Cutie Honey

The movie itself, however... Well, it's silly. Very, very silly. Too silly, in fact. I mean, I don't expect serious drama from the Cutie Honey franchise, but a lot of this film is just way over the top. I might call it "cartoonish," except for the fact that the anime version of this same story is actually less ridiculous.

Of course, the goal of this movie is to be entertaining, and it is most certainly that. People running about in rubber suits and spandex is almost always amusing, and the playful theatricality of the whole thing is good for a few smiles. With a cast of colorful villains and likable heroes, big action sequences and a bunch of off-the-wall ideas (like random musical numbers), it's definitely a spectacle.

However, the best part of the film isn't found in spectacle, but rather in the three main characters. They are the reason that the movie works at all. They infuse it with heart, provide the most amusing scenes, and even give the story some unusually emotional moments.

Eriko Sato is a very good Honey, not quite as sweet or earnest as her anime counterpart, but with more playfulness about her. She's fun to watch, and her interactions with the people around her are more interesting than the actual story. It would have been nice if the film had focused more on her struggle with loneliness and the complexities of her emotion-fueled superpowers, but that was a job left to the anime series.

In addition to Sato's Honey, you've got Mikako Ichikawa as...

...as...

...as...


...mmmmmmnatsukooooooo...

*Ahem*

As Natsuko. Yes. I wasn't sure how super-cool policewoman Natsuko would come across in live-action mode, but I am pleased, so very pleased, to say that Ichikawa is basically her in every respect, albeit more vulnerable and less apt to randomly blow things up with a bazooka. Otherwise, she's perfect, which means that I can now safely declare my love for a character portrayed by a real person rather than a bunch of drawings. That is at least somewhat less creepy, I think.

Finally, there's Jun Murakami as the playful secret agent Seiji, who takes more of an active role in the story here than he does in the anime series. He's the kind of character that doesn't take anything too seriously but can really get a job done when it needs doing. He acts as a grounding and connecting factor between both Honey and Natsuko, and helps them both out in ways that they don't necessarily realize at first.

Other nice aspects of the film include its snappy soundtrack, its complete lack of pretense and the way it attempts to capture the feel of the anime series. I also enjoyed the presence of the crazy-voiced Mayumi Shintani (who was both Haruko and Tsubasa...how's that for awesomeness?) as one of the villains.

Unfortunately, the good parts of this movie are dragged down somewhat by the overall absurdity of the whole thing. A lot of the scenes had me laughing, in the bad way, at how preposterous they were. The villains are so zealously over-acted that the film sometimes feels like a Power Rangers episode. It's obvious that the performers are having fun and are really committing themselves to their parts, but that doesn't mean they're making great art.

The special effects aren't particularly great either. I know that the budgets for Japanese films are generally minuscule compared to their American counterparts, but still, I've seen much better effects work than this from Japan. There's some neat looking stuff here, but a lot of the visuals are subpar.

So, while this version of Cutie Honey has a few things going for it, it also has some glaring flaws. Half good and half bad is a 5 in my book, and that's what I'll give it. Watch Re: Cutie Honey to get the superior anime version, and only check this out if you're a big fan of Cutie Honey in general or if you're just curious to see live-action Natsuko (and I doubt you'll be disappointed in that regard).

Score: 5/10 (Not Bad)

Yes

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Re: Cutie Honey

Okay, I watched Re: Cutie Honey because A) it's Cutie Honey and B) it's Hideaki Anno's first anime work in quite some time.

And what did I get? Well, exactly what I expected. It's Cutie Honey: funny, over-the-top, action-packed and peppered with random naked anime girls. Anno understands the material and makes it work.

Does that make for great anime? Nope, but it's pretty good for what it is. It's not the best thing ever, but all of the details are as they should be. The animation is fine, the artwork is stylish and attractive, the pacing is ideal, the music is cool, and the acting is solid with a few stand out performances. Most of the villains are pretty lame personality-wise, but the main characters are very entertaining.

