Death Note, Volume 8

Death Note [デスノート] #8

by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata

Light--working as Kira, the newest member of the NPA intelligence bureau, and L--has nearly succeeded in creating his ideal world. But the years of uncontested victory have made him complacent, and he is unprepared for a new attack close to home. With his younger sister Sayu kidnapped and the NPA's Death Note demanded as ransom, Light must travel across the world and confront two new adversaries, each with a very different agenda. Will Light's quick wits be a match for this new challenge, or will he be forced to choose between Kira's ambitions and his own family's lives?

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Fiction, Mystery, Horror

208 pages, Library Binding

First published September 2, 2005

About the author

Tsugumi Ōba (Profile in Japanese: 大場 つぐみ), born in Tokyo, Japan, is a writer best known for the manga Death Note. His/her real identity is a closely guarded secret. As stated by the profile placed at the beginning of each Death Note manga, Ōba collects teacups and develops manga plots while holding his knees on a chair, similar to a habit of L, one of the main characters of the series.

There is speculation that Tsugumi Ōba is a pen name and that he is really Hiroshi Gamō. Pointing out that in Bakuman the main character's uncle was a one-hit wonder manga artist who worked on a gag super hero manga, very similar to Gamō and Tottemo! Luckyman in all aspects. Also that the storyboards drawn by Ōba greatly resemble Tottemo! Luckyman in style.

Reviews

[MischaS_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

And here my problems begin. I still like Kira but... Did you see Mello? How can you not be obsessed with him?
I'm obsessed with him and his chocolate!

And I think that if Mello was the one against Kira from the beginning, I would be supporting him. But now? Can I get both?

And, yeah, sure Near. I don't know; he always reminded me of a little monkey. Cute and everything but other than that? Nope.

[Kami · Rating 2 out of 5]

- I miss L. Things just aren't the same without him.

- Mello looks like a girl! I thought it was a girl for a while. He is also pretty deranged and creepy.

- Light is such an arrogant jerk! Why is he using everyone like this? Does he have no morals?

- Misa is SO dumb! Can't she see that Light is using her?

- I'd like to get to know Near better. He doesn't seem as good as L. It is funny how is always playing with something.

- The series has gotten a little boring to me.

[Manisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual review: 3.5

I'm feeling the loss. The story has lost something and I know what it is.

[Swati Tanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the present, the story is a little disconnected. A few times, I found myself drifting off. L is someone I miss.

I didn't like how Light wasn't on top of his game during the first half of this volume, because one of the reasons I fell in love with this series in the first place was that he was always a step ahead of the game, or at the very least knew what was going on at all times. The new individuals are intriguing, and I'm interested to watch how they develop, as well as their interaction with L. And what exactly does L stand for? It's like James Bond's M or Q.

Misa is still a hard sight to behold. How can you be blinded by love to that extent? Have some self-esteem, at the very least. I'd want to see the feminine characters undergo some sort of change.

You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is a little all over the place at the moment, but I think it'll be really awesome as the different threads start to come back together or snipped off (the Greek Fates style).

[Makrand · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was stupid to think that Death Note wouldn't be interesting after 'L' died in Volume 7

Took a break and resumed after a couple months after Gorab started reading.

Tugami Ohba has not just made Volume 8 interesting, it's more darker now.
Killing 'L' wasn't a good idea for Light since previously he had one problem now he has Two in form of Near (N) & Mellow.

N is very much similar to L whereas Mellow is one step ahead all them more putting Kira in shackles.
Surprisingly, with the introduction of the new Shinigami - Sidoh, the game changes.

Sadly, with every Volume, Light is getting more evil and more hateful. He didn't even hesitate when his Father's & Sister's life was at stake.

Death Note does have power to alter mind after all.

Another amazing Volume!! Loved it

[Lauren Lanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the devastating loss of such a big personality to this manga, I wasn’t sure I’d be interested in it anymore. That mindset definitely hindered my enjoyment of the first half of this volume, though with time, Near and Mello began to shine as new leads.

It’s interesting having three different sides bash heads in conflict, rather than the usual back and forth between Light and L. The new dynamic between Near, Mello and Light shook things up more than I anticipated, and by the end of this volume, I could almost forget how much I miss my boy!!

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW// murder, heart attacks

This volume was just okay. I really like Near and I liked the creative setting of the hostage situation, but unfortunately the rest of this volume was just mediocre. I’m still hoping this series will get back to the epicness of the first couple of volumes.

