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rinku's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
L: Change the WorLd takes place in an alternative universe/timeline of the Death Note universe which is an interesting idea for a light novel. This story follows mainly L who’s trying to solve a mystery around a deadly virus, working together with the ten-year old Maki and an FBI agent.
I can’t help it but compare this light novel to the first one, Another Note. Change the WorLd dealt with so many more interesting topics, like biological weapons or the relationship between humans and nature, and didn’t try to be edgy just for the sake of it. Yes, there were dark and dramatic moments, but they served a purpose in the story. Other moments of the story were of course predictable, like Kujo being a traitor , but some moments surprised me, like the fact that she was once at Wammy’s house . As we know it from the main series, L has clever plans, and it was so interesting to see how he resolved specific situations. I additionally really liked the bittersweet ending with Maki being safe but L dying .
But this is Death Note and there’s of course quite a lot of sexism and misogyny. For example, all women in the story are objectified which was just annoying and became tedious. What became tedious for me as well was the humour that was just a bit over the top. At the same time though, the story creates a great tense atmosphere through the time pressure coming from the fact that L – for some reasons – wrote his own name in a death note, and Maki being infected with the virus .
I also liked the characters so much more than in Another Note. It’s so cute how L cares for Maki and he is just likable here. A reason for this is his great character development and he’s not the only one that has one; the development of Kujo was great as well. Furthermore, we get some short appearances of my favorite Death Note characters, namely Matsuda and Misa .
L: Change the WorLd is honestly the only additional material of the Death Note series that I like. Reasons for this are the likable characters and the interesting story. Still, my love for the series has faded and thus I can’t give more than three stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Violence and Grief
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