deathnote doesnt go downhill
it goes just as planned*
*Translator's note: planned means keikaku
I gotta say I am enjoying the hell out of Death Note -- truly an anime for people that don't really like anime. In the most recent episode though they introduced another serial killer that is a cute animu chick in a short skirt and tight clothes, so I'm beginning to worry if things will start to go downhill.
She will confirm most of your stereotypes about anime-- she has no depth to her personality, only serves to be cute, hot, appeal to goth fetishists, get kidnapped, and perform the function of killing people/falling in love with the main character, who isn't all that into her because he's a male in an anime show.
The story is more intriguing than most anime, but it doesn't break the mold in a lot of stylistic senses--tons of repetition, awkward changes in the composition of the cast/story, etc.
Still-- hang on till the last episode.