Death Note

One of the best mangas ever!

Story: You won't be able to stop reading until you know what happens next. The intelligence of all the characters will amaze you! (As will the stupidity of the main girl).

Art: Perfect! Each character design is meticulously crafted!

Characters: No clichés here, they are very well-developed! However, some characters can be quite annoying (especially most of the females).

Enjoyment: There's not much else to say but you will absolutely love it! HIGH ENJOYMENT!

Overall: Why do people only read half of it? It's pointless! Doesn't anyone want to know the events that build up to the ending? Wouldn't Death Note make more sense if you read the last six volumes instead of just googling the ending, which seems pretty stupid after already reading six volumes?

Read all of it to the end! IT'S WORTH IT!

Death Note holds a special place in my heart because it showed me that anime and manga can be intellectually stimulating, clever, and enjoyable at the same time.

When I first read the series, I considered it a masterpiece. While I wouldn't say the same now, it's still an excellent series.

The series is clever and original, with great use of literary devices like foreshadowing seen in the first chapter, strong character development, and several red herrings throughout. The duo of Ohba and Obata seems to reinvent the shounen genre with each series they write. With Death Note, they delivered a complex mystery thriller that serves as a great introduction for people who usually don't enjoy manga or anime.

Story:

I really enjoyed the cat-and-mouse game between L and Light. Each confrontation was intense, with both geniuses trying to outsmart each other. The subsequent arcs were methodically planned and questioned your morals about whether killing criminals to create a utopia is right. The second half is weaker than the first due to a significant event that changes the story's direction. It introduces two prominent but weak characters, Near and Mello, who seem like simplified versions of L's logical and emotional sides, resulting in bland characters.

Characters:

L is an odd amalgamation of human quirks. He's paranoid, socially awkward, and incredibly intelligent, considered one of the smartest in the world. His eccentricities made him cool, but he also felt somewhat one-dimensional, existing mainly to advance the plot against Light. On the other hand, Light Yagami is a genius high school student whose mind shifts after gaining absolute power. They are polar opposites: Light is clean, presentable, and neat, while L is a "mad genius." Their cat-and-mouse games were so cleverly executed that even eating potato chips became a strategic move.

From L and Light, I gathered that extreme intelligence often borders on insanity, exemplified by their actions. Near and Mello were poorly handled, likely due to Shueisha insisting on continuing the series after a crucial character's death. Personally, I didn't enjoy the second half as much as the first.

Art:

Obata's crisp drawings of buildings and character designs are amazing. His understanding of human proportions results in great scale drawings of humans and shinigami.

Overall, Death Note is a fantastic series with amazing art, an incredible first half, an okay cast of main characters, and one hell of a ride. The pacing can be erratic in the second half, but the cat-and-mouse games and the use of literary techniques and themes make up for it.

*Congratulations if you got through my rambling review!*

Everybody pretty much knows what happens in this story. A battle of wits between "L" and Kira. I'll keep it short and straight to the point: the art is incredible, especially the hair, but the plotlines with the different tactics were awesome to read, especially towards the end where "N" and Kira give their big monologues about how they got the advantage on the other.

While reading the story, you may come to understand Kira's side (evil needs to be wiped out, but can only be done by a divine presence. I believe that's a truth in this world.), but you will love L even more for all the stunts he pulls. Now there are going to be characters you'll hate, such as Mello, Misa, Higuchi, Mikami.

Now, of course, the best part of the manga was Kira vs. the original L (Lawliet), even though that had a huge decline in quality with the Yotsuba group story-arc (just pointless overall), and I didn't really care for Near (N), as he was plain useless until the last 10 or so chapters. Near is no Lawliet. That said, you'll absolutely love this classic.

Death Note was an absolute thrill to read! I much prefer the intellectual excitement of this kind of psychological battle shonen over the physical fights and battles in most other shonens of my age. The intricate plans set in motion by Light, Ryuzaki, Near, and Mello were incredibly fun to follow.

