Death Note Box Set (Vol.s 1-13): Volumes 1 - 13

I am rating this box set as a matter of content rather than story.
When I started reading manga number thirteen, I noticed in the beginning of the pilot, the pages were fold.
I wish I could type "I receive it in perfect conditions" but it was not the case with my box set.

Thank you for this wonderful collection. These are some amazing books, once you start the first one you want to continue on. I recommend this to anybody who like a good show of intelligence an some humor. Thank you again.

Everything was great but I had to wait until the 10th for it to get to me because of a back order. I waited a couple of days to start reading. Tonight I'm on the 12th volume of the set when I get a BIG surprise... the 7 pages after the page with Chapter 104: The Answer has two slashes going down the pages to the bottom like rips or cuts. When I was looking at this I was dismayed when I also found out that there is a slight hole in the binding where the cover holds the book together there is a space. All in all this is a great buy I'M JUST REALLLLLY disappointed in the 12th Vol. Death Note is my FAVORITE manga and I was hoping that this would be pretty much a collectors piece and something I could say, "Look, that is mine... *HUGS*" but now, I can't say that.

Ordered this package from the store.com and got it only 3 days after ordering date! Ordered this as a gift to my girlfriend, and it arrived to us in Norway on her birthday! (In Norway, shipping time is normally from 3-5 days just within the country so 3 days from the USA is very satisfying)

The product is also very good! No damage or anything unexpected. I read the first 2 chapters in book one myself and I'm pretty hooked, so i can say that Death Note is a great series.

I give this 5/5 simply because it deserves full score.

The box set is awesome! However, the 13th book had a few pages fall out right after opening it. The original 12 books are in perfect condition! I'm just a bit disappointed in the quality of the 13th book.

First, the box and books are wonderful. the store did a great job packaging it; it arrived in great condition. Now, as the story itself.

The first part (books 1-4) is outstanding, fast-paced and full of twists and turns -- on the edge of your seat reading. Light finding the Death Note, the steps he takes, the conflicts with the police and L, scenes with Ryuk, Misa and Rem all work. Great stuff! 5+ stars for this part. These books alone are worth the price of the entire set.

At the end of part one, the story gets rebooted. It seemed like the writer didn't want to resolve the story, but had nowhere to go and, hence, had Light give up the Death Note. That move seemed completely out of character and left me scratching my head. The next few plot developments -- no need to get into the details -- caused me to scratch a bald patch onto my skull. Light's gambit eventually comes together, sort-of makes sense and reaches a satisfying conclusion, but it takes way too long to get there. This part garners 3 stars. If the story ended here, about book eight, overall Death Note would be 4.5-5 stars.

But, alas, it didn't.

Instead the story gets rebooted yet again, this time much for the worse. The story becomes wordy, slow and repetitive. Previously important characters completely disappear, like Ryuk and Misa, replaced by the terribly dull L knockoffs Near and Mello. During the pain of reading books 11 and 12, I wished for my own Death Note to end the suffering of all the characters. I only finished the series to, well, finish. In the end, it's an extremely disappointing ending to such a fantastic start. This section earns negative zero stars.

Bottom line: read books 1-4 and then visit Wikipedia or another site to learn how it ends.

Note: No major spoilers

Death Note is an intelligent and meticulously illustrated rollercoaster ride. With hardly a dull moment, it will keep you turning pages hours after you thought you would be doing something else. The artwork is superb, and while the author of the story, Ohba Tsugumi, is sometimes thought to be a bit too wordy, the story is complex enough to need all those words, even if you are in a bit of a hurry to turn the next page and find out what will happen. Suspenseful is the best word to describe this series, although it is actually not very action-packed. There is much thinking and strategizing, as well as wonderful sparring matches between the main characters. The characters themselves drive the story forward as well, and they are almost all formidable in some way.

Light Yagami, our antihero, is a high school student who has stumbled upon the power to kill in the form of a black notebook, which contains the words: “The human whose name is written in this note shall die.” He asserts that “There's something about the Death Note itself that makes humans want to try it out at least once,” but he does far more than that. With his newfound power he sets about to “Eliminate the vermin from the world,” even at the cost of his own mind and soul.

I despised Light Yagami in almost every way. I pity him only marginally because of his circumstances (had he not found the death note, I am pretty sure he would have lead a fairly normal life, though that's not to say he wasn't responsible for his actions when he found it), and although I held my breath many a time, waiting for and even almost subconsciously hoping for his escapes from various traps set for him, I was always hoping for his eventual capture and confinement, if not his demise. Arrogant, without a care for the lives of those who stand in his way, he only gets worse as he gets older. The second half of the series, which takes place a few years after the first, presents an even colder and more despicable characterization as with the misplaced power of a god, he seems less and less like a human being and more and more like something utterly inferior.

A mastermind known only as L is Light Yagami’s chief opponent. Quirky and highly unusual, his every move in both the investigation and in each scene is hugely entertaining and comical. His adamant declaration that “The good guys always win,” combined with his persistent investigation when he has a hunch and his keen eye for behavioral inconsistencies make him the perfect answer to Light’s intelligent scheming and dubious assessments of right and wrong. He is like some kind of funky Sherlock Holmes, and the way he respectfully attaches san or kun to everyone’s name puts me in mind of Lieutenant Columbo, who without fail addressed everyone (and most notably his suspects) as sir or ma’am.

Enter Near and Mello, two other odd individuals who are just as determined as L to apprehend the vigilante serial killer known as Kira.

Mello is somewhat less of a threat to Light as he too often allows his emotions to control him, and I mostly disliked him. He’s a bit creepy and definitely more ambiguous than L; his motive is not justice but the desire to defeat his rival, Near, and he even does some things that are as bad as what Light himself does. But I liked him a little better later on, and I think he was the human element that the series needed at that halfway point. While brilliant and idiosyncratic, he wasn’t so unbelievable as L or Near.

Near is much like L. Objective and queer, he quickly becomes more of a pain in Light’s side than the impassioned Mello and it is pretty mind-blowing to watch his investigation.

By the time you’ve read 12 volumes of this supernatural thriller, you almost believe that the battle between Light and his opponents will never end, and so it’s also a bit strange when it does. But the ending is pretty satisfying.

All in all, this series is close to perfect. 9/10

Death Note is a fantastic read with some of the best artwork around. An incredible amount of thought and detail has been committed to each panel and the quality doesn't waiver throughout the 12 volumes. Looking forward to watching the Netflix adaptation.

Death Note is a fantastic read with some of the best artwork around. An incredible amount of thought and detail has been committed to each panel and the quality doesn't waiver throughout the 12 volumes. Looking forward to watching the Netflix adaptation.

5/5 (Vol 1-4 - "L Arc") - An extremely intelligent and original manga with a narrative constantly in flux raising a number of interesting philosophical questions. Revelations and counter revelations consistently keep the story moving at a furious pace. The ultimate battle of wits.

4/5 (Vol 5 & 6 - " The Yotsuba Arc") - The Yotsuba story definitely feels like a filler arc within a brilliant story but still entertaining nonetheless.

4.5/5 - (Vol 8 -12) (Near & Mello Arc) Stronger than the Yotsuba arc with a complex plot full of twists and turns. Without spoiling it for anyone who hasn't watched/read it, there is an element that is sorely missed and is the other half of the equation that I truly loved about this series.

read this book first seen the films talked to a friend about it. came to relaize one thing. this book is garbage. seriously the guy goes killing criminals with this book then by the end he is seen as a freakin criminal himshelf for "Making the world a better place where there is no criminals" if you want to save time rent the films for this book, watch it if you get the gest of the book from the movie and want to read this you go right ahead, i bought one book wasted 45 minutes of mya life reading this. sure 4 stars, befoore i seen the films

Completely bored with his everyday life, straight A high school student Light Yagumi is about to experience excitement he has never dreamed of. After class, Light comes upon a black book lying on the ground titled Death Note. The user instructions describe if a person's name is written in the book then that person would die from a heart attack in a certain amount of time.

After testing the book on an armed man during a hostage situation. Light learns that the book is far from a hoax. Now with the new power that was given to him. Light embarks on his one man quest to change the world. His plan is to rid society of all criminals and make himself the God of the new world.-summary

I like to think of Death Note as the anime series that surprised me. Not only in terms of sheer quality because there are some outstanding series in the anime world, but it's one of the most insanely over-hyped series that reminds me of Akira and Elfen Lied by the way it's praised, and the strange thing is unlike the other two aforementioned titles, Death Note actually lived up to its hype for me. I was amazed by it, and I pretty much thought it was an overall success. When I was done with the anime series I recalled fans mentioning the differences between the anime and the manga, and some even felt that the anime was held back. In this case, I thought only of Akira. After reading the manga series I saw what the fans meant, and it did prove to be a better overall experience.

Written by Tsugumi Ohba, Death Note is a 12 book manga series that follows high school student Light Yagami, whom seeks to rid the world of all criminals by killing them. His actions almost appear to be god-like and the public soon begins to realize there's someone passing righteous judgment, in which this earns him the name "Kira" (Japanese for killer). Initially, the public aren't exactly vocal with their opinion on the situation, but are secretly cheering his name and soon they would become vocal and even accepting on who he chooses to pass judgment on. Although Light's intentions may seem noble, some people out there had conflicting views of the path he has chosen.

The police department are being lead by a super detective named L, whom are among those that disagree with Light, and he vows to catch Kira at any cost. This soon begins a sheer battle of wits between the two. It becomes a game of cat and mouse, or better yet, a friendly rivalry to the death because the first person whom screws up will lose their life. Should Kira learn L's real name, then he will write his name in the Death Note killing him. If L happens to learn the identity of Kira and present solid proof that he is indeed the killer. Then Kira will be killed for his crimes, or if he's lucky, be forced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

The plot features a heavy amount of suspense and mystery; plot twist run rampant and the reader will find themselves gripped to the point where he/she may actually want to skip pages, and this isn't due to boredom either. Instead, that's how well the suspense works and it will be killing you quite often. Character development is another element that Ohba works to near perfection. I have seen plenty of anime series that features a very strong cast, and I would say Death Note ranks somewhere in the top. The main characters Light and L have some amazing chemistry, while most of the side characters are well developed also, and some of them do not fill the role of typical foil characters, quite the opposite, they play imperative roles in the overall story.

