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Death Note [デスノート] #12
Death Note, Vol. 12: Fin
El tan esperado, dramático y asombroso final ha llegado. El enfrentamiento entre Light y Near sucederá por fin. Las intrigas, los planes y el fantástico duelo de intelectos está por concluir. ¿Quién ganará? ¿Logrará Kira su mundo ideal? ¿Conseguirá Near acabar con Kira? ¿Mello intervendrá? ¿Quién apoyará a quién? Todas las interrogantes encuentran su respuesta en esta última e increíble entrega. ¡No te la puedes perder. “Nadie sabe qué es lo correcto y qué no lo es, qué es justicia o iniquidad. Si hay un dios, aunque ese dios me lo dijera, yo reflexionaría. Y yo mismo decidiría si lo que me dice es correcto o no.” Near.
216 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2006
177 people are currently reading
7726 people want to read
About the author
Tsugumi Ohba
352 books2,858 followersTsugumi 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,398 reviews
March 5, 2019
I cannot believe that this is it...
I'll miss my apple-eating Shinigami.
I cannot believe that this is it.
I cannot say much about this one because the first twenty pages killed me.
This series gave me so many great characters to love. I had to love Kira even though he is the villain and mass murderer. I love Misa (not only because she's my namesake) but because she was who she was. She was the girl who loved a boy who did not love her back and only used her. She lived blissful life thinking he loved her back. And she was a ball of energy which was hard to control!
I loved Mello because he was neither the good guy nor a bad guy. He only wanted to be better than Near, and in the end, he was because he became the last key to succeeding.
I loved Matt who was hardly there and yet I had to love him and wish there was more of him. I still hope that Matt and Mello would get their own series.
I knew this would happen and Ryuk said it right away that he would do it.
And yet here I have to say something about one theory.
And I have to wonder how different it would be if Ryuk was more like Rem or if Rem was alive?
I'll miss my apple-eating Shinigami.
I cannot believe that this is it.
I cannot say much about this one because the first twenty pages killed me.
This series gave me so many great characters to love. I had to love Kira even though he is the villain and mass murderer. I love Misa (not only because she's my namesake) but because she was who she was. She was the girl who loved a boy who did not love her back and only used her. She lived blissful life thinking he loved her back. And she was a ball of energy which was hard to control!
I loved Mello because he was neither the good guy nor a bad guy. He only wanted to be better than Near, and in the end, he was because he became the last key to succeeding.
I loved Matt who was hardly there and yet I had to love him and wish there was more of him. I still hope that Matt and Mello would get their own series.
I knew this would happen and Ryuk said it right away that he would do it.
And yet here I have to say something about one theory.
And I have to wonder how different it would be if Ryuk was more like Rem or if Rem was alive?
January 27, 2019
Read on blog
This will be the review for the whole series.
Let me preface this review by saying that ‘Death Note’ is one of my favorite mystery thriller series of all time, if not my favorite. I was introduced to it by my brother who basically forced me to watch the anime as he was a big fan of it; plus he wanted to get me into anime as he loved it and wanted me to share his hobby but I couldn’t get the appeal behind it. I remember we even had an argument about it.
I believed manga/anime is not really my thing if you know what I mean. Guess what? I was utterly and irrevocably mistaken! He told me not to be judgemental about something unless I’ve tried it or at least made an effort to know about it. So, I did and I know, it’s kind of ridiculous to associate a trivial thing to something profound but for real, this experience has taught me to be open minded about things in general.
‘Death Note’ revolves around Light Yagami, a high school student in Japan. He’s an extremely smart overachiever who excels at almost everything he does. Nothing is difficult for him and he’s bored out of his mind. On the other hand, we have Shinigami (God of Death) Ryuk who is also fed up in his Shinigami realm as there’s nothing much to do, so he decides to beat his boredom by dropping his ‘Death Note’ in the human realm.
Light’s life changes immensely when one fateful day, he discovers a ‘Death Note’ lying in his schoolyard. It’s a notebook that allows you to kill any person whose name is written in it provided you know what they look like. At first, he dismisses the notebook thinking that it’s just a prank. But, he soon discovers that it’s legit when he decides to verify it by writing a person’s name in the notebook and that person ends up dying. Now, it seems like Light knows exactly what he wants to do: use the power of ‘Death Note’ to get rid of the evil in the world. Due to this, chaos ensues as the criminals start dropping dead mysteriously around the world.
As the deaths of the criminals continue, people praise this mysterious entity and name him ‘Kira’ which means killer. A special task force is formed to find this peculiar killer who is able to kill people without leaving any clues behind. The task force is headed by an equally smart L, a widely famous detective whose name and identity are obscure. He openly challenges Light by claiming that he will find him and punish him. Therefore, begins the cat-and-mouse chase to see who can uncover other’s identity and bring justice in the world.
It is one of the best-written mysteries incorporating a supernatural element. But, for me, the cherry on the cake was the conflict between the two main characters having different ideologies. On one side, we have Light who believes killing a person is justified as long as he deserves to die; a person who has committed a crime should be punished for it and death of that person means one less criminal and one more step towards creating a utopian society where only honest and hardworking people exist.
On the other side, we have L who believes that it’s not anybody’s place to play God and create a society by cherry picking good people and eliminating bad people as he has no right or qualification to do so. Both Light and L are convinced that they’re justice and they’ll do anything to uphold their idea of justice. Hence, begins a battle of wits to defeat each other and ensure that justice prevails.
Light and L are two of my absolute favorite characters of all times. Despite having contrasting beliefs, both are similar in many ways. Both of them are extremely smart, in fact, smarter than other people around them. That’s why they’re able to grasp each other’s perspective which causes a psychological war between them. It’s like playing house of cards; one wrong move and you’re caught. They may be rivals, but in each other, they find their equals which sort of creates a connection between them.
