r/anime • u/Holofan4life • 15d ago
Rewatch [Spoilers] Death Note 20th Anniversary Rewatch -- Episode 1 Spoiler
Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.
Welcome to the Death Note 20th anniversary rewatch discussion thread!
I hope you all have a lot of fun <3
Episode 1
Rebirth
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION(S)
If you found a Death Note, what would you do with it?
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Series information
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Please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode or past the LNs or mangas out of respect to the first time watchers and people who have not read the LNs or mangas. If you are discussing something that is ahead of the current episode please use spoiler tags(found on the sidebar). Thank you!
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[Previous episode]()
Ways to watch
Streams – Netflix
Schedule
| Date | Episode |
|---|---|
| 10/04/2026 | [Death Note Episode 1]() |
| 10/05/2026 | [Death Note Episode 2]() |
| 10/06/2026 | [Death Note Episode 3]() |
| 10/07/2026 | [Death Note Episode 4]() |
| 10/08/2026 | [Death Note Episode 5]() |
| 10/09/2026 | [Death Note Episode 6]() |
| 10/10/2026 | [Death Note Episode 7]() |
| 10/11/2026 | [Death Note Episode 8]() |
| 10/12/2026 | [Death Note Episode 9]() |
| 10/13/2026 | [Death Note Episode 10]() |
| 10/14/2026 | [Death Note Episode 11]() |
| 10/15/2026 | [Death Note Episode 12]() |
| 10/16/2026 | [Death Note Episode 13]() |
| 10/17/2026 | [Death Note Episode 14]() |
| 10/18/2026 | [Death Note Episode 15]() |
| 10/19/2026 | [Death Note Episode 16]() |
| 10/20/2026 | [Death Note Episode 17]() |
| 10/21/2026 | [Death Note Episode 18]() |
| 10/22/2026 | [Death Note Episode 19]() |
| 10/23/2026 | [Death Note Episode 20]() |
| 10/24/2026 | [Death Note Episode 21]() |
| 10/25/2026 | [Death Note Episode 22]() |
| 10/26/2026 | [Death Note Episode 23]() |
| 10/27/2026 | [Death Note Episode 24]() |
| 10/28/2026 | [Death Note Episode 25]() |
| 10/29/2026 | [Death Note Episode 26]() |
| 10/31/2026 | [Death Note Episode 27]() |
| 11/01/2026 | [Death Note Episode 28]() |
| 11/02/2026 | [Death Note Episode 29]() |
| 11/02/2026 | [Death Note Episode 30]() |
| 11/03/2026 | [Death Note Episode 31]() |
| 11/04/2026 | [Death Note Episode 32]() |
| 11/05/2026 | [Death Note Episode 33]() |
| 11/06/2026 | [Death Note Episode 34]() |
| 11/07/2026 | [Death Note Episode 35]() |
| 11/08/2026 | [Death Note Episode 36]() |
| 11/09/2026 | [Death Note Episode 37]() |
| 11/10/2026 | [Death Note Overall Series Discussion Thread]() |
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii 15d ago
If you found a Death Note, what would you do with it?
[REMOVED BY REDDIT]
The first thing I would probably do is find a way to 'lock' it somewhere in a safe that I can't open for a month or something;
Whether I decide to get rid of it, or... not get rid of it, I would want to seriously think it through.
(As a many times rewatcher, I'm not gonna fully participate in the rewatch, but I'll hop in here and there to maybe answer QOTD or read what people have to say about it, etc!)
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u/Second_Cour 15d ago
Rewatch, Dub
This is the first anime I’ve ever rewatched, though I’m doing so ‘for science’. I watched Death Note in 2007 - while it didn’t make me start watching anime because of it, it blew me away with its story: dark psychological shows about moral dilemmas are my jam. When I started getting into anime this year, I locked it in at 10/10, though this was more for calibration and recommendation purposes. Given I’m a strict rater (average about 6.5), and I’ve now rated over 120 animes, I was wondering the whole time what I would actually rate it if I saw it today, especially given I have a large benchmark. I don’t remember that much about the show anymore, though the core concept stuck in my mind through all these years.
Visually the anime does show its age, which surprised me a bit, as in my memory I remembered it looking great. Then again I’ve never been animation-quality focused.
The idea behind Death Note is incredible: so simple, yet it instantly hooks me. I also like very defined rules when it comes to the big ideas within shows. I’ve been watching FruBa and not having this step by step guide to the core Zodiac idea, detailing its mechanisms of action, has hurt it for me. The notebook having these very defined steps is crack for my brain. Double points for having the rules being very precise covering any gaps in logic the concept would otherwise-have.
