From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Death Note (disambiguation).
Death Note
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Light
Yagami (front) and Ryuk (back)
Genre [1]
Mystery
Psychological
[2][3]
thriller
Supernatural
[1][4]
thriller
Manga
Written by Tsugumi Ohba
Illustrated Takeshi Obata
by
Published Shueisha
by
English
publisher AUS: Madman
Entertainment
NA: Viz Media
Imprint Jump Comics
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
Original run December 1, 2003 – May 15,
2006
Volumes 12 (List of volumes)
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Anime and manga portal
Death Note is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by
Takeshi Obata. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly
Shōnen Jump from December 2003 to May 2006, with its chapters collected in 12
tankōbon volumes. The story follows Light Yagami, a genius high school student who
discovers a mysterious notebook, the Death Note, which belonged to the shinigami
Ryuk and kills anyone whose name is written in its pages. The series centers on Light's
use of the Death Note to carry out a worldwide massacre of individuals he deems
immoral to create a crime-free society, using the alias of a god-like vigilante named Kira,
and the efforts of an elite Japanese police task force, led by the detective L, to
apprehend him.
A 37-episode anime television series adaptation, produced by Madhouse and directed
by Tetsurō Araki, was broadcast on Nippon Television from October 2006 to June 2007.
A light novel based on the series, written by Nisio Isin, was released in 2006. Various
Death Note video games have been published by Konami for the Nintendo DS. The
series was adapted into three live-action films released in Japan in June, November
2006, and February 2008, and a television drama in 2015. The miniseries Death Note:
New Generation and a fourth film were released in 2016. An American film adaptation
was released exclusively on Netflix in August 2017, and a series is reportedly in the
works. Two one-shot manga sequels, C-Kira and a-Kira, were published in 2008 and
2020; they were later collected in a single volume, Death Note: Short Stories, alongside
other standalone stories, in 2021. An online social deduction game, Death Note: Killer
Within, was released by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation
4, and Windows via Steam in 2024.
Death Note media, except for video games and soundtracks, is licensed and released in
North America by Viz Media. The anime series was first made available in North
America as downloadable from IGN before Viz Media licensed it. The series aired on
YTV's Bionix programming block in Canada and on Adult Swim in the United States,
with a DVD release following shortly after. The live-action films briefly showed in certain
North American theaters in 2008 before receiving home video releases. By April 2015,
the Death Note manga had over 30 million copies in circulation, making it one of the
best-selling manga series.
Plot
Further information: List of Death Note characters
In Tokyo, brilliant yet disaffected high school student Light Yagami finds the "Death
Note", a mysterious black notebook with rules that can end anyone's life in seconds if
their name is written in it, as long as the writer knows both the target's true name and
face. Light uses the notebook to kill high-profile criminals and is visited by Ryuk, a
shinigami and the Death Note's original owner. Ryuk, invisible to anyone who has not
touched the notebook, reveals that he dropped the notebook into the human world out
[5]
of boredom and is amused by Light's actions.
Global media suggest that a single mastermind is responsible for the mysterious
murders and name them "Kira" (キラ; the Japanese transliteration of the word "killer").
Interpol requests the assistance of the enigmatic detective L to assist in their
investigation. L tricks Light into revealing that he is in the Kanto region of Japan by
manipulating him to kill a decoy. Light vows to kill L, whom he views as obstructing his
plans. L deduces that Kira has inside knowledge of the Japanese police investigation,
led by Light's father, Soichiro Yagami. L assigns a team of FBI agents to monitor the
families of those connected with the investigation and designates Light as the prime
suspect. Light graduates from high school to college. L recruits Light into the Kira Task
Force.
Actress-model Misa Amane obtains a second Death Note from a shinigami named Rem
and makes a deal for shinigami eyes, which reveal the names of anyone whose face
she sees, at the cost of half her remaining lifespan. Deeply admiring Light and seeking
him to become her boyfriend, Misa uncovers Light's identity as the original Kira. Light
uses her love for him to his advantage, intending to use Misa's shinigami eyes to
discern L's true name. L deduces that Misa is likely the second Kira and detains her.
Rem threatens to kill Light if he does not find a way to save Misa. Light arranges a
scheme in which he and Misa temporarily lose their memories of the Death Note, and
has Rem pass the Death Note to Kyosuke Higuchi of the Yotsuba Group.
With memories of the Death Note erased, Light joins the investigation and, together with
L, deduces Higuchi's identity and arrests him. Light regains his memories and uses the
Death Note to kill Higuchi, regaining possession of the book. After restoring Misa's
memories, Light instructs her to begin killing as Kira, causing L to cast suspicion on
Misa. Rem realizes Light's plan to have Misa sacrifice herself to kill L. After Rem kills L,
she disintegrates and Light obtains her Death Note. The task force agrees to have Light
operate as the new L. The investigation stalls but crime rates continue to drop.
Four years later, cults worshiping Kira have risen. L's potential successors are
introduced: Near and Mello. Mello joins the mafia whilst Near joins forces with the US
government. Mello kidnaps Director Takimura, who is killed by Light. Mello kidnaps
Light's sister and exchanges her for the Death Note, using it to kill almost all of Near's
team. A Shinigami named Sidoh goes to Earth to reclaim his notebook and ends up
meeting and helping Mello. Light uses the notebook to find Mello's hideout, but Soichiro
is killed in the mission. Mello and Near exchange information and Mello kidnaps Mogi
and gives him to Near. Kira's supporters attack Near's group, but they escape. Shuichi
Aizawa, one of the task force members, becomes suspicious of Light and meets with
Near. As suspicion falls again on Misa, Light passes Misa's Death Note to Teru Mikami,
a fervent Kira supporter, and appoints newscaster Kiyomi Takada as Kira's public
spokesperson. Near has Mikami followed whilst Aizawa's suspicions are confirmed.
