Product Details

• Actors: Mamoru Miyano, Brad Swaile, Kappei Yamaguchi, Alessandro Juliani, Shidou Nakamura
• Directors: Tetsuro Araki
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: VIZ VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: November 18, 2008
• Run Time: 500 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001CZJP0S
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,633 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #54 in Movies & TV > DVD > Anime

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Some teenagers walk around with a chip on their shoulder: Light Yagami, the alienated hero of the macabre fantasy-adventure Death Note (2006) has a Shinigami (god of death) named Ryuk hovering over his shoulder. Although he's one of the top-ranked high school students in Japan, Light is repulsed by the lack of justice he sees in the world--until he finds Ryuk's notebook, the Death Note. If anyone writes the name of a human in the book, that person dies minutes later. After testing the Death Note's powers, Light launches a grandiose vigilante campaign to rid the world of criminals to create his vision of a perfect society. But the baffling string of deaths inevitably attracts the attention of the police, who turn the case over to the secretive master crime solver known only as L. Although he's as brilliant as he is arrogant, Light finds himself hard-pressed by L in their deadly game of cat and mouse. He tries to use Misa, a teen idol who's acquired her own Death Note and Shinigami, to destroy L, but is outfoxed by his nemesis. To ensure Light does nothing without his knowledge, L has them handcuffed together. Although it begins slowly, Death Note gets better with each installment, as the stakes grow higher in the duel of wits between Light and L. Director Tetsuro Araki plays up their physical differences: Light is cool, handsome and well-groomed; slovenly L seems to think with his twitchy bare feet as well as his redoubtable brain. Neither character is particularly likeable initially, but they become intriguing as the viewer gets to know them. (Rated Teen+ Older Teen, suitable for ages 15 and older: grotesque imagery, violence, violence against women, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

(1. Rebirth, 2. Confrontation, 3. Dealings, 4. Pursuit, 5. Tactics, 6. Unraveling, 7. Overcast, 8. Glare, 9. Encounter, 10. Doubt, 11. Assault, 12. Love, 13. Confession, 14. Friend, 15. Wager, 16. Decision, 17. Execution, 18. Ally, 19. Matsuda, 20. Makeshift)

Product Description

A 5-disc box set containing the first 20 episdoes of Death Note!

Meet Light Yagami, a brilliant but bored high school student whose life is changed when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami, or god of death, named Ryuk. When Light discovers that any human whose name is written in the book dies, he vows to use its power to rid the world of evil. But every action has its consequences, and Light soon finds himself in a life or death battle of wits with the mysterious genius detective called L. Humanity itself becomes the battleground to determine what form of justice will prevail!

Bilingual (English/Japanese)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 72 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An anime DVD Box Set worth owning! November 19, 2008

By Dennis A. Amith (kndy) TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

I first caught "DEATH NOTE" on television. I've heard so many impressive things in regards to the storyline and also saw the series featured on NPR. To get the critical acclaim that it has worldwide, this series must be special.

And special is what "DEATH NOTE" truly is. From beginning to end, this series has just grabbed my attention because of its well-written cat vs. mouse storyline.

"DEATH NOTE" is a 37-episode TV series that was created by Studio Madhouse and featured on Japanese television in 2006-2007 and featured in the US in 2007-2008. The series has spawned a popular manga series, a novel, three live action films and has captured the attention of anime and non-anime fans worldwide.

The series focuses on the character of a very smart high school student named Light Yagami. Bored with his life, he comes across the "Death Note" that has special instructions that if one was to write their names on the Death Note, the person would die. They would die of a heart attack if there were no instructions on how the person is to die. Or die the way the person possesing the Death Note wrote down.

The Death Note is from a Shinigami (death god) named Ryuk who seems to be bored in his own world and thus starts to enjoy how a person like Light starts to use the Death Note.

For Light (who goes by the name Kira), starts out using the Death Note by writing the names of criminals. He starts to win supporters due to his ideology of creating a new world without these criminals. But with so many deaths occuring, the police and the International community begin to fear this serial killer.... And along the way, Light is suspected by the police as a person of interest (a person who could be "Kira") and then Light starts to use his Death Note on those who are onto him.

Thus a mysterious detective named L is assigned to the case and the series becomes a compelling storyline of will L find a way to catch Light Yagami or will Light Yagami kill L first? Two geniuses trying to outwit the other in a thrilling storyline that is so unique, I'm confident in saying that it's one of the most original anime to come out in the last decade.

The volume 1 box set features on the first half of the series (twenty episodes, five DVDs, four episodes per disc) as Light Yagami (Kira) moves forward to create his new world, while L and the Kira Task Force try to stop him. Also, that there may be another person in the world who may possess a second Death Note as well.

AUDIO & VIDEO:

"Death Note" was a TV series and I found the animation to be quite cool as it showcased a dark, stylish feel to it. Featuring a good dose of J-rock and style to it's overall presentation, Studio Madhouse did a wonderful job in this series and bringing out the illustrations of Takeshi Obata and the storyline of Tsugumi Ohba to television. The dark atmosphere really is well displayed in this anime series.

But the most appealing part of this series is the awesome voice acting. Being the Japanese language purist that I am, I watched the series with Japanese voice acting and it was done very well. But I have to admit that I was really impressed by the English dub voice acting.