L is an eccentric character who has shadows beneath his eyes, he is addicted to sweet things and he has a peculiar way of talking and sitting. He was absolutely adorable and he added a little lightness to the story. Similarly, Ryuk was another comical character who loves apples and his favorite catchphrase is: Humans are so interesting! Who knew God of Death could be this cool! He hangs out with Light and guides him and often annoys him. But, throughout the book, he remains neutral and enjoys the fruits of his labor! He might look terrifying but I assure you, he’s a sweetheart. I also loved the characters in police investigation team assisting L.
The story takes place over the course of roughly ten years that begins with the appearance of Death Note in the human realm. A lot of characters get introduced as the story progresses and there are a lot of twists and turns that kept me hooked. I enjoyed it immensely. In the beginning, you find yourself rooting for Light but as the events unfold, you start leaning towards L and sometimes, find yourself shifting between two ideologies. I loved the ending as it shows that justice always prevails.
So, what is justice? This brilliantly written story raises this important question and it makes you seriously think about this question. Is it ok to kill someone if their death won’t affect anyone? I see this same question being raised in the classic ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky which is another book I loved which might’ve inspired Death Note. Also, what’s interesting about Death Note is that that creator’s identity is a closely guarded secret which is so interesting!
Another question the Death Note raises is: are people inherently evil or is it the power that makes them so? I’m sure you’ve heard: With great power comes great responsibility. But, is it true that great power also gives the power to justify evil? Light’s sole purpose is getting rid of bad people by killing them which does not make him any better than those whom he killed. If he didn’t have the power, he wouldn’t have gotten a chance to kill so freely. That’s something to think about.
All in all, Death Note will always be a favorite classic manga/anime series of mine and I highly recommend reading it!
This will be the review for the whole series.
Let me preface this review by saying that ‘Death Note’ is one of my favorite mystery thriller series of all time, if not my favorite. I was introduced to it by my brother who basically forced me to watch the anime as he was a big fan of it; plus he wanted to get me into anime as he loved it and wanted me to share his hobby but I couldn’t get the appeal behind it. I remember we even had an argument about it.
I believed manga/anime is not really my thing if you know what I mean. Guess what? I was utterly and irrevocably mistaken! He told me not to be judgemental about something unless I’ve tried it or at least made an effort to know about it. So, I did and I know, it’s kind of ridiculous to associate a trivial thing to something profound but for real, this experience has taught me to be open minded about things in general.
‘Death Note’ revolves around Light Yagami, a high school student in Japan. He’s an extremely smart overachiever who excels at almost everything he does. Nothing is difficult for him and he’s bored out of his mind. On the other hand, we have Shinigami (God of Death) Ryuk who is also fed up in his Shinigami realm as there’s nothing much to do, so he decides to beat his boredom by dropping his ‘Death Note’ in the human realm.
Light’s life changes immensely when one fateful day, he discovers a ‘Death Note’ lying in his schoolyard. It’s a notebook that allows you to kill any person whose name is written in it provided you know what they look like. At first, he dismisses the notebook thinking that it’s just a prank. But, he soon discovers that it’s legit when he decides to verify it by writing a person’s name in the notebook and that person ends up dying. Now, it seems like Light knows exactly what he wants to do: use the power of ‘Death Note’ to get rid of the evil in the world. Due to this, chaos ensues as the criminals start dropping dead mysteriously around the world.
As the deaths of the criminals continue, people praise this mysterious entity and name him ‘Kira’ which means killer. A special task force is formed to find this peculiar killer who is able to kill people without leaving any clues behind. The task force is headed by an equally smart L, a widely famous detective whose name and identity are obscure. He openly challenges Light by claiming that he will find him and punish him. Therefore, begins the cat-and-mouse chase to see who can uncover other’s identity and bring justice in the world.
It is one of the best-written mysteries incorporating a supernatural element. But, for me, the cherry on the cake was the conflict between the two main characters having different ideologies. On one side, we have Light who believes killing a person is justified as long as he deserves to die; a person who has committed a crime should be punished for it and death of that person means one less criminal and one more step towards creating a utopian society where only honest and hardworking people exist.
On the other side, we have L who believes that it’s not anybody’s place to play God and create a society by cherry picking good people and eliminating bad people as he has no right or qualification to do so. Both Light and L are convinced that they’re justice and they’ll do anything to uphold their idea of justice. Hence, begins a battle of wits to defeat each other and ensure that justice prevails.
Light and L are two of my absolute favorite characters of all times. Despite having contrasting beliefs, both are similar in many ways. Both of them are extremely smart, in fact, smarter than other people around them. That’s why they’re able to grasp each other’s perspective which causes a psychological war between them. It’s like playing house of cards; one wrong move and you’re caught. They may be rivals, but in each other, they find their equals which sort of creates a connection between them.
L is an eccentric character who has shadows beneath his eyes, he is addicted to sweet things and he has a peculiar way of talking and sitting. He was absolutely adorable and he added a little lightness to the story. Similarly, Ryuk was another comical character who loves apples and his favorite catchphrase is: Humans are so interesting! Who knew God of Death could be this cool! He hangs out with Light and guides him and often annoys him. But, throughout the book, he remains neutral and enjoys the fruits of his labor! He might look terrifying but I assure you, he’s a sweetheart. I also loved the characters in police investigation team assisting L.
The story takes place over the course of roughly ten years that begins with the appearance of Death Note in the human realm. A lot of characters get introduced as the story progresses and there are a lot of twists and turns that kept me hooked. I enjoyed it immensely. In the beginning, you find yourself rooting for Light but as the events unfold, you start leaning towards L and sometimes, find yourself shifting between two ideologies. I loved the ending as it shows that justice always prevails.
So, what is justice? This brilliantly written story raises this important question and it makes you seriously think about this question. Is it ok to kill someone if their death won’t affect anyone? I see this same question being raised in the classic ‘Crime and Punishment’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky which is another book I loved which might’ve inspired Death Note. Also, what’s interesting about Death Note is that that creator’s identity is a closely guarded secret which is so interesting!
