Death Note (Desu Nōto?) is a Japanese manga series created by writer
Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator
Takeshi Obata. The series focus on a high school student,
Light Yagami, who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing the victim's name and picturing his face. The plot follows his attempt to create and lead a world cleansed of evil using the book, and the complex conflict between himself and those assailing him that results.
Light Yagami is an extremely intelligent young man who resents the crime and corruption in the world. His life change when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the "Death Note", lying on the ground. This notebook has a terrifying powers that can kill or control anyone whose name was written in it. The Death Note's instructions claim that if a humans name is written within it, that person shall die.
Death Notes all have rules written on the Note's first page. The basic rules are as follows:
* The human whose name is written in this note shall die.
* This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject's face in their mind when writing his/her name. Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected.
* If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the subject's name, it will happen.
* If the cause of death is not specified, the subject will simply die of a heart attack.
* After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds (400 seconds).
There were additional rules written in the notebook which was done for some purpose to elaborate the story better. These rules often serve to clarify the more esoteric uses of the Death Note that the characters discover on their own. Official Death Notes contain over 40 pages of how to use it, consisting of both those written in the Notes and those shown in as eyecatchs.
Light is initially skeptical of the notebook's authenticity, but after experimenting with it, Light realizes that the Death Note is real. After meeting with the previous owner of the Death Note, a shinigami named
Ryuk, Light seeks to become
"the God of the New World" by passing his judgment on those he deems to be evil or who get in his way.
Soon, the number of inexplicable deaths of reported criminals catches the attention of the International Police Organization and a mysterious detective known only as "L". L quickly learns that the serial killer, dubbed by the public as "Kira" (Kira derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the word "killer"), is located in Japan. L also concludes that Kira can kill people without laying a finger on them. Light realizes that L will be his greatest nemesis, and a game of psychological cat and mouse between the two begins.
Light's father,
Soichiro Yagami is a police officer who was assigned to lead the Kira investigation team. He becomes disappointed with the lack of police cooperation in Kira's case, eventually he join forces with L to form a special investigative team. After a test that L set-up, he suspected that Light is the one who called Kira. Soichiro didn't believe in it but he still insist to remain helpful in the team. To investigate Light further, L needs to reveal himself. The battle between Light and L became very intense. Lots of twist and turn happened between the two.
As the investigation goes by, a second Kira appears,
Misa Amane. She is a girl with an immense crush on Kira, Misa is a popular idol in Japan. She is immature and tends to refer to herself in the third person in an attempt to be cute. Misa is completely devoted to Light, and she once said that she loved him at first sight. Light, however, only views her as an asset to his plans because of her Death Note and her Shinigami eyes (that she obtained at the cost of half of her remaining life span, twice). Misa devotes herself to Light because he killed her parents' murderer after several trials had failed to convict him. She also has same story with Light in having the notebook. It was fallen in her from nowhere, but obviously it was given by Shinigami.
Rem is the Shinigami whose own Misa's Death Note. Similar to Ryuk, Rem possesses two Death Notes. However, she purposely gives one of them to Misa Amane. Rem inherited her second Death Note from Jealous, another shinigami who died when he saved Misa's life, and thought it only right to pass it on to Misa. Rem inherits Jealous' love for Misa as well and is prompt to defend Misa even at the cost of her life. Rem shows this when she states that she will kill Light if Misa dies before her time.
As there were two Kira now L lead to confusion a bit of time but manage because of his genius mind. He found out that Misa is the second Kira and tried to prove it. He ordered kidnapped Misa and tortured it to tell the truth. But with Light brilliant mind L fall in his trap. L knows that he will die in the game that's why he choose someone who will inherit his position. The two kids from the orphanage named
Near and
Mello became the candidate for L's successor. When L die because Light put a trap to Rem to kill L, the kids take over in the investigating team.
Mello was an orphan who grew up with Near in Watari's shelter for gifted children. Similar to L's fondness for sweets, he is often seen eating bars of chocolate. Although Mello is quite intelligent, he often lets his emotions get the better of him. Mello wears leather most of the time, unlike Near or L. He also appears to be less secluded in terms of his friends and hobbies, and seems to be fond of biking. While
Near was a primary candidate to become L's successor and calls himself N during the course of his investigations. He shares a number of similarities with L. Much like how L plays with things such as sugar cubes and forks, Near is frequently shown playing with toys or his hair. Near also sits in an unusual manner similar to L, but with some slight differences. He offered to join forces with Mello to fight Kira, but Mello turned him down. Near then gained the support of the Government of the United States and formed the Secret Provision for Kira (SPK).