The writing in Death Note runs far deeper than its characters and thriller elements. It also presents quite a bit of thought provoking material as well as several themes that are handled with care. Ohba attempts to press the reader's buttons by forcing you to question your own morals and ethics. He plays with the silent feelings of man, and questions the existence of God by giving the people a god they know for a fact is there and watching. He even puts the publics faith in God against the almighty dollar to see who wins. Although the story of Death Note is indeed fictional, it's not too far away from our own world.

Death Note could have truly been the masterpiece that so many claim it to be in both anime and manga form. Unfortunately, it does have its flaws that appear later on in the series. Certain annoying characters may receive way too much face time, or the plot would be pushed in questionable ways. The story never becomes bad or unreadable but these problems are very hard not to notice.

The series has some stellar artwork for the most part with some variety between the character designs. The attention to detail is sharp; from facial expressions that can display the characters feelings without the use of extensive dialogue, or any dialogue for that matter on to the easy identification of Hershey chocolate bars. There are also some death scenes that are rather graphic and can be quite disturbing.

One of the features of the book worth noting would be the panel by panel format. Some manga are so clumsily put together, that the dialogue bubbles can sometimes seem misplaced, and when multiple characters are on a page it's sometimes difficult to tell who is talking. This clearly isn't the case here. I had no trouble distinguishing who was actually the speaker.

Now for the difference between the series and manga. The anime series actually did cram a whole lot during the second half, and as a result it suffered from rushed character and story development. The two characters whom suffered the most here were Near and Mello. However in the manga, they are far better developed and their motives for catching Kira are made very clear. The manga plays exactly like the anime until volume 8. Therefore, if someone really is interested in reading the manga, then they can start there for a different experience.

This box set comes with all 12 books as well as a 13th book called How to Read. This is basically a who's who, that tells something about the characters from the main human characters to obscure Shinigami. This is something only valuable to a serious fan as it did absolutely nothing for me. The box set comes in a cardboard box with a handle on the top. The exterior is blanketed all around with some nice artwork. At the top of the box is a flap that is being held in place by velcro underneath it. When pulled from the top, the front of the box opens up like a jaw bridge, and the books are stacked up side by side to each other, with the 13th book separated from the others by a piece of cardboard. The books sit tightly next to each other but they can sometimes be a bother to get out.

Overall, this is a very solid collection and I recommend this to any serious anime or manga fan. The best thing about Death Note is that you don't have to be an anime fan to enjoy the series. The intricate storyline and fantastic character development can draw in just about anyone. It may not turn a non fan into a fan, but they will probably come away calling it a good series. To brand new fans, I recommend going into the anime series; but if you prefer reading then this series could be worth your time.

Pros: Very interesting main characters, suspense and thought provoking themes, very good artwork

Cons: Several writing issues

Death Note begins with an interesting premise. A bored supernatural being decides to drop a powerful object in the human world, to see what happens. A bored brilliant high school student picks it up and promptly realizes the power of what he has. An intelligent nemesis then takes him on, trying to rein in his activities.

The object in question is a notebook which brings death. The student simply has to write someone's name in the book, along with the details on how that person will die, and if it's possible it will happen. There are a few other stipulations, of course, but in general if the student wants someone to die, he can make it happen.

The student, once he gets over his initial qualms, decides this is great. He can rid the world of pedophiles and other nasties, and make the world a far better place to live. Most people might be at least slightly tempted by the idea that they could carefully erase people who make the world cruel and inhumane.

Still, of course, there are all sorts of moral dilemmas. Just how bad does someone have to be in order to be wiped out permanently? What if someone makes a mistake in choosing a victim? And in the meantime, with pursuit hard on his heels, how can he prevent being detected while going about his activities?

The result is a chess match style of move and counter move, with each side thinking ahead and evaluating the clues carefully. If all deaths happen between hours X and Y does that mean something - or is that just the killer leading the trackers astray?

Some parts are a little cliche, but I did enjoy the thought provoking aspects to the series.

It's been a long time since I watched half of the anime episodes of Death Note. Ever since then, I knew it'd come a time when I will pick up the manga and actually finish the story. I am so excited to get back into the Death Note world. Here is a quick intro to the story.

A Shinigami, or death god, drops his Death Note in the human world, mainly because he is bored, and a japanese teenager, Light, picks it up. Light is not your average kid, on the outside he is an exremely bright student, the best at anything he does, but on the inside he has a dark personality. Light finds out the by writing people's name on the Death Note they die. So he sets out to clear any kind of bad people from the face of the earth. Basically he has a God syndrome and with the power of the Death Note he might actually get what he wants. People are even calling him Kira, the god that comes to kill the criminals.

But Light's actions don't get unnoticed. L works with the police from time to time to solve whatever mysteries cupture his attention and the Kira mystery is one of them. L is not your typical investigator, he never showed his face and noone knows his real name and he sometimes works his cases from a distance but he always has the results he wants.

Both Light and L are very smart. And seeing them trying to outsmart each other makes one of the most intriguing stories ever.

Wo~ I'm very grateful I bought this manga after I only read the 1st chapter digitally.
First of all, I won't say that this is a manga for only 16+ or 18+ but it's a manga for people who are mature enough to get it. If anyone is like 14 or 15 but with enough maturity will enjoy it.
But people who are into battles or comedy or cuteness might not really like itl.
I wouldn't call it an all time read manga like Naruto, Negima, or One Piece, but I really think that 70% of manga readers will enjoy it.
I have read all 12 volumes, and this manga is really great! Light doesn't just kill random people, but those who the world would be better off without. I think there aren't many female charchters, but Misa Amane is surely a strong one! I love her, she's too lovable!
And the art, gosh Takeshi is just incredibely talented! If you're that worried about the aet then just check it out digitally.
This manga is an art with the strong story and the drawing, so I really recommend to get this, and even better, the box set, like here in the store it is sale for 55$ while it is actually for 99.99$
This is just a review, so I wouldn't reveal the whole story cause that will ruin it. But there many strong and horror and emotional and sad and some sense of humor happens trough the whole manga serious. So it isn't boring or anything. But if anything, I only hope Light's charchter had more emotions, like sometimes I feel he is a bit cold, especially to Misa(who I love her!) but the manga is really great over all.

This looks like it will be full of intrigue! I love the catch these two "Good guys" find themselves with each other. TO catch or be caught. To be a judge of death itself. Some curious things to ponder arise in this story. At first I kind of liked Light but he quickly becomes a bit of a jerk who obviously cares for no one but himself. Not even his own family apparently! Sheesh! Jury is out on L as of this volume. Ryuk amuses me and I loved the mini cartoon strip at the end.

I absolutely love Death Note and I was very ecstatic to have the complete manga set. The box arrived and everything inside was beautiful if you're a fan of Death Note it is a definite must have! However upon opening my how to read book a few pages had fallen out and it was the first ones with the details on Light, L, Mello, and Near, the most important characters of the set. I assumed that my book had a weak binding so I sent it back and received a new set. This time I very carefully inspected the 13th book only for the same exact thing to happen! Unfortunately it seems that the binding on this last book was weak and I hope that the other books are not like this. I did not want to have to send it in for a third replacement and have to wait for a new set that would likely have the same outcome, so it was an easy fix with some rubber cement and a toothpick to stick the pages back in the binding. Otherwise I still love the books and the case I'm just upset that the pages always fell out.

I have completely fallen in love with Death Note.

As an avid novel reader, I've just begun to touch the world of manga, and this happened to be one of the first I set my eyes on. At first I was a little doubtful, considering the premise. A killer notebook? Gods of death? Come on. But I picked it up, and I read it - and I haven't stopped reading it since.

Death Note isn't really about a notebook that kills people. It's about a brilliant high school boy called Light Yagami, whose strong sense of justice drives him to use his discovery as a means to purge the world of criminals and to create a crime-free utopia. In short, it's about a man who strives to become God.

It's totally fascinating to watch Yagami's character evolve. Our first glimpse of him is as an earnest, 'perfect' student, whose ideals you can't help but agree with. He has trouble at first with the idea that he's a murderer. But slowly, he becomes colder, and watching some of his expressions - it's chilling.

His nameless, faceless enemy - L - is equally a brilliant character. He's probably one of the most unique personas you'll ever read about. I won't spoil anything, though...just get volume two!

This suspense story will keep you - for lack of a better phrase - on the edge of your seat. The characters are fantastic, the plot is deep and complex. Read it. Even if you've never read manga before, like me, you'll love it!

Some sixteen years ago I wrote a review for Masamune Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell" manga from Dark Horse, under the headline: Dubbing, a crime of the far future. In that scribe I proclaimed Ghost in the Shell to be the pinnacle of comicdom, but in the ensuing years manga has thankfully gotten a foothold in the west. Now I narrow down four titles, four manga series as the greatest comicbook creations on Earth. They are: Berserk, Battle Royale, Deathnote, and now; after years of resisting it, Attack on Titan. Shirow is still a great manga creator but there is something to be said for the incredible, and dark world of Berserk, the decimation in Battle Royale, the human struggle in Attack on Titan, and the wits of Deathnote. Too much to be said really, so for the purpose of this review I will concentrate on this here Deathnote and why it is so great and why, like Christopher Lee (Saruman in the Lord of the Rings, and Hobbit films) whom read the Lord of the Rings every year, I re-read it every year. First I have never encountered a character like "L". His behavior is so unique and believable that I swear it has to be a real person, and Hollywood actors would kill for a chance to interpret a character like "L". His mind works on a level that is quite difficult for the reader to fully comprehend but it is understood that he is a brilliant detective. To oppose him is his great foe "Kira" whom happens to be Light Yagami, and Light has the power to kill people simply by writing their name in a notebook he obtain from a Shinigami. Of course this is the main plot of Deathnote not a race to stop a murderer but an old fashion battle of wits, in which two astute characters battle it out for supremacy; one over the other. Light wants to create a new world by killing all the known criminals in the world, thus establishing "Kira" as it's God, and "L" has the task to find "Kira" and stop him. Here is the dimension that Deathnote has over any other comicbooks that exists: as a conscientious police detective "L" must first find 100% proof of the identity of "Kira" before he can bring in his number one suspect, Light Yagami. Ah, you say, "so 'L' wins" you say. Let me ask you if you could arrest someone with 99.99% certainty it is them, would you arrest them? Just how crucial is the remaining .01%? Allow me to opinionate that 100% certainty is required for an arrest, under which premise "L" operates. As an enticement to read this masterpiece yourself I will let you know that "L" and Light Yagami are chained together for the purpose of observing Light as a suspect in close proximity, and yet "Kira" keeps killing with "L" right next to him. Now you have to read and I hope that you enjoy one of the great literary imaginings ever!

