Forum - View topicDeath Note (TV).
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DKL
 Posts: 1992 Location: California, USA |
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I actually really liked that sequence... it wasn't coordinated and animated nearly as good as the large scale sequence in Monster where:
*super spoilers* spoiler[Johan burns the Munich University library down] ... but it was still fun to watch. Also, the: *episode 31 spoilers* spoiler[Riot police only got in because everyone was distracted... had they not been fighting over the money, they would've gotten up in the copper's asses.] Or some other ridiculous explanation like that. Anyway, my main problem with people that aren't into the show right now, but seemed to like it before is that... man, the writing was incredibly ridiculous to begin with; I really don't see how any of that has changed from the first half other than the fact that it's blatantly more obvious now. (but then, that might be the problem in itself, so I don’t know) And, from what I hear, the anime seems to poke more fun at itself in comparison to the manga (because little things like eating potato chips are considered, as a member over at animeondvd.com put it, “an epic, dramatic event worthy of fluid slow-mo animation and Gregorian chanting”) I guess, for me, the best part is that there aren't any real slow parts during this half of the show either (since, some people are saying that Madhouse is cutting out the boring parts… but of course, you have the people that are a little troubled that they are omitting a lot of stuff, so I really don’t know) That said… If someone can somehow rationalize to me how: spoiler[Pretending to hide porn to throw an investigation off] Isn't ridicilous... then, you know... I wouldn't have a thread about how Galaxy Angel was somehow similar to Death Note in terms of both writing and style. (okay, I’m screwing around with that one, but still…) ANYWAY, While I do indeed put unusual emphasis on that one plot point, if I went back and actually watched the show again in detail (as in, put this baby under motivation analysis like I’d do with my Galaxy Angel thread), I’d probably find more inane hokey stuff… but, all things considering, the above was actually a considerable part of moving the story forward, and I’d be surprised if that didn’t rub people the wrong way (specifically, the people who have abandoned what I now consider one of the most overblown and entertaining shows ever created). Anyway, I digress (from actually talking about episode 31)… A thing of note in this episode [31] is probably the creativity behind the Death Note sequences… when you thought you’ve seen it all, you suddenly have: spoiler[This new guy, Mikami, who does like double-slash sword-style strokes while writing in the note… other than 2 or 3 cuts (which seems to have been recycled from the first episode of the show where Light first uses the Death Note), it somehow seems different from how Light does it (or, to the very least, fresh). I was also fond of the last part where, due to the intense dramatic impact of writing people’s names in the note pushing him away from the table, Mikami has to physically walk forward in order to get back to the table to write Demagawa’s name. Then, the cool thing about the editing of the sequence was that it was done in a way where it seemed like Mikami PHYSICALLY walked into the studio to kill Demagawa. (Demagawa’s body chemistry helped support this effect)…] Yeah, I watched the hell out of that sequence; Testuro Araki sure has some creative visuals for this show, if anything. |
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free2slap
 Posts: 210 Location: New York |
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 Damn dude this is like the 5th post i think you have made in this thread whining that death note don't derserve to be a masterpiece, nor to be in the top rated anime in this website. Does it bother you that much?!
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Deltakiral
 Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
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It bother me when people think that something is amazing when it's not *Cough* Spider Man 3 *Cough* as for DN, while it's not as awful as SM3 it's quite disappointing to see something that was so really good (possibly Masterpiece) fall to average from a poor final arc. I think my beef is really with people rating something that isn't complete seeing as how you've only got a picture of the story. |
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adonais
Posts: 302 |
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How much of the show have you actually watched? I got the impression you were waiting for the official releases. At any rate, you didn't leap at the chance of becoming a prophet when you posted in the beginning of this thread - you didn't call it ridiculous then. Using your hindsight now to say that it has been ridiculous all along is kinda silly. I think there is/was also a difference between those who had read the manga a knew what to expect, and those who had not. Those who only watch the anime have no foreknowledge of the upcoming arcs and have to judge the script and its execution as it gradually unfolds. There was no one in the first ten pages of this thread (I didn't bother to check any further right now) who called the writing ridiculous, and I myself didn't detect the serious downswing in the writing before episode 16 (we must allow for some fluctuations, of course), the end of the first arc. Somewhere along the line, roughly coinciding with the new OP/ED, the series just lost its initial appeal to me. Instead of being wickedly clever and raising some interesting moral questions, it shifted toward just trying to be as fan-pleasingly über-super-cool as possible that it just became, as you say, ridiculous. Without the deep and turbulent dynamics between Light and L to capitalize on, and nothing to replace it, the show lost it, IMO. I don't really think this is because the show is deliberately "poking fun at itself," because, although I do laugh at it at times, I do it in places where I believe the writers didn't intend me to.
