Death Note is a mid-2000’s anime adaptation directed by Tetsuro Araki, written by Toshiki Inoue. The series is an adaptation of an original manga of the same name by Tsugumi Ohba.

Light Yagami is on his way to being one of Japan’s prodigal sons. He is at the top of his class nationally and is the pride of his family. His father is the chief of police and he has long since been instilled with a strong sense of justice. One day he witnesses a strange notebook laying in the schoolyard and upon picking it up to see what it contains, he sees that it is entitled “Death Note”. Inside the notebook is a list of rules and instructions that explain the notebook’s powers. Equal parts disbelief and curiosity push Light to test the notebook and when he does, the dark truth and horrors within are revealed.

At the time of writing this post, I am just about three-fourths of the way through the 37 episode series. The content that I have watched so far is probably some of the best storytelling that I have seen in a long time. Anime continues to impress me as a genre and I can’t wait to experience more of the greatest hits. If you’re not familiar with the genre, Death Note is an intriguing place to start. Even if you watch the dubbed version (meaning that the characters speak English) the cast does a remarkable job of conveying the correct context.

Originally airing on Adult Swim, Death Note is currently streaming on Netflix.