It's a show that was made to be fun, and that's what it is.

Also, it gives us this woman...


...and that, my friends, makes it all worth it.

Score: 6/10 (Worthwhile)

Let's Learn Things About Music!

Okay, so I mentioned that the soundtrack to Mind Game is very cool. What I didn't say is that it was composed by Boredoms guitarist Seiichi Yamamoto.

So, here's why I'm bringing this up: I want you to click on that Boredoms link. Read about them. And then, when you're done, look up Naked City (or just hit the link there).

Click on the links for every musician/band listed in both of those articles.

Basically all of those people are worth knowing about.

Not4chan Grab

Not4chan Grab is an extension for Firefox (cute back the web!) that makes grabbing images from image boards like 4chan (NSFW) a lot more convenient by allowing you to queue up every image in a thread and download them all at once.

This is gonna make it so much easier for me to collect stuff from the...uh...the sports board.

Yes. The sports board.

That's the ticket.

THEY'LL NEVER SUSPECT ANYTHING.

People Like Twilight Princess

One of my handful of Internet Heroes drops a 10 on Twilight Princess.

And lots of people are agreeing with him.

Looks like the Wii has its killer app.

Mind Game

Mind Game is strange. It's beautiful. It's grotesque. It's full of hope. It's ugly. It's confounding. It's absurd. It's lovely. It's dirty and violent. It's pure and honest. It's nonsensical. It makes perfect sense. It's uncomfortable. It's comforting. It's real and unreal. It's a celebration of life and its infinite potential. It's unpredictable and odd but so very right. And it's as profound as anything.

It is a collage of different visual styles, of shifting, exaggerated, crude artwork, of photographs and rotoscoping and CGI. It is a cacophony of jazzy, groovy, electrifying music. It is surreal and metaphorical, but it is more truthful than most films could ever hope to be. It is so rich with detail that multiple viewings will be required just to see all there is to take in. It is everything that matters about our existence. It is the embodiment of the seemingly impossible struggle to truly live, to make the difficult choices, to take the chances you have to take to become what you should be. It is a call to fight, to grasp, to push with everything that you have, to never give up, no matter what.

It's author Robin Nishi's dissertation on life and director Masaki Yuasa's introduction as a major filmmaker. It is another home run for Studio 4°C, who have taken many years to earn the respect they so rightly deserve.

It is Mind Game, and it is magnificent.

Score: 10/10 (Masterpiece)

Honey Is Nice And All, But...

Inspector Natsuko Aki: sexy police lady...or the sexiest police lady?

Look

There's a new Halcali video out too, and it's all kinds of nifty. The single is called "Look," and hopefully it's some indication of a new Halcali album at some point down the road (there's been quite some time and two other singles since the last one).

The funny/sad/silly bit here is that this video is once again bringing out an odd tendency I see in Halcali "fans": every time - and I mean every time - a new single/video is released, all I hear is, "Well, I don't like the song, but the video's cool." What bothers me about those statements is that Halcali's new music is actually quite good, and what a lot of these self-purported fans are really complaining about is that it's not exactly the same as the stuff on their first album. Sometimes it seems like there are very few actual Halcali fans; only people who love the first album and want the same thing over and over again. Yes, Halcali has been branching out into new kinds of music ever since the second album (one could argue that the first album was quite varied in and of itself), but isn't that a good thing? Shouldn't the fact that Halcali is always trying new things be respected and not scorned? Do you really want to hear the first album repeated endlessly?

Seriously, this is a weird trend, and it really bugs me. If you love Halcali, then love Halcali, and not your image of what they "should" be. I'm not saying that you should never be critical of their low points, but there's more to Halcali than just one album. Accept that, and maybe you'll find that their new stuff can be lots of fun too.

Shangri-La

The music video for Chatmonchy's "Shangri-La," which is the ending theme for Hataraki Man.

How sexy is that 21-beat phrase in the chorus? Very sexy.

New Ringo Shiina Solo Work?