I don't understand why so many people have an issue with that. To me that is pretty much a non-event, or just a minor act in the Light/L intellectual duel. Foreplay, if you will. He knew he was being watched, undertook an activity people normally wouldn't do if they knew they were being observed. It hardly won him his innocence, but it sowed seeds of doubt within some of the investigation team, what's the big deal? |
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DKL
Posts: 1992 Location: California, USA |
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adonais:
I’ve seen every single episode that has aired. I dunno... even the part where: spoiler[L first confronts Light on TV ] Felt ridiculously awesome; who the hell does stuff like that? But, it somehow managed to be awesome and intense. Actually, the first thing I commented on in this thread, it seems, is the awesome production values and the cool atmosphere... And man... the production values are still awesome (and so is the dark atmosphere); right after the high-point of the visuals of the series (episode 25), we get like another one in the form of episode 29… I'm still wondering where Madhouse gets the time and money to do stuff like this while simultaneously doing other stuff. The actual first post I made about this show was in the anime thread where I think it was Selenta (actually, it was Undeadben) who commented on how amusing my post was. I... actually talked about how awesome the above plot-point about pornography was. I contrasted it with how: spoiler[Weird it was for Light to be so overly concerned over hiding the Death Note... it felt like he was kinda like trying too hard to hide porn... when I hide my porn, I keep it in a simple place and I know that no one will ever find it… then, much to my amusement, they later had Light pretending to hide porn in order to throw the investigation off] OH, and I started watching because I got bored one day and wandered over to Youtube.com... Then, you know, it occurred to me that I had to be watching this. *and every other Madhouse show that's airing this season... too bad no one is doing Seiji Mizushima's "Oh! Edo Rocket"* (I’ll probably be downloading the official VIZ ones when they have the dub up… I feel kinda bad that I’m not doing it now though… but, you know… I want the dub) ALSO… I reserve the right to change my mind about stuff later when I look at it in detail, but my current thoughts have been pretty locked in ever since I actually started watching the show… But, I guess you’re right to an extent in that it seems like I had a change in attitude… the words I initially used were “a little hokey”… but I feel like, when I look back on it… I should’ve said VERY hokey (but then, I also said that the hokey-ness was a good factor in how much I enjoyed the show, which would probably explain why I like the show even more now). Or, to the very least, not as obviously hokey as the show is now, which is sort of how I can see why people wouldn’t like the show as much as before; it's just so OUT there now. But I dunno… my concept of “ridiculous” is kinda weird… I mean, I thought that New Fist of the North Star was really ridiculous, but I really enjoyed the awesome manliness and manly drama. I see Death Note as kinda like the talky version of that "ridiculous... ness" (oh, and has much better production values and a neat visual style, of course), which means that, despite the zany-ness of the plot, I actually do enjoy the little drama things that go on between the characters. I mean, my first reaction at the end of episode 25 was: spoiler["DAMN… he got him!"] And I'm actually pretty into Near and Mello's fierce relationship, among other things. In any case, never did I actually say that stuff like the moral conflict was profound or whatever (in fact, to me... for the most part, there is no moral conflict; what Light is doing comes off as obviously wrong to me)... and, never did I say that the plot WASN'T hokey... But, maybe I did somewhere and can't remember... if so, then I change my mind; sue me. |
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imrhien
 Posts: 16 |
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That sentence made me burst out laughing.  You gotta hand it to the show, they certainly make the best out of the very small oppurtunities for cool animation they're given.