If you want to dip your toe in the world of manga, you can't go wrong with this beautiful set for one of the world's most popular series. This box set is perfect for an aspiring artist or the casual fan of quality storytelling. I prefer this set for the reading convenience of each volume, but the Black Edition cover art does feature a more streamlined look. Either way you can't go wrong with this series.

When it comes to Manga, Death Note is the best of the best.

Deeply intelligent and devilishly inventive, Death Note is arguably one of the smartest and most cutting-edge Shounen out there, almost to the point where it can no longer be classified as Shonen. The plot of Death Note is rich and dense; though it can be talky at points it manages to pack a huge amount of plot into a relatively small space.
Death Note lives and dies by its plot twists. It basically reinvents itself with every new volume, delivering one staggering plot turn after another. Keeping the reader on the edge of their seats is one of the things that this manga does best, and one of the reasons why it's so popular.
The artwork is overall very good. It's a blend of stark realism with Gothic fantasy elements, the latter of which is most apparent in the cover art.
Another very strong point is its diverse cast of extremely memorable characters, many of which have large fan bases among anime fans. Ask any otaku about Light, L, Misa, Near, Mello, etc. and the responses will be varied, but nearly all of them will respond with recognition. The popularity of these characters rival those of, for example, Naruto, the protagonist of one of Shounen Jump's highest grossing anime's ever.
People like and dislike the characters for different reasons, however. One thing that Death Note does that many other stories are not able to do effectively is make every single character likable and flawed in some way. Even the main character, Light, who can be easily viewed as a cold and heartless serial killer has a personality that people can empathize with. In fact, he is one of the most popular anime characters of all time. Death Note never tells you which characters you should like and dislike, or which characters you should root for, it lets you decide it all on your own.

One very interesting thing about Death Note is its view of morality. None of the character can be viewed as good or bad, justice or injustice. The two main opposing forces in this manga are just two people with a strong sense of justice and very different ideas of how it is to be carried out. The main character can very easily be viewed as the bad guy, because although his main intentions are righteous, he has a very brutal and methodical way of carrying them out. The antagonist can be looked at as the one fighting against evil, but the methods he uses are questionable at best; he becomes obsessed with his search and is willing to do nearly anything to reach his goal regardless of the ethical questions surrounding it.
Because of this obscure view of ethics, Death Note has been pegged as a twisted and murky morality tale. However, the psychological aspects are obviously very well thought out and meant to cause you to try and decide who the good characters are, who the bad characters are, and whether or not there really is such a thing, or just different perspectives. It's up to you as the reader to decide who's right and who's wrong; the decision is never made for you, which is something that makes Death Note so much deeper and thought-provoking than most manga, or most books for that matter.
I read somewhere that in order to enjoy Death Note, you need to be a little twisted, but most anime fans are. If you like anime at all, there is absolutely no excuse for not reading this manga. It's one of the best of the best. If you haven't ever read a manga before, this might not be a good first choice because it's deeply psychological and takes a lot of paying attention, but Death Note is a force to be reckoned within the world of manga and shouldn't be passed up by anyone who likes dark morality tales.

"Death Note" gets five stars, but maybe not for the reasons you think. It is a remarkably popular manga and anime, stylish, carefully plotted, elegantly composed, and very skillful. I imagine that by now most readers know that Light Yagami, the brilliant but bored young hero, finds a "Death Note," a notebook deliberately dropped on Earth by Ryuk, a Shinigami (literally, "god of death"), that gives Light the ability to kill anyone he wants. Light's murderous escapades - he kills criminals to make the Earth a better place - are opposed by the equally brilliant young detective L. Light and L play a long-lasting and very elaborate game of hide-and-seek, each trying to out-think and out-plot the other as L closes in on Kira, the name the media has given to the killer.

The conflict between Light and L is highly stylized, even to the point of being quite unrealistic. For example, it is hard to imagine that any government would let a 20-something detective like L alone handle a case of such national and international significance; the death notebook provides its possessor with power beyond a flotilla of nuclear missiles, but the military is never interested and mounts no investigations of Kira. Well, not likely. Instead, L and Light play a game reminiscent of Go, the Japanese board game ("Death Note" illustrator Takeshi Obata also illustrated "Hikaru no Go," about an immortal Go player). So the reader observes not for moments of truth, but in a nearly abstract appreciation of strategy of the two players. Enjoying "Death Note" therefore means a hefty dose of willing suspension of disbelief.

In parallel to Light and L's intricate competition is the story of Light and Misa, a young woman who has her own death notebook and protective shinigami. Misa too is a killer, but her relationship to Light is far from simple. Here we reach one of the most striking features of the story.

I've read many comments about "Death Note," and most merely say that Misa is madly in love with Light and virtually worships and obeys him, while he uses her with cold-blooded calculation. This view reminds me of L's thinking as he tries to evaluate Light's relationship to Misa: he believes (although without legally acceptable proof) that Light is Kira, and therefore treats Misa as a mere auxiliary or tool of Light/Kira's Machiavellian schemes. But, of the two, Misa is far deadlier and far more dangerous than Light: to underestimate HER is a fatal mistake. Nonetheless, to young male readers, Misa is what she pretends to be - a pretty girl in love, an empty-headed doormat for the real players. Yet, in the first story-arc, it will be *Misa's* plans and hopes that come to fruition, and Light will do what *she* wants.

Thus, two games are being played in "Death Note." One, between Light and L, seems to be the main game, of whether or not L can prove that Light is the killer. The intricacy of this "police procedural" story is surely impressive. But the second game is more interesting. It is between the reader and Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, writer and artist respectively. In the first game, we the readers know from the very first episode that Light is the killer, allowing us the deluding luxury of thinking that we can sit back and watch a game we know the answer to. But the second game involves Misa. In that game, Ohba and Obata are at pains to provide very few clues to us, the readers, about Misa and her personality, and *especially* about her relationship to her own shinigami, Remu. If you can read through Volume 7 (the denouement of the L-versus-Light game) and honestly say you knew all along what Misa's role was - well, then you have penetrated into the inner workings of the first story-arc of "Death Note."

So beware. The first game - between Light and L - is placed before us in obvious procedural clarity. The second game - between the authors and us about Misa - is played without the authors ever tipping their hand to us. So read it and fall for all the misleading clues Ohba and Obata have provided about Misa. Then you can say, "You know, that was *very* clever. I really didn't guess how it would end." And that's why it gets five stars. 'Fraid I can't be more explicit than that, fellas; otherwise, it'd spoil all your fun!

And if you like Misa, you'll enjoy "Anne Freaks," "Lady Snowblood," "Murder Princess," and the anime "Noir."

As a long-time fan of the Death Note series and manga, I would suggest this for any fans of the manga, or, hell, even the television show if you want to read the original manga. It comes with a little pamphlet of all the Death Note rules, and a cool as heck box. The manga is terrific, though it does have some flaws. ( SPOILER WARNING ) If you haven't seen Death Note, which you have absolutely no reason to do if you don't like anime. Spoiler warning, was my point. I do wish Light Yagami would've won, I mean, he beat L. Then he's defeated by Near? A little boy? Come on, there is an obvious way he could've won. Other than that, this manga and anime is great. I wouldn't not suggest this for any reason unless you don't like manga/anime. Thanks for reading if you do, and have a great day. :)

I love me some Manga-I've been reading the Shonen Jupm translations ever since it arrived on American shores. Death Note is one of the best Manga ever written. Not only is it strong on art, but the story is more developed than of most Manga. The premise is simple-A shinigami death god drops his Death Note- A notebook that can kill whoevers name is written in it. A student named Light Yagami finds the note and uses it to kill criminals and rid the world of evil. A detective named L vows to track him down, and an all out war between Light and L begins.

It is such an amazing story, full of more plot twists and surprises than a Michael Crichton novel. Every page reveals a new secret, a new twist, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Both L and Light are brillint, and each one equally skilled-Light at covering his tracks, and L at finding the killer of all the criminals. The hardest thing to figure out though is who the protaginist is. Light has noble intentions, but as he uses the Death Note, he slowly descends into madness. We know he's a pshycopath, but as more and more is revealed, we see he's going nuts on his "world peace" vendetta.

I chose L as the protaginist myself. He's got his head in the right place, and his intentions are purely to stop a mass murdered, even if he's only bumping off criminals. The thing is, if L got the Death Note, he too might act like Light. So the real antagonist of "Death Note" is the death note itself. Light is a good person. It's the Note that is corrupting him.

I've only read to Volume 4, but my local bookstore we'll be getting volume 5 next week! I can't wait for climax of the first Death Note story ark. The only thing that's wrong with wanting the climax to come is that I know Light will survive and kill L. How else could the story continue? Anyway, I hope that doesn't happen. L is a great charecter, and is the last person in the series who deserves to die.

I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish- even though I looked up the plot ahead of time. I heard it was good and wanted to know what I was in for.
The characters are so witty, I couldn't believe it. The plot is very well put together.
YES, this book has a very intricate storyline. I knew that ahead of time, along with who dies -so that I wouldn't be too shocked -before I got really attatched to these characters, a lot of whom are very easy to get along with.
It's your basic mastermind vs. mastermind, good vs. evil, but it's so much more. I could never put all 12 volumes into one review. Let's just say this: I even took a stop on my busy vacation, an hour out of my usual way, just to get the next 2 volumes.
Captivating and smarter than your average 2 people put head-to-head, you will never be sorry you spent your time reading this.

