Death Note

My scores may not make much sense, but it's because the story quality declines as the series progresses. However, the art and characters remain strong. I enjoyed it thoroughly until about halfway through the series, which has affected my overall opinion, as explained below.

It's good until it gets ridiculous. I can accept the initial premise of a manga like this (Shinigami exist and kill people by writing their names in a book). That's fine because it's explained right at the start, and as far as I know, that's the only difference between this universe and ours.

However, the plot devices become too absurd. It didn't help that my favorite character died, but that isn't why I stopped reading (the same thing happened in Claymore, and I still really like that series). The issue is that this manga claims to be intelligent, which it is to some extent, but it fails at being intelligently silly. Unfortunately, this is what the series becomes around the point when I stopped reading.

So fire. The pace slowed down with Near's introduction, which made up half of the manga. The show was better with its iconic music, coloring motifs, and shortened post-L story, but the altered ending and different portrayal of Light's fate were somewhat disappointing. Whoops. Additionally, the extra content like the epilogue and the bonus Donald Trump Goes Anime one-shot were cool, adding more depth to the world than the anime did. Not a fair comparison, but such is life, I guess.

Pretty much perfect the whole way through, for the manga I'd say the main issue—not much of an issue, by the way—was the rather drawn-out second half.

Light Yagami is the epitome of a model student, arguably the brightest you'll ever encounter. His life takes a dramatic turn when he stumbles upon a Death Note on his way home from school. With this newfound power, he embarks on a mission to eliminate what he perceives as evil, resulting in a series of calculated killings. Detective L Lawliet intervenes, believing Light's actions have gone too far, leading to an intense battle of wits between the two.

The second arc introduces Near, an ambitious newcomer, and Mello, a complex anti-hero with a penchant for chocolate. Together, they take up the mantle to challenge Light, who continues his crusade against those he deems malevolent. Despite Light's exceptional intellect, Near and Mello are determined to thwart his reign. How will they succeed?

The answer lies within the pages of the manga. Read it to find out!

Most people claim that Death Note is a brilliant game of wits and morally ambiguous. Both assertions are incorrect. The mind-reading and predictions made by the characters are unrealistic. Even if someone were the smartest person alive, they couldn't predict others' actions with 100% accuracy due to incomplete knowledge. The "I know that you knew that I knew..." scenarios may be entertaining but aren't particularly brilliant.

The idea that the series is morally grey is absurd. While there are many Kira supporters in the manga, most are depicted as foolish. The significant characters who sympathize with Kira include Misa (portrayed as unintelligent and superficial), Matsuda (also shown as lacking intelligence), and a greedy journalist named Sakura. In the end, Light becomes unhinged, and even from the beginning, he starts killing non-murderers, which is clearly wrong to almost everyone.

The story relies heavily on convenient coincidences, such as the police chief being Light's father, Misa falling in love with Light, and Rem caring excessively for Misa. These plot devices feel contrived.

Light is an empty character with no hobbies, interests, or sexuality; he merely conforms to societal expectations by studying hard for school. The only personal detail we learn about him is his past involvement in tennis. It's implausible that such a conformist would attempt to radically change the world.

The aspect of Death Note I truly enjoyed was Ryuk. We live in a world where everyone tells us how important it is to take action, vote, and make the world a better place. Ryuk simply observes without judgment and enjoys the moment. In the end, both L and Light lose because they lived in anticipation rather than in the present. Rem got involved in Light's schemes and met her demise. We should all strive to be more like Ryuk and less like Rem. We shouldn't take life too seriously and should stay focused on the present. All the planning will ultimately be in vain.

Alright, so Death Note is a massive manga and anime that any fan of the genre who hasn't heard of it must be living under a rock. It's an absolute must-read for all anime and manga enthusiasts, regardless of whether you think it's your type of story or not. Why do I say this? Because Death Note is incredibly original. It's thrilling, suspenseful, and always keeps you deeply engaged in the story. There's always something happening as the plot seamlessly connects one event to another.

What I love about Death Note is how meticulously planned the plot is. Even I couldn't come up with all the strategies that Light, L, and Near devise! It's simply too genius, which also leads to its downfall. The latter half of the story introduces Near and Mello into the plot, and that's where things start to get a bit confusing. I do understand what they're doing, but sometimes I need to reread parts to fully grasp it. Some elements didn't make sense to me, which is why I gave it a '9 instead of 10' rating for enjoyment.