Realizing that Takada is connected to Kira, Mello kidnaps her. Takada kills Mello but is
then killed by Light. Near arranges a meeting between Light and the current Kira Task
Force members. Light tries to have Mikami kill Near as well as all the task force
members, but Mikami's Death Note fails to work, having been replaced with a decoy.
Near proves Light is Kira discovering Mikami had not written down Light's name. Light is
severely wounded in a scuffle and begs Ryuk to write the names of everyone present.
Ryuk instead writes down Light's name in his Death Note, as he had promised to do the
day they met, and Light dies.
One year later, the world has returned to normal and the task force members are
conflicted over whether they made the right decision. Meanwhile, cults continue to
worship Kira.
C-Kira (one-shot sequel)
Three years later, Near, now functioning as the new L, receives word that a new Kira
has appeared. Hearing that the new Kira is randomly killing people, Near concludes that
the new Kira is an attention-seeker and denounces the new Kira as "boring" and not
worth catching. A shinigami named Midora approaches Ryuk and gives him an apple
from the human realm, in a bet to see if a random human could become the new Kira,
but Midora loses the bet when the human writes his own name in the Death Note after
hearing Near's announcement. Ryuk tells Midora that no human would ever surpass
Light as the new Kira.
a-Kira (one-shot sequel)
Another ten years later, Ryuk returns to Earth and gives the Death Note to Minoru
Tanaka, the top-scoring student in Japan, hoping that he will follow in Light Yagami's
footsteps. On explaining the rules to Minoru, Ryuk is surprised when he returns the
notebook and tells him to return it and his memory of their encounter to him in two
years' time. Two years later, on receiving the notebook back from Ryuk, Minoru reveals
he has no plans to use it himself but rather he plans to auction it off to the governments
of the world, with Ryuk's help sending his offer out as "a-Kira", having waited two years
until he was old enough to have a bank account to allow his plan to work. Elsewhere,
Near (as L) is revealed to be developing technology meant to track Shinigami, although
it is not yet advanced enough to be useful. After selling the Death Note to U.S. president
[6][7][8][b]
Donald Trump for a sum that would ensure every Japanese citizen under the
age of 60 would be financially set for life, Minoru relinquishes his ownership and
memory of his plan to Ryuk, assuring his own anonymity, while Trump is left unable to
use the Death Note after the King of Death creates a new rule disallowing the Death
Note to be sold, and he secretly returns it to Ryuk. Minoru collapses to the ground in the
bank after withdrawing his savings. It is revealed that Ryuk wrote his name in the Death
Note next to Light's. He longs for a human who will use the notebook for a longer period
of time.
Production
Development
The Death Note concept derived from a rather general idea involving shinigami and
[10]
"specific rules". Author Tsugumi Ohba felt that they would not be able to create a
conventional fight-style manga for Weekly Shōnen Jump, so they preferred to develop a
[10]
suspense-type conflict manga instead. After the publication of the pilot chapter, the
series was not expected to receive approval for serialization. Eventually, upon learning
that Death Note had received approval and that Takeshi Obata would illustrate the
[11]
artwork, Ohba said they "couldn't even believe it". Due to positive reactions, Death
[12]
Note became a serialized manga series.
"Thumbnails" incorporating dialogue, panel layout and basic drawings were created,
reviewed by an editor and sent to Obata, and with the script finalized and the panel
layout "mostly done". Obata then determined the expressions and "camera angles" and
created the final artwork. Ohba concentrated on the tempo and the amount of dialogue,
making the text as concise as possible. Ohba commented that "reading too much
exposition" would be tiring and would negatively affect the atmosphere and "air of
suspense". Obata had significant artistic license to interpret basic descriptions, such as
[13]
"abandoned building", as well as the design of the Death Notes themselves. When
Ohba was deciding on the plot, they visualized the panels while relaxing on their bed,
drinking tea, or walking around their house. Often the original draft was too long and
needed to be refined to finalize the desired "tempo" and "flow". The writer remarked on
their preference for reading the previous "two or four" chapters carefully to ensure
[10]
consistency in the story.
The typical weekly production schedule consisted of five days of creating and thinking
and one day using a pencil to insert dialogue into rough drafts; after this point, the writer
faxed any initial drafts to the editor. The illustrator's weekly production schedule involved
one day with the thumbnails, layout, and pencils and one day for additional penciling
and inking. Obata's assistants usually worked for four days and Obata spent one day to
finish the artwork. Obata said that when he took a few extra days to color the pages, it
"messed with the schedule". In contrast, the writer took three or four days to create a
chapter on some occasions, while on others they took a month. Obata said that his
[14]
schedule remained consistent except when he had to create color pages.
Ohba and Obata rarely met in person during the serialization of the manga; instead, the
two met with and communicated through their editor. The first time they met in person
was at an editorial party in January 2004. Obata said that, despite the intrigue, he did
not ask his editor about Ohba's plot developments as he anticipated the new thumbnails
[11]
every week. The two did not discuss the final chapters with one another and
continued talking only with their editor. Ohba said that when they asked the editor if
Obata had "said anything" about the story and plot, the editor responded: "No,
[13]
nothing".
