Deathnote [Info]

Death Note is a Japanese manga series created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata. The series centers around a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing the victim's name and picturing his or her 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.

Death Note was first serialized by Shueisha in the Japanese manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump from the first issue in December 2003 to May 2006, with 108 chapters in total. The series has been published in its entirety in twelve tankōbon volumes in Japan and in North America. The series has been adapted into a pair of live-action films released in Japan on June 17, 2006, and November 3, 2006, and an anime series which aired in Japan from October 3, 2006, to June 26, 2007. Also, a novel based on the series, written by Nisio Isin, was released in Japan on August 1, 2006.



Light Yagami is an extremely intelligent young man who resents the crime and corruption in the world. His life undergoes a drastic change in the year 2003, when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the "Death Note", lying on the ground. The Death Note's instructions claim that if a human's name is written within it, that person shall die. 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" (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.

Main characters

Light Yagami (Kira) (Yagami Raito)
The protagonist of Death Note, Light is an extremely intelligent but bored 17-year old student. When he finds the Death Note, dropped in the human world by Ryuk (a shinigami), he decides to use it to kill all criminals and earns the title Kira. His ultimate goal is to cleanse the world of evil to create a utopia and then reign over this new world as its god.

L (Eru)
L is the world's top-rated detective, tasked with tracking down and arresting Kira. As such, he is Light's arch-enemy. His disheveled appearance masks his great powers of deduction and insight. L has many quirks, such as sitting in an odd manner, snacking on sweets constantly, and holding objects in a peculiar manner. He often takes drastic strategies to confuse and force the hand of his opponents. On several occasions he has willingly disclosed several of his weaknesses to Kira at the risk of his own life in the hopes that he would lure him into a trap.

Misa Amane (Amane Misa)
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.

Mello (Mero)
Mello was an orphan who grew up with Near in Watari's shelter for gifted children. Like Near, Mello was one of the candidates to become L's successor. 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.

Near (Nia)
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 US government and formed the Secret Provision for Kira (SPK).

Teru Mikami (Mikami Teru)
Mikami is selected as the fourth Kira by Light, after Light decides that it is too dangerous for the Death Note to be near Misa or himself, since he and Misa are currently under surveillance by Aizawa and Mogi. A prosecuting attorney and adamant supporter of Kira, Mikami shares many of the same ideals, thoughts, and priorities as Kira, and is ecstatic when he discovers that Kira, his God, has chosen him, proving that God is on his side and watching. He is completely devoted and loyal to Kira, believing that divine justice must be brought down upon the people. Little is known about his personal life; he appears to have no hobbies or anything else of the sort. He chants "delete" with each name he writes down in the Death Note due to events in his past when he thought God was "deleting" the evil people in his life. He, like Misa, has made the exchange of half his remaining years for Shinigami eyes.

Soichiro Yagami (Yagami Sōichirō)
Soichiro Yagami is Light's father and a police officer that initially leads the Kira investigation team. He is voiced by Naoya Uchida in the Japanese anime and Chris Britton in the English dub. In the film, he is played by Takeshi Kaga. As work on the Kira case begins, he becomes disappointed with the lack of police cooperation in capturing Kira, eventually joining forces with L to form a special investigative team. When L begins to suspect Light of being Kira, Soichiro is unwilling to believe his son would be capable of such a thing. Though he eventually suffers a stress related heart attack, he insists on remaining helpful to the team, going as far as breaking into the Sakura TV station using a police bust.

In the anime and the manga, after L dies and Light replaces him, he is instrumental in regaining the Death Note which Mello had pressured them into relinquishing by threatening Soichiro's daughter. Using Kira's Death Note, which Misa delivers to him under Light's instruction, Soichiro trades with Ryuk for the Shinigami Eyes. Using the eyes, Soichiro is able to learn Mello's real name, though he is fatally wounded by one of Mello's gang members. Because Light has given up his Death Note and therefore his lifespan is visible, Soichiro dies happily believing that Light is not Kira. Ohba added that Light planned to use Touta Matsuda for the role and miscalculated, not realizing that his father would make the eye trade.

In the film, Soichiro survives and discovers that his son is Kira. At the end he hides the knowledge of Light as Kira from his wife and daughter. While Soichiro wears glasses in the anime and manga, these are absent in the film, as is his moustache.

Ohba said that he personally believes that "only Soichiro is good." He chose Soichiro as his third favorite character as Ohba believed that Soichiro was the third "strongest" character in the series "besides Light." Obata said that he considers Soichiro to be the most good character.

