The first 25 episodes are beyond words, they are extremely exciting while also being incredibly smart. The characters are unique and likeable, the storytelling keeps you on the edge of your seat, at pretty much all times, and the voice acting is very compelling. Without the need for actionpact scenes Death Note delivers a really exciting, brutal and intense story. All of this is very true for the second half aswell. However, it is dragged down by the fact, that a main character, gets "swapped" in a sense with a different character, who essentially is the same character, sadly just with less personality, and a weaker connection to the main character. This "character swap", sours the sweet taste of the first half, but it doesn't completely ruin it. Death Note is still really good, for the rest of the show and keeps the quality and expectations skyhigh, all the way to the end with a truly a dramatic finalé.