Another question the Death Note raises is: are people inherently evil or is it the power that makes them so? I’m sure you’ve heard: With great power comes great responsibility. But, is it true that great power also gives the power to justify evil? Light’s sole purpose is getting rid of bad people by killing them which does not make him any better than those whom he killed. If he didn’t have the power, he wouldn’t have gotten a chance to kill so freely. That’s something to think about.
All in all, Death Note will always be a favorite classic manga/anime series of mine and I highly recommend reading it!
July 5, 2018
Actual review: 3.5
“Death is equal.”
We have finally come to the end, and I am satisfied. It was a bit underwhelming, but it fulfilled a deep need that I wanted to see in black and white, so I have no criticisms regarding the ending.
Actually, that’s a lie.
After reading this series, I watched the anime, and I was surprised by how much I preferred the ending in the anime series compared to the manga. There was a sense of poetic justice in what happened, and I found Light’s behaviour more in character than in the manga.
♣ Series Review:
I loved this concept. I loved how each edition was like watching chess moves between two worthy opponents. I flew through the first few editions because they were addictively good.
But then, things started to get repetitive. The same move was done by more and more people and the novelty was lost. I wish it had ended four or five editions ago. I would have rather wanted more from the series rather than find myself think, ‘Enough already’.
“Death is equal.”
We have finally come to the end, and I am satisfied. It was a bit underwhelming, but it fulfilled a deep need that I wanted to see in black and white, so I have no criticisms regarding the ending.
Actually, that’s a lie.
After reading this series, I watched the anime, and I was surprised by how much I preferred the ending in the anime series compared to the manga. There was a sense of poetic justice in what happened, and I found Light’s behaviour more in character than in the manga.
♣ Series Review:
I loved this concept. I loved how each edition was like watching chess moves between two worthy opponents. I flew through the first few editions because they were addictively good.
But then, things started to get repetitive. The same move was done by more and more people and the novelty was lost. I wish it had ended four or five editions ago. I would have rather wanted more from the series rather than find myself think, ‘Enough already’.
May 5, 2021
What a ride! I loved how Death Note ended. I was really scared I wouldn't. This was a perfect story with the kind of stakes I love! I can't wait to watch the anime now.
December 28, 2014
Underwhelming, I was expecting an epic showdown between Light and Near, instead them meeting was mostly cheesy and boring, and Light turned into such a pathetic and one dimensional character. Did really like the creepy-ish ending with Misa and the Kira followers though.
Overall, the series was fairly enjoyable, it was only the last few instalments that let it down.
Overall, the series was fairly enjoyable, it was only the last few instalments that let it down.
November 30, 2025
I loved this concept. I loved how each edition was like watching chess moves between two worthy opponents.
I enjoyed the first several copies because they were so enjoyable. However, things began to become monotonous after that. As other people did the same thing, the freshness of the move diminished. It should have stopped four or five volumes ago, in my opinion. The final conclusion was predictable, too. I can't think of a different way for it to conclude.
Overall a very smart and unique series.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
I enjoyed the first several copies because they were so enjoyable. However, things began to become monotonous after that. As other people did the same thing, the freshness of the move diminished. It should have stopped four or five volumes ago, in my opinion. The final conclusion was predictable, too. I can't think of a different way for it to conclude.
Overall a very smart and unique series.
You might like to wander through a few artistic journals — they’re full of sparks and surprises.
June 30, 2014
Mi amor por esa serie es directamente proporcional al amor que tiene Ryuk a las manzanas.
October 21, 2023
I'M GOING THROUGH THE WORST HANGOVER IN THE HISTORY OF HANGOVERS LIKE LITERALLY SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP I MISS MY BABIES SO MUCH
---------------------------------------------------------
I'll be reviewing the entire series here, so obviously
! SPOILERS !
Death Note
The series started off soo good. Phenomenal. Astronomical. Absolutely ground-breaking!
Death Note is basically a chess game between Light and L but only that L is blindfolded.
Light and L are THAT unbeatable power dynamic. They are the same person. Different sides of the same coin. Throughout the first half it's a constant battle between them to outsmart each other. There's a war between the fans on who is more smart? I can't choose! Both are so witty and meticulous that it drives me insaneeee!!!
L's broadcast to dig out Kira's location without even talking to him!? The way he so intricately read into his actions and immediately told the world that he lives in japan. My man's a fucking genius!
And Light's plan to revoke his ownership of Death Note and lose his memories so that he can be deemed innocent and get himself completely off L's radar!? BRILLIANT!
But if I still would have to choose, i'll no doubt declare L as the ultimate masterhero of the game. Think about it!
Light + Misa + 2 Shinigamis + 2 Death Notes + Magic = L. (he doesn't even know the rules of the game he's playing)
The first half was too perfect. And you know what they say, perfect doesn't last forever.
I think things started going off rail from the yotsuba arc. It was witty yet extremely unnecessary and it draggeddddd. I don't even remember the names of the businessmen who died. Nobody gives a fuck bro.
And L's death was my last strand. Although I do think it was reasonable, he had to die sooner or later, but that should have been the end of it. L's the smartest person in the entire anime and if Light managed to beat him, then there's absolutely no one who could've stopped him.
Another possibility could've been L beating Light and they both dieing in the end?? Idk seems fair as they are so equal that at one point I started thinking it's impossible for any of them to win. L always knew Light is Kira but he needed the absolute hardcore proof to fully convince himself, as this is how Ryuzaki works.
Point is, the ultimate battle should have been between L and Light. Ending could've been anything. Light wins or L wins. Or they both lose. It's too unpredictable. But it should have been L and Light. The ultimate showdown.
Near's and Mello's introduction to the story threw me off guard. Not the writers killing off L but the absolute audacity to bring in his clone as the main hero! Don't get me wrong, I find Near cute, but he stands nowhere near L.
At this point you could sense the writers rushing this. Near, who knew absolutely nothing about the case before joining the SPK, was almost too quickly able to deduce the fact that Light Yagami was Kira and my man was CONFIDENT. It was too easy for him to trick and catch the evil mastermind Light. Something that took L loads of mindfuckery to get to.