Writer Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, the artist of the award-winning manga series "Hikaru No Go," have teamed up to bring something radically different to both the "Shonen Jump" manga anthology and the reading table: "Death Note." Ryuk, a Shinigami death god, is bored. To shake things up, he drops his notebook in the human world for someone to find. Light Yagami, a straight-A student, is bored. He finds Ryuk's notebook and discovers its secret-the person whose name is written in the book dies. With this newfound power in hand, Light takes it upon himself to rid the world of evil. And the world comes to know this modern-day angel of death as "Kira." Baffled by the rising death toll, the authorities enlist the help of L, a reclusive super-sleuth who's already hot on Kira's trail. And Ryuk, bound to the human world and linked to Light by the Death Note, gets a front-row seat to an all-out battle of wits in which the first guy to be exposed dies.

Truly an original concept, "Death Note" manages to captivate its audience by adding a mythological element to the real world, as opposed to the stereotypical superheroes and cataclysmic battles of other manga. For lovers of thought-provoking stories, Ohba's story not only raises many moral and ethical questions (e.g.: Is it always wrong to kill someone? Can good truly exist without evil?), but he gives his characters, particularly Light, their own answers rather than color everything in black and white-the way Obata does! Speaking of whom, his use of realistic imagery and detail, blended with his take on Japanese mythology, remains a head above the rest.

The one problem with this title, however, is its tendency to recite the rules of the Death Note throughout the book, which is more than enough for anyone to memorize. Also, between each chapter is a summary of new rules Light discovers while testing the limits of the Death Note. While VIZ Media's translation of the original dialogue is a job well done, there are fansubbed versions that are more dramatic and to the point. Yet another setback is how much of the dialogue is squeezed into word bubbles, literally leaving room for improvement. But these issues are not of serious consequence to the reader's experience, which depends more on his/her liking of suspense and the supernatural. So if you're feeling bored, go read a book-this book.

This comic is rated T+ for Older Teen: Adult Situations.

Tsugumi Ohba, Death Note: Boredom (Viz, 2004)

Boredom kicks off Death Note, an interesting-looking manga whose promise, at least in the first volume, seems fulfilled. Ryuk is a Shinigami, a Lord of the Dead. The Shinigami have gotten incredibly bored over the years-- with humans killing one another off in record numbers, they don't have much of a job to do. So Ryuk leaves his death note-- a notebook in which he can write the name and details of death for any human he wants to kill-- in the human world. The note is found by Light Yagami, a high-school student, who decides, after reading some of the rules and conversing with Ryuk about its uses, to clean up society. He starts killing off criminals, but without writing details-- which leads to a sharp increase in the number of heart attacks in the prison population. The police force, suspecting foul play, begins to investigate, and are approached by internationally-renowned detective L, who's also interested in apprehending the killer. The FBI sends a detachment in, as well, since most of the dying prisoners are American. Thus, Light has to go about his business of killing criminals while avoiding the police-- of whom his father is the chief-- and L, as well as figuring out the rules of the death note which he doesn't know yet and study for exams. What's a boy to do?

It's a fun book, but what really sends it above the mass is Ryuk, who's one of the more interesting characters I've come across recently. As the series' only real non-human at this point (we meet a few of his fellow Shinigami early on, but they never make another appearance in this volume), Ohba is able to go in any direction he wants with Ryuk's character, and he chooses to make Ryuk something of an enigma. He's got his own moral code, but he only reveals what he wants to Light, who's currently the only human who can see him. Ryuk also, it seems, has a weakness for Mario Golf, but hey, no character's perfect.

A promising start to the series. *** ½

It all begins here, in the first volume of one of the most fantastic manga stories I have ever read. Light Yagami, bored genius gets ahold of a notebook belonging to a god of death. With it, he has the power to kill simply by writing someone's name. With such an item at his disposal, what is a bored genius to do but try to change the world.

But it is not so easy.

Beyond the already cool idea of the death notebook the real substance of this manga is the battle of wills that develops between Light and those who would stand against him. If you can keep up with the intricate and complex plot within you will be treated to an experience like none other. I was hooked right from this first volume. So do yourself a favor and read this manga. Then get the second volume. Then the third. Then...well you get the idea. At the time of this writing, eleven volumes have been published in the US. Volume twelve, to the best of my knowledge will be the conclusion to this saga.

We've all heard stories and myths of Death, the Grim Reaper, or, as in the case of Death Note, the Shinigami. We know that, at will, these creatures can bring death. We know that Death and the Grim Reaper are particularly fond of huge scythes. But what a lot of us don't know (mainly because it's an added fictional element presented in Death Note) is that Shinigami prefer to use note books, or death notes. And occasionally, they lose their notebooks accidentally-on-purpose so that a human can find it. That is the beginning of Death Note, a story of a genius student named Light who finds this strange notebook and decides he wants to change the world into a utopia by killing all of the world's most horrible criminals without any suspicion to him. All he does is write their name in the death note and they're dead.

The description above sounds dark, and this story is very dark. The lead character seems to have little care for those he kills and in fact finds some enjoyment in the unique ways he can bring about their death. His Shinigami shadow, Ryuk, bound to him because Light now owns the death note, guides him only to the point just beyond complete ignorance but otherwise lets Light do as he wishes. Thus, even despite the fact that it's nearly impossible to trace the murderer, suspicion does rise. This is when the true horror starts, as we begin to see what Light is willing to do to get himself free of suspicion.

Anyone familiar with Shonen Jump's Hikaru No Go will recognize the artwork here. They won't recognize, however, the deep themes of morality VS. immorality. While reading, you have to decide, based on your own personal beliefs, what side Light is actually on, moral or immoral, good or evil. Certainly, at face value, Light is a decent human being, studying hard to become a top student, helping his sister with her homework, talking cop-business with his father, but it's in those moments of inspiration that Light has when you'll begin to wonder. And yet, it's his anti-hero love-ability that makes you keep reading, know matter what your beliefs are. You want him to avoid suspicion, to do away with the criminals, and to get rid of the cops tailing him.

In volume one, it details Light's first moments with the death note and Ryuk. It also begins his battle with Interpol and their top agent, the secretive L. In between, we learn the main rules of the death note as well as the side-effects it has on humans and on Shinigami. It's haunting the way some of these rules are relayed, as if they were natural things to be considered in our minds.

Death Note is one of those few mangas that captured me from the beginning (I read the first chapter in Shonen Jump). I knew after I read it that I would buy the graphic novels. As someone very selective of manga this was something special. I highly recommend this to fans of manga or to horror/thriller fans. This is a well-written, artistic manga indeed. I'd give it more stars if I could.

death note you need to get it killing,gods love it all highschool student light yagami finds a note book letting him kill anyone as long as he sees their face and knows their name. i absolutely love the series tottaly request it who wouldn't love it?(who wouldn't love all the series i request?)

I have been a fan of the Death Note films for awhile now, and figured it was about time I checked out the original comic. I know most people come at it the other way around, but I am more of a movie fan than a comic fan, and the whole Death Note universe was enough to lure me in.

So far, I have only read this first volume, but I am impressed. There aren't too many differences between the comic and the first film, and I am impressed at how well the character's personality and appearance were adapted for film. Probably the only difference I have noted is that the comic Ryuk doesn't seem to have a craving for apples.

The art is equally impressive. I have seen Obata Takeshi's work before in Hikaru No Go, and his work is even better here. The guy has a way with drawing cool hair, that's for sure. And he handles the human and non-human characters with equal skill.

If I had a single problem with the English version of "Death Note", it is in the translation of Light's alias "Kira". I don't know who made that choice, but the word used in the Japanese version is "Killer", which is not only more accurate but makes more logical sense. So boo to whoever made that translation choice. Otherwise this is a great comic.

What drew me into Death Note was the artwork; it reminded me very much of the artwork within the pages of the Hikaru no Go manga. Upon further inspection, I learned that the two aforementioned titles both shared the same mangaka; so it is only natural that Death Note's artistic style looks like a more mature version of that found in Hikaru no Go. Yet that is all they share in common. Death Note is a dark, suspenseful manga that will attract those who prefer such genres.

Light Yagami is the protagonist of this series, although it would be somewhat of a stretch to call him a protagonist in the first place. He is an exceptional genius, a hard-working student, a good-looking one to boot, and to top it all off... he is bored out of his wits. Although he soon finds something to alleviate his boredom; when the shinigami (death god) Ryuuk enters the human world out of boredom as well, he takes it upon himself to drop the death note in it, a notebook which allows its user to kill whomever they wish, as long as they know the victim's name and face. And guess who finds it? None other than Light himself. And Light isn't going to settle for just a few kills; he's going to get rid of ALL criminals and become a "god" of the new world. Talk about your over-achievers. However, his actions soon catch the attention of the police, especially that of the mysterious detective L, whom is just as much of a genius as Light is, and is determined to catch the mass murderer known as "Kira".

Volume 1, as to be expected, is mainly introductory. Along with getting to know how the main character thinks, we mainly see how he takes measures to avoid getting caught, all the while trying to achieve his goal of killing all criminals. The question is, can he keep it up? This is, of course, something for the upcoming volumes to answer.

Death Note will keep you under suspense long after you read this volume. If you like shonen jump, but you want something darker than what they usually put out, then go with Death Note. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

The first thing that intrigued me about Death Note was Light, or Raito, the main character. I, being a girl, can truthfully say that when I read a manga where the main charcter is a boy, the first thing I notice are his looks (because if you have to spend your time staring at the characters, why not read a manga with nice artwork and nice character designs?). Light is cute at first, at first glance-I'm not saying that he turns ugly or anything, he stays cute-but as you watch his actions, from the finding of the Death Note, to the little "Five days later" panels, to the short flashback and back to the "Five Days Later" panels again, you notice a huge, mesmerizing and overtly distict personality change-from bored ace high school student, to pertrified murderer, to determined do-gooder-and this is all in the first 30 pages! But even as Light's views on the world and the people in it get darker and darker, you can still see the cute, innocent high schooler that happened to get caught up in a bad twist of fate one day. His name is a strange choice for such a dark character-perhaps the writer, Tsugumi Obata, meant to have his name serve as a reminder that no matter how badly he went about it, Light's goal at it's core was to build a better world, one without crime or unjust punishment-a glimmer of light in a dark world. Whether that light will be extinguished by the end of Death Note's 12 volume run may be determined by L, Light's only mind match, by Light himself, or by Ryuk, the shinigami who caused this whole mess in the first place. One thing's for sure,though-millions of people, myself included, will definitely want to find out what happens to Light-an intriguing, protagonist/antagonist-and company in this deftly written, beautifully illustrated masterwork of contemporary Japanese fiction.