Ohba claims that the series ended more or less in the manner that they intended for it to
end; they considered the idea of L defeating Light and the latter dying, but instead
chose to use the "Yellow Box Warehouse" ending. According to Ohba, the details had
[12]
been set "from the beginning". The writer wanted an ongoing plot line instead of an
episodic series because Death Note was serialized and its focus was intended to be on
[15]
a cast with a series of events triggered by the Death Note. 13: How to Read states
that the humorous aspects of Death Note originated from Ohba's "enjoyment of
[16]
humorous stories".
When Ohba was asked, during an interview, whether the series was meant to be about
enjoying the plot twists and psychological warfare, Ohba responded by saying that this
concept was the reason why they were "very happy" to have the story in Weekly
[14]
Shōnen Jump.
Concepts
The Death Notes
The core plot device of the story is the "Death Note" itself, a black notebook with
instructions written on the inside. When used correctly, it allows anyone, anywhere, to
instantly commit a murder, provided they know the victim's name and face. According to
the director of the live-action films, Shusuke Kaneko, "The idea of spirits living in words
[17]
is an ancient Japanese concept... in a way, it's a very Japanese story".
Artist Takeshi Obata originally thought of the books as "something you would
automatically think was a Death Note". Deciding that this design would be cumbersome,
he instead opted for a more accessible college notebook. Death Notes were originally
conceived as changing based on time and location, resembling scrolls in ancient Japan,
[18]
or the Old Testament in medieval Europe. However, this idea was never used.
Themes
Ohba had no particular themes in mind for Death Note. When pushed, they suggested:
[19]
"Humans will all eventually die, so let's give it our all while we're alive". In a 2012
paper, author Jolyon Baraka Thomas characterised Death Note as a psychological
thriller released in the wake of the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, saying that it
[20]
examines the human tendency to express itself through "horrific" cults.
Pilot chapter
The Death Note process began when Ohba brought thumbnails for two concept ideas to
Shueisha; Ohba said that the Death Note pilot, one of the concepts, was "received well"
[12]
by editors and attained positive reactions from readers. Ohba described keeping the
story of the pilot to one chapter as "very difficult", declaring that it took over a month to
begin writing the chapter. He added that the story had to revive the killed characters
[21]
with the Death Eraser and that he "didn't really care" for that plot device.
Obata said that he wanted to draw the story after he heard of a "horror story featuring
[11]
shinigami". According to Obata, when he first received the rough draft created by
Ohba, he "didn't really get it" at first, and he wanted to work on the project due to the
[21]
presence of shinigami and because the work "was dark". He also said he wondered
about the progression of the plot as he read the thumbnails, and if Jump readers would
enjoy reading the comic. Obata said that while there is little action and the main
character "doesn't really drive the plot", he enjoyed the atmosphere of the story. He
[21]
stated that he drew the pilot chapter so that it would appeal to himself.
Ohba brought the rough draft of the pilot chapter to the editorial department. Obata
eventually joined forces with Ohba create the artwork. They did not meet in person
while creating the pilot chapter. Ohba said that their editor told him he did not need to
[11]
meet with Obata to discuss the pilot; Ohba said "I think it worked out all right".
Anime adaptation
Tetsurō Araki, the director of the Death Note anime adaptation, said that he wished to
convey aspects that "made the series interesting" instead of simply "focusing on morals
or the concept of justice". Toshiki Inoue, the series writer, agreed with Araki and added
that, in anime adaptations, there is a lot of importance in highlighting the aspects that
are "interesting in the original". He concluded that Light's presence was "the most
compelling" aspect; therefore the adaptation chronicles Light's "thoughts and actions as
much as possible". Inoue noted that to best incorporate the manga's plot into the anime,
he "tweak[ed] the chronology a bit" and incorporated flashbacks that appear after the
openings of the episodes; he said this revealed the desired tensions. Araki said that,
because in an anime the viewer cannot "turn back pages" in the manner that a manga
reader can, the anime staff ensured that the show clarified details. Inoue added that the
staff did not want to get involved with every single detail, so the staff selected elements
to emphasize. Due to the complexity of the original manga, he described the process as
"definitely delicate and a great challenge". Inoue admitted that he placed more
instructions and notes in the script than usual. Araki added that because of the
importance of otherwise trivial details, this commentary became crucial to the
[22]
development of the series.
Araki said that when he discovered the Death Note anime project, he "literally begged"
to join the production team; when he did join, he insisted that Inoue should write the
scripts. Inoue added that, because he enjoyed reading the manga, he wished to use his
[22]
effort.
Media
Manga
See also: List of Death Note chapters
Death Note, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, was serialized
in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 1,
[23][24] [c][24]
2003, to May 15, 2006. The series' 108 chapters were collected into twelve
[27] [28]
tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, released from April 2, 2004, to July 4, 2006. A
one-shot chapter, titled "C-Kira" (Cキラ編, C-Kira-hen) ("Death Note: Special
One-Shot"), was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 9, 2008. Set two years
after the manga's epilogue, it sees the introduction of a new Kira and the reactions of
[29][30]
the main characters in response to the copycat's appearance. Several Death Note
yonkoma (four-panel comics) appeared in Akamaru Jump. The yonkoma was written to
be humorous. The Akamaru Jump issues that printed the comics include 2004 Spring,
2004 Summer, 2005 Winter, and 2005 Spring. In addition Weekly Shōnen Jump Gag
Special 2005 included some Death Note yonkoma in a Jump Heroes Super 4-Panel
[21]
Competition. Shueisha re-released the series in seven bunkoban volumes from
[31][32]
March 18 to August 19, 2014. On October 4, 2016, all 12 original manga volumes
and the February 2008 one-shot were released in a single All-in-One Edition, consisting
[33][34]
of 2,400 pages in a single book.