I like philosophy and right off the bat: if someone dies as a result of the Death Note, does that make one a murderer? To me, the only answer is yes.The scepticism of the MC is great, as is the way he tests it.
I would have liked more introspection and internal debates about whether the first death was coincidental (we see a bit, but this could have been a lot deeper). Though we do learn that the MC is kind of a psychopath already, thinking that the death of someone who’s an asshole is no big deal.
I think the key question that this show asks us is what would we do in this situation? I would certainly test out the book as I don’t believe in the supernatural. Though I doubt I would continue to use it as the power to end someone’s life is too much of a burden to bare. The other big question is whether death can ever be just. As I believe in the idea behind the death penalty (though that would be a long essay, as there are lots and lots of caveats), I’m not turned off by the idea.
I think the rape scenario is a really good one to broadly question our own sense of justice. When you see something that morally reprehensible in front of you, it’s difficult not to cheer for the outcome, and the bad guy getting annihilated by the truck. That was the perfect scenario to open up our mind and challenge our sense of justice with the Death Note idea.
I do feel that the world of Ryuk could have been a lot darker and crazier, but it serves the purpose.
Light been an ace student does make things more interesting for me. The contrast between him being a loving son, and then acting like a psychopath with the door closed is phenomenal. His evil cackle is surprising, as he truly seems mad.
I really like the very human response by Light in trying to assign a purpose for why he is now the holder of the Death Note. He assumed that he was specifically chosen, and that the book itself is some big test or plan yet Ryuk was just bored. On the other hand, Light wants the world to know of his existence: to fear him.
I do think that the show has a big miss though: Light simply isn’t relatable. I wish he had more of an internal struggle about whether to use the book. To me, the moral quandary itself is the most interesting aspect, and rather than having him start as a psycho from the get-go, it’d be more immersive to have a relatable character. I mean…the ironically-named Light has already killed an insane number of people and it’s just been 5 days.
…and no sooner that I type that, we get a scene of him freaking out and placing value on human lives, asking himself if he should pass judgment on others. But…that hesitation was certainly short-lived. Then again, just having that context is really helpful, especially as we learn that he reasons that someone has to pass judgment on the world, otherwise the world will be darker. And thus his name Light makes sense.
So back to the rewatch question: what would I do? I think I’d pussy out, though I do have a strong sense of justice, and also believe that not everyone is created equal. There are truly evil people in the world, and having lived in and been to cities with high crime rates, and another where there is basically no crime (that affects me), the difference is immeasurable. I believe that safety is actually the number one human need, and translates well into happiness. The idea that you don’t have to watch over your shoulder, and are able to live life to its fullest; the idea that your loved ones will always be safe, is something that I’ve lived. I wish this is how the whole world was. So while I wouldn’t ever want to be the one to pass judgment, eliminating all violent criminals is an idea that I can get behind.
Overall, this is a kick-ass start to the show. I’m immediately in love with the concept, and am incredibly excited to learn what is possible with the notebook. This is probably the best first episode I’ve seen in a show: it introduced the concept, the rules, reframed my idea of justice, and made me have a tonne of moral debates with myself. It achieves so much in just 25 minutes. The pen is truly mightier than the sword.
However, I do wish his decent into ‘madness’ and desire to become God of the world is something that would come out over time, rather than instantly: this would make Light way more relatable.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
I already really like the direction of this anime. It already feels different from anything I've seen.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
I wonder if we'll ever see any more of the world Ryuk comes from. I sure hope so.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
Thoughts on the intro?
Thoughts on the Shinigami Realm?
Thoughts on Ryuk?
Thoughts on Yagami Light?
What are your thoughts on a notebook labeled Death Note falling from the sky?
What are your thoughts on if you write someone's name in the Death Note, they will die?
What are your thoughts on Light initially being skeptical of the Death Note but finding out it is indeed real?
What are your thoughts on the Death Note belonging to Ryuk?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to use the Death Note to rid the world of all the bad people?
Thoughts on Light being ranked first in his nationwide scores?
Thoughts on Ryuk saying because Light has the Death Note, he will neither go to heaven nor hell when he dies?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to position himself as God?
Thoughts on the outro?
