone, of course since it's more of an intellectual thriller and not so much an action fantasy, but anyone who can appreciate the mental challenge of following along with this suspenseful battle of wits will be in heaven with Death Note.
