Death Note Vol. #3 Media DVD Region 1 Genre Suspense Publisher Viz Media MSRP $24.98 Running Time 100 minutes Aspect Ratio 16:9 Release Date 02/26/08 Age Rating Older Teen Website Death Note Official Site Discuss this title in the Forums Submit your own Review ©Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha. ©DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse. ©Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha. ©DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse. ©Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha. ©DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse. View all Media April 05, 2008 by: Adam Beck Kira is back, but does he give us exciting adventure or a tale not worth written? Hardware Used: Dell 42-inch – W4201C – Plasma display, Sony Playstation 3 with HDMI input set to 720p resolution and Optical out, Klipsch 7.1 Surround sound system. Disc description: The human whose name is written in this note shall die. For genius detective L, Light's behavior is too perfect to be true, and to get closer to him, he enrolls at the same university and even invites Light into the investigation. The murders continue, but with a new twist--there appears to be a second Kira at work! L has Light pose as the original Kira in order to lure out the copycat, and Light agrees, hoping to divert suspicion from himself. But he's surprised to discover that this new Kira has an ability even Light himself lacks... Episode 9: Encounter Episode 10: Doubt Episode 11: Assault Episode 12: Love Disc Features Contains 4 Original & Uncut Episodes (Approx. 100 minutes) Stereo Audio (Japanese/English) English Subtitles 16:9 Widescreen Behind the Scenes: English Voice Actor Interviews and Recording Sessions Production Art Audio Commentary Disc Review Content: (This section may contain spoilers) The chaos of Kira continues as Death Note moves to its third DVD volume only to offer more twists and turns around each corner, and also bringing a new characters into the mix. That is what I like about the series; once you start to think you’re losing interest because the characters are becoming a bit too readable, they throw in a new aspect to mix things up. Not only that, the new character has a fun attitude, much looser than that stiff Light, and not as “different” as L. There is an obvious change in style halfway through the release that offers more variety into the series and only raises expectations for what is in the near future. With the 9th episode in the series, speculation about the Yagami family is slowly being diminished. There are a lot of mind games, but that isn’t anything new to the series; its strategy has always been to get straight into your head. I’m quite surprised by some of the actions taken by L this time around: while he has been made out as an isolated character, he now goes out into public to confront Light. L is so focused on Light that all other theories fall by the wayside, and this sometimes makes the way things unfold way too convenient. But I suppose, without this, the story would go a lot slower. This is definitely not the fastest paced episode either; while the series is not known for much action, I felt like this was a bit slower than regular. There was a lot of thinking back on previous events, and L and Light’s first encounter goes on for a bit more than I wanted. Light pretty much explains every single feeling he has, and when L tells Light he is who he is, L also talks at length about what he might do now. Thankfully, the atmosphere and mood for this scene really fit so it doesn't drag like it might. The beautiful and spunky Misa. I am of two minds whether or not I enjoyed the way L and Light sync up. The two grow “closer” with a friendly tennis match and during this event they plot out both their upcoming moves, and their opponents. It really is amazing that the two are so close in deductive skills, but at the same time, kind of makes it feel like the writers got lazy and decided only to give one line for two characters. Thankfully, later on you will realize there is far more dialogue than most anime titles as the two sit down together and continue to show off how ingenious they are. With this episode, both Light and L increase their character development as we learn more of each’s abilities – most notably their verbal skills. The first half of the episode was great, but the second half didn’t fulfill my expectation because most of the events took place in a single location and didn’t involve much strategic planning, just sorrow for the weakening father of Light Yagami. The eleventh episode is probably my favourite of the release only because of the sheer action and fast paced events that occur. Unlike the many previous episodes, this involves crashes, death, threats and guns, even though there are no actual gunshots. I was actually pleasantly surprised by this episode; there really hasn’t been enough action so far in the series, mostly mind games, but this really hits the spot and offers so much variety. In addition, Light’s father’s performance was significantly improved -- originally, I had not cared for him at all, but now his actions point out towards more of a hero figure of some sorts and offer a violent and strong look into the police force’s determination towards the Kira case. By the end of the episode, I was surprised to find that had completely forgotten about Light; strangely, it turned out as a more action-packed experience and adds to the series in what it has to offer. The final episode of the disc is another turn for the better. Like the previous episode, the overall focus of the series changes from our main character Light to Misa, and the visual style of the show also undergoes a few changes. (The differences are hard to explain, but they speak for themselves when you come to this chapter.) While a majority of the episode revolves around Light and L working together to contact Misa – the so-called second Kira -- Misa plays a significant part in telling her own story. Misa is definitely a great addition to the story. She doesn’t seem all that smart and I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets caught in the future, but her attitude is completely different from every other character. Consequently she is less than concerned about the situation, and seems to only have one thing on mind: Kira. We are also introduced to Rem, the second main shinigami who has given her death note to Misa. She doesn’t really have an attitude; she speaks with a straightforward