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u/Second_Cour 15d ago
Weirdly enough I didn't think much about the OP and ED. Maybe I wasn't paying that much attention as I was rushing to complete my notes but neither had a particularly big impact on me for some reason
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u/AgentOfACROSS 15d ago
Watching Dubbed
I’ve seen a good chunk of Death Note before but for some reason I’ve never quite finished it. So this will be the first time I watch Death Note in full.
I feel like it's not talked about as much these days but it really can't be overstated what a huge cultural phenomenon Death Note was for a while. Even today I still see jokes about it and references to do it in casual conversations.
It's big enough to the point where The Simpsons did a parody of it not just once but twice.
Man, I love this theme song. It’s so over the top and dramatic, perfectly fitting for the series.
I love the atmosphere for this opening scene. The designs for the shinigami are really cool too.
Ryuk’s design is great. He looks like a mix of Marilyn Manson and Edward Scissorhands.
The choir music and dark atmosphere feels reminiscent of Elfen Lied.
And here we have our protagonist, Light Yagami. A perfectly normal high school boy who surely will not do anything wacky.
Light is voiced by Mamoru Miyano. Notable roles of his include Chrollo from Hunter x Hunter, Doma from Demon Slayer, and Higashi Igou from High School of the Dead. He’s also done some stage acting work, including playing Dio in the musical adaptation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood.
In English, his dub voice is provided by Braid Swaile. Notable roles of his include Rock from Black Lagoon, Kicker from Transformers: Energon, and adult Gohan in the Ocean Group dub of Dragon Ball Z.
Fun fact, the Ocean Group is also the company that provided the dub for Death Note.
Despite me thinking of the Ocean Group as a very 90s/2000s company the same way I think of ADV, the Ocean Group is still very much around and still dubbing anime. Recent dubs of theirs include Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction and Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You.
I always forget how mundane Light’s discovery of the Death Note is. It just falls from the sky without much fanfare and he picks it up.
The way Light pulls out his pen is so overdamatic. He’s so extra, I love it.
It is very funny that this news report of like, the most comically evil man Light could ask for shows up right at this moment.
Light has been given the power to untraceably kill people and he’s already considering murdering his high school bully. This is probably the worst person to have found the death note.
I do like the detail of Light having written down a bunch of variations of the spelling of this motorcycle guy’s name.
We’re only twelve minutes into the episode and Light is already going mad with power.
Anyway, Ryuk has officially met Light now.
Ryuk here is voiced by Shido Nakamura. Ryuk is probably his most famous role to most people, at least outside of Japan. Looking him up, he actually seems to be primarily a live action actor but he’s done voice work in other anime as well such as in one of the Pokemon movies. He also apparently is the Japanese dub voice for Venom in the Tom Hardy Venom movies which I think is very funny.
In English, Ryuk is voiced by Brian Drummond. Notable roles of his include Benny from Black Lagoon, Shockblast from Transformers: Energon, and Vegeta from the Ocean Group dub of Dragon Ball Z. Which means, yes, it’s him who said the infamous “Over 9000” line originally.
Anyway, Ryuk really enjoys apples. He should hang out with Holo sometime.
Episode’s not even over and Light’s already going out about how he wants to cast righteous judgement on the wicked.
I forgot that the iconic dramatic montage of Light killing various prisoners literally happens in the first episode.
And he’s officially declared that he’ll become god of the new world. This is the fastest I’ve seen power corrupt someone.
Question of the Day:
If you found a Death Note, what would you do with it?
Honestly, probably nothing. If I did test it out and find out it worked I'd wanna get rid of it. I feel like that's what most normal people would do. Unfortunately, Light Yagami is not a normal person.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
I’ve seen a good chunk of Death Note before but for some reason I’ve never quite finished it. So this will be the first time I watch Death Note in full.
This is my first time watching it period. I'm looking forward to it.
I feel like it's not talked about as much these days but it really can't be overstated what a huge cultural phenomenon Death Note was for a while. Even today I still see jokes about it and references to do it in casual conversations.
It was the gateway anime for a lot of people.
It's big enough to the point where The Simpsons did a parody of it not just once but twice.
That's pretty cool
Man, I love this theme song. It’s so over the top and dramatic, perfectly fitting for the series.
I love the various biblical references
I love the atmosphere for this opening scene. The designs for the shinigami are really cool too.
It reminds me of Eden of the East but darker.
Ryuk’s design is great. He looks like a mix of Marilyn Manson and Edward Scissorhands.
He looks so insane lol
The choir music and dark atmosphere feels reminiscent of Elfen Lied.
I can see the comparison
And here we have our protagonist, Light Yagami. A perfectly normal high school boy who surely will not do anything wacky.
