If you were an anime-watching teenager throughout the mid to late 2000s, there’s a pretty good chance that you were obsessed with Death Note to some degree. It was one of the defining series of that era. You probably went to a Supanova or a SMASH dressed as L at least once. It was either that or something to do with Haruhi Suzumiya. Don’t lie to me, we both know I’m right.
The popularity of the Death Note anime certainly hasn’t slowed down since, either. Chuck a rock at a “Best Animes of All Time” list, and there’s a good chance it’s somewhere near the very top. If you are a fan of the series but have never dipped into the manga that inspired the anime, then it’s well worth picking up.
While not as melodramatic as the anime – the manga version of the potato chip scene can’t hold a candle to the adaptation – Death Note is still an incredibly satisfying read. Its artist, Takeshi Obata, is just one of the best working artists out, and his art is a real treat to behold.
Amazon Australia is selling the Death Note manga box set for $84.45, which is a nice 52% off the usual retail price ($175). This set includes the 12 volumes that comprise the series, along with Death Note: How to Read guidebook.
Also, as a quick aside because I’ll probably never get to bring this up elsewhere, but did you know the second live-action Death Note movie opens with Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ ‘Dani California’? If I have to be burdened by this fun fact, then so do you.
What is Death Note?
For those unfamiliar with the series, Death Note was created by Obata and writer Tsugumi Ohba from 2003 to 2006. A relatively short run, especially when you consider it was sharing page space with Naruto, Bleach and One Piece in the pages of Shonen Jump.
The series focuses on Light Yagami, a highly intelligent high-school student, who stumbles across the titular Death Note, a blank notebook that allows its user to kill anyone in the world just by writing their name on one of its pages. With this newfound power, Light takes up the alias “Kira” and begins an international massacre of criminals in the hopes of creating a world free of crime.
Lights’ plans are put in jeopardy when L, a mysterious genius detective, joins a task force to help catch Kira. What follows is an intense psychological game of cat and mouse, with more twists and turns than a snake with an itch.
The Death Note manga box set is available from Amazon Australia here.
And if you’ve already read Death Note…
If you’ve already read Death Note and really like how well Obata and Ohba work together, I’d be remiss not to mention that the complete Bakuman box set is also currently on sale for $160.75, down from $260.
While it may not be as recognisably iconic as Death Note, Bakuman is still a fantastic read. The series follows two high schoolers who set out to create a manga series and the many ups and downs that come from trying to break into the industry and maintain success.
If you’re a long-time reader of manga or are just curious about the medium’s industry, this is the kind of behind-the-scenes look that can only come from two creators who’ve done their fair share of time in those trenches. It’s a good slice-of-life series about maintaining passions and following your dreams, which is clearly informed by first-hand experience. It’s too long – only 20 volumes all up – and Obata’s art is at its best here. The man can draw the hell out of someone drawing a page.
You can pick up the complete Bakuman box set here.
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