Tom S. Pepirium of IGN described Chris Britton's voice for Soichiro in the English anime as a "perfect blend of sage father and grizzled cop."

Shinigami
Shinigami, or Death Gods, are demon-like beings who live in the Shinigami realm. Shinigami are functionally immortal, able to extend their lives indefinitely by writing the names of humans in their Death Notes. By writing the name of a human whose fated time of death has not yet come, Shinigami have their lifespan increased by the amount that human would have lived (e.g. a forty-year-old who would have lived to the age of sixty would yield twenty years). As Ryuk describes it, life in the Shinigami realm is incredibly dull; Shinigami do little more than gamble constantly, and using the Death Note is considered something workaholics do. The main Shinigami featured in the series are Ryuk and Rem.

Hirokazu Ukita (Ukita Hirokazu)
Hirokazu Ukita is the most emotional of the Kira investigation team that is lead by L. When Misa has Sakura TV broadcast a message from her as Kira, Ukita rushes to the station to stop the broadcast without any prompting by the rest of the team. Since Misa has the Shinigami Eyes, she kills him as soon as he approaches the door. He is voiced by Hidenobu Kiuchi in the Japanese anime and Jeremy From in the English dub. In the film, he is portrayed by Tatsuhito Okuda. Ukita does not die in the film.

Kanzo Mogi (Mogi Kanzō)
Kanzo Mogi is one of the most dedicated members of the Kira investigation team, but also one of the most reserved. Mogi rarely speaks, even when someone presents an opinion he agrees with. He is shown to be an excellent actor, becoming an excited and cheery manager for Misa on demand and in seeming contradiction to his usual demeanor.

Misa kills him instead of Ukita in Death Note: The Last Name. He is voiced by Kazuya Nakai in the Japanese anime and John Murphy in the English dub. In the film, he is played by Kuji Nakamura.

Kiyomi Takada (Takada Kiyomi)
Kiyomi Takada first appears for a short period as Light's classmate and girlfriend; Light appeared with Takada in public to disguise the fact that he also conversed with Misa. Takada is a popular girl also known as "Miss To-Oh", short for To-Oh University, or "'Refined' Takada". She returns later in the story as an announcer of NHN chosen by Mikami to be Kira's spokesperson to the world. Light eventually romances her in order to covertly deliver messages to Mikami, and have her use pages of the Death Note to judge criminals as part of Light's plan. She is eventually kidnapped by Mello, who she kills, before Light kills her. As a university student, she is voiced by Masumi Okamura in the Japanese anime and Heather Doerksen in the English dub. The older version of the character is voiced by Maaya Sakamoto.

In the film, she is played by Nana Katase. The film Takada fills the "Higuchi" role of the film. The film Takada kills her rivals and becomes the lead anchor. Light kills her when the investigators arrest her.

Shusuke Kaneko, director of the film, said that the film Takada bears importance in "reminding us the satanic power of the Death Note." Nana Katase, who read all of the Death Note volumes, describes her scenes, including those portrayed on video monitors, as "terrifying." Katase says that she and the film Takada have "a strong sense of justice," but that Katase personally would not kill anyone based on those ideals.

Shuichi Aizawa (Aizawa Shūichi)
Shuichi Aizawa is a member of the Kira investigation team that leaves the team under the guise of needing to support his family because the Japanese police cut their funding, though L would have paid for it. He returns after L's death, where he is one of the first to suspect Light of being Kira, and helps contribute to his eventual defeat. He becomes the leader of the investigation team afterwards. He is voiced by Keiji Fujiwara in the Japanese anime and Trevor Devall in the English dub. In the film, he is played by Shin Shimizu.

Aizawa has a wife and child, named Eriko Aizawa (Aizawa Eriko) (younger) and Yumi Aizawa (Aizawa Yumi). Aizawa and his wife also have a baby.

Ohba describes Aizawa as "basically a guy who yells at Matsuda for being a goof" and a "family man" who prefers his family over his job. Ohba adds that the latter aspect changes after Soichiro dies.

Touta Matsuda (Matsuda Tōta)
Touta Matsuda romanized as "Tota Matsuda" in the Japanese versions of the manga) is the youngest and most outspoken member of the Kira investigation team. He also the most comical character in the series. He takes the alias Taro Matsui (Matsui Tarō) while working with L, and also becomes Misa Amane's manager once she and Light join.

During the investigation on Yotsuba, Matsuda decides to spy on them on his own in order to prove his worth. Though he is caught and nearly killed, he survives and plays a key role in the investigation, getting Misa to be Yotsuba's commercial girl. This eventually leads to Higuchi's detainment.