And that ending!? WEAK ASFFFF
I was hoping to see the ultimate-minfuck-of-games-and-tactics-showdown between Light and Near but what was thaaatttt!?!? Light played it good but Near overthrew his game (please let's be real it was so unrealistic. Carbon copying the exact clone of death note to the microscopic level within a day is insaneee. them writers be trippin') But yeah since the villain has to die, let's do it however we can.
Also mello died soo easily!? Don't fuck me with that hE sAcRifIcED HiMsElF bs. We all know damn well he ain't the one to do the useless charity work. The way these writers were showing him to be so witty and one of the another major obstacle for kira? All that for him to stupidly die in that way? boooo
Also why did I almost cry at Light's death? I hated that man. (like i literally flipped him off everytime he appeared on screen and considering he is the main character i'm surprised how my middle finger is yet attached to my metacarpels)
These characters, good or bad, grew into me overtime. L's my absolute favourite off all time (no debate AT ALL) but what can I say, Light is that evil sexy bastard I can't get enough of 😮💨
I personally believe Kira never lost. He won. He was able to keep the task force in the dark for 6 years. He defeated the best detective in the world. He efficiently manipulated the entire world to submit to him. He rules the 'new world'. The world kneels before him. He was successful in evicting almost all of the crimes in the world. People consider him a god and worship at his altar.
Thus when he was about to die, he died with pride. Chest swelled loudly admitting that HE IS KIRA. THE GOD OF JUSTICE.
---------------------------------------------------------
I'll be reviewing the entire series here, so obviously
! SPOILERS !
Death Note
The series started off soo good. Phenomenal. Astronomical. Absolutely ground-breaking!
Death Note is basically a chess game between Light and L but only that L is blindfolded.
Light and L are THAT unbeatable power dynamic. They are the same person. Different sides of the same coin. Throughout the first half it's a constant battle between them to outsmart each other. There's a war between the fans on who is more smart? I can't choose! Both are so witty and meticulous that it drives me insaneeee!!!
L's broadcast to dig out Kira's location without even talking to him!? The way he so intricately read into his actions and immediately told the world that he lives in japan. My man's a fucking genius!
And Light's plan to revoke his ownership of Death Note and lose his memories so that he can be deemed innocent and get himself completely off L's radar!? BRILLIANT!
But if I still would have to choose, i'll no doubt declare L as the ultimate masterhero of the game. Think about it!
Light + Misa + 2 Shinigamis + 2 Death Notes + Magic = L. (he doesn't even know the rules of the game he's playing)
The first half was too perfect. And you know what they say, perfect doesn't last forever.
I think things started going off rail from the yotsuba arc. It was witty yet extremely unnecessary and it draggeddddd. I don't even remember the names of the businessmen who died. Nobody gives a fuck bro.
And L's death was my last strand. Although I do think it was reasonable, he had to die sooner or later, but that should have been the end of it. L's the smartest person in the entire anime and if Light managed to beat him, then there's absolutely no one who could've stopped him.
Another possibility could've been L beating Light and they both dieing in the end?? Idk seems fair as they are so equal that at one point I started thinking it's impossible for any of them to win. L always knew Light is Kira but he needed the absolute hardcore proof to fully convince himself, as this is how Ryuzaki works.
Point is, the ultimate battle should have been between L and Light. Ending could've been anything. Light wins or L wins. Or they both lose. It's too unpredictable. But it should have been L and Light. The ultimate showdown.
Near's and Mello's introduction to the story threw me off guard. Not the writers killing off L but the absolute audacity to bring in his clone as the main hero! Don't get me wrong, I find Near cute, but he stands nowhere near L.
At this point you could sense the writers rushing this. Near, who knew absolutely nothing about the case before joining the SPK, was almost too quickly able to deduce the fact that Light Yagami was Kira and my man was CONFIDENT. It was too easy for him to trick and catch the evil mastermind Light. Something that took L loads of mindfuckery to get to.
And that ending!? WEAK ASFFFF
I was hoping to see the ultimate-minfuck-of-games-and-tactics-showdown between Light and Near but what was thaaatttt!?!? Light played it good but Near overthrew his game (please let's be real it was so unrealistic. Carbon copying the exact clone of death note to the microscopic level within a day is insaneee. them writers be trippin') But yeah since the villain has to die, let's do it however we can.
Also mello died soo easily!? Don't fuck me with that hE sAcRifIcED HiMsElF bs. We all know damn well he ain't the one to do the useless charity work. The way these writers were showing him to be so witty and one of the another major obstacle for kira? All that for him to stupidly die in that way? boooo
Also why did I almost cry at Light's death? I hated that man. (like i literally flipped him off everytime he appeared on screen and considering he is the main character i'm surprised how my middle finger is yet attached to my metacarpels)
These characters, good or bad, grew into me overtime. L's my absolute favourite off all time (no debate AT ALL) but what can I say, Light is that evil sexy bastard I can't get enough of 😮💨
I personally believe Kira never lost. He won. He was able to keep the task force in the dark for 6 years. He defeated the best detective in the world. He efficiently manipulated the entire world to submit to him. He rules the 'new world'. The world kneels before him. He was successful in evicting almost all of the crimes in the world. People consider him a god and worship at his altar.
Thus when he was about to die, he died with pride. Chest swelled loudly admitting that HE IS KIRA. THE GOD OF JUSTICE.
July 30, 2020
Finis
!
An end to a long running, mother of all twists, battle of brain series - Death Note!
It was fulfilling, sad and satisfying all at the same time!
The end result, though a bit predictable, also had a plot twist to it. Much like Tsugami's every other Death Note volume.
The evil just got worse and lost all his dignity whereas the Truth prevailed. Tsugumi had the readers running around in circles and waiting till the last moment to shove a bomb of a twist in the end!
The entire series is a real battle of wits and it's quite impressive to deliver 12 full volumes of it!
Light's character rapidly oscillates between Protagonist to Antagonist until the later volumes where the evil in him is clearly visible. Unfortunately, Ryuk's role in the later novels was too much undermined and infact unused. Even towards the end, his actions were deliberate and not much convincing.