[Hanna ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read nothing but this manga all week, I kid you not. Why bother reading anything else when these plot twists are giving me LIFE.

I hate hate hate that L is gone, he was my favorite character in this entire series but I feel like he isn't really dead... after all it's pretty easy to stage a death when you're a sly genius. With him being gone, Light is getting more and more arrogant with time, I just want him to die at this point. Him and Misa are the world's most annoying fictional characters. Mello, uber androgynous Mello. What's there to even say about him? Deranged? Creepy? He's pretty much irrelevant for now, I just want L back.

*mourns L's death*

[Christina Pilkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5 It was a little hard getting into this volume at first. I'm still mourning L and accepting that he's gone. The new "L"s aren't up to his level. Mello is definitely more interesting than Near...sneakier, more devious and interesting. And I can relate with his chocolate obsession.

Light is so wrapped up with these new obstacles in his way that I can see him descending even more into insanity, which I'm sure will cause lots of slip ups in the future. Misa is such a nothing of a character. She was a little more interesting before she became's Light's girlfriend, but now she is just portrayed as dumb and naive all the time. My biggest criticism of this series is that there isn't a single woman who has a position of power or agency in this series. And I can't see that changing. At first I was excited to see Mello as a new villain because I thought he was a girl! But nope. We couldn't even have that.

Very curious what the next volume will bring and when Near Mello and Light will meet..because I'm sure that will be a thing.

[meher ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

the plot is getting so confusing at this point and it's no longer engaging since it's no longer simply watching characters develop mutual understanding and act off that. it's now just people doing their own thing and being petty.

AND I MISS YOU KNOW WHO >:( HOW DARE YOU LIGHT

but I mean, extra points for Mello's existence and for him being on the cover ✨
we stan a petulant child who eats chocolate :D

[Janani(ஜனனி)⁷ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Guess what?

I miss HIM😥😥

[A. Raca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bir süre ara vermiştim seriye ancak 8. ciltte aksiyon dozu arttı. Merak ediyorum bayağı...

[H.orses · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mello! Look at him in his chocolate glory! Another character that you really just want to hug but know that he'd shoot your head off if you even got within a foot of his chocolate bar. The characters in these books are amazingly corny, all with their own odd habits. Whether that be eating chocolate or killing people, its all fun, yup fun...

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep thinking Mello is a girl lol

[Seb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The swing moment has come and the story is no longer the same. It drags somehow...

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the last few chapters as a reminder because I already have the 9th volume. The only thing that stands out is that Light Yagami has become a pansy. That's right, I said it! Ever since what happened with L in the last volume, and the years that have passed, Light has gotten soft and I don't like it one bit. In this volume, Light now has concerns for the well-being of his family and actually doesn't want to put them at risk. Really?! Wasn't it in the first or second volume that Light was willing to sacrifice his family? Damn it, Light. Go back to being a sociopath! And then I'm confused as to who Light is supposed to be. There's so much that he says, it gets me off track. I'm only continuing to read this because 1) my sister says that the anime ending was...thought provoking. and 2) i really wanna know what happens to somehow who uses the Death Note. they can neither go to heaven or hell. Hmm.

[MischaS_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ach, to je ták boží! Já chci bejt taky takovej padouch. A chci čokoládu.

[Annie♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enamoradísima de los personajes 🥰❤️

[rachel, x · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1) Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom ★★★★☆
#2) Death Note, Vol. 2: Confluence ★★★☆☆
#3) Death Note, Vol. 3: Hard Run ★★★★☆
#4) Death Note, Vol. 4: Love ★★★☆☆
#5) Death Note, Vol. 5: Whiteout ★★☆☆☆
#6) Death Note, Vol. 6: Give-and-Take ★★★★☆
#7) Death Note, Vol. 7: Zero ★★★★☆
#9) Death Note, Vol. 9: Contact ★★★★☆
#10) Death Note, Vol. 10: Deletion ★★★★☆
#11) Death Note, Vol. 11: Kindred Spirits ★★★★☆
#12) Death Note, Vol. 12: Finis ★★★☆☆

I am still waiting for a plot twist to change everything that has happened in volume seven because I’m not okay.

➸ Trigger warnings for heart attack, murder (on- & off-page), gun violence, kidnapping.

▷ Representation: Japanese cast & setting.