Man, the title for this review sucks. :3

But anyway, Death Note. Volume 1 opens in a world very different world from our own-- the world of the shinigami, Japanese for death gods. Each shinigami has a notebook, his/her "death note". The shinigami writes the names of humans into this book, and the human whose name they've written dies. The remainder of the (now dead) human's lifespan is then added to the shinigami's life. If shinigami are to lazy to write names of humans in their death note, they could end up dying.

But, on with the story. A shinigami named Ryuk is bored, so he "accidentally" drops his death note into the human world. It falls on a high school campus in the Kanto region of Japan, where it is picked up by a studious and well-meaning student named Light Yagami. At first he scoffs at the instructions written in the note, saying "why are people into this sorta crap?" But, by the time Ryuk finds the human who has picked up his death note, Light has already killed scores of criminals (and this is only five days after he picked up the note). These events set off an all-out intellectual war between Light and an ace detective known only as "L".

Death Note is one of the best shonen manga I have read. Light takes every precaution to not be caught as the one causing the murders, and L pushes and pushes with his own clever strategies. It is something you will read straight through without stopping, and will most likely read many more times.

On another note (hehe, pun), Death Note is rated for Older Teens (this means ages 16 and up, I think). Death Note: Volume One has very mild cussing, no sexual themes at all, and (although many many people die) very little violence. I would recommend it to anyone 13 or older.

Unlike anime heavy weights such as; Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, and Full Metal Alchemist, Death Note brought something new to the table. Instead of big swords, too much hair gel, and busty women, Death Note has a entirely never done before story; which makes it so appealing. It has almost a Gothic feel to it that's addicting like chocolate.... (don't mind the bad comparison....!)

Death Note revolves around Seventeen year old Light Yagami; a genius, tennis star, and heartthrob. One fateful day, Light happens to pick up a black notebook off of the ground bearing the words; Death Note. Upon further inspection, Light learns that if you write a person's name in the Death Note while thinking of their face, you can kill them. Now Light, an aspiring Police/Detective officer puts away the Death Note and doesn't even think about it. Until he happens to witness a young girl being attacked by grimy men. He quickly writes the guys name, and sure enough he dies. Light is shocked, how could something like this really be true? It is true however, as Light gets an unexpected greeting by the owner of the Death Note, Ryuk, who happens to be a Shinigami. (Think something like a Grim Reaper.) Ryuk tells Light he can kill anyone, provided he follows the rules. So here history is made, as Light decides to kill of all criminals and 'evil.' He will become the God of the new world. Light dons the name 'Kira' (derived from Killer) and starts off killing criminals.

But all is not well in Light's world. The Police have noticed all of the mysterious deaths, and have now vowed to get this Kira; including the world's best detective, known simply as; L.
Will Light carry out his goal for complete dominance over the world? Or will the world's best detective, L, stop him? Your going to have to either A) Watch the Anime or B) Read the Manga.

Characterization has never been better in a Anime or Manga then it has been in Death Note. Light Yagami is characterized as an arrogant, greedy, devilishly intelligent young man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. You'll love to hate Light, and find later in the series how evil and maddening his character is.

L, the world's best detective, remains enigmatic for much of the first part of the series. But once his grand entrance is staged, you'll see truly grand character development.

Animation is certainly gorgeous, with a Gothic element that's hard to resist. You'll have a hard time not to drool over Light or even L later on. (Who doesn't love the fact they both don't wear hair gel....!) There's something about the stunning visuals that'll suck you right in, and certainly draw you into the world of Death Note.

So go ahead, try something new. There certainly aren't any; Big Swords, Hair Gel, Busty Women, or over the top Gore, but that makes Death Note even the more satisfying. It's new and fresh, and something that's never been done before. I'm glad I watched Death Note, (and I almost didn't!) and now I'm completely obsessed.

Didn't Parents always used to say, trying something new is good for you?

The death note series is hands down the best manga/comic i have ever read. If you are buying the first volume right now you may as well buy the second so that there's no wait in between readings while you wait for the next volume to arrive...you won't wanna put this down. Not only is it a GREAT concept and story, but the execution was flawless. Not once did I have any idea as to what the main characters were going to do. I was pleasantly surprised at each turn. The onyl problem with the book is that b/c its a manga title people won't take a serious look at it. If I have to tell my local comic shop owner to buy/read the book one more time i am going to scream!!lol

PS - The art is phenomenal as well.This book is as perfect as it gets.

I've never read a manga quite like this.
It's never cliche and always interesting.
The basic story is a bored guy (Light) finds a ''DeathNote'' a notebook which can kill people if you write down their name and he decides to use it to rid the world of bad guys. Then a detective (L) tries to find out the killer and a cat and mouse game ensues. The plot is interesting, the characters are well developed and the art is nice too. Definitely recommended and lives up to its hype. Kind of makes you question if what Light (main character) is doing is right or wrong.

In one word, Death Note is "beautiful." It keeps you thinking and waiting in anticipation for the next volume, not to mention obsess over at least one of the characters, if not the Death Note series itself...

Light Yagami is bored out of his mind with everyday high-school life. Luckily (or should that be unluckily?)for him, he finds the Death Note, a supernatural notebook that kills the human whose name is written down in it. After a few tests, Light discovers that the deaths caused by the notebook are real, and he decides to help his fellow humans by killing off criminals of every kind, leaving hard-working, kind people to populate the world with him as their God of Justice.

A mere five days after he starts his mission, Ryuk, the Death God ("shinigami") who dropped the notebook onto Earth out of sheer boredom, visits Light and explains that he has to follow Light around until either Light or the Death Note is destroyed. Soon after Ryuk's appearance (Ryuk DID say that Death Gods bring bad luck and sorrow to the owner of a Death Note), the world's police forces send a mysterious detective by the name of "L" to begin tracking down the serial killer responsible for the many recent deaths of criminals. Light, now nicknamed "Kira" on the internet by the public, is now, in turn, tracking down L to accomplish his goal of becoming the God of the new world.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend this series for ANY anime/manga fan out there. I watched the whole series, both movies, and read the entire manga series, and every one of them is amazing. There is no other series that compares to it! It's simply...

Beautiful...

Death Note is a very different manga from the others Viz Media has begun to release here in the U.S. It is thanks to them, however, that I learned of this brilliant series.

The story follows a teenager, Light, who is bored with his life and sick of the monotonous cycle. He stumbles upon a Shingami's (Death God's) notebook, or Death Note. The notebook has a dark power: a brief way to put it would be to say when you write down a person's name and have the image of them in your mind, they will die of a heart-attack in forty seconds. There is much more to it than that, however. Details can be added as to how and when they die, but they must be physically possible.

Ryuk, the Death God whose notebook Light has found, was also bored. He deliberately left the notebook there for a human to find. He is a very strange character with a very strange appearance. Nevertheless, he does play an important role.

Light's name seems almost contradictory. He says he is killing off violent criminals to make the world a better place. He claims that he is righteous. But is murder the righteous thing to do? Interpol begins to move and is forced to play it's trump card: L, a person whose face and full name are not even known to the NPA.

L and Light are both brilliant. Their plans, deductions, and observations never cease to amaze. Their battle and search continues as it evolves into a race to discover who the other is. Ultimately, you don't know who to cheer on. The protagonist is a bit crazy and is continously commiting murder and playing with peoples lives. Yet you find yourself still reading. The plot is engrossing; it is rare for me to find a manga that keeps me glued to the pages without frequent action scenes.

Dark, mysterious, and decidedly different, Death Note is a level above.

For those of you who have never heard of Death Note before, prepare to be amazed. Death Note was a collaborative project between two professional manga writers, Takeshi Obata (Hikaru no Go) and Tsugumi Ohba (currently unreckognized otherwise. Wikipedia speculates that Ohba may be only a pen name for a much more esteemed writer.)

Words do this series no justice. Light Yagami (whose first name is 'Raito' in Japanese, rather than having been translated from 'Hikaru'), a brilliant aspiring college student, discovers a small, leather-bound notebook in the street labeled 'Death Note.' Written in gothic lettering inside the front cover are instructions on how to kill using its powers. Light, very much skeptical, tests the book's powers on a criminal he sees on television... and is shocked with the results.

Following his discovery, Light decides to use the notebook for the greater good of the world - but, rather than killing quietly and in secrecy, he gives his victims heart attacks. The power of Kira ('Killer' in the Japanese tongue) mostly relies on criminals' fear of death to persuade them otherwise.

This novel, or its sequels, is by no means juvenile fiction. Besides 'adult references' and a seemingly morbid fixation, it features an extremely intricate and well-developed plot and impossibly realistic characters. While I would not necessarily suggest this book to young children, it's a shame that the series is not better known. Five stars is by far an understatement.

Death Note, Vol. 1 is the first book in the manga series Death Note and stars Light Yagami who is an ace student but he finds his life to be boring. This all changes when he finds the Death Note, a book dropped by a rogue demon from another world. He starts to use the book with good intentions but will his good intentions last? This is a fast and funny manga with amazing illustrations and fast and funny dialogue. A definite page turner. Highly recommended. 5/5.

Very good series. If you've seen the anime, you'll enjoy reading the books too. It is about Light, a genius teenager, who finds a notebook capable of killing people. He decides to keep it and cleanse the world of evil. This is a traditional Japanese manga, so it's read totally backwards from books in the US. After a couple pages, you'll get the hang of it. This is such a good manga based on the story of Shinigami (death gods) and the human world. Great for people of all ages. Definitely check it out!

I don't want to be a repeat, and you have wonderful reviews before this (I felt Antonio D. Paolucci said everything exceptionally well). I love many shounen works, though usually enjoy them more as anime, however as a 20 yr old girl, 95% of the 80+ manga I own tend to be shoujo. And yet, even broke, I immediately bought the first three volumes and fell into an obsessive love.

With it's morbid theme, I was a bit unsure of what I would think about this series. After learning about the two live-action movies that Warner Brothers (Japan division) is financing, my interest was thoroughly sparked and I had to give this series a chance. I found that past the morbid theme (and perhaps because of it), is layers of pure genius. Despite the supernatural twist with the Shinigami and the Death Note, everything is executed in a realistic way that I found intriguing. From the world's reaction of "Kira" the mysterious killer of criminals to the main characters themselves.