The characters were very well-developed. Their roles, attitudes, and personalities added depth to the already amazing plot. But the character I'm most thankful for is Matsuda. I was so glad he was there to provide comic relief and lighten up the manga! Some characters were rather annoying, which explains the '9 out of 10' rating. When I mentioned "some of the characters," I was specifically referring to Misa. She's annoying and clingy, but at times she was cute and did bring some comic relief. Also, Light became quite creepy in the final chapters.

I remember when I first started reading Death Note. I had heard of it and only expected to read a chapter or two just to understand what it was about. I ended up reading the next 10 chapters on the same night and found it unbelievably awesome! At that moment, I understood why Death Note was so popular. Sure, it's another story with good guys and bad guys, and we know the good guys win in the end, but Death Note is far from cliché. We all know who wins, but it's the 'how' that gives it its originality. Overall, it was an outstanding manga for me, and I'm sure the anime is just as excellent. Death Note deserves all the praise it receives.

To anyone planning to read this manga (or watch the anime), please take your time with it because there's a lot to absorb, and trust me, you'll probably get confused at times. However, this series is actually one of my favorite manga/anime. First of all, both the concept and the artwork for Death Note are what initially drew me in. Takeshi Obata did an excellent job with the character designs, even for the minor characters, and the atmosphere he created with the background scenery made it enjoyable to both read and look at. I couldn't take my eyes off it! Sometimes, I would stare at a single page for about five minutes or more. In my opinion, Takeshi Obata is truly one of manga's most talented artists.

Now, let's talk about Death Note's story and concept. This manga really gets you thinking, even from the first chapter. Just imagine: a notebook that can kill someone simply by writing their name in it. How cool and twisted is that? And it even comes with your own personal shinigami (or Death God), so why not? But in all seriousness, if you're looking for a manga that really makes you think, with good artwork and great character designs, then read Death Note. I'm sure you won't regret it.

The characters, especially the antagonist, are exceptionally intelligent in their strategies and design, earning a perfect score for villainy. However, their development did not progress sufficiently to justify the extensive number of manga volumes, leading me to believe that the artist could have combined some of the later works to create a more cohesive series. Nonetheless, this doesn't detract from the enjoyment newcomers will find in this globally appealing series, even for those unfamiliar with manga.

I plan to re-read this set soon, as it has strong re-readability. This unique and brilliant story suffers from many pacing issues, particularly in the latter half. Nevertheless, the artwork is its greatest strength, featuring impressive shifts in background lighting and remarkable visual cues. The characters are well-rounded with numerous flaws and strengths, though those introduced in the second half are notably less compelling than the Antagonist and Protagonist.

Worth its weight in gold, I wholeheartedly recommend this series.

I must say, the first half of the story is incredible, absolutely amazing. That is, until the time skip where Light, being a fantastic actor, fools the police department for years. It started off incredibly strong, but the second half doesn't quite live up to the first.

The rivalry between L and Light is entertaining, enjoyable, and thrilling. I love how they predict each other's thoughts. I was rooting for L; I feel he is superior in every way except when it comes to the Death Note.

The ending isn't great. I was expecting an epic mental battle, but the buildup to the final showdown fell flat for me. It feels like the author was saying, "Let's wrap this up; I'm tired," so he resorted to Kira's plot armor. That's how it felt to me.

Don't question the art. It's amazing. I adore Takeshi Obata's art style. It's simply fantastic, and I just love it.

I quite enjoyed it. The first part of the story is pretty entertaining, with just a few minor dips here and there. I found the second half slightly less engaging, but it still holds up well with some exceptionally well-executed moments. The artwork is fantastic, and I appreciate its use of shadows to set the tone, as well as the detailed shading in the characters' eyes. Light is an intriguing character, and L serves as a great foil. I have to say, people who dislike Near and Mello are missing out. Additionally, the ending is excellent, though the anime's conclusion falls flat (for reasons I won't divulge to avoid spoilers).

So, there's a lot to say about Death Note, but I won't write too much. I watched the anime version before reading the manga, and to be honest, I just liked it. However, when I started reading the manga, my opinion began to change. I finished the manga yesterday and can finally say that Death Note is a masterpiece. It truly is a masterpiece. The characters and the plot are well-written. Even though I knew what would happen next, I was incredibly excited to turn the page. Even though I knew the ending, I was thrilled to see how it unfolded, all because of how well Death Note is written.

If you've only watched the anime, go and read the manga because it's better than the anime, especially the Near and Mello arcs which are perfect. Unfortunately, the anime couldn't fully showcase how clever and smart Near and Mello are, leading many people to think they are overrated. But in reality, they're not; they're just very clever and smart. You'll understand this when you read the manga.

Also, Near, you're my favorite.

10/10