In April 2005, Viz Media announced that they had licensed the series for English release
[35]
in North America. The twelve volumes were released from October 10, 2005, to July
[36][37]
3, 2007. The manga was re-released in a six-volume omnibus edition, dubbed
[38][39]
"Black Edition". The volumes were released from December 28, 2010, to
[40][41]
November 1, 2011. The All-in-One Edition was released in English on September
6, 2017, resulting in the February 2008 one-shot being released in English for the first
[42]
time.
In addition, a guidebook for the manga was also released on October 13, 2006. It was
named Death Note 13: How to Read and contained information relating to the series,
including character profiles of almost every character that is named, creator interviews,
behind the scenes info for the series and the pilot chapter that preceded Death Note. It
also reprinted all of the yonkoma published in Akamaru Jump and the Weekly Shōnen
[43][44]
Jump Gag Special 2005. In North America, 13: How to Read was released on
[45]
February 19, 2008.
In the June 2019 issue of Shueisha's Jump Square, it was announced that a new
one-shot chapter of Death Note would be published. Part of the complete manuscript
debuted at the "30th Work Anniversary Takeshi Obata Exhibition: Never Complete"
[46]
event which ran in Tokyo from July 13 to August 12, 2019. Titled "Death Note:
Special One-Shot", the entire 87-page chapter was published in Jump Square on
[47][48]
February 4, 2020, and on Viz Media's website. A collected volume titled Death
Note: Short Stories (DEATH NOTE短編集, Desu Nōto Tanpenshū), which includes the
"C-Kira" one-shot chapter, the "Special One-Shot" (re-titled "a-Kira" (aキラ編,
a-Kira-hen), the series' pilot chapter, the "L: The Wammy's House" and "L: One Day"
[49][50][51]
one-shot chapters and the yonkoma, was released on February 4, 2021. The
[52]
volume was published in English by Viz Media on May 10, 2022.
Light novels
A light novel adaptation of the series has been written by Nisio Isin, called Death Note
Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases. The novel was released by
[53][54]
Shueisha on August 1, 2006. It serves as a prequel to the manga series, with
Mello narrating the story of L's first encounter with Naomi Misora during the Los Angeles
"BB Serial Murder Case" mentioned in volume 2 of the manga. Besides Naomi's
character, the novel focuses on how L works and one of the criminals L has to chase
down. Insight was given into Watari's orphanage and how the whole system of geniuses
such as L, Mello, Beyond Birthday, Matt and Near were put to work. Viz released the
[55]
novel in English on February 19, 2008. The film L: Change the World was also
[56]
adapted into a light novel with the same name on December 25, 2007, by "M", While
the novel is similar to the film, there are many significant changes to the plot (for
example, Near is not a Thai boy, but the same Near that appears in the manga). It also
[57]
reveals more information about L and his past. Viz released it on October 20, 2009.
Anime
Main article: Death Note (2006 TV series)
The Death Note anime, directed by Tetsurō Araki and animated by Madhouse,
premiered on Nippon TV on October 4, 2006, and finished its run on June 27, 2007,
[58]
totaling 37 episodes. The series aired on the network "every Tuesday at 0:56", which
[59]
is effectively Wednesday. The series was co-produced by Madhouse, Nippon
[60]
Television, Shueisha, D.N. Dream Partners and VAP. In North America, the series
was licensed by Viz for American viewers to use "Download-to-Own" and
"Download-to-Rent" services while it was still airing in Japan. This release was seen as
"significant because it marked the first time a well known Japanese anime property was
made legally available in the United States for domestic audiences to download while
[61]
the title was still airing on Japanese television". The downloadable episodes
[62]
contained the original Japanese audio and English subtitles, and were made
[63]
available through IGN's Windows-only Direct2Drive service. DVDs of the series have
[62]
also been released, containing both an English dubbed audio track, produced by
Ocean Productions, and the original Japanese audio track with optional English
[64]
subtitles. Viz announced at Anime Expo 2007 that the first DVD would be officially
[65]
released on November 20, 2007, in both regular and special editions, and also
confirmed at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2007 that the first 15,000 copies of each DVD
[66]
would contain collectible figures.
Death Note was slated to make its North American television premiere in Canada, as
[67]
part of YTV's Bionix programming block, on September 7, 2007. However, the show
[68]
was removed from the schedule at the last minute and the Canadian premiere was
pushed back to October 26, 2007, at 10:00 p.m. The series premiered in the U.S. on
[69]
October 20, 2007, at 12:00 a.m. on Adult Swim and ran until January 10, 2010, when
[70]
its contract expired. The last episode aired on YTV on July 4, 2008, and would later
air on Adult Swim two days later. The show was removed from YTV's schedule on July
5, 2008, with its last airing being a rerun of the final episode at 1:30 a.m. ET. Soon after,
[71]
Bionix became a 2-hour block on Saturday nights. The show also streamed online for
free on Adult Swim Video, with a new episode available every Saturday afternoon, on
[72]
the day of its broadcast premiere. On July 26, 2017, Starz announced that they
would be offering episodes of the series for their video on demand service starting on
[73]
August 1 of that same year.
A two-hour animated Death Note Relight: Visions of a God (DEATH NOTE リライト·幻視
する神, Desu Nōto Riraito: Genshisuru kami) TV special aired on Nippon Television in
Japan on August 31, 2007, at 8:00 p.m. It is a recap which takes place after the series
end, where a shinigami approaches Ryuk in the shinigami realm in order to learn more
about the human world. Instead, Ryuk tells him of all the events leading up to the last
story arc, about Light Yagami and his rival L. Originally, this special was advertised as a
retelling told from Ryuk's point of view, but it does not give a different point of view from
what was originally told. However, it contains updated dialogue, as well as a few new
[74]
scenes.
