Feb 5, 2020
Mod Edit: This review was originally posted for Death Note: Tokubetsu Yomikiri (123699) and has subsequently been merged into Death Note Tanpenshuu (132335).
The new Death Note One-Shot does not disappoint, it brings new elements and perspectives to the world of Death Note while being a great standalone story with its own unique twist.
Quite some time passes between the end of the original series and this chapter. That means we get to see what the world thinks of Kira and his actions after the events of the main series. The advancement in technology raises an interesting question: How would Kira execute his plans today? This aspect
...
almost feels like the author commenting on his original work. The new character, Minoru Tanaka uses the technology to his advantage.
Minoru Tanaka is not the next Light Yagami. He's smart but in a very different way. His thought process about the Death Note - possibly influenced by the world's view on Kira - reaches a surprising conclusion that I doubt many would have thought of when receiving the notebook of death. One thing remains the same though: his plan is indeed brilliant. It brings back the feel of the original and many well-known characters make an appearance throughout the story. However, they don’t have much time to shine as the focus always remains on Minoru and the slowly unfolding master plan. I liked that his intentions aren't clear from the beginning, it creates a sense of uncertainty. The way he acts also makes you wonder how much was pre-planned, how much did he anticipate and what his main motive was. The goal and results of said plan are impressive and in typical Death Note fashion, there is no or little commentary about what effect it would/will have on the world. Similarly, the narrative brings up interesting large-scale problems along the way then leaves the readers to think for themselves which is one of my favorite parts of the series.
The art is great, Takeshi Obata's panels are detailed and expressive at the same time. I think this will be an easy transition for anime-only watchers like me.
The writing is clever, but it's a short story so there's little of the familiar cat and mouse game. It ends abruptly in an unexpected way which might bother people and I'm not the biggest fan of it either. There are some details that save the ending though, for example, the protagonist's involvement. An interesting way to look at it is that the one small bit of "selfishness" left is what directly caused the ending. Of course, just like in Light's case there are elements out of Minoru's control.
Overall, this is a fun and enjoyable read with a concept that blew me away.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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