All in all, this was a really beautiful series to read & I'd be missing now that it's over.
Recommended to all the folks who love plot twists!
An end to a long running, mother of all twists, battle of brain series - Death Note!
It was fulfilling, sad and satisfying all at the same time!
The end result, though a bit predictable, also had a plot twist to it. Much like Tsugami's every other Death Note volume.
The evil just got worse and lost all his dignity whereas the Truth prevailed. Tsugumi had the readers running around in circles and waiting till the last moment to shove a bomb of a twist in the end!
The entire series is a real battle of wits and it's quite impressive to deliver 12 full volumes of it!
Light's character rapidly oscillates between Protagonist to Antagonist until the later volumes where the evil in him is clearly visible. Unfortunately, Ryuk's role in the later novels was too much undermined and infact unused. Even towards the end, his actions were deliberate and not much convincing.
All in all, this was a really beautiful series to read & I'd be missing now that it's over.
Recommended to all the folks who love plot twists!
May 20, 2024
I started this series back in high school, and I am just now getting to finishing it! I feel a little emotional about it ending. I absolutely fell in love with this story from the start. It follows the story of a high schooler named Light Yagami who discovers a notebook from the underworld called the “Death Note,” which gives him the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it. His plan is to rid the world of criminals and create an ideal society as a god-like figure known as “Kira.” However, he attracts the attention of law enforcement and a genius detective known as “L” whose goal is to expose the true identity of Kira.
This series was such a beautiful masterpiece! It’s so captivating from start to finish. The cat and mouse game between light, L, Near, and Mello was so addicting. It was like watching an action packed game of chess with each move meticulously calculated and cleverly executed.The artwork is absolutely breathtaking; each page popped with stunning illustrations. The storyline did feel a bit drawn out and repetitive at times but it was still so engaging. This manga will always have a special place in my heart. 5/5 stars 🌟
This series was such a beautiful masterpiece! It’s so captivating from start to finish. The cat and mouse game between light, L, Near, and Mello was so addicting. It was like watching an action packed game of chess with each move meticulously calculated and cleverly executed.The artwork is absolutely breathtaking; each page popped with stunning illustrations. The storyline did feel a bit drawn out and repetitive at times but it was still so engaging. This manga will always have a special place in my heart. 5/5 stars 🌟
May 24, 2008
This was a pretty satisfying end to the series. However, the last half of the series was not so good. I had a hard time getting through the last five or six volumes. All of the elements that made Death Note great in the beginning of ther series just got annoying (Near & Mello's idiosyncracies, all of Light's inner monologues, etc.). For a series with so many twists and turns I kind of expected more from the ending - something more exiciting than what actually happened.
June 4, 2025
TW// murder, heart attack
I’m finally done with this series! I only really liked the first three volumes in this series as it went downhill and got very repetitive and boring after volume three.
I did find Light’s speech in this volume to be a fairly epic ending, so I’ll give it that, but other than that, I wasn’t a huge fan of this finale. I was hopeful that Misa’s ending would be different, but as someone who has had problems with Misa’s constant devotion to a man who treats her terribly, I was really disappointed by how her story arc ended.
I’m finally done with this series! I only really liked the first three volumes in this series as it went downhill and got very repetitive and boring after volume three.
I did find Light’s speech in this volume to be a fairly epic ending, so I’ll give it that, but other than that, I wasn’t a huge fan of this finale. I was hopeful that Misa’s ending would be different, but as someone who has had problems with Misa’s constant devotion to a man who treats her terribly, I was really disappointed by how her story arc ended.
January 23, 2016
Yes, I just finished the Death Note series.
Guys, it's over. My god, it's over. What am I to do now?
Okay, let's get serious. I LOVED these books. It was amazing, such a wonderful read, and yes there were flaws and you could analyse the series to death and find so many things that could've been done better, but you know what? I enjoyed the whole idea of the shinigami and the Death Notes, the brilliant characters and inner struggles and dialouges so damn much that I am willing to look past the stupidity of Misa. I am willing look past the steretypics on women, and the way Light treats Misa is part of his characters, I'm sorry but it's true. I don't have to like it, but it's okay because it helped creating these big plottwists and brilliant character development. Light is such a fascinating character because he represents a young man who has everything, who would have become a great detective, but who got hold of a notebook to kill people. His motives were good at first, but no one has the right to pass judgement on humanity. He became arrogant and full of himself, believing to be a god, and this proved to be the cause of his downfall. It was really very interesting to read and see how he developed as a character throughout the series, and how far he had fallen in the end. His final monolouge was brilliant and showed just how rotten he had become himself, because he was only human. Light Yagami is a brilliant character, possible one of my favourites of all time.
This ending... it was fantastic, now that I think about it. I'm really happy with this ending, and the final scenes, even if I was so shocked at first. I still think there are some lost threads in the story, e.g. I would've liked to know what had happened to Naomi Misora by the end of the series. Yes, yes, Light told her to kill herself and never be found, but I would've liked an ending to her story as well. She pretty much disappeared and was never found, so I would've liked to have closure.
Also, what happened to Light?
Of course, this was destined to be the saddest volume - after volume 7 at least - since it is the final one. Also, that ending... such a beautiful cliffhanger. Well, not exactly a cliffhanger, but that final shot with Misa... that was beautiful and sad and I want to know what happened after that! Ahhhh, I need more!
But seriously, I fucking loved this series. No, I still love it - I love this series. It was brilliant, I loved all the complicated dialouges, inner monolouges, all these sneaky planning and cleverness... It was so much, even if I did facepalm during some points as well. Not necessarily in this volume, but it happened. And oh my god that ending. That damn plot twist!
Such a goddamn beautiful ending, and I loved that thing about Mello and Near, how they in the end worked together. I'm still not done mourning L yet, so I haven't really accepted Near yet... but I'm getting there. That ending was brilliant and I did not see it coming.