Is this...is this true? Are we really going to get two new Ringo Shiina singles?

And then a new album?

Ha.

Ha ha.

Ha ha ha!

Mwahahahahahaha!

Awesome.

Here's the story, for those of you too lazy to click the darn link:

There's a movie coming out in Japan in February called Sakuran, directed by photographer Mika Ninagawa and based on a manga by Myoko Anno. Ringo Shiina has been recruited as Music Director. In addition to putting together the soundtrack to the film, she also composed two new songs for it. Not only that, but she'll also be releasing an entire album based around the film (which will not be the soundtrack, apparently) on February 21st.

This is epic news. I am coming to really enjoy Tokyo Jihen, but it is almost impossible to top Ringo Shiina's solo work. I am ecstatic to be getting more, even if it's only a one-time thing. I mean, have you listened to Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana? It is a masterpiece. Or how about Shouso Strip, which could very well be the greatest J-pop album of all time?

Solo Ringo Shiina is serious business. This makes me very happy.

Sushi: Japanese Tradition

Japanese comedy duo The Rahmens tell you everything you need to know about visiting a sushi-ya (sushi bar).

The question is, can you spot which parts are true and which are the jokes?

I'll give you one hint: sushi is not, in fact, served on geta.

And I'm pretty sure Japanese people's feet don't smell like vinegar. At least, not most of them.

SON OF A...

AH.

GUH.

You...

You have got to be kidding me.

The last time I talked about Air, I indicated that it was just about as depressing as Grave of the Fireflies. You know, the movie where the happy ending is that the two main characters are both dead. Where relief comes from the knowledge that at least they don't have to live anymore.

Yeah. Well, I think Air is definitely a close match for Grave in the "WHYYYYYYYYY? WHYWHYWHY?" department.

Nothing but PAIN here, folks. Pain and suffering.

But is it any good?

Yeah, it's pretty darn good. It's the usual Kyoto Animation quality, which is to say "excellent." The only weak point in the production is that the story feels somewhat rushed when squeezed into 13 episodes (though I have certainly seen shows that suffered more from this). There are actually three main sections to the story, and told in so short a time they come off as somewhat discombobulated. It's not that they don't make sense, it's just that...

Well, okay, yeah, you're watching three different stories here. The first story is called "Dream," and centers on a guy named Yukito who travels the country making a living doing a little magical puppet show and searching for a girl who flies in the sky. When he meets a girl named Misuzu who has dreams about flying, he's pretty sure he's found a connection to what he's been looking for. This section of the show deals with Yukito's relationship with Misuzu, and what her dreams mean for both of them. There are also two other major story arcs here, but they only get a handful of episodes of time before the plot switches back to Misuzu.

The second story is called "Summer," and takes place one thousand years before the first one. It tells the story of a winged girl named Kanna and the two people sworn to protect her: a woman named Uraha and a samurai named Ryuuya.

Finally, the third story, which is called "Air," jumps back to the present and shows the events of "Dream" from a different point of view, and then continues on to show the final conclusion to Misuzu's story and how it ultimately ties to Kanna's.

The issue here - and I am exaggerating it somewhat - is that there's just so much happening in these 13 episodes that it really does feel like three complete series (or at least three medium-sized OAVs) crammed into one. The show could have really benefited from being 26 episodes, or from being released as three separate products.

However, that's a bit much to expect, and the problem is really more about finances and feasibility than about creative choices. And KyoAni really did the best job they possibly could have with the format they had to work with.

So, how to score it? I'm not sure, actually. The characterization is great, the plot is intricate (though pretty vague in places), and the emotional journeys of the characters are poignant and PAINFUL. I found myself really drawn into the story, and I'm still feeling the hurt even now, after being able to sit and digest the last episode for a while.

On the other hand, there are some technical issues that arise from the shortened format that can't be denied, and the show simply doesn't feel like a single whole when comprised of three such disparate parts.

