Anime Review: Death Note

Let me start off by saying that I am a huge fan of horror, and that I do (in fact) own "Death Note." It intrigued me the first time I watched it on TV, and instead of watching the episodes online or on air, I went ahead and begged my mom for a personal copy.
Let me say now: she could have saved her money.
There is nothing WRONG with "Death Note" (aside from some heart wrenching deaths,) but it never just grabbed me. The style is beautiful, in my opinion; I especially love the character designs for Light, Ryuk, and Misa. There are a lot of beautiful backgrounds and a unique area of characters (both in design and personality.)
The concept is also fantastic, and Light's role is what really captured my attention in the first place. After all, how cool would it be to find a notebook (and an awesome God of Death) that kills whoever has their name written inside? Light's descent into the Kira mindset is done beautifully, and at times it can both infuriate and tear your heart to shreds. By the end of the series, I wasn't sure whether to continue cheering for Light (I'm totally Team Kira) or hate him for some very shocking, very horrifying choices.
So, what made "Death Note" such a dud for me?
It tends to take itself too seriously, for one, and seems to try to elevate that tension with poor comic relief at times. It can get very dark and serious, but never really seems to click with me, for whatever reason. I didn't find out as much about the characters or their histories as I wanted--L and Ryuk in particular. I also wanted some more character relationship development, and while it occurred, I felt none of them were ever deeply attached or opposed to one another. The ending also didn't seem to quite fit to me--but hey, maybe it was because I wanted a "happy ending," which "Death Note" does not supply.
All in all, I give "Death Note" 3.5 Stars. If you're a fan of horror, crime, psychology, or thrillers, I would definitely say give "Death Note" a shot and try to keep an open mind, because it wasn't too bad of an anime, just not up to my tastes.

Final Judgement

Pros: Artwork/Design, Character Uniqueness and Personality, Concept

Cons: Couldn't Get Engaged, Not Enough Relationship/History Development
Rating: 3.5/5