I loved reading this series, I almost couldn't put them down. I read during my way to school, during recess, on the train back home, at home, I pretty much breathed Death Note. When the ticket controllers came on the train and disturbed my reading, or if someone disturbed me in school during recess, I was pretty much like this:
Yeah.
And now it's over. I'm sorry, I can't let this go. BUT MY EMOTIONS! HOW COULD THEY! THEY CAN'T END THE SERIES. Actually I'm happy it has ended, because I'm not a big fan of extremely long series. Like Bleach or Naruto, I don't have the energy to focus on such long series for long. 12 books was enough, I'm happy. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go watch the anime, read all the Death Note novels and sulk, thank you very much.
Guys, it's over. My god, it's over. What am I to do now?
Okay, let's get serious. I LOVED these books. It was amazing, such a wonderful read, and yes there were flaws and you could analyse the series to death and find so many things that could've been done better, but you know what? I enjoyed the whole idea of the shinigami and the Death Notes, the brilliant characters and inner struggles and dialouges so damn much that I am willing to look past the stupidity of Misa. I am willing look past the steretypics on women, and the way Light treats Misa is part of his characters, I'm sorry but it's true. I don't have to like it, but it's okay because it helped creating these big plottwists and brilliant character development. Light is such a fascinating character because he represents a young man who has everything, who would have become a great detective, but who got hold of a notebook to kill people. His motives were good at first, but no one has the right to pass judgement on humanity. He became arrogant and full of himself, believing to be a god, and this proved to be the cause of his downfall. It was really very interesting to read and see how he developed as a character throughout the series, and how far he had fallen in the end. His final monolouge was brilliant and showed just how rotten he had become himself, because he was only human. Light Yagami is a brilliant character, possible one of my favourites of all time.
This ending... it was fantastic, now that I think about it. I'm really happy with this ending, and the final scenes, even if I was so shocked at first. I still think there are some lost threads in the story, e.g. I would've liked to know what had happened to Naomi Misora by the end of the series. Yes, yes, Light told her to kill herself and never be found, but I would've liked an ending to her story as well. She pretty much disappeared and was never found, so I would've liked to have closure.
Also, what happened to Light?
Of course, this was destined to be the saddest volume - after volume 7 at least - since it is the final one. Also, that ending... such a beautiful cliffhanger. Well, not exactly a cliffhanger, but that final shot with Misa... that was beautiful and sad and I want to know what happened after that! Ahhhh, I need more!
But seriously, I fucking loved this series. No, I still love it - I love this series. It was brilliant, I loved all the complicated dialouges, inner monolouges, all these sneaky planning and cleverness... It was so much, even if I did facepalm during some points as well. Not necessarily in this volume, but it happened. And oh my god that ending. That damn plot twist!
Such a goddamn beautiful ending, and I loved that thing about Mello and Near, how they in the end worked together. I'm still not done mourning L yet, so I haven't really accepted Near yet... but I'm getting there. That ending was brilliant and I did not see it coming.
I loved reading this series, I almost couldn't put them down. I read during my way to school, during recess, on the train back home, at home, I pretty much breathed Death Note. When the ticket controllers came on the train and disturbed my reading, or if someone disturbed me in school during recess, I was pretty much like this:
Yeah.
And now it's over. I'm sorry, I can't let this go. BUT MY EMOTIONS! HOW COULD THEY! THEY CAN'T END THE SERIES. Actually I'm happy it has ended, because I'm not a big fan of extremely long series. Like Bleach or Naruto, I don't have the energy to focus on such long series for long. 12 books was enough, I'm happy. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go watch the anime, read all the Death Note novels and sulk, thank you very much.
October 7, 2017
Το πιο τελειο και δικαιο φιναλε σε μια υπερτελεια σειρα βιβλιων.τα ειχε ολα.απηλαυσα οσο τιποτα την "τρέλα" -ξεσπασμα του Λαιτ τοσο λεκτικα οσο και οπτικα με αυτη την ανεπαναληπτη εικονογραφηση.γενικως η σειρα ηταν φανταστικη αν και για να λεμε την αληθεια καπου μεταξυ τομου 8 και 10 εκανε μια κοιλια.αλλα το τελος νομιζω ηταν ισαξιο της επικης αρχης.θα μου λειψει...
ΞΕΒΡΑΚΩΜΑ!!! αντε γεια Λαιτ 👋👋
ΞΕΒΡΑΚΩΜΑ!!! αντε γεια Λαιτ 👋👋
April 9, 2017
[4.5 Stars] Not unpredictable but I really enjoyed it. I can't imagine it ending any other way.
April 27, 2018
I really liked this series. The ending was VERY satisfying.
December 23, 2018
Esta historia se queda en mi corazón.
L fue mi personaje favorito, sin lugar a dudas.🥺🥺 Y Matsuda era demasiado tierno🥰
L fue mi personaje favorito, sin lugar a dudas.🥺🥺 Y Matsuda era demasiado tierno🥰
October 29, 2024
Romanian review: Am așteptat să termin ultimul volum pentru a-mi spune o părere generală legată de toată seria.
Voi începe prin a spune că finalul seriei este satisfăcător- previzibil, dar satisfăcător. Problema principală a unei serii care se bazează pe un personaj ca Light este că știi de la început că nu va câștiga, deși ar fi distractiv să scrie cineva o serie în care antieroul/personajul negativ (depinde de perspectivă) câștigă.
Arcul narativ cu grupul Yotsuba a fost destul de plictisitor, iar ideea de a introduce mai multe death note-uri a fost destul de proastă, având în vedere că cel mai interesant lucru la personajul lui Light era că deținea singurul death note, dar am înțeles de ce povestea nu putea înainta altfel. Aș spune că povestea a fost lungită cam mult, dar a fost extrem de interesantă.
În serial, după ce .
Adesea, personajele secundare au existat doar pentru ca Light, L sau Near să le explice deciziile lor, practic pentru a ne explica și nouă logica din spatele acțiunilor, lucru care devine enervant uneori, pentru că nu suntem idioți. Din fericire, până la sfârșit, restul personajelor sunt dezvoltate și au parte, din când în când, de momente în care sunt importante.
