Customer Reviews

Death Note, Vol. 1

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

We've all heard stories and myths of Death, the Grim Reaper, or, as in the case of Death Note, the Shinigami. We know that, at will, these creatures can bring death. We know that Death and the Grim Reaper are particularly fond of huge scythes. But what a lot of us don't know (mainly because it's an added fictional element presented in Death Note) is that Shinigami prefer to use note books, or death notes. And occasionally, they lose their notebooks accidentally-on-purpose so that a human can find it. That is the beginning of Death Note, a story of a genius student named Light who finds this strange notebook and decides he wants to change the world into a utopia by killing all of the world's most horrible criminals without any suspicion to him. All he does is write their name in the death note and they're dead.

The description above sounds dark, and this story is very dark. The lead character seems to have little care for those he kills and in fact finds some enjoyment in the unique ways he can bring about their death. His Shinigami shadow, Ryuk, bound to him because Light now owns the death note, guides him only to the point just beyond complete ignorance but otherwise lets Light do as he wishes. Thus, even despite the fact that it's nearly impossible to trace the murderer, suspicion does rise. This is when the true horror starts, as we begin to see what Light is willing to do to get himself free of suspicion.

Anyone familiar with Shonen Jump's Hikaru No Go will recognize the artwork here. They won't recognize, however, the deep themes of morality VS. immorality. While reading, you have to decide, based on your own personal beliefs, what side Light is actually on, moral or immoral, good or evil. Certainly, at face value, Light is a decent human being, studying hard to become a top student, helping his sister with her homework, talking cop-business with his father, but it's in those moments of inspiration that Light has when you'll begin to wonder. And yet, it's his anti-hero love-ability that makes you keep reading, know matter what your beliefs are. You want him to avoid suspicion, to do away with the criminals, and to get rid of the cops tailing him.

In volume one, it details Light's first moments with the death note and Ryuk. It also begins his battle with Interpol and their top agent, the secretive L. In between, we learn the main rules of the death note as well as the side-effects it has on humans and on Shinigami. It's haunting the way some of these rules are relayed, as if they were natural things to be considered in our minds.

Death Note is one of those few mangas that captured me from the beginning (I read the first chapter in Shonen Jump). I knew after I read it that I would buy the graphic novels. As someone very selective of manga this was something special. I highly recommend this to fans of manga or to horror/thriller fans. This is a well-written, artistic manga indeed. I'd give it more stars if I could.

Death Note is a very different manga from the others Viz Media has begun to release here in the U.S. It is thanks to them, however, that I learned of this brilliant series.

The story follows a teenager, Light, who is bored with his life and sick of the monotonous cycle. He stumbles upon a Shingami's (Death God's) notebook, or Death Note. The notebook has a dark power: a brief way to put it would be to say when you write down a person's name and have the image of them in your mind, they will die of a heart-attack in forty seconds. There is much more to it than that, however. Details can be added as to how and when they die, but they must be physically possible.

Ryuk, the Death God whose notebook Light has found, was also bored. He deliberately left the notebook there for a human to find. He is a very strange character with a very strange appearance. Nevertheless, he does play an important role.

Light's name seems almost contradictory. He says he is killing off violent criminals to make the world a better place. He claims that he is righteous. But is murder the righteous thing to do? Interpol begins to move and is forced to play it's trump card: L, a person whose face and full name are not even known to the NPA.

L and Light are both brilliant. Their plans, deductions, and observations never cease to amaze. Their battle and search continues as it evolves into a race to discover who the other is. Ultimately, you don't know who to cheer on. The protagonist is a bit crazy and is continously commiting murder and playing with peoples lives. Yet you find yourself still reading. The plot is engrossing; it is rare for me to find a manga that keeps me glued to the pages without frequent action scenes.

Dark, mysterious, and decidedly different, Death Note is a level above.

The majority of mainstream manga released in America has, up 'til now, been easy to categorize into two genres: Shounen(boy-oriented, lots of action, fighting, magical weapons, heroes out to save the world, etc.) and Shoujo(girl-oriented, romance, emphasis on character development and emotions, girls with magical powers/boyfriends, shounen-ai, etc.)

Death Note, although serialized in Shounen Jump, doesn't clearly fall into either category. The main confict is the intense psychological battle between Light and L. Ingenious mindtraps, moral ambiguity, and strong suspense characterize the theme of Death Note. If you think this sounds more mature and complex than the average manga, then you would be correct.

The supernatural setup involving death gods and a lethal notebook may turn off some people who would really enjoy it. I assure you that the premise is not hokey, and the supernatural aspects are secondary to the suspense and plot. The exploration of the "Rules" regarding the Death Note, the intricate use of logic, and the slow moral decay of the main character are fascinating to watch.