In the end, I guess I'll say that while you don't have to see it, Air is a powerful experience that will put you through some pretty severe punishment but will also give you a cast of characters you can really care about and feel for. It does have quite an impact, and I know that I'll never forget the story. It's not for everybody, but it is definitely a worthwhile series.

Score: 7/10 (Very Good)

Child's Play 2006

Child's Play is good for kids, it's good for you, and it's good for gamers everywhere. Time to start thinking about participating this year.

For those not in the know: Child's Play is a charity founded by the folks at Penny Arcade and designed to help out sick kids by giving them the gift of kickass video games (and other things) for Christmas. Originally conceived as a way to prove to the world that not all video game players are serial killers in training, the charity has grown beyond this simple concept to become a major force for gamers (and non-gamers too!) who want to do some good for kids who really need it. They've given out well over a million dollars in toys over the course of the first three drives, and every year sees the movement growing bigger and bigger.

Child's Play really is a worthwhile charity, and one that I, as a lifelong gamer, have always felt a special affinity for. Please give it some consideration if it sounds like a good idea to you. It's easy to donate, and you can give as little or as much as you want. You might be surprised at how happy a Wii or a DS Lite could make a kid on Christmas. Heck, even dropping $30 on a copy of Elite Beat Agents could bring a kid hours of enjoyment. Or how about Final Fantasy XII? Relatively small amount of money from you, HUGE amount of content for the kid who gets it.

There are lots of ways to give, and all of them are meaningful.

Air Is Killing Me

Dammit, Air, why? Why do you...? Why would you...? GRAH.

Why do you hurt me so much?

So I'm really enjoying Kyoto Animation's new Kanon series. A lot. And because it's turning out to be so good, I thought it might be a nice idea to go back and watch their first attempt at adapting a Key game: their 2004 series based on Key's Air.

And I'm glad I did. It's really good.

It's also approximately the saddest thing ever.

Seriously, what the heck, Key? WHY?

AAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH.

Okay... Okay.

I think I've regained my composure.

I haven't quite finished the story yet. Maybe, maybe, it won't end up being as SOUL-CRUSHINGLY DEPRESSING as I think it will.

Gah! It's like Grave of the Fireflies up in here.

Man, people, seriously. Kanon better not end up being this sad too, or I'm gonna be spending several weeks afterward curled up on the floor in a nice, comforting fetal position.

(And then all the Kanon fans laughed and laughed at Rob's impending misfortune...)

Solid State Society

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society. Quite a title, right? Well, this is quite a film. Fans of the Stand Alone Complex anime series should already know what they're in for here: intense, intelligent, complex police procedural drama with great action and a snazzy soundtrack. It's everything you've come to expect from SAC, and that's a good thing.

For those of you who haven't seen Stand Alone Complex...well, you should, and ideally before you see this movie. The show is pretty much required viewing for all anime fans, in my opinion, and watching it beforehand will enhance your experience of this film in many subtle but significant ways. The plot of the film isn't really tied to that of the show, but there are many little details in it that will have a much greater impact on folks who are familiar with the SAC universe.

However you choose to go into the film, here's the setup: Solid State Society takes place in the year 2034, two years after the end of Stand Alone Complex. Major Motoko Kusanagi, the one-time leader of the elite counter-terrorism unit known as Section 9, has left the team to pursue work as a freelancer. In her absence, command of the organization - which has now grown by several members - has fallen to Togusa; the junior member of the original team. Togusa seems to be adapting to his new role well enough, despite having impossibly large shoes to fill, but Section 9 is in for a challenge when they begin to investigate a series of mysterious suicides involving several members of an Asian terrorist organization.

Because the deaths seem to be orchestrated, the concern at Section 9 is that they are a hint of a larger plot being carried about by the leader of the group. It is suspected that he intends to unleash a virus upon the people of Japan at the moment of his death. However, when the team storms his home to arrest him, they find that he has apparently already committed suicide without carrying out his plan. This adds quite a bit of confusion to the situation, and things are further complicated when the team discovers that the man wrote a name - "Puppeteer" - on his bedroom floor in his own blood as he died. That another one of the terrorists also mentioned the Puppeteer before he killed himself is only further evidence that a third party is somehow involved in the deaths.