It's easy to get enraptured in Light's efforts--whether you agree with what he's doing or not. It's a constant battle of wits between him and the mysterious L. I was dying to see L's face during the first volume even though I knew what he looked like, but I think it was a very effective play that you can never see his face until other characters meet him face to face.

If you are familiar at all with the series, I would compare this series with aspects of Bleach (the punk style and Shinigami themes), Jigoku Shoujo (Unreleased anime- very beautiful but morbid, though-provoking themes with humans and the power over someone's death), and even Spiral (the brilliance of the characters and constant out-maneuvering). Overall, it is a series not to take for granted. I only wish it was an anime too but will have to settle for the two movies coming out.

Have you ever watched TV and wanted or wished to be able to just end the terror of people like Osama bin Laden? Ever wonder what it would be like to control the life or death of the people who needlessly kill and fill our world with such smut and destruction? Most people have wondered and daydreamed about this; others daydream about being those despicable people that we see in society today.

People discuss whether these actions would be right or wrong on college campuses, in churches, and in smaller social groups or even just among friends. The question has permeated for years and has dominated the minds and imaginations of hundreds or even thousands of youth in all societies and in all ages. Cops and Robbers anyone?

Well Deathnote puts a new spin on these ideals and these thought processes that we so commonly pass through. The story starts out simply enough following the life of a top student in Japan, Light Yagami. He is a brilliant student, number one in the country in fact, but he is bored and thinks the world needs a `cleansing' of all the filth in the world.

While returning from school one afternoon he finds a small black notebook on the ground that seems to have fallen from the sky and out of curiosity he examines it. After seeing the title of "Deathnote" and looking inside and seeing it written in English he makes some remarks about the sick people of the world and stuffs it into his backpack. He is later almost compelled to read the deathnote and thus begins his journey.

The Deathnote is a book that gives the previous mentioned power to the owner thereof. The possessor of the book can write any person's name in the world while, thinking of their face, and said person will die in the prescribed way, or if no way is prescribed the person will die of a heart attack. This book is everything that Light could want and he decides to begin his quest to rid the world of its filth.

Through the course of the book, Light meets Ryuk, the former owner of the Deathnote. Ryuk, a Shinigami (a Death God, to Americans Grim Reaper might be easier to understand), explains the mere basics to Light and observes Light's quest, never helping nor hindering. He explains to Light early on that he is just bored, nothing more, nothing less.

As Light kills more and more big name criminals he catches the eye of Interpol, who assign the case to the `fabled' "L," the world's greatest detective. Thus begins the battle of wits with many people being caught in the crossfire of their battle. L is trying to stop Light, while Light is killing all the criminals he can in different and unique ways, while at the same time trying to kill the FBI agents who have since been assigned to follow him.

As I said, the book is an interesting read that offers more than a few questions regarding right and wrong, moral and immoral. I highly recommend this series.

This is an amazing manga but do not get it if you dont like reading much. This is a great story but for action lovers there' s not much for you. If you have ever seen shows like white collar or burn notice maybe even NCIA or shows like that this fits in. I picked the seller from Illinois and it was amazingly packaged books were crisp and when the package came it was sealed! The box art is nice and vol. 13 the encyclopedia is a very nice touch along with the booklet with all the rules. This is my favorite manga yet and the bonus of reading is there is more to enjoy this series will last not like naruto or bleach where you breeze through in my opinion this is a great sale and is a great buy. Dont just take my word for it take SHONEN JUMP and VIZMEDIA which are the top two in manga publishing if they thought it was good and so do I even when i'm a naruto and bleach fan then I think you can adjust and you will love it!

Death Note is probably one of the best manga available. The story of corruption, greed, and deception has so many well placed twists and turns that the plot is virtually never boring - until the end, that is.

The second half of Death Note sees several changes to the format (won't mention here, to avoid spoilers), and just gets a bit dull. It's almost as though Tsugumi Ohba was trying to milk everything out of it.

Don't get me wrong, the entire series is well worth the read, despite the muddy points in the second half.

I HIGHLY recommend sticking through, because the VERY end is the most suspenseful moment I've ever experienced in entertainment.

The majority of mainstream manga released in America has, up 'til now, been easy to categorize into two genres: Shounen(boy-oriented, lots of action, fighting, magical weapons, heroes out to save the world, etc.) and Shoujo(girl-oriented, romance, emphasis on character development and emotions, girls with magical powers/boyfriends, shounen-ai, etc.)

Death Note, although serialized in Shounen Jump, doesn't clearly fall into either category. The main confict is the intense psychological battle between Light and L. Ingenious mindtraps, moral ambiguity, and strong suspense characterize the theme of Death Note. If you think this sounds more mature and complex than the average manga, then you would be correct.

The supernatural setup involving death gods and a lethal notebook may turn off some people who would really enjoy it. I assure you that the premise is not hokey, and the supernatural aspects are secondary to the suspense and plot. The exploration of the "Rules" regarding the Death Note, the intricate use of logic, and the slow moral decay of the main character are fascinating to watch.

The protagonist(he can hardly be called the hero), Light, is a brilliant young student who first decides to use the Death Note to rid the world of deadly criminals. However, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and his main goal shifts from promoting peace to avoiding capture at any cost. His pursuer is the international enigma who is known only as "L". This equally brilliant detective has a different idea of justice and is hot on Light's trail.

They soon become locked in a battle of life and death; the first side to make a mistake(or fail to anticipate the other's move) will die. During their chess game, the public is divided by support and opposition for the mysterious killer, known to the media as Kira. To thicken the matter, other characters and factors interfere, throwing both L and Light for a loop.

This is a book for fans of The Usual Suspects, intrigue, and detective thrillers. However, if you don't like following lots of dialouge or keeping track of complex plot lines, Death Note may not be for you. I also think it could benefit from more character development, since Light and L's personalities take a backseat to their actions. Even so, this manga is a real treat for those who want something deeper than the usual fare. If you enjoy Death Note, also look forward to upcoming "Monster" and "20th Century Boys.

I wouldn't have picked up this Series if a friend hadn't suggested it to me. And I was extremely happy with the content of what I read.

Light is a straight A-student who is trying to fix the world (yes, the world not just Japan) of its major criminals after finding the Death Note, a Notebook used by the Shinigami (Guardian's of Death) who in particular belonged to Ryuk.

Now let me say this, Shinigami aren't what you've seen in Descendants of Darkness, as in sexy Bishonen Yaoi Boys, they are actually undead demons that look a lot like the Tengu or something similar in Japanese folk law.

Overall, I recommend this to anyone (Slash fans too!) because it's one of those Manga's that stand out for the rest.

Death Note is the BEST manga series I've ever read! I've almost completed the series and i'm absulutly hooked on it. I also bought some of the anime and it's also amazing(thogh Misa's voice get's on my nerves). Personaly I prefer the manga beacuse you can think what L's thinking and predict what will happan. Death Note is wounderfuly written and i think anyone will like, infact i've never met a person who dosen't like it. Yay L!!!!! XD

not your run of the mill manga. the story of a valedictorian adolescent who, while brilliant for his age, is appropriately immature and suddenly given the power to decide who in this world deserves to live and who should die. while the current plot has escalated to the flabbergasting degree of a fourth reaper's involvement and the killing of the u.s. president, these first seven books are absolute gold in their simultaneous simplicity and complexity. the give-and-take between raito yagami and L is very well written and incredibly well thought out. if you're looking for flashy special moves and an accompanying trading card game however, you may want to look elsewhere.

in response to the reviewer who thinks DN is overrated.. tough call. this series definitely generated a ton of hype in japan. i personally think the hype was well deserved though, since i can't recall a series that made me feel this degree of anticipation on a week-to-week basis since dragon ball. again, i refer specifically to the first 7 books.. it's still really good, but has definitely fallen off substancially.

I got this as a Christmas present and I was so happy! I love Death Note and I think it's handy that they put them all together in one big box so you don't have to rush out every week and spend another ten bucks on another Death Note book, because they're so fun to read and you don't put them down and you're done with them in two hours, and they also have the 13th book too! It's just really awsome.

Death Note is probably one of the best mangas I have read in a long, long time.

It centers around a teenaged genius, Light, who finds a Death Note -a notebook with the power to kill anybody whose name is written in it. Armed with this Death Note, Light goes about trying to rid the world of criminals. Enter the mysterious L, an intelligent detective intent on stopping him.

I've explained the plot pretty poorly and it may seem a little corny, but rest assured it is anything but. It's a fantastic story, full of shocking twists and brilliant artwork.

Unlike other mangas I have read, Death Note is not crammed full of fighting scenes. Rather, it is a battle of wits between Light and L.

I couldn't put it down. And neither will you.

I read the desrciption for Death Note in the october copy of Newtype and I thought it looked interesting. Then, I decided to pick it up for myself and I really enjoyed the first copy. It kind of reminds me of the Nightmare Before Christmas, in that Light wants to make a crime-free world, but is committing a horrible crime in doing so. Basically, he wants something good, but goes about it the wrong way. What would YOU do if you were given the power to kill as many people in the world as you wanted with nobody ever finding you out?

You've all probably read already from other reviews the main story line, so i won't bore you with that. but i just want to say that i'm HOOKED on this manga! me, all my friends, and even one of my cousins who doesn't like manga is hooked on this thing! even a 28 and fifty-something-year-old in my family got hooked on it. but the question is: who do you morally agree with: Light Yagami, the handsome, straight-A genious student bent on ridding the world of evil by means of murdering; or L, the strange but interesting (also a genius) person who's trying to catch "Kira".

personally, i'm rooting for L. GO L!!!! and so are my friends. i think Light is evil, and that the manga should indeed go on for many more volumes. as long as Light dies guilty of the crime in the end then that's a happy ending for me! if you're still wondering who to root for, then think of this: Light is a murderer, for pete's sake!

this manga is VERY good, Ohba must be some sort of genius himself to create such a complex manga series AND have it go on for...9 volumes i think? and i promise you will be hooked on this by vol.1! PLUS!!!:amazingly detailed art! GO L! L IS MY FAVORITE!