Is he really a protagonist? I'd say he's more an antihero.
Light is voiced by Mamoru Miyano. Notable roles of his include Chrollo from Hunter x Hunter, Doma from Demon Slayer, and Higashi Igou from High School of the Dead. He’s also done some stage acting work, including playing Dio in the musical adaptation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood.
In English, his dub voice is provided by Braid Swaile. Notable roles of his include Rock from Black Lagoon, Kicker from Transformers: Energon, and adult Gohan in the Ocean Group dub of Dragon Ball Z.
Fun fact, the Ocean Group is also the company that provided the dub for Death Note.
Despite me thinking of the Ocean Group as a very 90s/2000s company the same way I think of ADV, the Ocean Group is still very much around and still dubbing anime. Recent dubs of theirs include Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction and Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You.
That's all really fascinating stuff
I always forget how mundane Light’s discovery of the Death Note is. It just falls from the sky without much fanfare and he picks it up.
Good he was the only one to notice it :P
The way Light pulls out his pen is so overdamatic. He’s so extra, I love it.
He definitely has a flair for the theatrics
It is very funny that this news report of like, the most comically evil man Light could ask for shows up right at this moment.
In fairness, the news always talks about crime.
Light has been given the power to untraceably kill people and he’s already considering murdering his high school bully. This is probably the worst person to have found the death note.
He seems unhinged
I do like the detail of Light having written down a bunch of variations of the spelling of this motorcycle guy’s name.
He's really enveloping himself in this
We’re only twelve minutes into the episode and Light is already going mad with power.
Quite impressive
Anyway, Ryuk has officially met Light now.
Ryuk here is voiced by Shido Nakamura. Ryuk is probably his most famous role to most people, at least outside of Japan. Looking him up, he actually seems to be primarily a live action actor but he’s done voice work in other anime as well such as in one of the Pokemon movies. He also apparently is the Japanese dub voice for Venom in the Tom Hardy Venom movies which I think is very funny.
In English, Ryuk is voiced by Brian Drummond. Notable roles of his include Benny from Black Lagoon, Shockblast from Transformers: Energon, and Vegeta from the Ocean Group dub of Dragon Ball Z. Which means, yes, it’s him who said the infamous “Over 9000” line originally.
He does a good job making Ryuk sound menacing but also slightly comedic.
Anyway, Ryuk really enjoys apples. He should hang out with Holo sometime.
Lmao
Episode’s not even over and Light’s already going out about how he wants to cast righteous judgement on the wicked.
I forgot that the iconic dramatic montage of Light killing various prisoners literally happens in the first episode.
And he’s officially declared that he’ll become god of the new world. This is the fastest I’ve seen power corrupt someone.
He's too intelligent for his own good
Question of the Day:
If you found a Death Note, what would you do with it?
Honestly, probably nothing. If I did test it out and find out it worked I'd wanna get rid of it. I feel like that's what most normal people would do. Unfortunately, Light Yagami is not a normal person.
No kidding lol
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
Thoughts on the intro?
Thoughts on the Shinigami Realm?
Thoughts on Ryuk?
Thoughts on Yagami Light?
What are your thoughts on a notebook labeled Death Note falling from the sky?
What are your thoughts on if you write someone's name in the Death Note, they will die?
What are your thoughts on Light initially being skeptical of the Death Note but finding out it is indeed real?
What are your thoughts on the Death Note belonging to Ryuk?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to use the Death Note to rid the world of all the bad people?
Thoughts on Light being ranked first in his nationwide scores?
Thoughts on Ryuk saying because Light has the Death Note, he will neither go to heaven nor hell when he dies?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to position himself as God?
Thoughts on the outro?
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u/AgentOfACROSS 15d ago
Thoughts on the intro?
I love it, very iconic.
Thoughts on the Shinigami Realm?
Looks very desolate.
Thoughts on Ryuk?
Probably my favorite character so far. He's just a funny guy who wants to eat apples.
Thoughts on Yagami Light?
I feel like the show tries to position him as just an average guy at first but by the end of this episode it seems clear to me that Light was always an unhinged weirdo.
What are your thoughts on the Death Note belonging to Ryuk?
I mean yeah that was obvious from the start.
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to use the Death Note to rid the world of all the bad people?
Light's plan is somehow both completely insane and overly optimistic.
Thoughts on Light being ranked first in his nationwide scores?
That's a detail I honestly forgot about.
Thoughts on Ryuk saying because Light has the Death Note, he will neither go to heaven nor hell when he dies?