Blog • Trigger Warning Database • Twitter • Instagram

[Kät · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of a 3.5/5 because I found myself drifting off a few times and I didn't like how Light wasn't on top of his game the first half of this volume, because his always being a step ahead or at least knowing what is going on at all times is one of the reasons I fell in love with this series at the beginning...I like Near but he's definitely not reached L's level of adoration
My biggest problem with this series will always be how female characters are presented with the lack of any strong women and lack of women, period. How Light treats Misa makes me angry every time but now it's reached the level where I overread those passages because it gets tiring to see Misas non-reaction to it.

[Sreedevi Nair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loving where the plot is going .. but this book was my least favorite till now.. love the new characters but the story now is all over the place... Hopefully it gets clear in the next one.

Reread - i really love how the chase is back on after vol 7 but still miss L a lot..

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl, I hate Mello. I suffer misophonia and even seeing photos of that guy licking and chewing on chocolate bars nonstop makes me want to choke someone. Uggghhh.

[Kesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's nothing that can terrify me more than Light's face in Volume 7.

[lea ִֶָ☾.]

these later volumes just don't hit the same

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seriously, do not read the blurbs for this manga series before you start. Have these guys heard about spoilers?

Well, it's a new and unexpected world we now inhabit. Misa continues to be irritating, and speaks about herself in the 3rd person. Also, this manga is determined to kill off interesting female characters, and we're left with Misa and Mello, who presents as female, and but is really a dude? Sigh. More players added to the game, chess with multiple boards in play now. I do like that like Light, Mello is always eating. Okay, I'm settled in for the ride, because it's unclear who I'm rooting for at the moment.

[Ferdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

-Light was a stone cold bastard. He didn't have any loving or kind feelings whatsoever, at least early in the series he seemed to care for his family and genuinely wanted to make the world a better place. He was no longer like that, he was willing to kill Sayu, his dad, and anyone else if they got in the way of his goal to create a new world he could control.
Also, the fact he was living with Misa for years but still hadn't developed any feelings for her showed how inhuman he was, he was totally fine with using her and then killing her if it suited his purpose.
He had no redeeming qualities whatsoever or any human-ness about him, it made him come across as a caricature, at least he had some depth before. I really hope he gets killed soon.

-The new dynamics with Light having to stay one step ahead of N and Mello was kind of interesting. But I wasn't all that impressed with how much Mello/Near reminded me of L. Even though they were just as, if not more, intelligent and logical than L, they still seemed like poor versions of him. Maybe, they'll develop and stand out on their own in later volumes.

-Notes: Light's sister (Sayu) was kidnapped by a group who wanted the Death Note. Light had two new opponents, both of them were trained to be L's successors: Near/N was promoted as the new L and was working with the FBI. And Mello joined the Mafia when Near/N became the new L.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light is cold, man, cold. Especially to the ladies.

There's poor misguided Misa (Hell no did Light just speak to her like that!) – she really needs to get out of there. And then lil sis Sayu, whose brother is mercilessly contemplating killing her off, just so he can have an easier time as a brutal mass murderer. Bad times.

All in all, the series is still good... but that level of excitement and mystery is somewhat lacking now. I like the addition of Mello and Near, but it feels like it's lost the focus and sense of direction it had – and I think the time jump has eliminated a lot of the tension.

Kira doesn't have much of a presence here, it's just L vs M vs N – and that just ain't as interesting to me right now.

Maybe this volume is more of a reset button, and the next volumes will pick up once all this introducing-of-the-new-story-arc is out of the way.

I did like Sidoh though, with his insectiness and his lack of mental acuity. Poor guy. All he wants is his magical murder weapon back, is that so much to ask?

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is quickly finding its footing after the huge plot twist in the previous volume. With Near and Mello now in the game, Light finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. He sometimes loses sight of his goals and gets lost in a lust for revenge after having his ego attacked.

Misa remains such a painful sight. How can you be THAT blinded by love?

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[ˋ✧*⁀➷ ʙᴇᴛᴛʏ (med school got me good) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helloo?? I thought we were joking with the L thing?? He's really dead? Wtf man bring him back it's not the same without him.

And what is this near and mello concept? They quite literally are ditto the new L and Light. We're going back in circles. Again.

Please there's no way i'm rating this 5 stars if L's really dead. END THIS MADNESS AMD BRING BACK MY BAE!!