However, there were some moments where I thought, "This is a bit too much." That's why Death Note doesn't get a perfect 10 from me. For instance, both Light and Ryuzaki being champion tennis players seemed excessive. While it is a shonen, having them be geniuses in both mind and athletics felt like a stretch. Additionally, there was a point in the manga where Ryuzaki told Light something along the lines of, "I learned to fly a helicopter on my own; you're on my level, so you can do it too." That was just too much for me. He's already a genius and an athlete, and now he's also a self-taught pilot? It started to feel a bit out of hand.

Learning to fly a helicopter on your own is simply unrealistic. Trying and making errors when piloting a helicopter would result in crashes and likely death. You don't get any chances for errors when flying. So, the idea that someone could learn to fly anything on their own is just ridiculous.

But—and this is a big but—it was still an absolute blast to read overall, despite these flaws. I highly recommend Death Note!

This manga was absolutely incredible! I loved it, and I think anyone would enjoy reading this series. The suspense is amazing! I often found myself wanting to skip ahead, but every page is crucial to the story, and you'll regret it if you skip a volume. There's always something happening that keeps you engaged.

The story is fantastic; you never know what's going to happen next. The art is outstanding—it feels modern and fresh, especially with how the characters are drawn. The characters themselves are awesome, each one unique with their own distinct personalities and fascinating backgrounds. I just loved this manga—it was truly awesome!!!

Death Note is the ultimate "beginner anime" that is also great for people who aren't new to the medium.
Story: 10/10
Much more unique than the typical series on Shonen Jump, and it executes this excellently.
Characters: 10/10
The cast isn't large, but it makes sense given that it's a mystery/drama series.
Every character is well-polished, thoughtfully developed, and has a fantastic conclusion.
Plot: 10/10
As a thriller/mystery/suspense series, it naturally features a rich and complex plot.
It handles this brilliantly with its characters and their actions.
I really don't care what you say about the second half of the series;
it's vastly overhated and still better than most shonen manga out now.
Ending: 10/10
Again, I really don't care what you say about the ending; it was the perfect one for Light's character.
Art: 8/10
The character designs are excellent, though the costumes and clothes don't hold up as well.

I watched the anime before reading the manga, and I recommend you do the same.

The quality of voice acting, combined with the exceptional soundtrack, makes this manga so much better.

Don't misunderstand; there's nothing wrong with the manga. Both are equally enjoyable. However, if you prefer reading manga over watching anime, you might enjoy the manga a lot more if you watch the anime first.

When it comes to the mind battles, you can hear L's or Kira's theme playing in the back of your head as you read. It's truly an amazing experience, something I've only felt before with Attack on Titan.

Now, let's talk about the story.

The best part of this series is up until chapter 58. After that, it starts to slow down until the very end, which, in my opinion, is well worth the wait. The ending is intense and very good. However, the actions leading up to the end were quite tedious and boring, though I do like Near.

I am rating this an 8.5 in case you read it before watching the anime. But if you watched the anime first, I'd give it a 9. The differences between the manga and anime are slight, but I do enjoy the manga a bit more. Without hearing their voices or the music in my head, I would say I enjoyed the anime a bit more. If you understand my confusing analogy, lol.

Check it out; it's great.

Art: Realistic, detailed, and grounded. Usually, this combination leads to good-looking but rather bland titles, not the case here. Obata is really talented when it comes to design and style, and he deserves a lot of credit for making a manga about people talking always look so cool. There's a lot of care put into how every character looks, dresses, or walks to separate them from each other and complete their personality. Designs for everything paranormal are exceptional; I wish Shinigami played a bigger role just to see them more often.

Overall, the look is very clean, with everything meticulously drawn with maximum precision, meaning no sketchy lines or visual inconsistencies. Shading is very detailed, which helps maintain that realistic look, but there's also some nice hard light and shadows for more dramatic scenes.

Characters: While the main cast is pretty interesting and varied, it's not the point of the manga. It's about a tense game of cat and mouse, so it doesn't really matter how deep or developed the characters are. However, they are distinct and quirky enough to make their interactions fun to read.