Meanwhile, Batou - Motoko's former second in command - is sent to recover the terrorist's virus before it gets into anyone else's hands. While attempting to do this, he finds that the virus has already been procured by someone else: a remotely controlled android - a puppet of sorts - being manipulated by Motoko. When he questions her as to what's going on, she tells him only to stay away from the Solid State Society, lest he end up killing himself like the terrorists did.

I won't reveal anything further beyond that point, as the mystery at the heart of the story is one that should be revealed to you by the film itself. Needless to say, the story is pretty much as good as Stand Alone Complex fans should expect. The ending seems a bit less satisfying than the more solid conclusions to the two seasons of the show, but the story is full of tension and interesting turns, and overall ends up being pretty great.

Technically, Solid State Society is very much in line with Stand Alone Complex. It features smooth, fluid animation, detailed character designs and backgrounds, and perfectly timed, high-energy action sequences. The only complaint I have about the visuals is the same one I had with the series: all of the vehicles are rendered with computers, and as such tend to stand out too much from the rest of the environment and look somewhat awkward and out of place. Most people haven't really taken issue with this problem, though, so I don't see it as being a major sticking point.

One nice little detail of the production is that the film makes reference to the two other Ghost in the Shell-related movies by weaving in imagery and moments that should be familiar to people who have seen them. I think that's a nice touch, as it works as a subtle nod to the other works.

As for the music...well, it's by Yoko Kanno. Instant win. No questions asked.

I assume that the biggest complaint that will be leveled against this film is that it's too much like any regular episode of the original show. With a series that was so cinematic to begin with, it would be pretty much impossible to avoid that pitfall. And seriously, what more do you want than a film that does more of what SAC did?

It should also be mentioned that, like SAC, Solid State Society is a very talky film, with lots of scenes full of detailed exposition. I have never personally had a problem with this, as the stories in the show were always interesting and the expository scenes were always well balanced with scenes of action and motion, but I feel that it's important to bring up this point, as it may bother some people. I will say, however, that the expository scenes in this film are far less lengthy than those in the other Ghost in the Shell films, and the pacing of the whole production is much better as well.

Solid State Society is exceptional, just like the series that spawned it. It shouldn't disappoint fans of the series, and could probably win over people who have never seen SAC but are curious to see the show's take on the Ghost in the Shell universe. I know this may sound a bit extreme, but I have long been of the opinion that Stand Alone Complex is the best iteration of Ghost in the Shell that exists. Solid State Society further confirms that belief for me, as it proves that even in film format Stand Alone Complex doesn't really falter in quality. I don't consider it to be as indispensable as the series itself (which I would rate as a 9/10 [Essential]), but I do think that it's a masterful piece of work that deserves a great deal of respect.

Score: 8/10 (Don't Miss It)

Linda Linda Linda

Linda Linda Linda is a film about four girls who put together a band to perform at their yearly high school festival. They get together, they practice (a lot), and they play. And that's the film, pretty much. No big surprises. No huge drama. No "bad guys" to overcome. And you know what? It's awesome. The film is slice-of-life in its purest form, showing how magical life can be if you just put your all into living it. More specifically, it's about how special an experience high school is and why young people should make a point of enjoying it.


There are two scenes right near the beginning of this film that display exactly what makes it so great. The first is a steady, extended tracking shot of character Kyoko (played by Aki Maeda of Battle Royale fame) walking down the hallway of her high school and passing by several rooms full of students busily preparing for the festival. The shot stands out for several reasons: one, it's obviously a well planned scene, with events (from instances of dialogue to little things like the popping of balloons in the background) happening in a carefully timed sequence. Two, it features no special effects, no excess of style, and no attempts by the filmmakers to insert themselves into the scene by adding anything that doesn't make things seem more realistic. But what's most important about this scene is how natural it feels. The scene isn't designed to make viewers say, "Hey, that's a neat tracking shot." Instead, it's designed to immerse them in the world of the film, giving them the idea that they are observers of real events happening in real life. We are not watching an actress make her way through a building cluttered with extras and delivering lines at proscribed moments. We are watching a high school student moving through a mass of her peers who are all busy putting together one of the most important events of their school lives.


