Death Note

Manga8.7243540 votes12 volumes · 108 chaptersFinished

SupernaturalSuspensePsychologicalShounen

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About this title

Synopsis

Ryuk, a god of death, drops his Death Note into the human world for personal pleasure. In Japan, prodigious high school student Light Yagami stumbles upon it. Inside the notebook, he finds a chilling message: those whose names are written in it shall die. Its nonsensical nature amuses Light; but when he tests its power by writing the name of a criminal in it, they suddenly meet their demise. Realizing the Death Note's vast potential, Light commences a series of nefarious murders under the pseudonym "Kira," vowing to cleanse the world of corrupt individuals and create a perfect society where crime ceases to exist. However, the police quickly catch on, and they enlist the help of L—a mastermind detective—to uncover the culprit. Death Note tells the thrilling tale of Light and L as they clash in a great battle-of-minds, one that will determine the future of the world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Publication notes

Death Note ranked second in the 2006 and 2007 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! for the Male Readers division. It was nominated for the 38th Seiun Award in the Best Comic category in 2007. In the same year, it was also nominated for the 11th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. As of April 2015, over 30 million copies of the manga are in circulation. The manga was published in English by VIZ Media under the Shonen Jump Advanced imprint from October 10, 2005, to July 3, 2007, and again in 2-in-1 omnibus volumes subtitled Black Edition. There have been several more rereleases of the series: a special hardcover edition of the first volume; a complete box set, which included a guidebook titled Death Note 13: How to Read; and a complete omnibus. It was also published in Italian by Panini Comics from October 19, 2006, to September 18, 2008; in Brazilian Portuguese by Editora JBC from June 2007 to June 2008; in German by Tokyopop from September 2006 to March 2009; in French by Kana from January 19, 2007, to October 9, 2008; in Dutch by Kana; in Argentina by LARP Editores from May 20, 2009, to April 2012; and in Spanish by Glénat España from June 30, 2006, to September 30, 2007. The series was adapted into three live-action films, a TV drama series, and a stage musical. It has also inspired other works and copycat crimes outside Japan, leading to various controversies.

Published

Dec 1, 2003 to May 15, 2006

Authors

External links

MyAnimeList page Wikipedia Wikipedia

MAL rank: #76
Members (MAL): 428,147
Favorites (MAL): 33,006

Related titles

Prequel

Death Note Another Note: Los Angeles BB Renzoku Satsujin Jiken

Sequel

Eiga Novelize Death Note: Light Up the New World

Adaptation

Side Story

L Change the WorLd

Other

Death Note Tanpenshuu

Main characters

L Lawliet130733 fan favorites
External profile
Birthday: October 31, 1979 (1982 in anime) Zodiac sign: Scorpio Height: 179 cm (5'10") Weight: 50 kg (110 lbs.) Likes: sweets Dislikes: Wearing socks L, who also uses the aliases Hideki Ryuga, Ryuzaki, Eraldo Coil and Deneuve, the latter two for which he has developed reputations as the second—and third—best detectives in the world, is quite secretive and only communicates with the world through his assistant Watari. He never shows his face to the world, instead of representing himself with a capital L in Cloister Black font. After meeting the Kira investigation team, he requests that the task force refers to him as Ryuzaki for discretion. The Kira investigation team never learns his true name. L's disheveled and languid appearance masks his great powers of deduction and insight. He tends to second-guess everything he is presented with and is extremely meticulous and analytical. He has several quirks such as preferring to crouch rather than sit, eating only sweet foods like desserts and fruits, and holding items very delicately. He stayed in England for five years, and during that time he was the champion in tennis for the England Junior Cup. L suggests that even though he eats only sweet foods, he remains underweight because the brain uses the most calories of any organ in the body. He also says that if he sits normally, his reasoning ability would drop 40%. (Source: Wikipedia, Death Note Profiles)
Light Yagami99278 fan favorites
External profile
Birthdate: February 28, 1986 (1989 in the anime) Zodiac sign: Pisces Hair color: Brown Eye color: Brown Height: 179 cm (5'10") Weight: 54 kg (119 lbs.) Blood type: A Occupation: high school student, a university student, detective Age (during the series): 17-24 Likes: Justice Dislikes: Evil Light, born on February 28, 1986, is a third-year high school student (12th grade) at Daikoku Private Academy (大国学園, Daikoku Gakuen) who also attends supplemental classes at Gamou Prep Academy at the beginning of the story. Light has a father, Soichiro Yagami, who is the head of the Police Force. Light also has a mother, Sachiko Yagami, and a younger sister, Sayu Yagami. In Spring 2004, Light becomes a first-year student (freshman) at To-Oh University (東応大学, Tōō Daigaku), becoming one of two freshman representatives; L is the other freshman representative. During a tennis game with L at To-Oh, spectators reveal that Light was the junior high school tennis champion in 1999 and 2000. After his 2000 victory, Light quit tennis as he entered high school. Yagami Light is a brilliant college student. Nicknamed "Kira," he uses the Death Note to create his ideal world of justice under him, its new God. Though he looks frail, Light is an extremely athletic person, with an aptitude to find an opponent's weak point. He is a genius, which adds to his notion that only he is fit to judge humanity and steer it on a proper moral course.
Ryuk12829 fan favorites
External profile
Likes: apples, the human world, chaos, Misa Dislikes: being bored, not having apples, relapse The original Shinigami who dropped the Death Note in the human world, and also love apples, which Light would pick up. Acting out of pure boredom, Ryuk begins the story of Death Note on a whim. Perhaps neutral by nature, Ryuk often refuses to aid Light and instead enjoys watching him struggle for his goal. The most important facet of Ryuk's character is that he is not Light's friend. He acts for his own interests and entertainment, and often fails to tell Light key details about the Death Note. Ryuk is selfish, however, and will aid Light if it serves his own goals, such as providing amusement or obtaining apples. (Source: Wikipedia)