Brad Swaile as Light Yagami, Battlestar Galactica actor (Felix Gaeta) Alesandro Juliani, Brian Drummond as Ryuk and Shannon Chan-Kent as Misa did a tremendous job. As did the other English voice actors. A job well done!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Personally, I wasn't sure what kind of "special features" would be included on the DVD box set but you do get a really awesome behind-the-scenes interview with the English voice dub talent. Here are the special features featured on the Volume 1 Box Set:

* Disc 1 - Behind the Scenes with Brad Swaile "Light", Clean Opening and Ending
* Disc 2 - Behind the Scenes with Alessandro Juliani "L", Japanese Director and Character Designer Interviewer
* Disc 3 - Behind the Scenes with Brian Drummond "Ryuk"
* Disc 4 - Behind the Scenes with Shannon Chan-Kent "Misa"
* Disc 5 - Behind the Scenes with Chris Britton, Vincent Tong and Trevor Devall "The Kira Task Force"

And on each disc, production art and trailers are featured on each disc. What I enjoyed about the behind-the-scenes footage is that they were lengthy and not super short. You really get a good insight on the actor's take (from the beginning of the series) of their character, the challenges they faced in doing the vocal work and much more. So, it was very cool to have these extras included on each disc.

I can't tell you how awesome this TV series is. "Death Note" is truly special as it really show how power can corrupt but taking that cat versus mouse type of storyline of two geniuses trying to outwit each other.

There are literally so many twists and turns in this anime series that it really captures your attention and has you on the edge of your seat.

As for the DVD box set, I think it's just great that Viz Media chose to feature 20 episodes of the series and sell the box set for a great price! I definitely like Viz Media/Shonen Jump Home Video really doing anime fans a great service by following a US TV Season Box Set style of pricing instead of selling the episodes as separate volumes. You're definitely getting your bang for the buck.

Overall, a well-acted anime series (on both the Japanese and English side of things), cool characters, well-written episodes, stylish animation and a unique, compelling anime series that I highly recommend! A+ Read more ›

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best animes out there November 4, 2008

By Blitz Patel

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

The hugely popular anime from Japan comes to the U.S. in this season 1 set. I started watching this show when it replaced Bleach in the Saturday night line-up last year and I was really surprised. I can confidently say that this show has the best story of any anime I have ever seen (and will be within the top few of any anime-fan's list). When buying seasons of shows I'm kind of cheap so I try to go by the rule of (at most) $1 per episode. Animes are a little more expensive so I go by $2 per episode. Amazon has lowered their price to allow for it to fall into my range so I was quick to pre-order it; that's just how good it is. The whole series is pretty short, probably 3 or 4 seasons but it definitely ranks within my top three animes (and I'm not a huge fan of anime so even people who aren't will enjoy this series; an awesome story about doing the right thing and stretching its limits to the point that it becomes a threat to the world).

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Really well done drama November 24, 2008

By K. Coover

Format:DVD

This show is a must see not just for anime fans but for anyone who enjoys well written and well thought out drama. The story follows the young and brilliant Light who happens upon a notebook with the power to kill people. With the best of intentions at heart he sets out to use this new power to create a better, safer world. Unfortunately for him not everyone agrees with his methods and Light soon finds himself under investigation lead by the world's premier super detective know only as "L".
The intellectual struggle between Light and L is nothing less than riveting. I was stuck helplessly watching episode after episode because I couldn't wait to see what these two boys were going to come up with next. I also found that Light's decent from good natured student to sociopathic mass murder was really well done and an interesting look at how power corrupts.
I'm always reading these reviews to see what people think before I buy stuff but this is the first time I've ever bothered writing one myself. I was just that impressed with this one. Warning though, it is pretty dark and somewhat depressing so if you're looking for happy,happy,feelgood this is probably not your cup of tea. But, if you're looking for a great original storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish then I highly recommend you give this one a try. It's one of the best shows I've seen.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars even if you don't like "cartoon".... October 24, 2011

By keith

Format:DVD

This is unlike any other anime and sets a standard very high. The suspense and drama are excellent and the turns are delightful. You still have to appreciate fantasy to appreciate Death Note though. A straight shot at japanese myth and legend thrown into the real world makes for excitement. there is no other word for it. In place of blood and gore and action and violence (not that there isn't any violence) you have a maze suspense that will keep you on edge. Look past the fact that it is animation and then you will see how brilliant the series is. Well written, well directed and well voiced. Watching it a second time just made it better.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Addicting June 7, 2011

By atambohmer

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Death Note is a 37 episode series that takes about 12 and a half hours to get through. I started watching the first couple episodes when I was bored one summer morning, and I ended up watching the entire series in one day. I'm not exactly proud of this, but I'm just saying that it's addicting. The plot is very dark, and I found some of it to be pretty weird at first (like the Shinigami, Ryuk) but you get used to him. Other anime shows that I like are Dragon Ball and One Piece. However, Death Note is nothing like either of those shows, but I thought I should list some of my other preferences to give you (the reader) an idea of other series that I have watched. I will say that I enjoyed the first half of the series more (that could be because I watched it in one sitting) but every episode was still enjoyable and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's a short series, so you don't have to devote a lot of time to it like some other shows. That's about all I can say without spoiling any of the series. Give this show a shot, though. Maybe watch the first couple episodes online. The end of the second episode was what got me hooked.