The protagonist(he can hardly be called the hero), Light, is a brilliant young student who first decides to use the Death Note to rid the world of deadly criminals. However, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and his main goal shifts from promoting peace to avoiding capture at any cost. His pursuer is the international enigma who is known only as "L". This equally brilliant detective has a different idea of justice and is hot on Light's trail.

They soon become locked in a battle of life and death; the first side to make a mistake(or fail to anticipate the other's move) will die. During their chess game, the public is divided by support and opposition for the mysterious killer, known to the media as Kira. To thicken the matter, other characters and factors interfere, throwing both L and Light for a loop.

This is a book for fans of The Usual Suspects, intrigue, and detective thrillers. However, if you don't like following lots of dialouge or keeping track of complex plot lines, Death Note may not be for you. I also think it could benefit from more character development, since Light and L's personalities take a backseat to their actions. Even so, this manga is a real treat for those who want something deeper than the usual fare. If you enjoy Death Note, also look forward to upcoming "Monster" and "20th Century Boys.

"Death Note" gets five stars, but maybe not for the reasons you think. It is a remarkably popular manga and anime, stylish, carefully plotted, elegantly composed, and very skillful. I imagine that by now most readers know that Light Yagami, the brilliant but bored young hero, finds a "Death Note," a notebook deliberately dropped on Earth by Ryuk, a Shinigami (literally, "god of death"), that gives Light the ability to kill anyone he wants. Light's murderous escapades - he kills criminals to make the Earth a better place - are opposed by the equally brilliant young detective L. Light and L play a long-lasting and very elaborate game of hide-and-seek, each trying to out-think and out-plot the other as L closes in on Kira, the name the media has given to the killer.

The conflict between Light and L is highly stylized, even to the point of being quite unrealistic. For example, it is hard to imagine that any government would let a 20-something detective like L alone handle a case of such national and international significance; the death notebook provides its possessor with power beyond a flotilla of nuclear missiles, but the military is never interested and mounts no investigations of Kira. Well, not likely. Instead, L and Light play a game reminiscent of Go, the Japanese board game ("Death Note" illustrator Takeshi Obata also illustrated "Hikaru no Go," about an immortal Go player). So the reader observes not for moments of truth, but in a nearly abstract appreciation of strategy of the two players. Enjoying "Death Note" therefore means a hefty dose of willing suspension of disbelief.

In parallel to Light and L's intricate competition is the story of Light and Misa, a young woman who has her own death notebook and protective shinigami. Misa too is a killer, but her relationship to Light is far from simple. Here we reach one of the most striking features of the story.

I've read many comments about "Death Note," and most merely say that Misa is madly in love with Light and virtually worships and obeys him, while he uses her with cold-blooded calculation. This view reminds me of L's thinking as he tries to evaluate Light's relationship to Misa: he believes (although without legally acceptable proof) that Light is Kira, and therefore treats Misa as a mere auxiliary or tool of Light/Kira's Machiavellian schemes. But, of the two, Misa is far deadlier and far more dangerous than Light: to underestimate HER is a fatal mistake. Nonetheless, to young male readers, Misa is what she pretends to be - a pretty girl in love, an empty-headed doormat for the real players. Yet, in the first story-arc, it will be *Misa's* plans and hopes that come to fruition, and Light will do what *she* wants.

Thus, two games are being played in "Death Note." One, between Light and L, seems to be the main game, of whether or not L can prove that Light is the killer. The intricacy of this "police procedural" story is surely impressive. But the second game is more interesting. It is between the reader and Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, writer and artist respectively. In the first game, we the readers know from the very first episode that Light is the killer, allowing us the deluding luxury of thinking that we can sit back and watch a game we know the answer to. But the second game involves Misa. In that game, Ohba and Obata are at pains to provide very few clues to us, the readers, about Misa and her personality, and *especially* about her relationship to her own shinigami, Remu. If you can read through Volume 7 (the denouement of the L-versus-Light game) and honestly say you knew all along what Misa's role was - well, then you have penetrated into the inner workings of the first story-arc of "Death Note."

So beware. The first game - between Light and L - is placed before us in obvious procedural clarity. The second game - between the authors and us about Misa - is played without the authors ever tipping their hand to us. So read it and fall for all the misleading clues Ohba and Obata have provided about Misa. Then you can say, "You know, that was *very* clever. I really didn't guess how it would end." And that's why it gets five stars. 'Fraid I can't be more explicit than that, fellas; otherwise, it'd spoil all your fun!

And if you like Misa, you'll enjoy "Anne Freaks," "Lady Snowblood," "Murder Princess," and the anime "Noir."