That basically defines the design philosophy behind this film. The only "style" present is that of realism. The festival serves as an excellent backdrop to the story, as the persistent flow of chaotic energy and life at the school really drives home the sense of authenticity that the film strives to achieve.


Amidst all this, the camera is but a passive observer, serving only as a window on the events taking place. Director Nobuhiro Yamashita doesn't feel the need to attempt all sorts of wacky camera angles or CGI effects, instead opting to sit back and let things happen the way they would in real life. However, that doesn't mean he didn't put an enormous amount of thought into every shot. The camera always seems to be in just the right place to give each scene the maximum effect and clarity. It's a simple but honest approach that I really appreciate. And that's exactly what the film is: simple and honest.


The other defining scene that occurs early in the film is one in which the girls in the band are trying to decide what songs they're going to play at their performance. Their band lineup has recently had a major shakeup, and the remaining members don't have time to write original songs before the show, so they're sifting through the music club's media collection to find a band or artist whose songs they'd like to cover. The first suggestion? Ringo Shiina. The response? "Too hard." Next up is Puffy. "Are you serious?" says guitarist Kei (Yu Kashii) to Kyoko (who is the band's drummer), "Are you going to sing?"


Then bass player Nozomi (played by Base Ball Bear bassist Shiori Sekine) comes over and plops a box full of old cassette tapes on the table in front of the girls. They sift through and read the names on the cases: "Princess Princess." "The Boom." "Boowy." "Jun Sky Walkers." "Unicorn (which the girls refer to as "Tamio's band")." "Jittering Jin."


Eventually the girls settle, somewhat by accident, on The Blue Hearts; a punk band from the late 80's/early 90's that had several successful singles, chief among them the song "Linda, Linda," which - as you can guess based on the title of the film - becomes the primary song that the girls are going to cover at their performance.


All this should make Japanese music lovers/historians such as myself giddy with the ecstasy of recognition, and it is the perfect introduction to the other major aspect of this film: the music. It's obvious that there is a deep love of music (specifically Japanese music) behind this film, as every moment is pervaded with it. There are little treats strewn throughout that will give enthusiasts much to smile about. The film is littered with great tunes, many of which should be recognizable to people who keep an eye (or ear) on the Japanese music scene. Despite the film's little poke at Puffy in that early scene, an excellent cover of one of their older tunes shows up later on. Other familiar songs pop up in the film as well, though not in the form you might expect. Even the incidental soundtrack is great, full of sparse but beautiful guitar work done by one mister James Iha (and come on, even you folks who don't know anything about Japanese music should know who he is).


There are many other little details in the film that should please Japanese music lovers too. Just look at the posters in the club room (yeah, Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan posters are expected, but Penpals? That's an unusual nod.). The appearance of Shione Yukawa in a secondary role is also a delight, especially because we get to hear her beautiful singing voice. And one of the best gifts that the film gives to the musically minded is the fact that when the girls play their instruments, they actually play their instruments. There's no faking here: just look at Aki Maeda banging away at those drums. That kind of musical authenticity is generally sorely lacking in films, and it's nice to see it here.


Now, just because music is so important to this film, that doesn't mean it will be inscrutable to people who have no interest in the Japanese music scene. If anything, it's possible that the film's love of music might spark some curiosity in viewers that could lead them to discovering something they really like that they'd never heard of before.