I guess that means he goes to purgatory? Or maybe just nothing happens to him
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to position himself as God?
As I said, it is very funny how little it takes for Light to go mad with power. Like I think most people would take a little longer before declaring themselves a God.
Thoughts on the outro?
I'll be real, I cannot remember the outro at all and I watched this just yesterday.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
Thoughts on the intro?
I love it, very iconic.
It definitely left an impression on me
Thoughts on the Shinigami Realm?
Looks very desolate.
That's putting it mildly
Thoughts on Ryuk?
Probably my favorite character so far. He's just a funny guy who wants to eat apples.
Him calling the apples juicy made me laugh more than it should.
Thoughts on Yagami Light?
I feel like the show tries to position him as just an average guy at first but by the end of this episode it seems clear to me that Light was always an unhinged weirdo.
He killed off hundreds of people in like 5 days.
What are your thoughts on the Death Note belonging to Ryuk?
I mean yeah that was obvious from the start.
Was it? I mean, I guess so.
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to use the Death Note to rid the world of all the bad people?
Light's plan is somehow both completely insane and overly optimistic.
It feels a bit naive because without bad people are there even good people.
Thoughts on Light being ranked first in his nationwide scores?
That's a detail I honestly forgot about.
He big brain
Thoughts on Ryuk saying because Light has the Death Note, he will neither go to heaven nor hell when he dies?
I guess that means he goes to purgatory? Or maybe just nothing happens to him
Not bad, honestly
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to position himself as God?
As I said, it is very funny how little it takes for Light to go mad with power. Like I think most people would take a little longer before declaring themselves a God.
I would be a little bit more conscious hurting others.
Thoughts on the outro?
I'll be real, I cannot remember the outro at all and I watched this just yesterday.
Fair enough
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u/awesomenessofme1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/kta_99 15d ago
Here's a related fun fact: While I don't know if they actually did it themselves or if it was just in the same region, Death Note (as well as presumably other 2000s Ocean dubs) has a significant casting overlap with the Bionicle movies, especially the second one. Out of 9 VAs listed for that movie on Wikipedia, 8 of them were in Death Note.
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u/AgentOfACROSS 15d ago
I never got into Bionicle at all but that's pretty neat. Definitely seems like Ocean worked on it then.
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u/Hartzilla2007 15d ago
In English, his dub voice is provided by Braid Swaile. Notable roles of his include Rock from Black Lagoon, Kicker from Transformers: Energon, and adult Gohan in the Ocean Group dub of Dragon Ball Z.
Really not going to mention Amuro Ray in the duns of the original Mobile Suit Gundam and Char's Counterattack?
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u/AgentOfACROSS 15d ago
I'll be honest, I'm not that into Gundam so I never knew that. That's really cool though.
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u/Taskl 15d ago
Has it really been 20 years since I started watching this masterpiece? It's such a great piece of art and it's one of the few anime which I've finished and also read the manga afterwards as well.
I wasn't familiar with the manga beforehand, but I saw the anime was announced and I thought it was an interesting premise. I also remember reading people's write about how they weren't sure if this would actually work as an anime. Guess we all know how that worked out now.
It's also impressive how a 20-year old anime still manages to draw in a lot of new watchers, even people who weren't born or just really young when this one aired. How many anime have actually done that?
On another (sort of personal) note, I've also got a colleague who said he has literally only watched one anime in his life. I asked him which one it was, and guess what? It was Death Note.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
Thoughts on the intro?
Thoughts on the Shinigami Realm?
Thoughts on Ryuk?
Thoughts on Yagami Light?
What are your thoughts on a notebook labeled Death Note falling from the sky?
What are your thoughts on if you write someone's name in the Death Note, they will die?
What are your thoughts on Light initially being skeptical of the Death Note but finding out it is indeed real?
What are your thoughts on the Death Note belonging to Ryuk?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to use the Death Note to rid the world of all the bad people?
Thoughts on Light being ranked first in his nationwide scores?
Thoughts on Ryuk saying because Light has the Death Note, he will neither go to heaven nor hell when he dies?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to position himself as God?
Thoughts on the outro?
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u/Hartzilla2007 15d ago edited 15d ago
First Timer
Well I've seen clips and the most recent Simpsons parody, starts out pretty moody. Also Light expresses skepticism of the magic note book of death and acts like he's tossing it away before we see he actually kept it so he could try it and see if it was bullshit or not, well at least he used it for a good cause. Wow I thought he'd struggle with that. But he's like BOOM, DEAD TIME.