Story: At its core, Death Note is a battle of wits between two opponents trying to stay one step ahead of each other to accomplish their goals and assert their superiority. While it can provoke discussions about justice and morality, as the author stated, the point of the manga is to provide a fun, thrilling ride, which is why those themes aren't deeply explored. Even if you applied the whole "author's death" concept, there would be little to talk about. However, I think Ohba is admirable for creating a story where it's still possible to root for the villain even if you disagree with his ideology (well, at least I do).

In summary, there's little variance in plot progression. Until the very end, it's just a constant back-and-forth with stakes gradually getting higher, from the fate of one individual to the entire humanity. It all comes down to whether or not you'll find that enjoyable. A valid complaint is that many events are unrealistic, unlikely, and some other 'un's. However, if you're going to read a manga with gods of death and a notebook that kills people in any possible way, some suspension of disbelief is in order.

There's one complaint I had: the whole thing can get very drawn out and wordy at times. In particular, when the Death Note gets into the hands of corporate assholes, the manga asks too much when you're supposed to care about page after page of boring musings about how these people you know nothing about will use the notebook. There are other minor moments when characters explaining their deduction process becomes redundant, but it's far less offensive.

Funfactor: Death Note is an entry-level title for a good reason. It's well-made and easy to get into or recommend. It's probably a good get if you somehow still haven't seen or read it.

I absolutely fell in love with this manga. The way the two main characters challenged each other and showcased their intelligence was captivating. I appreciated how the storyline delved into one of the world's most debated questions, pondering whether L's perspective or Light's viewpoint held more merit. However, after a significant character's death (those who have read the series know whom I'm referring to), the series lost its appeal for me. It wasn't nearly as enjoyable to read anymore, and it felt like Light started making far too many mistakes compared to before. His increasing panic about being caught seemed very out of character. I wish the authors had handled that differently, but perhaps they were aiming for an element of surprise. In any case, it was a good story; I just wish certain parts had been altered.

Death Note or Piano in the Bushes?

Sadly, there isn't much to say about it: Great Start - Poor Finish.

A good detective story should keep you thrilled until the end, but Death Note reveals all its twists and turns just before they happen. This was especially disappointing at the end when everything was spoiled in volume 11.

The plot relies on too many "crutches," making it seem predictable. Each character appears to have a script they follow throughout the story without any personal initiative.

The art is great. Hands down.

I wouldn't recommend this manga if it's your first one. But I'm sure you can have a good time reading it while traveling or to pass some time at work—just like I did.

"In this world, there are very few people who actually trust each other."

"Death Note" is a supernatural psychological thriller manga series penned by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. This was my first time reviewing a manga, and it was an absolute joy to read! The characters are intricately crafted, allowing you to observe even their smallest errors that lead them down paths they never intended. These nuances really make the story for me. The battle of wits between Kira and L is mind-blowing, especially how they operate on the same intellectual level, making it incredibly entertaining to follow.

The series is highly immersive; I love how it lets you delve into the characters' minds through the narrative. Although I had already watched the anime adaptation a few months prior, reading the original work was still a delight. I'm so glad I bought and read this! The conclusion of the second climax differs significantly from the anime in terms of circumstances and emotional impact. Honestly? I loved it much more! From this, I learned that you shouldn't entrust what's most precious to you to someone else, no matter how similar you might be. It's never truly safe because you can never know exactly what the other person is thinking.

I read the "All-In-One Edition," which includes a bonus chapter set three years after the end. This additional content further highlights just how remarkable Light Yagami and L were. Even as rivals, they always respected each other, which is truly amazing. "Death Note" is also filled with stunning artwork; Takeshi Obata's illustrations are simply fantastic, especially considering this was created between 2003 and 2006.

"Death Note" is nothing short of a masterpiece, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone!!!

"All humans will, without exception, eventually die."

I didn't enjoy the second half of the manga very much. I could rant about it, but I can't figure out how to do so without giving away spoilers.

The first half, however, was pure genius. It was continuously interesting and dynamic. It's challenging to rate this manga because the first and second halves feel so different to me.

If I were a reader, I'd recommend stopping at a certain event. Trust me, you'll know exactly which event when you reach it.