aj93's profile picture

aj93's review

5.0

No high school kid needs to be that smart or diabolical! Jeeezzzz

barbarazs's review

3.75
dark fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
otsukimii's profile picture

otsukimii's review

4.0

Rating is for this volume, review is for the overall series. 8/10 for the whole series.
Minor spoilers ahead.

LOVED the first part of the manga, the second part felt incredibly lackluster until the last volume, and even that one doesn't compare to the entirety of the first part.

I love Mello and Near but their chemistry with Kira/the case just can't be compared to L's. The story felt very monotonous for the most part during the second half but seeing Kira's lies being dismantled in the last volume made it exciting again.

The final pages were, imo, a great end to the series. Very eerie and creepy, perfect.

I never sympathized with Light in the slightest so maybe my perception of the second half is biased but having read this as a buddy read with a couple people and them sharing the same thoughts, I think it's safe to say the story just got a bit stale during the second half.

Also I'm kinda glad my first read of this was as an adult so I'm more mature but it also made me nitpick and overthink details that I probably wouldn't care if I was younger lol.

I miss L so I'm going to read the novels just for him.

leelass's review

4.0

I'm a bit annoyed with the ending...
Near superior to L? Nah. :/

Oh well. Still good.

book_geek96's review

4.0

So, great manga ended... I loved ending, though so many people despised it. It was logical and Light deserved it.
Spoiler (I am only sad that one of the best and cleverest villain in the world died like that.. it was pathetic)
And Matsuda! You kicked ass in this one)) So being angry can make even the sweetest guy that dangerous ...
I still miss L)) I wish he was the one who won over Kira... But his predecessors Near and Mello did great too ))

Now lets write what I liked and disliked in this manga series));
1. I liked the concept and the fine line between good and evil... I liked the way it shows how power can make the good evil..
2. I liked the battle of wits between L&Kira and Near&Kira)) I felt so stupid))
I didn't like;
1.I didn't like the portrayal of women in here.. They were mostly stupid and annoying. As I said before, this manga was sexist...
2. I didn't like the plot holes and unfinished aspects... Like what happened to Yagami family?
So I am grateful to my friends Salima Badalova and then my goodreads friend Argona for this recommendation)) I am so happy for reading it!

mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
caramel_sundae's profile picture

caramel_sundae's review

4.25
dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I've been reading/watching this series for literal years... I watched a good chunk of the anime a few years ago and I've made multiple attempts at getting through the manga, I think I've read the first 3-4 volumes like 4 times... and I'm finally finished!! 

everyone's definitely right about how the series was at its peak when it was L vs. Light... it lost the plot for a while after he died, although I thought volumes 10-12 were a lot better than the boring ones before that T_T I really don't care that much about near/mello, but luckily the whole team went back to Japan and things picked up again at the start of volume 10(?). it's hard not to root for kira in the end... watching him die was kind of traumatizing T_T but I knew it was coming because I'd been spoiled... if not I think I would fully have expected light to win, the series sets him up as the hero despite the morally reprehensible things he's doing. how timely of me to finish this series right as the entire country is discussing the moral implications of vigilante murder...

there's other issues I have with the series: the way every woman just mindlessly follows light, misa especially... although she lives at the end, good for her!!, the way some storylines were dragged endlessly (ex. everything with light's father/family got superrrr boring), the slightly-confusing plots (what actually happened in volumes 8-9 I could not tell you)... but overall it's really great for what it is. the series as a whole is probably... 4 stars?? I think younger-me definitely thought it was more genius than current-me does, but tbh the first half of the series is genuinely amazing. not to mention how many iconic audios it's spawned?? the anime music, the 'no... I can't laugh yet... I have to hold it in' I had no idea that was from this T_T, 'I WIN', 'I'll take this potato chip.... AND EAT IT!' it's so unintentionally funny T_T

also thought it was very interesting how at the end matsuda and mogi(?) (I couldn't tell 2 of those guys on the task force apart I'm sorry) are both talking about how they kind of wish they didn't kill kira... but it was between that or die. if he'd just trusted them bro could have lived T_T 

anyway, idk if I'll ever feel the urge to reread the first volumes a fifth time... but I am excited to go read everyone else's thoughts on it now, because despite being spoiled on some big stuff (L dies & light dies) I did try to avoid spoilers past that T_T

aleegg's profile picture

aleegg's review

5.0

Me gustó muchísimo esta historia. Creo que debemos leer más allá de lo superficial y llevar un paso más adelante lo que nos está contando el autor: narcisismo, justicia, egoísmo ético, leyes, etc.
adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The thrilling conclusion to Death Note. Characters meet their end, the final showdown, and secrets finally come to light. This volume had me reading as quickly as possible to find out just how everything was going to shakedown. Some of my criticisms still remain, particularly how both Misa and Takada are pretty much used as instruments the entire time without that much agency other than their undying loyalty to Light. That being said, what this series really does is place a magnifying glass on humanity and lets the reader be the judge for what is righteous or not. Was Light correct in trying to act like a God and make judgements on people? Or was he just another mass murderer? Would the world be better off if evil is snuffed out, or do people have the freedom to become a better person when they so choose.

Stories like Minority Report or The Good Place all attempt to examine this question about what it means to be human but to all make mistakes. Likewise, Death Note goes deep in its analysis of our culture of what is right and wrong. This will have me contemplating the implications of this story for many a year to come.

sammaich's review

4.0
mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A