This was for my daughter. She was very happy. Nuff said. The quality of the boxed set is very good. I imagine this will be around for years. Excellent quality.

The shipping was incredibly fast... thanks!

Okay, so, I enjoy manga that makes me think. This might seem odd to some people, as many people may read manga for an escape from reading (SHOCK! GASP!), but this is a seriously good read.

In any case, Light Yagami is a brilliant student who befriends a shinigami death god. This shinigami (named Ryuk) gives Light a Deathnote, which shiningami use when a mortal's time is come, and they must die.

Possession of the deathnote gives Light many new and different powers, which would be useless to detail here. In any case, he decides to use the Deathnote to rid the world of criminals. Needless to say, this draws the attention of the authorities...and the brilliant superdetective known simply as "L".

The plot from here gets convoluted, but it plays like a game of hyperactive cat-and-mouse with serious consequences. All around brilliant.

Oh, and the art...well, it serves its purpose. It isn't over the top, but it certainly is grounded in realism, so I suppose it works well enough. You really wouldn't recognize that it is done by the same artist as Hikaru no Go, though.

Deathnote is a love story between a Shinigami death god named Ryuk and a high school student prep boy named Light Yagami. Ok, it's not really a love story, but it is a story of a meeting of two soulmates. What Ryuk and Light have in common is boredom with their respective worlds. Ryuk is one of the few demons left in the Shinigami realm that even bothers to kill people anymore. The rest of them are just content to be death potatoes and sit on their laurels for all eternity. So he drops his Death Note in the human world, hoping that a human will pick it up and make Ryuk's life a bit more interesting. His wildest dreams are fulfilled when Light Yagami finds it. Light finds his schoolwork boring and is looking for a challenge and purpose. So what better way to distract himself than playing God? When he finds out that anyone he writes in the Death Note dies, he first tries to right the wrongs of the world by killing off criminals, but soon his megalomania and crusader-like distortion of his original intentions leads him to take out anyone who opposes his plan to bring order to the universe. The only person standing in his way is the mysterious genius sleuth known only as "L". Noone knows who he is or what he looks like since he communicates only through his intermediary Watari. Since Light has to know your name and face to kill you, L is at an advantage...for now.

The premise of Death Note is highly original even though its execution is a little clumsy at times. As rule after rule is introduced about the Death Note, you begin to wonder if the Shinigami realm is ruled over by corporate lawyers. But I guess that's acceptable since most of our holy texts are just masked forms of rulebooks. The characterization is handled well, such as Light's slide into madness merely warps his personality instead of replacing it. The weird thing is that it's hard to root for either Light or L since Light IS killing off a large part of the human populace that probably doesn't deserve to live anyway. I guess he would be doing a service except that instead of helping out humanity, he wants to be feared as a divine being and wants to play games with his power. L sees himself just as much as a Christ-like being as Light, and if he had the Death Note, he would probably go down a similar path. While original and noteworthy, Death Note seems a prisoner sometimes to its own lack of cleverness. None of the "cleverer than thou" schemes Light uses to hide his identity or L uses to uncover it seems to impress me with intelligence. I feel like this series will continue to build upon its promising start.

As can be seen in the other reviews for this volume, the general consensus amoung many manga readers (and many publications) is that Death Note is a breath of fresh air to the US market. People have praised for it's originality and maturity compared with other titles, calling it one of, if not the, the most mature and thought-provoking manga available.

To be blunt, Death Note is overrated. It's not the ground-breaking masterpiece some claim, or the single most mature manga available in english. Right now the market is geared towards titles aimed at younger audiences, and when something mature becomes popular people tend to hype it up. Compared with titles like Nausicaa, Planetes or Vagabond (to name a few), it isn't the best example of a manga for adults.

That aside, Death Note still a good thriller. Smart writing, intriguing concepts about justice and superb art are just a few of the great aspects of this title. As a psychological thriller, its well above average. Especially notable is the fact that the writer didn't go for the standard shonen hero, instead choosing a boarderline fascist with sociopathic tendencies, and you still root for him. So while the title is overhyped by many, it's still worth your money if your looking for a good thriller.

I was very surprised by this series. It really draws you in.

The plot is very intricate, but explained and developed in a way that is easy to understand and follow.

There are a lot of plot twists and unexpected turns, keeping the reader on the edge of his/her seat. And everything makes sense, or has a believable element to it, even though this is a supernatural story.

The only negative comment I have is that the characters seem to shift roles, and personalities. The reader is never really sure who the good guy is.

Of course, at the time of this writing, the series is only on volume 6. So this shifting of perspectives may be clarified in future volumes.

On the whole, it's a great series and well worth reading. Very intriguing!

loved it . the story has blown my mind totally. i have read all the books in this sereis and i love them . the writer tsugumi ohba is a genius . this series has 12 books and they are awsome . TOTALLY recomend it for YOU .

As far as this series goes, early on it's at its most riveting. Light, a self righteous teenager gets his hand on a Death Note, a special item from the world of the Death Gods. With it, he can kill anyone, at any time, of any cause, by writing this in the book. He decides with amazing speed to use it to kill all criminals to make an ideal world. Essentially this means Light is now a serial killer using supernatural means, and fairly quickly he becomes someone incapable of tolerating anyone who might turn him into the police or wreck his plan. This means he's not just killing criminals, but innocent people involved in investigating him as well.

Light being essentially evil is one of the guilty pleasures of Death Note. How often do we watch a sociopath again and again outwit his opponents and crush them with his amazing skills of deception and reasoning? Light is in that sense, a genius, and it's fun to watch him succeed while at the same time aggravating your socks off as he grows in his power and invincibility.

Unfortunately, to be honest the series turns right away into a formula, and a cast of one-dimensional characters that sometimes drag all the fun down. The formula is every chapter involves Light trying not be discovered, and someone trying to discover him. There's nothing in terms of depth, it is a cat and mouse game that goes on perhaps much longer than necessary to get the point across. The whole story, by manga/anime standards can it times said to be all filler, because no character has any depth elaborated on, ever.

That gets to the other point, the characters are VERY one-dimensional. As soon as you see a character's personality for the first time, you'll know: that's all they are ever going to act like again, and that you will learn essentially nothing about their backstory, their feelings, their motivations... the WHOLE dialogue of the series is about the Light "Case". Everything everyone says is about hiding or uncovering Light's identity. That can get very boring and dry, and frankly, is not impressive writing. Also, there's the startling fact that no one is intelligent in the story at all besides Light and his main adversary "L". When I mean not intelligent, I mean they literally have to be told something by Light to think a thought. It's silly.

So I would have to say this series is a mixed bag. The Death God ideas in the story are barely explored since the Death Gods also fall under the "we're not Light or L so we're total idiots" rule. The art is interesting, the idea is interesting. If you're really bored, you could do far, far worse than to read the whole thing. I'm just overall sad that the writing level doesn't match some of the cooler themes and ideas in potential.

I love death note it's one of the best manga's I've ever read and I think that only mature people should read Death Note since its a very deep story involving the game of cat and mouse that goes on throughout the story and the close calls of getting caught keeps readers on the edge of their seat yearning to read more and demanding when the next volume will come out.

I've always been a huge death note fan, and I jumped at the chance to buy the whole series for such a small price. It was a great deal, especially with it including the how to read fan-book and the extra rule book. The box is also a pretty collectors item. As for the series itself, the intense themes aren't for everyone, but it's a must for people who are fans of dark and Gothic culture. The art is breathtaking for a once-a-week publication and the story always keeps you guessing and waiting for the next surprise. I think it will go down in history as a classic title.

Speaking as an avid fan of the author of the manga as well as the anime made from it, I warn you - Go ahead and buy 2 and 3 at the same time as this, or else you will be pulling your hair out until you do. The storyline is compelling and page-turning and will beg you to read more.

My 13 year old daughter has recently become infatuated with the entire Death Note series. This book set was a gift for her doing great with her school grades. She absolutely loves it. The box that contains the books has a cool design and seems to be well made. The books themselves are....well, they are books. Nothing out of the ordinary, but well done. I got it on sale and saved a bunch on the individual books. Well worth the price to see that look on my daughters face.

A series defintely not for the younger reader, Death Note is anything but typical. Light Yagami finds a notebook that will allow him to kill anyone by writing their name down in it. He is not the average hero you find in Shonen Jump titles, he is the opposite. The great thing about Death Note is that the author weaves a brilliant tale to make you root for the police one minute and Light the next.

With detailed artwork from Obata (Hikaru No Go) and an engrossing storyline, it's no wonder Death Note has become a worldwide sensation.

This collection is a steal. With each volume sold for $7.99 separately, the bargain is there. The box is a nice addition but not the real draw for me. It's all about the deal. Get it while it's hot!

*Note, this series includes extreme violence, murder, adult situations, etc. It is a reading-intensive graphic novel. It is a 'thinking' manga, packed with internal monologues and intense descriptions.

This series is the best manga I have ever read and maybe the best book that I have read. So far I have read the first four volums and yes it is dark but thers no nudity so if your 13 or so you should really enjoy this book because it not just your usual action manga its a deep story line with lots of twists.And instid of being able to finish it in a half hour like your usual action manga it accually takes a while to read and you will find yourself reading it a seacond time just to see if you can get more out of it. Botom line is if your over 13 and like manga your should definitely read it.

I ordered this box set on January 10th and got it on January 13th and this box set is amazing! First of all by buying the box set you are saving about $40 instead of buying each book one at a time, and you get the awesome box that it comes in. You get the 13th book also with is pretty good and you also get a small booklet with all of the death note rules inside. There is only one bad thing about this box set, when you are finished with all of the books you get REALLY SAD. So take your time and enjoy the books before you finish them because you will NEVER come apon a series better than death note!

I received this box set just a few days ago and all I can say is that I'm very pleased with my purchase. This item is a real bargain!!! The box includes the 12 manga books that are worth each one almost 10 bucks, plus the book #13, which is the "How to read" Death Note special, and a small booklet that has all the Death Note rules. The art on the box looks awesome; it features Light Yagami with Ryuk, Rem and some other death gods. This makes a GREAT present for anyone who's a fan of the series or wishes to own this amazing manga. I highly recommend to buy it here in the store: it's the lowest price I've seen yet.