Light Yagami is a straight-A student with the best college prospects in the entire country of Japan...and he's bored out of his mind. One day, Light finds a mysterious notebook with the words "Death Note" written on the cover. It turns out that the notebook was dropped into the human world by an equally boredShinigami (death god) who wants to see what would happen if he introduced the Death Note to humans.

Light quickly learns that the notebook is more than it seems. Its owner can kill anyone by writing their name in the notebook while picturing their face. After realizing his new power, Light decides to use the Death Note to rid the world of evil by passing judgment on criminals and, ultimately, killing them. Despite the irony of murdering murderers, Light feels that this is the best way to create autopian society free of evil. The police quickly pick up on the killings and investigate. The unknown killer is dubbed "Kira" by "fans" on the Internet. "Kira" is considered a savior by some, and a murderer by others.

"Kira" becomes the obsession of L, a world renowned master detective known for cracking difficult cases through logic. L believes that Kira's should be punished for his actions, even though he's ridding the world of criminals and lowering crime rates worldwide. L quickly becomes a rival to Light/Kira, and the pair square off in a battle of wit.

I picked up this graphic novel after watching the 26-episode anime, and I was amazed at how closely the anime followed the manga. However, each version had a different balance between the two major elements of the plot: the detective story and the exploration of justice. While theanime preferred to follow the detective story, the manga focused more on the moral implications of the story and the meaning of justice.

Light's character was more human in the manga than in the anime. Inside of simply excepting the Death Note's power, he takes the time to question the mortality of his intentions, but puts the argument aside for the sake of what he believes to be a better world. Light genuinely wants to make the world a better place, even if it is by killing people. While in theanime, Light seems to be purely obsessed with power.

I was surprised at the relatively sparse nature of the artwork in this manga. The characters were fairly detailed, but the environments were very generic and empty. It seemed like the artist didn't want to take the time to draw in backgrounds in many of the panels. There are a few points in the story where the reader loses a sense of place because of this, but I think this has to do with the writer's intent.

This manga is also very text-heavy. In fact, I think it's the most text-heavy manga I've ever read. This only helps to add depth to the plot and to keep the reader constantly engaged. I think it also shows that the author thought out his concept thoroughly before writing the story. This is also evidenced by the vast amount of rules and limitations surrounding the Death Note.

Character is somewhat sacrificed, however, in the process. The author rests on fairly flat characters who have little past, singular goals, and little personal complexity. Yet, the plot is so intelligent and engrossing that this failure is easily forgiven. Just keep in mind that if you are a fan of character development, thismanga may not be for you. The complete focus of this manga is the story: the meaning of justice, the rivalry between Kira/Light and L, the intricate games that Kira plays to stay hidden, and the logic that leads L through his investigation.

Dark and thought-provoking, Death Note Volume 1 will engross the reader in a world of moral questions and old-school detective mystery. Not for the faint of heart, Death Note is a landmark in storytelling and a beacon of hope within the increasingly mediocremanga/anime coming out of Japan today.

When I first received a copy of volume 1 from the library (after reading reviews on [...]), I was hesitant to read it, because I thought Ryuku (on cover) looked so disturbing. I flipped through and thought, 'no way will I enjoy this -- he's too creepy and the art is not he typical "anime style" that I am used to.' So I decided to give it 3 chapters -- could not put it down. Was so engrossed I just kept going. Bypassed the library entirely and ordered the first four volumes on amazon.com.

I have been trying for years to get my husband as into anime as I am. I'm an old-school anime/manga fan, and am now absolutely thrilled to pass my love for it onto my kids. Anyway, I told him, "Honey, you HAVE to read this." He looked at it, thought it looked bizarre and started to hand it back to me. "No, you HAVE to read it. Just give it 3 chapters, and I guarantee you'll be hooked." He was. We're now toting the tankoban all over with us...while we're waiting during kids' dance or martial arts lessons. I am a firm believer in: if you love something as a kid (manga, video games, whatever), there's absolutely no reason you should give it up as an adult.

I am amazed at the unique quality of both the story and the illustrations. It is such a thrilling book of cat and mouse and one-upmanship. I have rarely been so engrossed. The Shinigami are a tad disturbing-looking, but they have a friendly sort of quality about them that makes them almost sweet.

I am actually going to pass these books onto my parents and let them read. I've let my father-in-law read "Maus" and he really enjoyed it...so now I think the family is ready for manga. Back in the early 90s, there was so little translated manga/anime out there. Today, there is just a plethora of titles available, and I'm thrilled.

If you have any doubts, or you're curious, give this title a read. It's really stellar.

I have completely fallen in love with Death Note.