tone and proves to be a reliable source of information when she tells Misa the story of Jealous, a shinigami in the other world, and his obsession with a specific girl. I loved this story: it not only tells us how shinigami die, but it also tells us that shinigami can also fall in love and feel compassion. Light and L seem to stand out more than others. This is an excellent addition to the Death Note series, offering a mixture of fast paced action and compelling, mind-bending strategies. I was quite surprised by the shift of focus during the last two episodes, since that opened up the series for much more variety than I imagined. With the new characters, Misa and Rem making their way onto the show, it is only proof that the series has a lot more up its sleeve than what it appears. The third volume into the Death Note series is a must for any fan, and definitely should bring in viewers of all sorts. Video: The video quality is well transferred, and being “Original & Uncut” only makes it better. Noticeably, Death Note is transferred in a 16:9 widescreen aspect which stands up at current technology, and the series really deserves it. The darker areas take a noticeable dip in depth of color, but watching scenes such as, as I mentioned before, Light after his ceremony speech where there are beautiful scenery effects that range from the shine off a character or the cherry blossoms falling from the trees. An obvious style that are used is grain; while some may put it down for this, the use of grainy areas is well placed and makes things a bit more cinematic. That said, there is still areas in the video that flicker in the shadows or in the backgrounds – even when there is no animation taking place. Still, the video quality is excellent and only offers a deeper look into this dark and mysterious series. Audio: This is one of the better sections of the series, as not only is there an excellent English and Japanese audio track, but the chilling sound effects and atmospheric music really sets everything up. There is only one character who I don’t have a specific liking towards in the English department, Rem, but her vocal tone does suit the character. Sure, the video is great, so is the animation, but the audio makes what Death Note a signature hit. It has been such a long time since I’ve taken great notice to a series with strong audio; usually it never has such a significant impact and ties into the story so well. Sadly, while the series is upholding a 16:9 widescreen aspect, the experience is limited to only a 2.0 stereo sound and no surround, 5.1+ options. Even so, the audio department has done a killer job to ensure that we take notice. Menus: If you have seen what the first three volumes have to offer, then there really won’t be much of a surprise here. There are no mandatory videos when you boot up the disc – besides the two quick company logos, and the backgrounds for the menus are crafted nicely to fit the dark series. It’s disappointing to say, the menus just aren’t all that sharp; I noticed that there is a lot of blurry text and images. It’s even difficult to read the smaller text, even though it’s not as important as most of the selections. It’s fairly easy to navigate in as there are only a couple options, but what really sticks out is the overall design and placement of all interactive menus. Overall, it’s well done, despite being rather blurry. Dialogue: The whole emphasis on eating a potato chip last volume was a bit overdramatic, but thankfully, the dialogue doesn’t go into that much cheesiness and offers some interesting conversations. Sometimes how insync Light and L are is a bit weird, but still fits their profiles. Overall, some good dialogue, but nothing that will revolutionize anime or will go against high profile movies. Extras: Included are pretty much what we’ve seen before, but in terms of selection. We are given a long, comedic and informative commentary on the 11th episode; some production artwork; and my personal favourite, behind the scenes with Brain Drummond – voice of Ryuk. There is a fair bit of extras included with this wonderful addition into the story that will only extend your enjoyment with the series. The Bottom Line: I am really enjoying Death Note. Being a fan of the manga, the anime follows the paperback quite precisely and contains some beautiful artwork as well-chosen voice actors. I absolutely loved the change in style halfway through the volume and is already offering more variety than the first has ever done. The menus may be a bit on the blurry side, and there are a couple darker areas in the video that do flicker from time to time, but the overall style, atmosphere and interest the series has to offer, Death Note is one of the most unique series that no one should miss. Don't cry, the series isn't over yet.

Content The style of storytelling changes halfway through as we are introduced to Misa, the second Kira. With well plotted out events, and brilliantly coordinated scenes, this is definitely a must watch. 8.5 Video There are some darker areas that are the victim of poor translations, but overall, there are beautiful sceneries and a 16:9 widescreen video aspect. 8.0 Audio Get voice tracks – both in Japanese and English – with chilling sound effects and music. Sadly, there is no surround sound encoding. 9.0 Menus Overall, pretty blurry; thankfully, each menu is nicely crafted around the death note and contain enough variety. 7.5 Extras Interviews with adaptation director and Brian Drummond – Ryuk’s voice actor – along with commentary all brings a great extension to a great series. 8.5 Dialog Nothing overly dramatic this time. There are some informative conversations that dig deep into each character’s minds, but nothing that will revolutionize dialogue. 7.5 Verdict Death Note is one of the most unique franchises that has been released on both paperback and DVD. Usually, one or two centered characters becomes boring after a while, but Light and L continue to maintain a steady interest with their well plotted out and abnormal behaviour. While there are a couple video issues – nothing major though – and no surround sound, this is still a great English adaptation that includes great voiceovers and a great storyline. This is something no one should miss. 8.5 [not an average] + Misa is a great new addition. + More variety in character performance. + A great cinematic experience. - Some blurry menus. - No Surround Sound for what is deserved.

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