I had heard all the hype about this manga on the internet, in the magazines etc. so I just picked it up in Barnes and Noble one night.

I was completely blown away in just the first chapter!!

A very gothic and intelligently written story from the first panel. There is little humor, but the artwork is great and the dialouge is fantastic. This book left me begging for the next.

An interesting premise, with non cheesy artwork, which was very pleasing. Supernaturally enabled wunderkind becomes sociopathic vigilante vs possibly also socipathic shut-in young Nero Wolfe type (in habit, not size), at the core. Well worth a look, even if you couldn't care for manga at all.

this was the first graphic navel i read and i absolutltly loved it.
light is a a's high school student and find the death note a meet ryuk and he plan to make the world a better place by killing off all the people who have killed injurd or did something wrong.
im a 14 year old girl and im more of a death person.
would not recomend for kids under 13. but if you like death this is a great book for you.

personally i only heard about deathnote through my friend.So i'd brought it to find out whats all the rage and hype about Deathnote.And let me tell you all the hype was justified.I found this manga to be interisting,an thriller,thought provoking, and one of the most best manga i've read since Naruto,Bleach.This manga proves that manga that does'nt have feature any action to be interisting and make you want to read more.An truly must read for any anime fan. i'm sure you won't be disspointed

first i had thought it was too good to be true and that maybe it was lightly used because at forbidden planet they didnt have this boxed set they had the black books and all of them together would have run me ninety bucks, this came really fast too apparently, my mailman is just a douchebag

I received the box set one day before my birthday and it was one of the best gift ever! The shipping's fast (10 business days from US to Vietnam) and the quality of the books is awesome! Thank you for giving us the chance to have this wonderful box set in lower price! This is one of the best manga ever!

Being a fan of paranormal/horror/mystery/suspense works, I was drawn to this via an internet recommendation. And it works. The suspense as Light tries to find L is quite good. As someone who is only just starting to read manga, this one is good for people who enjoy suspense novels. It's not exactly the light reading that people usually associate from manga.

When I first read the blurb of The Death Note, I thought it sounded cool; a notebook in which the owner writes the names of the people he wants dead and the details of their death. I had left it on my bookshelf until this morning, when I decided that I wanted to see what everyone was raving about. I blew through it in about 20 minutes, and at the end, I was disappointed. This book's plot is interesting, as it examines the idea of what is right and what is wrong, and who is good and who is evil. It is the classic vigilante, "Light," vs. police officer story, with an added twist of another vigilante type character, "L," who helps the police officers solve cases, but never shows his face or gives them his real name.
This story's interesting because Light is the main character, and his plan is to basically wipe out all of the criminals in the world, to create a utopia that he can rule over for the rest of his life. It was difficult for me to chose a side, probably as the writer intended, but also because the characters lacked development. The story could have been much better if it was longer. Yes, I understand that it is a series, but that does not excuse the lack of character background. The art was beautiful, but in the end, the story fell flat.

I was delighted to find the entire set for such a good price. Everything was in perfect condition. Also included in the box is a small book containing all of the rules of the death note. Overall, the box set is pure awesomeness.

I just started reading Manga earlier this year,I've read Naruto,Mars and Death Note. This is the most amazing one I have read and the plot is mind-boggling.I love reading it everyday and enjoy the tv show also. In my opinion this is the best manga ever :)

This review is for the entire series, all 12 volumes. This is a very well thought out story. To follow the logic of each character and how they were plotting their moves like a chess game was great.

This is not an action packed series. Because of that I found myself glossing over most of the artwork and just reading the narration. It seemed there was a lot artwork that was just talking heads. Don't let that discourage you. This is not a boring series. Just don't expect a lot of action.

This is a great series and this collection captures it perfectly. The container which comes with it is great aswell. The only downside is that once you've finished it you're left with an empty feeling; there's no other manga as good as this one.

It's great to have and I love it, but two of the books had some slight damage from being shoved in the box (or something. And on the 13th How to Read book, the page with the How to Read card attached to it fell out.

It's a good manga series, but not great. It starts off being interesting and you'd think lots of cool stuff would happen, but nope! It's all boring fake 'game'.

What I mean by fake is that the characters don't use clever methods to figure out who's the bad guy (Kira), but they just know everything easily and just like that. This makes it so shallow and boring. It's like 2 or more people playing a game and they can read each other's minds, so there's no challenge or smart ways to win. Lazy writing! I just couldn't stand this cuz it happens alllll the time!!

The characters are so boring and I don't care who lives and who dies. They're all either stupid or a show off. Bad people and good people are all bad imo. Instead of thinking about the world's fate they care about their image and ego.

It was so hard to read the last volumes bcuz of how dull it got and I lost complete interest in it by vol 10. Won't give it more than 6.9/10. Overrated series in my opinion.

Death Note Manga Review

Written by Mrsticky005

Author: Tsugmhi Ohba
Artist: Takeshi Obata
Length: 12 volumes

[...]

Summary

Negative: Wordy
Positive: Detailed Artwork
Negative: Not much respect for supporting characters
Positive: Main characters are rather interesting
Negative/Positive: Can be melodramatic and over the top. Though sometimes this makes it more fun.

Rating:

3 ½ out of 5 stars

Introduction:

The Death Note looks like an ordinary college notebook. The difference is that it comes from the
realm of Shinigami (Reapers) and has the power to kill the person who's name is written in it.
High School Senior and top of his class, Light Yagami happens to be the (un)lucky one to pick
up that particular notebook. The Shinigami Ryuk surprisingly does not harm Light but rather sits
back relaxes and enjoys watching Light rid the world of evil by killing one criminal at a time.
But not everyone considers Kira, Light's moniker to the public eye, to be as righteous as Light
would like them to think. Standing in his way of peace and justice is the reclusive detective "L"
along with his two wanna be successors "Near" and "Mello" who come from the same unique
orphanage as L himself. What starts off as a noble battle of morals quickly escalates to a prideful
game of manipulation and deceit where the stakes are high and the winners few.

Review:

Death Note is a solid and fun series. But it's nothing brilliant. The more serious you take it the less
fun it is. Death Note is not great literature or better yet not great comic writing but as far as entertaining
an audience it gets the job done. Now some people would be satisfied with that and that's perfectly ok
but others with myself included hold an higher standard. I like a lot of comics but the ones I crave are
the ones that get you really thinking. Despite trying to do this, Death Note ends up being fairly shallow.
Yes, there is the whole shenanigans of whether or not killing criminals and killing those in the way is
good or bad but even that just feels like a philosophical morsel. Don't get the wrong idea, it's plenty fun
deciding whether or not you think Light Yagami is a nut case but it can be difficult to take seriously.
Death Note is drawn brilliantly and very detailed but in some ways it's not very realistic unless of course you have the notion that important characters in a story must be handsome or beautiful. There
are the more average looking characters, yes, but in Death Note it seems like they are shunned from
ever really being part of the story. Even when average joe, Aizawa gets his 15 minutes of fame, you
can sense it's only to further develop Light or one of the other main characters. But for what little development these side characters go through they are still good characters. Whether it be a major
or minor role, Death Note is downright horrible at depicting female characters. They look cute and all
but have zero personality (or in the case of the dreaded "Misa Amane" , she has too much personality.)
Obviously these female characters were added in the story for sensual appeal but must we blatantly
label them as so? Can you say "Lara Croft"? However the greatest downfall of Death Note is
the wordiness. Given that Death Note is supposed to be an "intelligent" comic it should be expected
that it be wordier than something that was just straight action. However repeating things and pointing
out the obvious is hardly intelligent and only hurts the comic. The easiest way to tell Death Note is too
wordy is seeing how much of the art we miss out on. Sometimes I get suspicious and think the writing
was used to cover up a mistake. But I'll give the benefit of the doubt here. But Death Note is not a lost
cause. Even if it's not as smart as it wants or claims to be it can be clever. The characters that are
focused on are unique if somewhat stereotypical at times. The best part though is the thrill of the chase.
You see both sides of the issue and any moral to the story is up to you. The story isn't preachy but
it can be rant-y. Still, it's an enjoyable read and if it wasn't so wordy it be fast paced. It doesn't take
long to get to the "good" part of the story. Though the "good" part is not great.

The art is amazing, but the story is an undeservingly ambitious, over-written monstrosity that fails to deliver on so many levels it's guaranteed to leave you yelling "NO MORE!"

The author is visibly in love with her own cleverness, building layer after layer of conflict until the characters are finally forced to confront one another. "Ooh, I love super-complicated plots," you might say. I should know, I fell for it too. But don't think you're actually going to be REWARDED at the end of all this melodramatic buildup.

Nope, after 57 chapters of excruciating poker faces and one-upmanship, there is no payoff. The author apparently wasn't imaginative enough to plan her way out of the corner she painted herself into.

When the story conflict eventually comes to a head, the author whips out a deus-ex-machina and introduces several new rules for the 'game' that's been played since the start, allowing a character to cheat his way out of danger for good. These new rules contradict some of the older ones, so the old rules are declared (almost as an afterthought) to be FAKE.

After this story arc, the focal point of the series, is more or less thrown out the window, the author immediately starts escalating yet ANOTHER massive plot (and I'll bet she resolves it with just as much grace).

I had been giving Death Note a LOT of leeway, but at this point I finally had to admit I was wasting my time. The writer is a one-trick pony who can't even do the trick right.

The art is frankly brilliant, but if you don't enjoy being cheated out of story resolution by soap-opera writing, you'll probably want to give this one a miss.

I read the first chapter of this in shonen jump and ho-ho-holllllly crap it sucks!!!!! there is barely any plot! all light does is go around killing people! this is probably written by some person who is really into morbid stuff! I mean I am kinda into doing stuff where I pretend in a game where people die, but writing an entire manga about it? I mean come on! get a hold of your self!!!!! go buy some other shonen jump manga.Like I don't know....maybe Naruto or Dragon ball z or one piece. It really really sucks. Don't buy it. It is a waste of eight bucks. really,really sucks. it's just sad..

I read this manga and I got infuriated. Not only is the plot tripe, bland, unoriginal, and above all TL;DR, but the whole Shinigami Eyes premise is a total ripoff of the music video of Nickelback's masterpiece, "Savin' Me." Nickelback should sue. And how come this reads from right to left? This is America! We read the right way!