Death Note appeared in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump in 2003 and revolutionized the codes of manga. Twenty years on, this work is still as famous as ever and is considered a masterful series. Unbearable suspense, psychologically complex characters, the confrontation between Light and his rival L, top-quality drawings and a plot mastered to perfection: discover the world of Death Note and its impact on popular culture.
What would you do if you found a Death Note?
H2: Death Note – When two geniuses combine to create a masterpiece
Death Note is a work composed by four hands. The script is by the talented Tsugumi Ohba. The drawing is by Takeshi Obata, the genius behind Hikaru no Go, All You Need Is Kill, which inspired the American blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise.
The plot of Death Note hooks the reader from the very first pages. Light Yagami is a gifted Japanese high school student. Bored in class, he looks out of his window and sees a mysterious black notebook falling from the sky. This Death Note belongs to the God of Death Ryuk and has the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it, provided the author knows his victim’s face.
Fascinated by the notebook’s power, Light secretly uses it to eliminate criminals. His goal: to create a better world, where justice reigns. He quickly earns the nickname Kira (Japanese pronunciation of killer) in the media and becomes internationally famous. However, a detective bearing the pseudonym L begins investigating the Kira case, and enters into a fascinating intellectual confrontation with Light.
H2: In-depth analysis of the fascinating Death Note universe
This twelve-volume manga is a psychological thriller exploring themes of justice, good and evil, power, morality and human nature.
Obsessed with the idea of creating a utopian, crime-free society, Light ruthlessly dispenses his own justice, murdering prisoners with the stroke of a pen. The teenager, who now has the power of life and death, believes himself to be a god. He manipulates Misa Amane, lies to those closest to him, including his father, a policeman, and is convinced that no one can ever surpass him. Readers are divided into two camps: those who support Kira’s ideals, versus those who would like to see Detective L and his endearing police team triumph. We turn the pages eagerly, wondering who will be the first to discover the other’s identity.
The fight between these two visions of justice has marked Japanese and international popular culture forever. Many adaptations have been launched to continue to bring the fascinating universe of Death Note to life: the famous animated series, a guide book, two novels, video games, three Japanese films, a drama, then a Netflix film in 2017.
Just like Kira and L, the two authors of Death Note are anonymous and a great mystery surrounds them. They will continue their collaboration on Bakuman and Platinum End. According to Japan’s Ministry of Culture, Death Note is the 10th best manga of all time. You no longer have any excuses not to immerse yourself in this exceptional work!
Photo credit: Photo by Sahand Babali on Unsplash
