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Review

by Michelle Yu,

Death Note V4

Synopsis:
Death Note V4
Light becomes the hunter when he is forced to track down Misa, the Second Kira. When she finds him first, Light realises he has a valuable asset on his hands and asks Misa to dispose of L. But Misa is focused on other matters- in addition to her Shinigami Eyes she's also got eyes for Light! Any chance at love is dashed when Misa's cover is blown and she is ordered to relinquish the Death Note. With Misa and Light detained, the killings come to a halt but then mysteriously resume...
Review:

Being the object of a teen celebrity's affections, it's a dream come true for Light! Or is it?

The psychological games continue and the passive aggression climbs steadily as Misa (otherwise known as the notorious “Second Kira”) comes into Light's life. Practically resorting to stalker tactics, Misa proves that there is a bit more to her character than a pretty face and some exposed suspender stockings. Not to mention she managed to find Light before he and the police could find her. But the sudden appearance of a celebrity in a seemingly normal person's life is enough to make anyone suspicious, most of all- L. It is here that Misa shows her true colours as a double-edged sword.

Our handsome genius of a serial killer has never had a problem with women, until now. She's physically beautiful, and will do anything at his behest. However nothing comes without a price. Misa Amane is revealed to be a little diva with some serious issues and a very whiny voice. That said, in Light's eyes it is a small price to pay for the help of someone who possesses the Shinigami Eyes. With the clingy little thing by his side, eliminating Light's nemesis should be an easy feat. Or so he thought.

After an encounter involving L, Light and Misa. L moves swiftly and shows that he lives up to and beyond his reputation. The greatest detective in the world ups the ante when he manages to have Misa arrested and detained for interrogation. Using methods that only places like Guantanamo Bay or a fetish dungeon would be familiar with, Misa is restrained and wishing for death. Even his allies agree that L may have gone too far this time. Depending on how individual minds work, the scene could be translated as something that pushes the PG-rating a little. However, not much more can be said without spoiling the impact.

As this series rolls on, the rules of the Death Note appear to grow in number. So much so that it almost begins to feel as if they are manufacturing the pushes and pulls between the two big adversaries. Think of the many “filler” episodes which grace far too many potentially excellent anime series. Luckily the writers managed to save themselves a flaming through some clever plot twists and a good-looking female addition to the screen. If the pace were to be related to a horse's gait (slow being a walk, medium being a trot, and fast at a canter) then it currently feels as if it is at a lazy trot in the mangroves.

A slower paced story is not necessarily a negative though. Some viewers prefer a comfortable, cathartic pace. However things that were first acknowledged as comfortable have all too often turned into boring. We only need to look at modern examples of teenage rebellion in the middle-to-upper social classes to see how this comfort-to-boredom manifests. At least once during the course of this volume I found myself shifting uncomfortably in my seat, praying for a break in the pace.

Unfortunately, the prayers were left unanswered this time around. But Death Note Volume Five, who waits patiently behind Four looks a bit more hectic and therefore promising. That said, pay attention in Volume Four. In this series, no- this game, you cannot afford not to.

Grade:
Overall : B
Overall (dub) : C+
Overall (sub) : B
Story : B+
Animation : A
Art : B+
Music : B+
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Production Info:
Director: Tetsuro Araki
Series Composition: Toshiki Inoue
Script:
Toshiki Inoue
Tomohiko Ito
Yasuko Kobayashi
Shoji Yonemura
Storyboard:
Takashi Anno
Tetsuro Araki
Makoto Bessho
Michio Fukuda
Toshio Hirata
Tomohiko Ito
Shin Matsuo
Yō Moriyama
Ryosuke Nakamura
Minoru Ōhara
Shinsaku Sasaki
Shinji Satō
Yūzō Satō
Kiyoko Sayama
Norimitsu Suzuki
Tōru Takahashi
Junichi Takaoka
Kei Tsunematsu
Takashi Watanabe
Sayo Yamamoto
Mitsuhiro Yoneda
Episode Director:
Oyunam
Hironobu Aoyagi
Tetsuro Araki
Makoto Bessho
Naoyasu Habu
Naoto Hashimoto
Takayuki Hirao
Hideki Ito
Tomohiko Ito
Mitsuyuki Masuhara
Shinji Nagamura
Ryosuke Nakamura
Eiko Nishi
Yukio Okazaki
Tetsuhito Saito
Tetsuto Satō
Hisato Shimoda
Hiroyuki Tsuchiya
Kei Tsunematsu
Tomio Yamauchi
Mitsuhiro Yoneda
Unit Director:
Tomohiko Ito
Mitsuyuki Masuhara
Norimitsu Suzuki
Kei Tsunematsu
Music:
Yoshihisa Hirano
Hideki Taniuchi
Original Manga:
Takeshi Obata
Tsugumi Ohba
Character Design: Masaru Kitao
Art Director: Mio Isshiki
Art:
Mio Isshiki
Ayu Kawamoto
Hideaki Kita
Tetsuhiko Nagashima
Masami Saito
Masato Shibata
Shinji Sugiyama
Harumi Suwa
Mayu Usui
Norihiko Yokomatsu
Chief Animation Director:
Takahiro Kagami
Masaru Kitao
Animation Director:
Mariko Aoki
Atsushi Aono
Takehiro Hamatsu
Yoshitsugu Hatano
Masaki Hinata
Shin Jae Ick
Hideki Inoue
Hideki Ito
Takahiro Kagami
Hiromi Kato
Dong Seok Kim
Dong-Jun Kim
Yūki Kinoshita
Masaru Kitao
Akemi Kobayashi
Hideto Komori
Hirotaka Marufuji
Yutaka Minowa
Shinichi Miyamae
Kōsuke Murayama
Terumi Nishii
Takashi Saijō
Takuro Takahashi
Junichi Takaoka
Koushou Yasuno
Mamoru Yokota
Shinichi Yokota
Jang Kil Yong
Art design: Shinji Sugiyama
Sound Director: Tomoaki Yamada
Cgi Director: Daisuke Kusaka
Director of Photography: Kazuhiro Yamada
Producer:
Masao Maruyama
Toshio Nakatani
Manabu Tamura
Licensed by: Viz Media

Full encyclopedia details about
Death Note (TV)

Release information about
Death Note (R4 DVD 4)

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