Nippon TV aired the Death Note: Relight: L's Successors (DEATH NOTE リライト2 Lを継
ぐ者, Desu Nōto Riraito 2: L o Tsugu Mono) special on August 22, 2008. Like the first
special, this new compilation summarized a part of the 2006–2007 anime television
series. Specifically, it recounted the final half of the suspenseful supernatural story,
[75]
including the investigators Near and Mello's confrontations with the vigilante Kira.
This version features more updates than the previous one, most notably the omission of
the mafia plot.
Soundtracks
Main article: Death Note original soundtracks
Several soundtracks for the series have been released. The music from the anime was
composed by Yoshihisa Hirano and Hideki Taniuchi, while the CDs were also published
by VAP. The first one was Death Note Original Soundtrack, which was released in
Japan on December 21, 2006. It contains music from the series with the first opening
[76]
and ending themes are sung by the Japanese band Nightmare in the TV size format.
Death Note Original Soundtrack II was first released in Japan on March 21, 2007. It
features the new opening and closing themes by Maximum the Hormone in the TV size
[77]
format. The third CD, Death Note Original Soundtrack III was released on June 27,
2007. Tracks 1–21 were composed and arranged by Taniuchi, while tracks 22–28 were
composed and arranged by Hirano. The album features one track sung by Aya Hirano,
who was also the Japanese voice actress of Misa Amane in the anime series. Also
appearing on this soundtrack is the ending theme Coda〜Death Note, which can be
[78]
heard at the end of the final episode of the anime as the credits are shown.
Several soundtracks have also been released for the live action films. Sound of Death
Note is a soundtrack featuring music from the first Death Note film composed and
[79]
arranged by Kenji Kawai. It was released on June 17, 2006, by VAP. Sound of Death
Note the Last name is the soundtrack from the second Death Note film, Death Note the
[80]
Last name. It was released on November 2, 2006. Death Note Tribute is a tribute
album dedicated to the live action film Death Note. Published by BMG Japan on June
21, 2006, Japan, it contains 15 tracks performed by various artists, such as Shikao
Suga, M-Flo, Buck-Tick, and Aya Matsuura. The soundtrack came with a cosplay Death
[81]
Note notebook. Another tribute album is The Songs for Death Note the movie〜the
Last name Tribute dedicated to the second film. Published by Sony Music Entertainment
Japan on December 20, 2006, it contains 14 tracks performed by various artists, such
as Orange Range, Abingdon Boys School, High and Mighty Color, Doping Panda, and
[82]
Galneryus.
Live action films
Main articles: Death Note (2006 film), Death Note 2: The Last Name, L: Change the
World, Death Note: New Generation, Death Note: Light Up the New World, and Death
Note (2017 film)
Death Note was adapted into a series of live action films in 2006. The first two films
were directed by Shusuke Kaneko and the third was directed by Hideo Nakata and
produced by Nippon Television, CG production of all three films were done by Digital
Frontier and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Japan. The first film, simply titled
Death Note, premiered in Japan on June 17, 2006, and topped the Japanese box office
[83]
for two weeks, pushing The Da Vinci Code into second place. The first film briefly
[84]
played in certain North American theaters on May 20–21, 2008. The film was
broadcast in Canadian theaters for one night only on September 15, 2008. The DVD
[85]
was released on September 16, 2008, one day after the Canadian showing. The
[86]
sequel, Death Note 2: The Last Name, premiered in Japan on November 3, 2006. It
[87]
was featured in U.S. theaters in October 2008.
A spin-off from the films named L: Change the World was released in Japan on
February 9, 2008. It is focused on the final 23 days of L's life, as he solves one final
[88]
case involving a bio-terrorist group. Two dubbed versions of the film were shown in
[89]
the United States on April 29 and 30, 2009. In August 2016, a three-part miniseries
entitled Death Note: New Generation was announced as a part of the Death Note
live-action film series and aired in September. It bridges the 10-year gap between the
[90][91]
previous films and the then-upcoming 2016 film. A fourth Japanese Death Note
[92]
film was released in 2016 and featured a cyber-terrorism setting with the inclusion of
[93]
six Death Notes brought into the human world. An American adaptation was
[94]
released on Netflix on August 25, 2017. The film was directed by Adam Wingard and
was written by Charles Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides, and Jeremy Slater. It starred
Nat Wolff, Lakeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley, Shea Whigham, Paul Nakauchi, Jason
[95]
Liles, and Willem Dafoe. A sequel film is reportedly in the works.
Live action series
Main article: Death Note (2015 TV series)
In April 2015, it was announced that a live action television series based on Death Note
[96]
manga would begin airing from July 2015 on Nippon TV. Masataka Kubota stars as
[97]
Light Yagami and Kento Yamazaki as L in the series.
In July 2022, it was announced that the Duffer Brothers recently founded Upside Down
Pictures production company would be producing a new live-action series adaptation for
[98][99]
Netflix. In October 2022, it was announced that Halia Abdel-Meguid was brought
[100][101]
on to write and executive produce the series.
Video games
A Death Note video game developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo DS,
titled Death Note: Kira Game (デスノート キラゲーム, Desu Nōto Kira Gēmu), was
[102]
released on February 15, 2007. Kira Game is a strategy game where the player
takes on the role of Kira or L. These are just titles, as any character can be Kira or L.