Mi-au plăcut mult twisturile și personajele; povestea a fost foarte inteligent scrisă, iar tema moralității a fost abordată într-un mod foarte original. După părerea mea, autorul/autoarea (bănuiesc că persoana care a scris seria este bărbat; nu cred că personajul Misei Amane a fost scris de o femeie) reușește până la sfârșit să te facă să te gândești, în ciuda grandomaniei și dorinței de a fi un zeu al lui Light, că acesta ar putea avea dreptate.
Am văzut un videoclip interesant legat de Death Note și de justiția din Japonia, iar, din câte am înțeles, adesea oameni nevinovați sunt închiși acolo. Un lucru la care nu se gândește multă lume este că Light ucide și mulți oameni închiși pe nedrept.
Per total, "Death Note" a fost o serie interesantă, destul de profundă, cu personaje memorabile.
English review: I waited to finish the final volume to give my overall opinion on the entire series. I'll start by saying that the ending is satisfying—predictable, but satisfying. The main issue with a series based around a character like Light is that you know from the beginning he won’t win, though it would be interesting if someone wrote a series where the anti-hero or villain (depending on your perspective) actually succeeds.
The Yotsuba Group arc was rather dull, and the idea of introducing multiple death notes was kind of bad. Light was the most compelling character because he had the sole death note, but I understand why the story couldn’t progress otherwise. I’d say the story was a bit stretched out, but it remained incredibly engaging.
In the anime, after . I’d probably enjoy rewatching the anime more now than I did the first time.
Often, the side characters only existed so that Light, L, or Near could explain their decisions, essentially to explain the logic behind their actions to us, which sometimes felt a bit annoying since it’s not as if the audience is clueless. Thankfully, by the end, the other characters were developed and occasionally had moments when they were truly significant.
I enjoyed the twists and characters a lot; the story was cleverly written, and the theme of morality was tackled in a very original way. In my opinion, the author (I assume the writer is a man; Misa Amane’s character doesn’t feel like it was written by a woman) manages to make you wonder, despite Light’s grandiosity and his desire to be a god, whether he could actually be right.
I watched an interesting video about Death Note and Japan’s justice system, and, from what I understand, innocent people are often imprisoned there. Something not often considered is that Light also kills a lot of wrongfully imprisoned people.
Overall, "Death Note" was an intriguing, rather profound series with memorable characters.
September 19, 2017
Well, it's really easy to notice that the author hasn't thought further than L's death. When the series started it was witty, not a lot of forced storylines, and not a lot of unrealistic conclusions. But when Near came out he was unrealistic as shit he came to the right conclusions too fast and we didn't see any power shifts between him and Kira like the ones we saw between L and Kira. The last dialogue between Near and Kira lacked a lot for me, especially from Near's side. It is really obvious that the author adopted Kira's views but he could've put a little effort at least!.
It's an OK series for me If you're not looking for deep philosophical stuff, I would recommend the first half of it to anyone who's looking for a fun thriller. Don't bother looking in the second half for a moral or a meaning you'll just find disappointment.
It's an OK series for me If you're not looking for deep philosophical stuff, I would recommend the first half of it to anyone who's looking for a fun thriller. Don't bother looking in the second half for a moral or a meaning you'll just find disappointment.
June 22, 2021
“No Matter What They Do In Life, Those Who Die Will Go To The Same Place.
There's No heaven Or Hell.
All Humans Are Equal In Death”
There's No heaven Or Hell.
All Humans Are Equal In Death”
July 6, 2019
Probably as close to perfect as a series gets. Holy crap.
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update: Apparently there's a Death Note musical, written by Frank Wildhorn (he of Jekyll & Hyde and several other good things) and Jeremy Jordan plays Light on the concept album from 2015 and I'm in love with Jarrod Spector because his L is PERFECTION. This is the most unexpected thing to run across on a Saturday morning and while I don't think I'll ever see a production, I love this cast album.
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update: Apparently there's a Death Note musical, written by Frank Wildhorn (he of Jekyll & Hyde and several other good things) and Jeremy Jordan plays Light on the concept album from 2015 and I'm in love with Jarrod Spector because his L is PERFECTION. This is the most unexpected thing to run across on a Saturday morning and while I don't think I'll ever see a production, I love this cast album.
June 27, 2020
book 44 out of 75
manga
What the hell just happened? That was literally so fast, I don't even know how to feel. It wasn't a bad ending by any means, and it isn't that it was unsatisfactory. It was just a little underwhelming. I truly believe that Light progressively and gradually became stupider throughout the last volumes. I don't know, in the earlier volumes I had unwavering confidence in his ability to outwit & manipulate others, but I began to have a lot of doubts at around the halfway mark of the series. Of course I'm aware that he was far from a perfect character, but I feel like he just lost his touch or something. And the ending felt so abrupt after having eleven volumes of Kira trying to build what he thought was this ideal world. By the end I didn't even know whose side I was on anymore.
And there's also that complaint that I write in my every review of every volume about there not being a single intelligent / strong female character. The only female characters we saw throughout the entire series that was remotely important were Sayu, Light's mother, Misa, Takada, Lidner, Naomi Misora and that girl Light went out with at some point (I think her name was Yuri). AND NONE OF THEM HAD ANY INPUT TO THE STORY EXCEPT FOR BEING THERE, BEING USED BY LIGHT, OR KILLED OFF. NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
I gotta admit that I'll miss Ryuk. Him and his apple addiction were so amusing to read about, and I feel like him, Light and Mello were my favorite characters by the end.
And hello?? What was with that last chapter?! Is there a sequel or something???
Overall series rating: 4 stars
First four volumes were phenomenal. By the fifth and sixth I was completely lost. By this volume, the plot had become really repetitive and I was like, "Get it over with already." Still very enjoyable.