Ohba describes Matsuda as a "very simple guy" easily used in the story. Ohba adds that "In some ways, he survived the greatest dangers [laughs]."

Despite working to capture Kira, which he knows must be done, Matsuda admits that a part of him recognizes the good Kira is doing, even if he knows it's the wrong way to go about it. As such, he is somewhat supportive and sympathetic towards Kira's followers, though he doesn't let it get in the way of his work. Despite his excitable, naïve personality, Matsuda manages to stay alive through quite a few dangerous times. He severely wounds Light by shooting him five times during the final showdown at the Yellow Box Warehouse. Matsuda is voiced by Ryō Naitō in the Japanese anime and Vincent Tong in the English dub. In the film, he is played by Sota Aoyama.

Watari (Watari)
Watari is L's assistant, providing logistics to the investigation team. Before the team is formed, he is the only person who has seen L, and the only one capable of contacting L directly. Like L, he represents himself with an Old English "W" on computer screens. On the surface he is Quillsh Wammy (Kirushu Waimī), a famous inventor and founder of Wammy's House, an orphanage for gifted children in Winchester. Watari is well trained in espionage and marksmanship. He is voiced by Kiyoshi Kobayashi in the Japanese anime and French Tickner in the English dub. In the film, he is played by Shunji Fujimura.

Obata said that Watari was his third most favorite human character because he liked older characters and that Watari "seemed to be hiding a lot of ability." Obata added that he believed that Watari "had depth."

Aiber (Aibā)
Aiber whose real name is Thierry Morello, is a professional con-man in the employ of L. He plays the role of Eraldo Coil (Erarudo Koiru), one of L's detective aliases, during the investigation of the Yotsuba Group. Aiber uses his initial "A", just like L, when communicating through computers. After L's death, in the manga he is killed by Light with stomach cancer. In the anime Aiber dies in front of his family. He is voiced by Takuya Kirimoto in the Japanese anime, and David Orth in the English version.

Ohba said that he created Aiber and Wedy so he could use characters with "special abilities" to advance the storyline. He said that Aiber "did some things."

According to Obata, his editor told him that Aiber was a "sarcastic, comic relief" character. Obata said that he wishes that he could have drawn Aiber to be "more comedic." Obata believes that if he drew Aiber and Wedy to look "a little bit more original," Ohba could have included the characters in a larger role in Death Note.

David Hoope (Deibitto Hōpu)
David Hoope is the President of the United States of America in the storyline. He assists in the formation of Near's SPK, and provides information and funding to Mello under threats of the Death Note. He turns to Light, believing that he is the real L, who manipulates him into providing assistance and attacking Mello's hideout. When the attack fails, President Hoope commits suicide to prevent Mello from writing his name and making him launch a nuclear strike. How to Read 13 states "It's believed that Kira disposed of him."

In the anime, he does not commit suicide as the character was merged with that of George Sairas. He is voiced by Aruno Tahara in the Japanese anime.

Hideki Ide (Ide Hideki)
Hideki Ide is one of the few police officers who remains with Soichiro during the Kira Investigation. However, he initially leaves when he disagrees with L's methods. Ide later returns and plays a relatively minor role in the Kira investigative team. He helps coordinate their efforts, and preforms actions such as organizing a blockade of police cars to trap Higuchi. Later, after L's death, he rejoins the investigation, though he states that he only did so to be with Aizawa. He is voiced by Hideo Ishikawa in the Japanese anime and Brian Dobson in the English dub.

Hitoshi Demegawa (Demegawa Hitoshi)
Hitoshi Demegawa, named Yuji Demegawa (Demagawa Yūji) in the films, is publicity hound and director of Sakura TV. He initially appears when Misa Amane sends four videotapes to Sakura TV in order to gain attention from the real Kira, and approves of broadcasting the tapes on live TV. However, he is forced to hand the tapes over to Soichiro, who crashes a police wagon into the studio and threatens him at gunpoint. He reappears after L's death, serving as Kira's spokesman for a while and even creating new programs in "honor" of Kira. Demegawa also leads the raid on Near's headquarters with Kira's supporters, but like all the other rioters, is distracted by the money that Near throws down. Later, Mikami kills him for being greedy, and he is replaced by Takada. He is voiced by Chafūrin in the Japanese anime and Ward Perry in the English dub. In the films, he is played by Magy.