The player will attempt to deduce who their enemy is (Kira will try to uncover L's identity
and vice versa). This will play out in three phases: investigation, where the player will
discuss the case and clues with other characters; voting, where each member of the
investigation team casts a vote on who they suspect is L or Kira based on the player's
performance in the previous phase; L/Kira, where the player can either focus their
investigation on one member to see if they are Kira (L part), or force a member off of the
[103]
team (Kira part). A sequel to the game, Death Note: Successors to L (デスノート Lを
継ぐ者, Desu Nōto Eru o Tsugu Mono), was released in Japan on July 12, 2007. The
storyline is based on the second part of the manga, featuring characters such as Mello
[103]
and Near.
A third game, L the Prologue to Death Note: Spiraling Trap (L the proLogue to DEATH
NOTE -螺旋の罠-, L the proLogue to DEATH NOTE -Rasen no Wana-), was released
[103][104]
for the Nintendo DS in Japan on February 7, 2008. The player assumes the role
of a rookie FBI agent who awakens in a strange hotel and attempts to escape with the
help of L, who provides assistance via an in-game PDA. The story is set before the Kira
[104]
investigation in the original series. Several characters from Death Note appear in
Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars, a fighting game featuring multiple
characters from Weekly Shōnen Jump titles. Light, Ryuk, and L appear in Jump Super
Stars as support characters. Misa, Near, and Mello are added as support characters in
[105][106]
Jump Ultimate Stars as well. The 2019 video game Jump Force features Light
[107]
and Ryuk as non-playable characters, playing a key role in the game's story mode.
An online social deduction game, titled Death Note: Killer Within, was released by
Bandai Namco Entertainment for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Windows via
Steam on November 5, 2024. In the game, up to ten players are split into two
teams—Kira and his followers and L and the police investigation team. Kira's team aims
to kill all its target with the Death Note and L's team must seize and dispose of the
Death Note. Both teams try to uncover the identities of the opposing players. The
[108]
players are represented by pawns, akin to those used by Near in the original series.
Musical
Main article: Death Note: The Musical
In 2015, a musical adaptation of the manga called Death Note: The Musical ran in both
Japan and South Korea. It was originally composed in English by Broadway composer
[109]
Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Jack Murphy and book by Ivan Menchell. An English
production was announced in May 2023 to play at the London Palladium for two nights
[110]
on August 21–22, 2023, directed by Nick Winston starring Joaquin Pedro Valdes as
[111]
Light, Dean John-Wilson as L and Frances Mayli McCann as Misa. The original
Japanese production, produced by Japanese talent agency HoriPro [ja], ran from 6 to
April 29, 2015, and stars Kenji Urai and Hayato Kakizawa [ja] double-cast as Light
[112]
Yagami, and Teppei Koike as L. A Korean production of the same musical ran from
June 11 to August 11, 2015, in South Korea, starring musical actor Hong Kwang-ho and
[113][114]
JYJ member and musical actor Kim Junsu.
Reception
Manga
[115]
By April 2015, the Death Note manga had over 30 million copies in circulation. On
ICv2's "Top 10 Shonen Properties Q2 2009", Death Note was the third best-selling
[116]
manga in North America. The series ranked second on Takarajimasha's Kono
[117]
Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2006 and 2007 for male readers. It was
[118]
nominated for the 38th Seiun Awards in the Best Comic category in 2007. The
manga received the Grand Prize for Best Manga and Best Screenplay at the Japan
[119]
Expo Awards 2007. The series won the 2008 Eagle Award for Favourite Manga as
[120]
voted by UK fans. According to a survey conducted in 2007 by the ministry of
culture of Japan, Death Note occupied the tenth place among the best manga of all
[121]
time. It also received several nominations, such as Best Manga at the 2006
[122][123] [124]
American Anime Awards, the 2007 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize, an Official
[125]
Selection at Angoulême International Comics Festival 2008, and Obata was
[126]
nominated for Best Penciller/Inker at the 2008 Eisner Awards. In 2007, the first
three volumes of Death Note appeared on the American Library Association's 2007
[127]
Great Graphic Novels for Teens Top Ten list.
Douglas Wolk of Salon said that a rumor circulated stating that the creators intended to
have Death Note to last half as long as its actual run and Ohba and Obata had been
persuaded to lengthen the storyline when Death Note's popularity increased, noting that
the rumor "makes sense, since about halfway through the series, there's a point that
seems like a natural ending". In addition, he said that fans wrote "thousands" of Death
[128]
Note fan fiction stories and posted them on the internet. In 2006, Japanese fans
pointed out the similarities between Death Note and the 1973 one-shot manga The
Miraculous Notebook (不思議な手帖) by Shigeru Mizuki. Comipress reported that the
[129]
only difference between the story and Death Note is that there are no shinigamis.
Anime News Network writer Zac Bertschy called Death Note a "surprisingly gripping and
original suspense tale that raises a handful of interesting questions about morality". He
noted that the difference between the series and other manga from the same
demographic was very notable due to the murders the main character commits as well
as how he hides his identity of Kira. Although Bertschy mentioned some manga readers
will be surprised with the dark themes of Death Note, he praised the series for its "great
[130]
art, great story, [and] compelling characters". Briana Lawrence from the same
website stated that what makes Death Note so interesting is that there is no villain;
"instead it had two opposing sides that both believe in the same thing: justice". She felt
that once vital characters fading into the background, the ending brings back what the
fans loved about the first volume and the supporting cast are "given a chance to shine".