I love how we're talking about someone's way of WRITING is fresh and exciting. And yeah, I had to watch that sequence twice before I realised that he actually wasn't in the same room as demagawa, I was really confused there for a minute. Given that before this arc, Death Note was really only a two character show, they are adding new characters at a pretty high rate. Although, I guess I don't know if spoiler[mikami] will be a major character or not, he seems interesting.
I'm kind of seeing this arc as the downfall of Light - I mean sure, he has kind of been on a downward spiral the whole time but now it's really sped up, what with spoiler[his own comrades suspecting him and so many people working against him] and the way he just doesn't seem as together as usual. I guess you could attach some sort of arbitrary meaning to that, along the lines of justice always prevails or something. Although I do kind of understand where you're coming from about the loss of the Light/L dynamic, I don't like the new characaters as much either. |
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DKL
Posts: 1992 Location: California, USA |
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Oh yeah... while I do like the new characters, I can definately see WHY people wouldn't like them...
I mean, first of all: spoiler[L was so much friendlier than these new guys... who, all things considering, do come off as kinda douche-baggish at points... but I thought it was kinda cool. And, when you think about it... they really did recycle L's gimmick to some extent (though, Near playing with his toys while someone holds the phone for him was pretty funny) ] ========= EDIT: ALSO, I just realized that I mis-interpreted adonais' post... I was under the impression that I was being accused of wildly changing my stance in regards to the show's "hokeyness"... guess I was wrong... In any case, if you can somehow find my post about Death Note in the anime thread, you'll see that my stance (from when I was still watching the early episodes) is a little close to what it is now. (just had a little more reservation before in regards to the subject, it seems) |
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LuckySleven
 Posts: 426 Location: Refer to page 2 |
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Just watched episode 31, did anybody noticed how the character designs downgraded this episode? Misa looked so much uglier. Any ways it was a really good episode.
spoiler[A new Kira is introduced named Mikami Teru, so far I like how he looks. He's has that cool very dark shady character who has a secret indentity and etc.] I LOL'd at how he wrote the people's names, very enthusiastic~!
Indeed those people deserved to die. spoiler[To use the fear of Kira for their own selfish needs, this is probably the first time I thought the slaughtering in this episode was alright.] Man I can't for episode 32, hope it was as good as 31. spoiler[I wish money can fall around me like that, so I can buy all the anime I want~! ]
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DKL
Posts: 1992 Location: California, USA |
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Episode animation itself wasn't as sharp as episode 30's, I thought... heck, the Death Note sequence I really liked actually recycled 2-3 cuts from the first episode (you could kinda tell... because of the background... but maybe I'm wrong?)
While we're on the subject of designs though... Man... I actually really miss Aizawa's afro; they should've kept that somehow as I felt that it... uhhh... gave him a lot of personality or something. (no, not really... it was just cool to look at... even Misa thought so) |
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imrhien
Posts: 16 |
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The gimmick thing does annoy me, but I'm getting over it. I actually quite like Mello, he seems like a pretty unstable character. I can't seem to warm up to Near though - I just find him really cold and unsympathetic. I also think it's pretty weird that I find near unsympathetic given he's a child and an orphan.... I guess it's coz you never get a lot of depth into characters' backgrounds in this show, so you don't think about it.
Yeah, I love the way he looks too, I hope he's gonna be an interesting character. I've pretty much liked all the character designs (for the main characters).
Maybe they wanted him to look more 'serious' now that it seems he's gonna play an important role in the story? And yet he never had the personality you'd associate with an afro to begin with.... It was cool to look at though. |
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DKL
Posts: 1992 Location: California, USA |
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Actually, Aizawa himself is a really cool character (but I still really like the afro, mind you...)
