Death Note

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Alternative Titles

Japanese: DEATH NOTE

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 12

Chapters: 108

Status: Finished

Published: Dec 1, 2003 to May 15, 2006

Genres: Supernatural, Suspense

Theme: Psychological

Demographic: Shounen

Serialization: Shounen Jump (Weekly)

Authors: Obata, Takeshi (Art), Ohba, Tsugumi (Story)

Statistics

Score: 8.69¹ (scored by 233,888 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #62²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #14

Members: 408,553

Favorites: 32,290

Resources

Wikipedia

8.69

Ranked #62Popularity #14Members 408,553

MangaShounen Jump (Weekly)Obata, Takeshi (Art), Ohba, Tsugumi (Story)

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Volumes: /12

Chapters: /108

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Synopsis

Ryuk, a god of death, drops his Death Note into the human world for personal pleasure. In Japan, prodigious high school student Light Yagami stumbles upon it. Inside the notebook, he finds a chilling message: those whose names are written in it shall die. Its nonsensical nature amuses Light; but when he tests its power by writing the name of a criminal in it, they suddenly meet their demise.

Realizing the Death Note's vast potential, Light commences a series of nefarious murders under the pseudonym "Kira," vowing to cleanse the world of corrupt individuals and create a perfect society where crime ceases to exist. However, the police quickly catch on, and they enlist the help of L—a mastermind detective—to uncover the culprit.

Death Note tells the thrilling tale of Light and L as they clash in a great battle-of-minds, one that will determine the future of the world.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Death Note ranked second in the 2006 and 2007 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! for the Male Readers division. It was nominated for the 38th Seiun Award in the Best Comic category in 2007. In the same year, it was also nominated for the 11th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. As of April 2015, over 30 million copies of the manga are in circulation.

The manga was published in English by VIZ Media under the Shonen Jump Advanced imprint from October 10, 2005, to July 3, 2007, and again in 2-in-1 omnibus volumes subtitled Black Edition. There have been several more rereleases of the series: a special hardcover edition of the first volume; a complete box set, which included a guidebook titled Death Note 13: How to Read; and a complete omnibus. It was also published in Italian by Panini Comics from October 19, 2006, to September 18, 2008; in Brazilian Portuguese by Editora JBC from June 2007 to June 2008; in German by Tokyopop from September 2006 to March 2009; in French by Kana from January 19, 2007, to October 9, 2008; in Dutch by Kana; in Argentina by LARP Editores from May 20, 2009, to April 2012; and in Spanish by Glénat España from June 30, 2006, to September 30, 2007.

The series was adapted into three live-action films, a TV drama series, and a stage musical. It has also inspired other works and copycat crimes outside Japan, leading to various controversies.

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Related Entries

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Characters

Lawliet, L

Main

Yagami, Light

Main

Ryuk

Main

Amane, Misa

Supporting

River, Nate

Supporting

Keehl, Mihael

Supporting

Matsuda, Touta

Supporting

Jeevas, Mail

Supporting

Mikami, Teru

Supporting

Rem

Supporting

Reviews

Sep 27, 2024

Eze-Z

Recommended

Well, I think Death Note is one of the most famous manga/anime in the world and for many it was the first anime they saw (it was the first anime I saw as an adult). Here I leave my opinion about this story without spoilers.

The whole story is very well thought out, what I like most about Death Note is that it shows in depth all the events that take place in the plot, you can see how the plans and investigations that are carried out are developed.
I think the rivalry between Light and L is one of the best things that could happen to ...

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Jan 2, 2025

Tokyo-Brain

Mixed Feelings

Even though it's good enough, I think it's a stretch to call this manga a masterpiece. This is not a drama, mystery or police investigation manga, but one about logical explanations: most of the story is just characters talking in a random room and explaining all the logical deductions they keep making, so it can come off as rather dry and inelegant (at least for those who think plot twists and intrigues should be shown, not just told / talked about).

Also, the manga has some childish moments (I guess that's inevitable in a shounen), and even if most people say the first half is the ...

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Mar 5, 2022

artkepal

Not Recommended

This manga is for edgelords. While it has a strong beginning that I actually like, everything after that is pretty predictable, so I feel like I'm reading some high schooler's essay that starts with a good hook and the rest is bullshit. I feel embarrassed recommending it to people because it's so misanthropic. It's better than watching tv but that's not a high bar to get over IMO.

The main character being so weak and cornered almost every time he talks to the police makes him look pathetic. That one scene where the hero says he was "never so embarrassed in his life" after the school ...

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Recent Forum Discussion

Poll: Death Note Chapter 106 Discussion Heneshi - Nov 20, 2012	12 replies	by User-Name »» Jan 2, 4:44 PM
Poll: Death Note Chapter 2 Discussion brucescrews - Jan 12, 2012	12 replies	by iloveschool101 »» Dec 31, 2024 11:46 PM
Poll: Death Note Chapter 105 Discussion GoldenDevilGamer - Nov 7, 2015	3 replies	by User-Name »» Dec 30, 2024 4:17 PM
Poll: Death Note Chapter 108 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Xinil - Jul 9, 2007	60 replies	by Merra_ »» Dec 25, 2024 12:38 AM
Poll: Death Note Chapter 42 Discussion brucescrews - Apr 7, 2012	2 replies	by GurschachX »» Nov 7, 2024 6:13 PM

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