She also mentioned that the epilogue made no mention of what happens with Misa
[131]
Amane and how Near and Mello were still treated like parts of L. Julie Rosato from
Mania Entertainment found the story to be very entertaining, having liked Light's
development in the story and L's introduction, as well as how the latter starts suspecting
the former's identity. Additionally, she praised the story as it was "building a climax" with
each detail introduced in the first chapter, making the reader look forward to upcoming
[132]
chapters. Jolyon Baraka Thomas, in a Japanese Journal of Religious Studies
article, describes the manga as having a "somber narrative" with a "dark cast". Obata's
art is "[rendered] in stark strokes characterized---fittingly---by a complex interplay of light
[20]
and shadow".
Anime
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 14 critics' reviews are
positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Death Note
is an exceptional anime that poses profound questions about justice and murder, all
while delivering a supremely satisfying tale of tactical one-upmanship between a
[133]
detective and killer."
The anime was commended by Tom S. Pepirium of IGN, who said that Death Note's
"heavy serialized nature" is what "makes the show so engaging and discussion
[134]
worthy". Pepirium, saying that translating Death Note is "no small task", stated that
Stephen Hedley created an English dub with "nothing clunky". He added that Karl
Willems, director of the dub, assembled a "stunning voice cast of professionals" with a
[135]
"solid tone minus some of the cheesy yelling and screaming of other dubs". On the
NPR show Fresh Air, John Powers said that Death Note is "at least as addictive as a
[136]
show like Lost". Hyper wrote:
Running over thirty-seven 20 minutes episodes, the anime sticks much closer to the
manga so takes a far more languid approach to storytelling, better fleshing out the
fantastic characters of Light and his nemesis, L. Light in particular is one of the most
[137]
layered characters to appear in anime in a long time.
Jacob Hope Chapman from Anime News Network praised Teru Mikami's role as bloody
[138]
and flashy and even better than that of Near, Mello, and Misa. The Daily Telegraph's
Henry St. Leger wrote, "What starts as a moral fable about the corruption of power
becomes a slow-burning game of cat-and-mouse as Light is chased down by the world's
greatest detective. Some droning voice acting leadens what is otherwise a brilliantly
[139]
terse noir." Vulture's Maya Phillips wrote, "Beyond its deft twists and turns, Death
Note also addresses questions about morality, justice, and capital punishment. All this,
plus beautiful animation and well-written dialogue and plot, makes Death Note the
[140]
cream of the animated crop."
The Death Note anime was one of the series to win Best TV Anime at the 2007 Tokyo
[141]
International Anime Fair. In 2009, Death Note was ranked 51st in IGN's "Top 100
[142]
Animated Series" list.
Light novels
A.E. Sparrow of IGN reviewed the novel Another Note and gave it a 9.5 out of 10.
Sparrow said that the author understood "what made these characters click so well" and
that it "captures everything that made the manga the compelling read that it is". Sparrow
said that fans of Death Note who read Another Note will "find a welcome home" in Nisio
[143]
Isin's work, which "adds a few more fun layers" to the Death Note franchise. The
novelization of L: Change the World became the second top-selling light novel in Japan
[144]
in 2008.
Legacy and controversies
The series release outside Japan has inspired other works, as well as individuals
making their own mock "Death Notes", including one that was associated with a real-life
murder. According to Wired magazine, Death Note "[turned] Japan's most-popular print
medium into an internationally controversial topic that has parents wondering whether
they should prohibit their kids from reading manga entirely". Live-action director
Shusuke Kaneko commented in response, "If preventing them from seeing this movie is
[17]
going to make kids better, then why not prevent them from watching all bad news?".
In regard to the 2019 The Twilight Zone episode "The Comedian", Rosie Knight of The
Hollywood Reporter stated that Samir's story appears to take a large influence from
[145]
Death Note. The Simpsons has parodied Death Note in both comic books and
animation with the 2008 comic book story "Murder, He Wrote" in The Simpsons
[146][147]
Treehouse of Horror #14, where Bart receives the notebook from the Ryuk-ified
ghost of Krusty the Clown, and the "Death Tome" segment of the 2022 television
[148]
episode "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII", with Lisa receiving the titular book.
Bans and attempted bans
Early in 2005, school officials in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning, China banned Death
[149]
Note. The reason was that students had been altering notebooks to resemble Death
Notes and then writing the names of acquaintances, enemies, and teachers in the
[150][151] [152]
books. The ban was designed to protect the "physical and mental health" of
students from horror material that "misleads innocent children and distorts their mind
[153]
and spirit". Jonathan Clements has suggested that the Chinese authorities acted
[154]
partly against "superstition", but also against illegal, pirate publishers of Death Note.
[155][156]
The ban has been extended to other Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai
[157]
and Lanzhou in Gansu Province. Legally published Chinese-language versions of
[154]
Death Note are published in Hong Kong. On June 12, 2015, the Chinese Ministry of
[158]
Culture listed Death Note among 38 anime and manga titles banned in the country.
In 2007, the education bureau in Pingtung County, Taiwan asked teachers to pay
attention to any negative influence on elementary school students reading the
[159]
manga. In May 2010, the Albuquerque Public Schools school district in New Mexico
held a hearing to ban the Death Note manga from their district's schools; it was
[160]
unanimously voted down. After volumes of Death Note were found at the February
2013 suicide of a 15-year-old girl in Yekaterinburg, Russia, a local parents' group began
campaigning to regulate all media based on the series, saying that it had an adverse
[161]
effect on the minds of children. In March 2014, investigators concluded that the
[162]
manga did not cause the girl to commit suicide.