The whole "I have a duty, but I have to remember that I have a family as well" conflict came across as very... ... MANLY. Yeah, that's the word. I love that kinda stuff, actually. I mean, notice how this week's episode: spoiler[actually had his daughter in it... it's probably looming around in Aizawa's mind that... if he chooses to investigate and it turns out that Light is indeed Kira... and if Light, being Kira, were to ever find out that Aizawa is suspicious (which Light already knows)... Aizawa's really screwed, and his family will be too...] Man... what an AWESOME conflict. EDIT: Though, it could be that: spoiler[They're gonna call it quits given that someone else has the Death Note and Light and Misa have sort of been cleared... but, we shall see...] |
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penguintruth
 Posts: 8628 Location: Penguinopolis |
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I think that's the point of Near. He has none of the charisma of L. He's a cold, calculating kid on one hand but on the other he plays with toys all the time, even when he's attempting to solve this case. So he comes off as being really cold and cut throat but having this sort of endearing habit. That's exactly what I like about Near - the fact that he's so unlikable. It's as though the author of the manga was purposely trying to create a "hero" that is very much a deeply disturbing person. Just look at Near - bleach blonde with curly hair (which he's constantly playing with like Garma Zabi from Mobile Suit Gundam) and a cold look in his eyes, but at times, making these psuedo-cute, detached faces. And at times he'll surprise you with the things he says or does, like you wouldn't expect him to have any ideals about his work, but then he'll say something that points towards it. And you can tell he has a lot of contempt in him as well, like when the President announced he wouldn't support any initiatives to go after Kira, and Near made a very disgusted face. Near is probably my favorite character in the second arc because there's more to him than I expected. |
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imrhien
Posts: 16 |
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I guess I just never found Near's habit endearing, given that it's pretty much the same as L's candy obsession only replacing 'candy' with 'toys.' I can't really see Near as a hero, or anti-hero, or whatever, but that's really my own personal prejudice against that sort of character.
Can you give examples? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just can't think of anything he did that pointed towards him having some higher moral ideals behind what he was doing.
I think Near will try to make sure Light remains under suspicion, although given that they'll have to start chasing after spoiler[this new kira] maybe they won't be focussed on Light so much. |
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penguintruth
Posts: 8628 Location: Penguinopolis |
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"Our group will have to dissolve, thanks to the chicken President. No, not a chicken. More like a maggot. Don't screw with me. There's no way I could ever approve of Kira." That at least hints that it's more than just a puzzle for Near. You'll get more of Near's own opinion towards the end. Then again, I also enjoy his character on the level of simply being someone who wants to solve a puzzle and not necessarily having any emotional or high idealistic claim to his investigation. That's what's so different about him and Mello - Mello acts on emotion and ego where Near acts on cold logic and a sense of accomplishment (detached as it may seem). |
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DKL
Posts: 1992 Location: California, USA |
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Death Note 32
I think that the highlight of this episode was the use of music to convey the mood; I was very fond of the track that played during the opening sequence as it helps set this certain tone for Mikami's character... *it just screams "distinguished"... I mean... he has the glasses and everything... * Also... MAN... I really like Mikami (and his catch phrase). The part where: spoiler[Light identifies himself as Kira over the phone *using some kinda secret code*, and Mikami stands up and suddenly exclaims: "IT'S GOD!" had me in friggin' stiches (as it's so obviously different from his regular upstanding appearance). You could really feel that Mikami was 110% serious and that he honestly thought that this was the single most honorable experience ever in the history of man thanks to the intensity. This brother-man is crazy; I also like how he narrated his flashback. That said, I was also fond of Mello's short appearance and how he was in disbelief at how a person as air-headed as Misa could possibly be the second Kira. (because even he could tell that Light probably isn't too worried about leaving his girlfriend in the care of another man... if anything, it's completely obvious to Mello that it should be the other way around *meaning that Misa is the one who should be suspicious*) Going back to the music... they even went so far as using this cheesy soap-opera-ish track during the scene where Light has to pretend he's some kinda playboy; the mood was so awesomely cheesy. ] Yeah... doesn't get any cooler than this. Though, this is still competing hard with Black Lagoon as my favorite new show of the year... Oh yes, I can associate this image with this week's episode as well: *episode 32 sorta spoilers* http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a342/dklreviews/goal.jpg |
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. I was originally hoping that all the manga fans were just mad about (through episode 25ish)
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