The most riveting episode of cult anime series Death Note, adapted from the manga of the same name by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, features two characters walking down a city street having a seemingly casual conversation. The exchange takes place over four fictional minutes during which the main character must save his secret identity as a wanted mass killer – and his life – using only his wits.

Death Note is steadily building a devout fanbase in the west. Spanning thirty-seven episodes in total, it features gifted student Light Yagami who discovers a mysterious notebook in his school yard which allows the user to kill by writing a name on its pages.  As Light takes it upon himself to rid the world of evil – and become a god in the process – a brilliant battle of wits ensues with equally gifted and eccentric detective L.

FOR A SERIES WITH A FANTASY CONCEPT, IT IS RELENTLESSLY EMPIRICIST – LOGIC RULES THE GAME TO AN EXTENT THAT WOULD PUT SHERLOCK HOLMES TO SHAME

The series offers a refreshingly twisted take on the usual detective story; the protagonist is a teenage villain with a god-complex whom you root for even as he gleefully murders and keeps one step ahead of the authorities. The nuanced character of Light and his dual relationship with the endlessly entertaining L is the highlight of the series, with the pair growing closer even as they inch nearer to their ultimate goals of destroying each other.

The series is also brilliantly well-written, most visibly as Light and L do battle according to the specific rules of use of the death note. For a series with a fantasy concept, it is relentlessly empiricist – logic rules the game to an extent that would put Sherlock Holmes to shame. Magic will get you out of nothing in this world, even if you have a god of death hovering at your shoulder.

There are minor blips. The female characters demonstrate everything that is wrong with women in anime and only ever serve to reveal the darker layers of Light’s psychology, which allow him to kill without moral impunity (this is no Dexter, Light has no problem disposing of innocents who get in his way). The series also takes a disappointing turn for the worse after certain events in episode 25, as not just plot and character but also animation go downhill.

However, overall Death Note is a triumph. Available dubbed or subtitled, this addictive series is an absolute must for fans of intelligent, psychological thrillers.