Imitations of the series
Typical design of a Death Note
There have been various imitations around the world of the premise of Death Note. At
least one instance was linked to a crime - on September 28, 2007, two notes written
with Latin characters stating "Watashi wa Kira dess" [sic], a mis-transliteration of "I am
[163]
Kira" (私はキラです, Watashi wa Kira desu), were found near the partial remains of a
white male in Belgium. The case has been called the "Mangamoord" (Dutch for Manga
[164]
Murder) in Belgian media. It was not until 2010 that four people were arrested in
[165]
connection to the murder. A senior at the Franklin Military Academy in Richmond,
Virginia, United States was suspended in 2007 after being caught possessing a replica
"Death Note" notebook with the names of fellow students. The school's principal wrote a
letter to the student's parents linking to an unofficial website where visitors can write
[166]
names and circumstances of death for people they want to die.
In South Carolina in March 2008, school officials seized a "Death Note" notebook from a
Hartsville Middle School student. District officials linked the notebook to the
anime/manga. The notebook listed seven students' names. The school planned a
[167]
disciplinary hearing and contacted the seven students' parents. In Gadsden,
Alabama in April 2008, two sixth-grade boys were arrested for possession of a "Death
Note" that listed names of several staff members and fellow students. According to
Etowah County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Lanny Handy, the notebook was discovered
the previous afternoon by a staffer. The students were suspended from the county's
schools, pending a juvenile court hearing. The students, their parents, and school
[168]
officials had met with Handy and a junior probation officer. In Gig Harbor,
Washington, one middle school student was expelled and three were suspended on
May 14, 2008, for having 50 names in their own "Death Note" book, including President
[169]
George W. Bush.
It was reported in September 2009, that a Year Eight boy in Sydney, Australia, created a
"Death Note" that along with names contained a "battle plan" detailing where bombs
[170]
could be placed inside his school. In December 2009, two students at an
elementary school in Oklahoma were disciplined for a "Death Note" with the names and
[171]
descriptions of deaths of two girls that had angered them. A Michigan middle school
[172]
student was suspended indefinitely in March 2010 for possessing a "Death Note". In
May 2010, a middle school student in the Avonworth School District in Pennsylvania
was suspended for owning a "Death Note" with names of fellow students and pop singer
[160]
Justin Bieber. In February 2015, a fifth-grade student of an elementary school near
Pittsburgh was suspended for owning a "Death Note" and writing other students' names
[173]
in it.
See also
● Now: Zero, a short story by J. G. Ballard with a similar premise to Death Note
● "Obits", a short story by Stephen King with a similar premise to Death Note
Notes
a. In the United Kingdom through Crunchyroll UK and Ireland (formerly known as
Manga Entertainment) and in Australia through Crunchyroll Store Australia
(formerly known as Madman Anime).
b. The text does not call him Trump, though Hannah Collins of Comic Book
Resources stated "the uncanny likeness to the divisive political figure is hard to
miss."[9]
c. It finished in the magazine's 24th issue of 2006 (cover date May 29),[25]
released on May 15 of that same year.[26]
References
1. "The Official Website for Death Note". Viz Media. Archived from the original on
October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
2. "Viz Media Announces Fall DVD Release of Death Note™ Anime Series" (Press
release). Viz Media. June 29, 2007. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007.
Retrieved January 2, 2020 – via Anime News Network. it is as much a
psychological thriller as it is a crime drama.
3. Ellingwood, Holly (November 9, 2007). "Death Note Vol. 1 Original and Uncut
(Advance Review)". Active Anime. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016.
4. Luther, Katherine. "Death Note: Series Profile". [Link]. Archived from the
original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2020. Death Note is a
supernatural thriller series that zeros in on a very delicate question: is all life
worth saving or are there some that we'd be better off without?
5. Oba, Tsugumi (2005). Death Note Vol. 1 - Boredom. Obata, Takeshi, 1969-,
Rolf, Pookie, trl. (Shonen Jump advanced graphic novel ed.). San Francisco: Viz
Media. p. 18. ISBN 1-4215-0168-6. OCLC 62099999.
6. Elfring, Mat (April 20, 2022). "Death Note: Short Stories Brings One-Shots To
Print, Including That Infamous Trump Story". Gamespot. Archived from the
original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
7. Colbert, Isaiah (November 5, 2024). "That Time Donald Trump Got the Death
Note". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on January 10, 2025. Retrieved
February 23, 2025.
8. Collins, Hannah (February 7, 2020). "What Death Note's New One-Shot Has to
Say About Donald Trump". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original
on September 1, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
9. Collins, Hannah (February 7, 2020). "Death Note: Every Cameo in the New One
Shot". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 1, 2024.
Retrieved February 10, 2025.
10. Ohba, Tsugumi (2008). Death Note 13: How to Read. Viz Media. p. 59. ISBN
978-1-4215-1888-6.
11. Ohba, Tsugumi (2008). Death Note 13: How to Read. Viz Media. p. 173. ISBN
978-1-4215-1888-6.
12. Ohba, Tsugumi (2008). Death Note 13: How to Read. Viz Media. p. 58. ISBN
978-1-4215-1888-6.
13. Ohba, Tsugumi (2008). Death Note 13: How to Read. Viz Media. p. 180. ISBN
978-1-4215-1888-6.
14. Ohba, Tsugumi (2008). Death Note 13: How to Read. Viz Media. p. 192. ISBN
978-1-4215-1888-6.
15. Ohba, Tsugumi (2008). Death Note 13: How to Read. Viz Media. pp. 60–61.
ISBN 978-1-4215-1888-6.
16. Ohba, Tsugumi (2008). Death Note 13: How to Read. Viz Media. p. 194. ISBN
978-1-4215-1888-6.