As an avid novel reader, I've just begun to touch the world of manga, and this happened to be one of the first I set my eyes on. At first I was a little doubtful, considering the premise. A killer notebook? Gods of death? Come on. But I picked it up, and I read it - and I haven't stopped reading it since.

Death Note isn't really about a notebook that kills people. It's about a brilliant high school boy called Light Yagami, whose strong sense of justice drives him to use his discovery as a means to purge the world of criminals and to create a crime-free utopia. In short, it's about a man who strives to become God.

It's totally fascinating to watch Yagami's character evolve. Our first glimpse of him is as an earnest, 'perfect' student, whose ideals you can't help but agree with. He has trouble at first with the idea that he's a murderer. But slowly, he becomes colder, and watching some of his expressions - it's chilling.

His nameless, faceless enemy - L - is equally a brilliant character. He's probably one of the most unique personas you'll ever read about. I won't spoil anything, though...just get volume two!

This suspense story will keep you - for lack of a better phrase - on the edge of your seat. The characters are fantastic, the plot is deep and complex. Read it. Even if you've never read manga before, like me, you'll love it!

I love me some Manga-I've been reading the Shonen Jupm translations ever since it arrived on American shores. Death Note is one of the best Manga ever written. Not only is it strong on art, but the story is more developed than of most Manga. The premise is simple-A shinigami death god drops his Death Note- A notebook that can kill whoevers name is written in it. A student named Light Yagami finds the note and uses it to kill criminals and rid the world of evil. A detective named L vows to track him down, and an all out war between Light and L begins.

It is such an amazing story, full of more plot twists and surprises than a Michael Crichton novel. Every page reveals a new secret, a new twist, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Both L and Light are brillint, and each one equally skilled-Light at covering his tracks, and L at finding the killer of all the criminals. The hardest thing to figure out though is who the protaginist is. Light has noble intentions, but as he uses the Death Note, he slowly descends into madness. We know he's a pshycopath, but as more and more is revealed, we see he's going nuts on his "world peace" vendetta.

I chose L as the protaginist myself. He's got his head in the right place, and his intentions are purely to stop a mass murdered, even if he's only bumping off criminals. The thing is, if L got the Death Note, he too might act like Light. So the real antagonist of "Death Note" is the death note itself. Light is a good person. It's the Note that is corrupting him.

I've only read to Volume 4, but my local bookstore we'll be getting volume 5 next week! I can't wait for climax of the first Death Note story ark. The only thing that's wrong with wanting the climax to come is that I know Light will survive and kill L. How else could the story continue? Anyway, I hope that doesn't happen. L is a great charecter, and is the last person in the series who deserves to die.

I watched the anime for Death Note first, but half way through I decided to read the manga instead since the manga is usually better than the anime. When the Shinigami, Ryuk, drops his Death Note in the human world Light Yagami happens upon it. Anyone who writes a name in The Death Note will die. At first he thought it was nothing more than a prank, but when he tests it and sees that it actually works he comes to the conclusion to rid the world of all criminals. When the authorities see a pattern they send their number one detective, L to uncover who the killer is.

Know this might sound like a manga all about killing but it's really not. It's a face off between to brilliant minds - Light and L. I have never seen any manga or a even book that's like this one. It really makes you think. The suspense, twists and plot just pulls you in. If you like fun and light reads this might not be a manga for you but if you love a battle of minds, mystery and suspense than you'll love this.

The main character is high school boy named Light Yagami. Light is a top role model student and before he found the Death Note, he was just a normal kid. What I found interesting about this manga is the main character isn't a "good guy". L is this mysterious detective who never shows his face and communicates to the police though a computer screen that says L. His brilliant mind and wits match that of Light and it's fascinating how this book really is a clash of wits. There's also Ryuk, a Shinigami- a God of Death, who is the original owner of the Death Note. He dropped the notebook in the human world because he was bored with the Shinigami world. As Ryuk puts it he's neither on Light or L's side but rather just an observer. I love Ryuk, I find him so ugly that he's adorable.

The bubbles in the manga have a lot of text but with a manga this complex I suppose there's no way around it. The art is very detailed and it looks like a lot of effort has been put in.

Well no doubt about it, I will be reading the next volumes. I love this manga, I've also read Bakuman by the same author and illustrator and all I can say is the author is an amazing writer and the illustrator is beyond talented. This manga is really popular and I can see why. If you haven't tried this or the anime than you really need to give it a try.

Speaking as an avid fan of the author of the manga as well as the anime made from it, I warn you - Go ahead and buy 2 and 3 at the same time as this, or else you will be pulling your hair out until you do. The storyline is compelling and page-turning and will beg you to read more.