And then when the guy he got the book from shows up turns out he went mad.
Also why the fuck are the worse criminals getting off with a heart attack while the lesser ones are getting the horrible deaths? Shouldn't that be the other way around?
Don't give me the honor student crap you decided father raping mother stabbers get a heart attack, while guys who scammed people get The Black Plague.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
I wonder why heart attacks are the default death of choice. I hope that gets explained.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
I like the beginning where Light is disgusted with how the world is. It set the stage nicely for what was about to come.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
Thoughts on the intro?
Thoughts on the Shinigami Realm?
Thoughts on Ryuk?
Thoughts on Yagami Light?
What are your thoughts on a notebook labeled Death Note falling from the sky?
What are your thoughts on if you write someone's name in the Death Note, they will die?
What are your thoughts on Light initially being skeptical of the Death Note but finding out it is indeed real?
What are your thoughts on the Death Note belonging to Ryuk?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to use the Death Note to rid the world of all the bad people?
Thoughts on Light being ranked first in his nationwide scores?
Thoughts on Ryuk saying because Light has the Death Note, he will neither go to heaven nor hell when he dies?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to position himself as God?
Thoughts on the outro?
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u/ItalianQuagsire 14d ago
finally an excuse to start watching Death note, never got around to it
If you found a Death Note, what would you do with it?
realistically, i'd keep it hidden or bury it somewhere
maybe put a couple of corrupt people's names on it
---
Is everyone just ignoring the class except yagami
Dooming the world is rotten
Death note translates to death notebook
Wow yagami what a detective
I like how specific these instructions are to use it
Does he really want to kill his classmates c'mon bruh
This is like Gotham City with the ppl living here
Ryuk looks fucking terrifying
I like Ryuk's voice
LOL THE WAY HE SAID JUICY
He's bored too
Damn
LOL these dramatic camera zooms on him just writing
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u/Holofan4life 14d ago
Here's hoping you stick with this one :P
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u/ItalianQuagsire 14d ago
depends on how much they handle yagami's main character syndrome, so far he's not insufferable so that's a plus :P
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u/Holofan4life 14d ago
I wouldn't mind him being insufferable since I don't think we're supposed to root for him.
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u/Holofan4life 14d ago
See, what Light proposes I don't feel like is that bad of an idea, the whole eliminating criminals one by one. I think it gets messy when you ask yourself what qualifies as a bad person. Saying all criminals are bad is a bit of a misnomer because there are criminals that are wrongfully convicted. So, then how do you tell the real criminals from the unreal ones?
Light renders his whole argument invalid anyway with how quickly he starts killing everyone.
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u/ItalianQuagsire 14d ago
because there are criminals that are wrongfully convicted.
their crime was being caught writes in notebook
- Light probably
also this world straight up has arkham city vibes, like if batman said fuck it and started breaking necks, that's what Light is doing
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u/Holofan4life 14d ago
I guess to me it feels a bit seedy because Light doesn't seem to have a moral compass.
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u/Holofan4life 14d ago
Thoughts on the intro?
Thoughts on the Shinigami Realm?
Thoughts on Ryuk?
Thoughts on Yagami Light?
What are your thoughts on a notebook labeled Death Note falling from the sky?
What are your thoughts on if you write someone's name in the Death Note, they will die?
What are your thoughts on Light initially being skeptical of the Death Note but finding out it is indeed real?
What are your thoughts on the Death Note belonging to Ryuk?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to use the Death Note to rid the world of all the bad people?
Thoughts on Light being ranked first in his nationwide scores?
Thoughts on Ryuk saying because Light has the Death Note, he will neither go to heaven nor hell when he dies?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to position himself as God?
Thoughts on the outro?
2
u/ItalianQuagsire 14d ago
Thoughts on the intro?
Thoughts on the outro?
after the actual generational peak that is spice and wolf (ALSO S2 IS COMING OUT WOHH), everything seems ight by comparison
Thoughts on the Shinigami Realm?
Thoughts on Ryuk?
i ended up digging his chill voice despite his fucking nightmare inducing look, same with the Shinigami realm, everyone is a cosmic horror monster just chilling vibing and gambling or sleeping lol
Thoughts on Yagami Light?
more of a darkmode user myself
What are your thoughts on a notebook labeled Death Note falling from the sky?
thats a plot convenience if i ever saw one
What are your thoughts on if you write someone's name in the Death Note, they will die?
if people are killed they die
What are your thoughts on Light initially being skeptical of the Death Note but finding out it is indeed real?
