And not even the disappointing last cour makes it a bad choice for the first anime.
Summary:
Death Note is great for getting people into anime because it doesn’t overuse any anime tropes and is just a good story overall.
Some argue that lack of action and subpar last third of the anime make it a worse recommendation — but that’s hardly true.
It’s a great recommendation overall, even if you’ve watched quite a lot of anime already.
Death Note is definitely one of the classics of anime. Despite airing and ending more than 15 years ago, it is still being talked about now — not many anime can boast that level of popularity. In part, that can be attributed to the fact that after all these years, it is still one of the best recommendations to anime newcomers.
Why is it so great for new fans?
Death Note’s appeal can be attributed to many factors. First, it’s just an entertaining story to watch. It doesn’t require you to already be into the anime medium. In a sense, it’s an anime that might as well be a non-anime series, and because of this, it won’t scare off people who haven’t seen any anime before.
Death Note doesn’t really reference other anime (at least not in any meaningful capacity). It doesn’t rely on the knowledge of the tropes, and the new viewer won’t get lost. It’s mostly straightforward, which is always a good thing when introducing someone new to anime. After all, we don’t really want to confuse the newcomers, do we?
It’s also just a great story overall with memorable characters who are easy to understand. Even if we aren’t supposed to root for Light, we can’t help but enjoy him. L’s eccentric behavior also makes him one of the most beloved anime characters of all time, and their mindgame-type dynamic is just great.
Some fans disagree
Some fans disagree with recommending Death Note to newcomers. The last third of the anime is commonly criticized for being weaker than the first two cours. While that is true, it doesn’t make the anime bad — arguably, it’s still good, it just doesn’t compare to the amazing first part of it.
Others also think that the first anime for newcomers should be something with more action (which is nearly absent in Death Note). After all, it’s all about animation, isn’t it? However, action isn’t required to make great animation — as we can see with Death Note, it has the latter but not much of the former.
A great recommendation overall
Overall, Death Note is just a very good anime series almost everyone would enjoy. That doesn’t mean it’s only made for newcomers, either: even experienced fans enjoy it, whether it’s a rewatch for them or somehow they haven’t seen it before.
Despite airing in 2006, it definitely holds up to these days. It still looks better than most of anime, and it’s not really obsolete when it comes to plot or themes (although arguably, these usually don’t become obsolete in the first place). There’s almost nothing like it, and after watching it, perhaps you can find something that suits your tastes more precisely.
And not even the disappointing last cour makes it a bad choice for the first anime.
Summary:
Death Note is great for getting people into anime because it doesn’t overuse any anime tropes and is just a good story overall.
Some argue that lack of action and subpar last third of the anime make it a worse recommendation — but that’s hardly true.
It’s a great recommendation overall, even if you’ve watched quite a lot of anime already.
Death Note is definitely one of the classics of anime. Despite airing and ending more than 15 years ago, it is still being talked about now — not many anime can boast that level of popularity. In part, that can be attributed to the fact that after all these years, it is still one of the best recommendations to anime newcomers.
Why is it so great for new fans?
Death Note’s appeal can be attributed to many factors. First, it’s just an entertaining story to watch. It doesn’t require you to already be into the anime medium. In a sense, it’s an anime that might as well be a non-anime series, and because of this, it won’t scare off people who haven’t seen any anime before.
Death Note doesn’t really reference other anime (at least not in any meaningful capacity). It doesn’t rely on the knowledge of the tropes, and the new viewer won’t get lost. It’s mostly straightforward, which is always a good thing when introducing someone new to anime. After all, we don’t really want to confuse the newcomers, do we?
It’s also just a great story overall with memorable characters who are easy to understand. Even if we aren’t supposed to root for Light, we can’t help but enjoy him. L’s eccentric behavior also makes him one of the most beloved anime characters of all time, and their mindgame-type dynamic is just great.
Some fans disagree
Some fans disagree with recommending Death Note to newcomers. The last third of the anime is commonly criticized for being weaker than the first two cours. While that is true, it doesn’t make the anime bad — arguably, it’s still good, it just doesn’t compare to the amazing first part of it.
Others also think that the first anime for newcomers should be something with more action (which is nearly absent in Death Note). After all, it’s all about animation, isn’t it? However, action isn’t required to make great animation — as we can see with Death Note, it has the latter but not much of the former.
A great recommendation overall
Overall, Death Note is just a very good anime series almost everyone would enjoy. That doesn’t mean it’s only made for newcomers, either: even experienced fans enjoy it, whether it’s a rewatch for them or somehow they haven’t seen it before.
Despite airing in 2006, it definitely holds up to these days. It still looks better than most of anime, and it’s not really obsolete when it comes to plot or themes (although arguably, these usually don’t become obsolete in the first place). There’s almost nothing like it, and after watching it, perhaps you can find something that suits your tastes more precisely.