Besides, while the musical aspect is an important element of the film, its the story that matters most, and it is one that just about anyone can relate to. As I indicated before, the story is a very simple but truthful one. After a falling out between the band members that left them short two people, Kei, Nozomi and Kyoko have to find a new singer if they're going to perform at the festival. They get what they're looking for in Son (Doo-na Bae, from the wonderful Take Care of My Cat and the insane Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance); a Korean exchange student who they recruit almost entirely through coincidence. With their lineup complete, the girls practice themselves to exhaustion preparing for their performance, and spend the rest of their time just being together and strengthening the bonds of friendship between them.


Aside from a handful of light subplots, that's really pretty much all there is to the film. But that's plenty, if you ask me. The story is real and honest, and stays focused on what's really important; the girls, their relationship with one another, the value of putting everything they have into achieving their shared goal, and the significance behind how they choose to spend their youth.


Linda Linda Linda is a great film that I can recommend to anyone at all without reservation. People who love Japanese music and love to study the significant bands of the past as much as the ones of the present should consider this one essential, but even people who don't recognize any of the names or songs thrown about in the film should find it easy to love nonetheless.


Score: 8/10 (Don't Miss It)

Death Note

I should probably be watching Death Note this season, but I just haven't gotten started with it yet. However, when I do invest some time in it, I have a feeling that I will very much enjoy the myriad plot twists and constant battle of one-upmanship between the two main characters.

And man does it look like a crazy ride. I haven't read the manga and I've only seen one episode of the anime, but I have waded deep into spoiler territory (I generally don't care about spoilers, as they almost never harm my enjoyment of anything) and I can say that this story takes some twists that are going to blow people away. Really, really clever stuff.

Oh yeah, summary. Well, as I said, I haven't really watched much of the show myself, but here's what I can tell you about the setup: the story is about a very intelligent but very bored young man named Raito who gets his hands on a Death Note, which is a notebook used by shinigami (Japanese gods of death) to end the lives of humans. Raito soon discovers that he can kill any person in the world by simply writing their name in the Death Note, so long as he also knows what they look like. Intoxicated by the implications of possessing such a great power, Raito decides that he will gradually kill off every evil person in the world, eventually creating a utopia that he will rule over with his command of life and death.

And so he gets to work, starting with the most prominent criminals and working his way down. As kind of a calling card, he kills every major criminal in the same way: with a heart attack (which is standard if no other cause of death is specified in the Death Note). He knows that he can't be traced to the killings, but he wants the world to know that there is someone behind the deaths.

Raito's work soon attracts the attention of two very important individuals: Ryuuku, who is the shinigami who dropped the Death Note in the human world to begin with, and the man known only as "L," who is a famous detective hired to find out who's responsible for the killings. While Raito initially fears that Ryuuku is going to punish him for using the Death Note, Ryuuku tells him that he dropped the book on purpose, because being a shinigami is boring work and he wants to see something interesting happen. However, just because Ryuuku does not kill Raito for using the Death Note, that doesn't mean he is on Ryuuku's side. He's more of a neutral observer of the events that take place, simply enjoying the ride as it happens. He does not go out of his way to help Raito, and even purposefully abstains from telling Raito all of the many rules of the Death Note, only revealing new pieces of information when he feels that it will make things more interesting or when Raito bribes him with apples, which are apparently intoxicating to shinigami.

Unlike Ryuuku, L is very definitely not a casual observer of the events at hand, and is a master detective who actually manages to put heat on Raito despite his supposed anonymity and prodigious intelligence. Much of the story (as I gather, anyway) is about the clash between the two men, who are always wrestling to achieve the upper hand in an ever-escalating battle. The closer L gets to Raito, the more Raito pulls out new tricks to throw L off his trail and hurt the people who are trying to find him.

And that's the way it starts, basically. Based on what I've learned from spoilers, the story builds quite a bit from there, and takes things a lot farther than I has initially expected when I first started hearing about it.

Anyway, the Death Note anime should be pretty good. It's kinda weird to be recommending something I'm not actually watching, but I almost certainly will be watching it at some point.