Jack Neylon
Jack Neylon, whose real is name Kal Snyder, is a member of Mello's gang. He is the holder of Shidoh's Death Note after it is given to the gang by the Kira investigation team. Before Mello joined, he was involved in drug trafficking and illegal weapons sales; neither charge stuck due to lack of evidence, despite four separate arrests. After Sidoh tracks down his Death Note, Jack performs the eye trade with him. Light uses the Death Note to have mail him the address of Mello's hideout. He is voiced by Takashi Matsuyama in the Japanese anime.

Matt (Matto)
Matt whose real name is Mail Jeevas (Mairu Jīvasu), is a cohort of Mello's. He is also a former resident of Wammy's orphanage; Ohba described him as the "third most talented member" of the house.Matt is Mello's helper as Matt performs does espionage work and acts as an accomplice in Takada's kidnapping, which results in his death. He is voiced by Tomohiro Nishimura in the Japanese anime.

According to How to Read, Matt enjoys video games and dislikes going out. He also seems to be a chain smoker. He uses his last breath to smoke his cigarette. He does not seem to have much of a social life, yet appears to be quite good friends with Mello. He is also behind Near and Mello in succeeding L. Angry Kira worshipers kill Matt.

Ohba said that he created Matt because when Mello started to act alone Ohba believed that he would find difficulty in advancing the story unless Mello had a character to interact with. Ohba said that to a reader Matt may appear to play video games and have no other actions, but he said that Matt his existence was "important" in the story. In response to a question inquiring about which characters the creators had the most difficulty creating, Ohba cited Matt and said "I didn't even know what kind of person he was."

Obata said that he did not receive advance notice regarding Matt, who had the character concept of "a young man who loves gaming and doesn't really care much about the world." Obata said that he remembered seeing the thumbnails and asking his editor "Who's this character?!" The thumbnails gave Matt a bowl haircut and round glasses; Obata instead drew "what I liked." Obata added that he could "create Matt naturally" as he had a "he probably won't do much" mentality regarding characters introduced in the Near and Mello arc.

Naomi Misora (Misora Naomi)
Naomi Misora, a former FBI agent and fiancée of Raye Penber, left the Bureau in October of 2003 for the sake of starting a family in the United States. With the sudden death of her fiancee, she decides to take part in the Kira case believing that Kira was responsible for his murder. In her attempts to contact the Kira investigation team she comes across Light who manages to manipulate her trust to the point where she reveals her real name to him. Soon after, Naomi is killed when her name is written in the Death Note by Light. Her character takes on a slightly larger role in the live-action films where she is played by Asaka Seto. Naomi is a central character in the spinoff novel Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases by author Nisio Isin. The story is a prequel to the series and focuses on a case investigated by L with Naomi as his recruit.

Raye Penber (Rei Penbā)
Raye Penber is an investigator from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, sent to Japan with twelve other agents to aid in tracking down Kira early in the story. He is assigned to investigate the Yagami family for any suspicious behavior. He has a fiancée, Misora, whom he tells not involve herself in the investigation for her own safety. Light manages to track him down and use him to kill the other members of his team. Light kills Raye soon after. He is voiced by Hideo Ishikawa in the Japanese anime and Michael Adamthwaite in the English dub. In the films, he is known as Raye Iwamatsu (Rei Iwamatsu) and he is played by Shigeki Hosokawa. In the films he is a counter-terrorism agent headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Stephen Gevanni
Stephen Gevanni, whose real name is Stephen Loud, works for Near as part of his investigation team. He is assigned to follow Mikami for much of the case, and it is his meticulous analysis of Mikami's personal habits which allow him to find Mikami's Death Note and swap it with a fake. He is voiced by Hiroki Takahashi in the Japanese anime.

Ohba described Gevanni as a "good-looking hotshot" who received an invitation to join Near's team because of his skills

Halle Lidner (Haru Ridonā)
Halle Lidner, whose real name is Halle Bullook (Haru Burokku), works for Near as part of his investigation team,. She is a former CIA agent, and leaks information to Mello in order to increase the chances of Kira being caught. She is voiced by Akeno Watanabe in the Japanese anime.

Ohba said that Halle, who has a "strong core," wanted to capture Kira as the Yotsuba Kira killed someone "close to her."

Ryotaro Sakajo (Sakajō Ryōtarō)
Ryotaro Sakajo is a character present only in the films. He is the assistant director during the filming of Misa Amane's "Misa-Misa's Happy Sweets" video. He is obsessed with Misa, collecting a used tissue of hers after she throws it in the trash. In a sequence bridged between the two films, Sakajo corners Misa and brandishes a knife, stating that he wishes to die with her. Gelus, a shinigami watching from the Shinigami realm, kills him to save Misa's life. In doing so, Gelus dies and his Death Note drops near Misa.