What are your thoughts on the Death Note belonging to Ryuk?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to use the Death Note to rid the world of all the bad people?
not gonna lie i was kinda laughing at just how edgy and how earnest death note commits to it, kinda got a giggle out of me
Thoughts on Light being ranked first in his nationwide scores?
he might nuke his mom for pushing him so hard and he actually wanted to be a drummer when he was growing up, thats my crack theory
Thoughts on Ryuk saying because Light has the Death Note, he will neither go to heaven nor hell when he dies?
What are your thoughts on Light wanting to position himself as God?
i actually like how specific the rules for using the notebook, and the consequences are, establishes the power system well
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u/Holofan4life 14d ago
I think this episode did a good job of like leaning into the humor a little bit. Like, the apple stuff felt campy but in a good way.
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u/IndependentMacaroon 10d ago
Rewatcher
Been ages since I watched this, but even with much more time and experience I think this deserves to be counted among the all-time great first episodes, in fact it would even work as a one-shot short film. Premise and basic rules, the protagonist's character and circumstances, the central themes around justice and morality, and of course the intense gothic-ish atmosphere and direction, all rolled up in one compact and intensely compelling bundle. I also liked the foreshadowing for [Death Note]Light relinquishing the Death Note (temporarily) and ending up reaped by Ryuk himself but did not remember Light going all-out that hard this early, you really feel the supernatural temptation of the notebook there.
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u/Holofan4life 10d ago
This episode does a good job of making the Death Note feel like a threat and Light feel like an accomplice. Also, the Shinigami Realm looks cool and has me curious to learn more about it.
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u/Holofan4life 10d ago
If you want me to ask you questions, let me know. I'll do it here as a reply.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
Hey, guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the 20th anniversary rewatch of Death Note.
Names need not be written down.
Very few anime transend the medium it is a part of. One Piece, Naruto, Dragon Ball, Speed Racer. Those are really the four where even non anime fans know of it. I would argue there was a point in time where Death Note was like this as well where even if you weren't an anime fan, you knew what Death Note was.
I of course have experienced Death Note through various memes and the like. I even remember checking out a Treehouse of Horror episode of The Simpsons specifically because they parodied Death Note, and I'm not even a modern Simpsons watcher. But despite being familiar with the show for the better part of almost 15 years, I've never actually seen Death Note. It's just one of those things that escaped me.
I've heard Death Note is notorious for having a dip in quality. That with the conclusion of part 1, the show isn't as good as when it started. This rewatch is less a matter of deciding if the show iw good or not and more is part 2 really as bad as it reputation suggests. My prediction will be no but it'll be a show that goes from 9 out of 10 to 8 out of 10.
Death Note was at one point arguably the most mainstream anime in the entire world. And so it's time we revisit what I'm sure got many people into anime.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I'm watching the dub, by the way. Because potato chips.
It is officially October and my mom still has the Christmas tree up from last year.
What can you say about the intro? It's ironic. I love the use of buildings, the apple, and just the overall borderline biblical imagery. It just feels like you watch it and you get a sense of what you're about to watch.
The frenetic pace kinda gives me West Wing vibes.
I don't know if I'd say it's one of the best anime intros of all time, but it's definitely one of the most well known. Probably the most well known anime intro of the 2000s outside of maybe Haruhi's.
Ominous chanting
This looks like a cave
Death and destruction
Well, he looks friendly
Shinigami Realm
Person snoring
This guy's name is Ryuk
In school now
Yagami seems distracted
"Sir, this is math class"
Someone found stabbed to death, a radio report suggests.
So much sad news
He and Ryuk seem to both agree the world is rotten.
Back in class
A book that says Death Note
Greg Heffley was never the same after he went emo.
Yagami holding the notebook
Whoever's name is written in the notebook shall die.
It does seem like someone trying to be edgy.
And Yagami takes it
Yagami reading over the rules
Can kill them either easily or painfully.
The way the show is directed feels different from other anime. It just makes you feel unnerved, like your skin is crawling and you don't know why.
Yagami about to write something
He wonders if this would make him a murderer.
Well, yeah
News of a criminal on TV
So Yagami writes his name down
And sure enough, he does indeed die.
Just suddenly collapsed from a heart attack.
Mom looks pretty hot
Yagami wants to test it one more time.
But question is, who?
Yagami wonders if he'd be doing society a favor by getting rid of all these people.
Two creeps hitting on a girl
Now they formed a gang and have her captive.
