WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND!

Introduction

Death Note will probably remain as one of my favourite manga of all times. The intelligent plot twists and interesting characters is pretty much not seen in most mangas. Of course, we can’t forget the excellent art which really got me drooling at times.

My first encounter was a visit to a comic store when my friend, who was already hooked to the series, exclaimed that “L has died!”. I thought I heard “Elle has died” or something along the lines. So I went back and fired up my browser to preview the first chapter. After reading a bit, I left it because I felt Light, the main character, was a little too evil.

My first REAL encounter was when I was browsing through several mangas when I saw the cover art for Death Note and I was instantly captivated by the art – it was that good. I don’t really know how to describe these kind of things in words but you can take my point that I instantly went online and began reading the manga again, eventually buying the series.

The Story

Giving the story a second chance, I was instantly captivated by the intelligent battle of wits between L and Light. It was wordy but nevertheless, there was never a dull moment. I remembered reading late into the night and kept wanting to read more. The story was just long enough.

There are lots of plot twists that’ll most likely blow your mind away. A best example might probably be the plot of Light to lose his memory in order to prove his innocence. When he got back his memories and with that his evil smirk, I was going “Oh Light, you bastard!” and yet at the same time, I was extremely excited.

Of course, the story has its sad moments. The infamous chapters: 58 and 107 – L’s and Light’s deaths. When L died, I was secretly hoping that he would come back somehow but as the rules say “Once dead, they can no longer be revived”, I guess that was just false hope.

The only problem I had with the story was probably the slow pace during the Mello saga. It was, frankly, not as good as the preceding or later portions of the story. Sadly, Death Note apparently lost some readers partly due to this and L’s death. Fear not, the story picks up after that with Near’s saga.

Unlike some others, I thought the ending of Death Note with Light’s death was perfect – though I was initially sad about his death. It HAD to be ended this way. The buildup towards the ending was simply breathtaking. I was almost convinced that Near was going to die. Yet at the back of my mind, I thought everything was going on too well for Light.

Light’s insanity at the end was fitting. It goes to show that he is “only human” as Agent Smith will put it. Ryuk is the real god, a god of Death indeed!

Characters

The characters are pretty well developed. One can get a lot from their thought processes and their way of scheming. You either love or hate them or even both – certainly the manga-kas have suceeded well enough in this area.

My favourite character is probably L. Lawliet (yes, that’s his real name). I guess my basis for liking him was not so much for his intelligence, of which Light undoubtly shares, but for the way he looks and the many habits he has. It was unique.

The second on the list would be Light. Part of me went to him when L died because I don’t have much love for Near and Mello. Probably because of the fact that Light IS the mian character after all, Light just grew on me through the pages of Death Note. His evil smirks and evil plans were like an emotional blow to me in the form of excitement.

I’ve really never liked Near and Mello up to the point of me rooting for Light to win. The evil smirks of Near going “I’ve got you” just intensifies that dislike. That’s probably the sucess of the combined efforts of the artist and the writer.

Artwork

The artwork played a major role in the storytelling as well. The smirks on the faces of Light and Near, for example, never fails to make me exclaim “XXX, you BASTARD!” or something along the lines. The expressions of the characters faces are godly. You could almost feel them yourself.


The first thing most people see when buying books are probably the cover pages. They can usually make the most cynical people pick up the book, just like in my case. Well, Death Note has surely suceeded in doing so. The cover art is just so beautifully drawn and attractive. Well, that’s as far as my art-vocabulary can go – you’ll have to see for yourself.

Conclusion

Death Note is and will remain as one of my favourite manga of all times. The rich storyline and art has led me to re-read the series several times. Of course the daunting wordiness of the manga might deter some but hold on and persevere – you will find it worthwhile.

I certainly hope the anime lives up to its expectations and remember: “The human whose name is written in this note shall die.”