➼ 3.5 stars
manga
What the hell just happened? That was literally so fast, I don't even know how to feel. It wasn't a bad ending by any means, and it isn't that it was unsatisfactory. It was just a little underwhelming. I truly believe that Light progressively and gradually became stupider throughout the last volumes. I don't know, in the earlier volumes I had unwavering confidence in his ability to outwit & manipulate others, but I began to have a lot of doubts at around the halfway mark of the series. Of course I'm aware that he was far from a perfect character, but I feel like he just lost his touch or something. And the ending felt so abrupt after having eleven volumes of Kira trying to build what he thought was this ideal world. By the end I didn't even know whose side I was on anymore.
And there's also that complaint that I write in my every review of every volume about there not being a single intelligent / strong female character. The only female characters we saw throughout the entire series that was remotely important were Sayu, Light's mother, Misa, Takada, Lidner, Naomi Misora and that girl Light went out with at some point (I think her name was Yuri). AND NONE OF THEM HAD ANY INPUT TO THE STORY EXCEPT FOR BEING THERE, BEING USED BY LIGHT, OR KILLED OFF. NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
I gotta admit that I'll miss Ryuk. Him and his apple addiction were so amusing to read about, and I feel like him, Light and Mello were my favorite characters by the end.
And hello?? What was with that last chapter?! Is there a sequel or something???
Overall series rating: 4 stars
First four volumes were phenomenal. By the fifth and sixth I was completely lost. By this volume, the plot had become really repetitive and I was like, "Get it over with already." Still very enjoyable.
➼ 3.5 stars
April 21, 2015
Upřímně - události během prvních 20 stránek mě tak rozhodilo, že už mi další události byly ukradené...A pořád se přes to ještě nemůžu dostat!!!
Souboj mezi Kirou a Nearem dopadl poměrně... čekaně a na druhou stranu nečekaně.
A k Nearovi? Je to jen nešťastná opička. A nevím proč, ale když si hraje s těmi fugurkami, tak vidím King Konga...
Asi nebude série jen o Mellovi? Třeba, co dělal ty 4 roky, když odešel z toho sirotčince!
A asi těch posledních 5 stránek? které jsou bez jediného slova? D O K O N A L É
Souboj mezi Kirou a Nearem dopadl poměrně... čekaně a na druhou stranu nečekaně.
A k Nearovi? Je to jen nešťastná opička. A nevím proč, ale když si hraje s těmi fugurkami, tak vidím King Konga...
Asi nebude série jen o Mellovi? Třeba, co dělal ty 4 roky, když odešel z toho sirotčince!
A asi těch posledních 5 stránek? které jsou bez jediného slova? D O K O N A L É
December 10, 2019
Well.... that ended.
July 23, 2021
Wow
5 trillion stars to the most perfect ending ever.
Seeing Light squirm like that. And all that spittle. Damn. How the mighty have fallen 😳😳
July 20, 2012
Wow. What a way to close a series. Yes, it is mostly Near and Light standing around talking at each other, but hasn't that been the entire series so far? For a series with a death toll in the thousands, there's been very little action. It's all been a giant chess match with Light. And of course, he loses. His reaction to his loss isn't really surprising, even though it's startling, and it's one of those times that I love reading comics/manga. The words and the art feed off each other to make a much bigger emotional impact than either could do alone.
As a whole, Death Note is very wordy and spends most of its time in various characters' head spaces. It isn't action packed, and even though it's "only" 12 volumes, it's still a fairly significant investment in time and headspace. If an extended battle of wits with multiple players sounds appealing, I absolutely recommend it.
As a whole, Death Note is very wordy and spends most of its time in various characters' head spaces. It isn't action packed, and even though it's "only" 12 volumes, it's still a fairly significant investment in time and headspace. If an extended battle of wits with multiple players sounds appealing, I absolutely recommend it.
February 13, 2020
After reading Vol11, it was difficult to hold back. Hence I plunged and zoomed past the final Volume in a single sitting.
Glad it did not disappoint. Overall the full series is excellent.
What I Loved:
1. L!
2. Loads of plot twists - sometimes on the brink of a disadvantage due to way too many of them!
3. Game of Chess - the ongoing mental tussle was brilliant throughout. This is the part I loved most.
4. The art, expressions, character build up, thought process, counter thoughts, you name it - DN has it all!
What I Didn't Like:
1. All female characters were played super dumb and were used like props!
2. Unnecessary deviation. That whole corporate thing was a stretched dead rubber!
3. Volume 5-8 could have easily been cut down. Vol1-4 was exceptionally brilliant!
4. Too much of confusion after Vol7. Had to re-read an entire Vol to make sense of what was happening.
Overall: Recommeneded.
If you love logical deductions, go for it.
Would have highly recommended Vol1-4, but that doesn't brings closure. And entire series does not maintain the same level of punch and excitement.
Glad it did not disappoint. Overall the full series is excellent.
What I Loved:
1. L!
2. Loads of plot twists - sometimes on the brink of a disadvantage due to way too many of them!
3. Game of Chess - the ongoing mental tussle was brilliant throughout. This is the part I loved most.
4. The art, expressions, character build up, thought process, counter thoughts, you name it - DN has it all!
What I Didn't Like:
1. All female characters were played super dumb and were used like props!
2. Unnecessary deviation. That whole corporate thing was a stretched dead rubber!
3. Volume 5-8 could have easily been cut down. Vol1-4 was exceptionally brilliant!
4. Too much of confusion after Vol7. Had to re-read an entire Vol to make sense of what was happening.
Overall: Recommeneded.
If you love logical deductions, go for it.
Would have highly recommended Vol1-4, but that doesn't brings closure. And entire series does not maintain the same level of punch and excitement.
December 29, 2016
Ein würdiger Abschluss.
September 15, 2017
Η πλοκη ακομα πιο αδιαφορη, το τελος συγκλονιστικο. Θα επρεπε να τελειωσει 4 τομους πριν αλλα ετσι ειναι τα manga, αν πετυχουν δεν σταματανε οσο κι αν εχουν ξεμεινει οι δημιουργοί
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