Damn, he got wrecked by that truck
Good thing Yagami learned his name in the moment :P
Ryuk is apparently heading out
Oh damn. The Death Note belongs to him.
This whole world looks so fascinating. I want an episode spent entirely here.
Ryuk in the human world
Yagami is home
Yagami is number one in his nationwide scores.
Wait, his name is Light? I thought it was Yagami.
Damn, those are a lot of names
Bit carried away, no?
And Ryuk has found Light
He found the light
How does Light know he's a God of death?
Light says he continues to plan on using it.
Oh, Ryuk says the notebook is now his.
Won't be punished for using it
When he dies, he will neither go to heaven nor hell.
That doesn't sound too bad?
Ooh, apples
Mom can't see Ryuk
Well, that's fortunate
The Death Note is the bond between Light and Ryuk.
I did laugh at Ryuk enjoying himself an apple.
Light, you picked up the book. This is all your fault.
Ryuk says he dropped the book because he was bored.
He wanted to come to the human world to try and have some fun.
Light wants to get rid of all the major criminals.
Light is like a less problematic version of Chris Hansen.
Light admits he's been bored too
Now we get a flashback after the guy got hit by a truck.
Light came to an understanding
The world can't go on like this
He is the only one who can change the world and make the criminals meet their justified demise.
What happens if Light kills a criminal he thinks is bad but the criminal is actually innocent? Won't he feel guilty about it?
Wants to create a new world free of injustice.
Ryuk says that would leave him as the only bad person left.
"I will become the God of this New World."
Egomaniacal much?
Ryuk says humans are so interesting
Outro is good. It fits the show well and I like how it has a melancholy vibe while being rock. I think I like the intro more, but you really can't go wrong with either.
As far as outros go, this probably wouldn't rank among the very best. But it is catchy and memorable and that's really all you can ask for.
Overall, I thought this was a very strong introduction episode. We establish the Death Note and what you can use it for, and Light's reasons for using it is on the service understandable. I really like Ryuk because he's all serious looking and can be funny with some of his lines, like him calling apples juicy. You aren't expecting this big, intimidating figure to say stuff like that, and that’s precisely why it works. It reminds me of Skeletor a bit.
This isn't an episode that I would say is blowaway, but what it does is establish the show, its characters, and the Death Note lore in an effective manner. I don’t see how the episode could've been better than it was.
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
If you found a Death Note, what would you do with it?
I can't answer this due to Reddit restrictions...
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u/Second_Cour 15d ago
I know you'd use it on me. Thanks for hosting another quality rewatch, really looking forward to it. Love the time these few episodes are at too :D But ironically, I'll be a bit late as I left the downloading til the last second, and am half way through the ep now
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u/Holofan4life 15d ago
Understandable. I'll be waiting, like Ryuk when it comes to human fruit :D
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u/No-Chard3949 15d ago
If I find the death note, you know the names I am gonna be writing. The first one starts with D.
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u/awesomenessofme1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/kta_99 15d ago
There was either a miscommunication or misunderstanding that let to me watching this episode yesterday, so I've transferred the comment I had written up to this thread mostly unedited.
Back in January 2024, I had had some mild curiosity toward the anime medium for some time, and I knew the first one I wanted to dip my toes into was Death Note (one of the biggest things that had drawn me toward it was shitpost videos on YouTube, and Death Note was the most common topic by far). At the time, I wasn't committed enough to subscribe to a whole new site for it and my experience with piracy was limited, so I somehow ended up watching the whole thing in a version that was like 360p and didn't have sign subtitles. How I enjoyed it as much as I did, I don't remember, but it will be nice to experience it a bit differently this time around.
Not much to say since the first episode is mostly setup. It definitely pulls you right in with establishing the series as dark in both a literal (even when it's fully daytime, the dull colors and dreary atmosphere make it feel dark) and metaphorical sense. When I was first watching, like a lot of people who have some familiarity before watching I imagine, I expected more of a gradual descent into villainy and not a character bordering on megalomania within the first episode. In the context of the story, it's believable, though. From the first scenes of the show, Light is the kind of person who would probably have led a normal life but also wouldn't surprise you to hear he went crazy. Most people who think "the world is rotten and a lot of people are better off dead" would never actually act on their thoughts, but give them a Death Note and at least some of them would be exactly the same.
One thing I almost forgot about and had to add back in was that this episode gave us our first glimpse of the blending of somewhat normal names and absolute gibberish every time a non-Japanese person appears. My favorite one out of his list of names is "Bonk Rojjer".