Death Note

Death Note is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 2003 to May 2006. The story follows Light Yagami, a high-school prodigy who stumbles upon a supernatural notebook dropped into the human world by a bored shinigami named Ryuk. The Death Note grants its user the power to kill anyone whose name they write in it, provided the user pictures the victim's face. Initially skeptical, Light tests the notebook and is shocked when it works. Believing himself destined to become a god of a new, crime-free world, he embarks on a crusade to eliminate criminals, earning the public moniker Kira. His actions attract the attention of the world's greatest detective, the enigmatic L, who deduces that Kira is based in Japan and is likely a student. What follows is a tense, intellectual cat-and-mouse game as Light and L attempt to outmaneuver each other, Light trying to kill L without revealing his identity, L trying to capture Light and expose the Death Note's existence. The series explores the corrupting nature of absolute power and the blurred lines between justice and tyranny.

The manga comprises 108 chapters compiled into 12 tankōbon volumes in Japan. The English edition is published by Viz Media, with other international publishers including Glénat, Panini Comics, and Madman Entertainment. As of 2023, Death Note has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. It has been released in multiple editions: the standard 12-volume set, a six-volume Black Edition with larger format and color pages, and a single-volume All-in-One Edition (2017). A one-shot sequel chapter set ten years after the original story was published in 2020.

Death Note has won numerous awards, including the Excellence Award at the 2007 Japanese Media Arts Festival in the Manga Division and the Best Manga award at the 2008 American Anime Awards. It was also nominated for a Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material in 2008 and an Eagle Award for Favourite Manga in 2009. The series has spawned a vast media franchise, including a 37-episode anime adaptation by Madhouse (2006–2007), two Japanese live-action films (2006), a spin-off film L: Change the World (2008), an American film adaptation on Netflix (2017), a Japanese TV drama (2015), and stage productions including a musical. Its cultural impact is significant, popularizing the battle-of-wits genre in manga and anime, and introducing iconic characters such as L, known for his distinctive posture and love of sweets. The series has been referenced in numerous other media and continues to spark debates about vigilante justice and the ethics of killing.[edit]