Sachiko Yagami (Yagami Sachiko)
Sachiko Yagami is Light's mother and Soichiro's wife. She is oblivious to Light's ownership and use of the Death Note. Ai Satō voices her in the Japanese anime and Saffron Henderson voices her in the English dub. In the films, Michiko Godai portrays her.

Ohba said that he considers Sachiko and Sayu the most good characters in the series, as he could not "sense any evil or twistedness from these two at all." Both creators added that they considered the Yagami family to be the most "pitiful" characters in the book; Ohba added that he felt sympathy for Sachiko and Sayu.

Sanami (Sanami)
Sanami only appears in the film adaptation of Death Note, portrayed by Miyuki Komatsu. She is the only female team member of the Kira investigation team, as opposed to the all-male team in the manga and anime. In the second film, she tends to Misa during her captivity and is more critical of the methods used by the investigation team, often calling them cruel.

Sayu Yagami (Yagami Sayu)
Sayu Yagami is Light's younger sister. Like her mother, she never learns of Light's possession of the Death Note. Mello's gang kidnaps her in an attempt to extort the Death Note from her father, which proves successful. Though she is returned unharmed, she falls into a state of shock and becomes unresponsive to everyone. Haruka Kudō voices her in the Japanese anime and Kelly Metzger voices her in the English dub. In the films, Hikari Mitsushima portrays her.

Obata said that he had no real concept behind the design of Sayu; he said that he encountered difficulty in drawing female characters who were not the main characters.

Ohba did not include Sayu in the final chapter of the manga. He said the outcome would likely be that someone would tell her that Light and Soichiro died in order to stop Kira. The Task Force members would never let the world know the truth about the Death Note case.

Shiori Akino (Akino Shiori)
Shiori Akino is a film-exclusive character, portrayed by Yuu Kashii. She is Light's girlfriend, classmate, and childhood friend. Shiori dreams of working in law enforcement and feels some envy stemming from Light's good grades. Shiori disagrees with Kira's methods, stating that she does not like the terror they incite; she believes that the law should judge criminals. Shiori argues with the "pro-Kira" Light, unaware of the fact that Light is Kira. Kashii describes Shiori as a "very innocent" and "ordinary" girl who "believes in justice." Kashii believed that Shiori's way of thinking is closest to that of audiences of the Death Note film.

Shusuke Kaneko, director of the film, said that he created Shiori after reading the original Death Note manga. In an interview printed in Weekly Shonen Jump, the creators of the film stated that Shiori was added to the story to highlight Light's negative aspects. Kaneko said that he needed Shiori to "deliver Light's badness to the audience."

In the production notes Kashii said that she felt excited to portray Shiori and wondered if the audience could accept her character.

Kitty Sensei of OtakuZone had her opinions of the film portrayal of Shiori published in The Star, a Malaysian newspaper. In it Kitty Sensei said that she felt concern about what the addition of Shiori would do to "would affect our dear, megalomaniac Light. Will he be a softer version of the Light from the manga?" Kitty Sensei said that after watching the film she felt that Shiori "only strengthens the portrayal of Light" and that she "provides one of the gasp-worthy moments of the movie."

Ohba said that he considers Sachiko and Sayu the most good characters in the series, as he could not "sense any evil or twistedness from these two at all." Both creators added that they considered the Yagami family to be the most pitiful characters in the book; Ohba added that he felt sympathy for Sachiko and Sayu.

Wedy (Uedi)
Wedy, real name Merrie Kenwood in the Japanese versions and Mary Kenwood in the English manga, is a professional burglar in the employ of L. She installs bugs in the Yotsuba Group's meeting room to secretly observe the group's weekly meetings. She does the same for Higuchi's car, allowing the team to watch his desperate attempts to kill Matsuda. After L's death, she is killed by Light, dying in a motorcycle accident. Wedy also uses her initial in computer communication; to avoid confusion with Watari ("W"), she deliberately uses the lowercase form, "w". She is voiced by Miki Nagasawa in the Japanese version and Venus Terzo in the English version.

Ohba said that he created Aiber and Wedy so he could use characters with "special abilities" to advance the storyline. He said that he wanted to use Wedy more than Aiber. As an example he explained a scenario involving Light controlling Wedy, making her place cameras in the headquarters so Misa could see L's face "... or something."

According to Obata, he drew Wedy as a female model as he did not know what kind of character she would be. Obata added that Wedy has the "stereotypical female spy look." Obata believes that if he drew Aiber and Wedy to look "a little bit more original," Ohba could have included the characters in a larger role in Death Note.

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