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A review by ravenousbibliophile
Death Note: Another Note - The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases by NISIOISIN
4.0
Blurb: A pleasant note in an already exquisite melody
Whenever people have asked for a recommendation for a story that'd 'challenge their minds' or 'tease their intellect', Death Note has always been one of the first works that I recommend. I have watched people who've never read a manga become ardent lovers of the medium after they've read Death Note, and I've also seen people curse the manga for being 'unduly complicated' and 'pretentious' in its plot-expositions, its depiction of detectives and the less than flattering depiction of women. Be that as it may, there is little doubt in anyone who enjoys detective-fiction and manga that 'Death Note' is perhaps one of the best written stories to ever grace the medium of literature. And to that end, anything 'Death Note' would have a rather high-bar to clear if it wants to be accepted by the fandom. Thankfully, Death Note: Another Note clears the bar convincingly.
I must first and foremost thank and applaud Andrew Cunningham for doing an excellent job of translating the text and bringing it to the English language in a manner that does not fully take away from the word-play that Japanese writers are known for. Some jokes based on the Japanese-script are definitely lost on people who have little or no knowledge of the same, but it wasn't a great impediment in enjoying the story as a whole.
As to the story itself, it fits within the Death Note universe like a bespoke suit in the wardrobe of a person with taste. It provides some insight into the world of 'L', and peels away at the layers of intrigue that surround him, and what is particularly pleasing is that as a surrogate for the reader, we have the character of Naomi Misora. A person who is unsure of her fate but is firmly grounded by her own abilities as an investigator. Since the story acts as a prequel to the events of the main Death Note story, it does a wonderful job of highlighting the link between L and Misora and their very first interaction as professionals.
Other characters from the main story are mentioned in passing or have their presence alluded to but the dramatis personae of this story are certainly L, Misora, the Killer and also the narrator whose identity I shall not reveal here. In many ways, the story feels as if it's taking place within a locked-room and it is the talent of NisiOisiN's writing that has made a plot with few characters seem incredibly vast. Furthermore, although this is a novel and not a manga, there are several moments of physical descriptions that pay tribute to the visuals of the Manga.
For those wondering if this book would work as a good primer for the main Death Note story, I would say "yes". But I would recommend against it. Not only because of the little Easter-eggs strewn about the text but also because in my opinion, the fate of these characters in the main Death Note story greatly influences the overall impact which this story generates. And so, I would highly advise readers to adhere to the chronology of the publication rather than the chronology of the story.
It is not an easy task to write a story set in a universe created by someone else (as many fan-fiction writers can imagine) however, NisiOisiN does an excellent job of preserving the essence of Tsugumi Ohba's masterpiece while bringing to the story a decidedly alien warmth and panache.
Whenever people have asked for a recommendation for a story that'd 'challenge their minds' or 'tease their intellect', Death Note has always been one of the first works that I recommend. I have watched people who've never read a manga become ardent lovers of the medium after they've read Death Note, and I've also seen people curse the manga for being 'unduly complicated' and 'pretentious' in its plot-expositions, its depiction of detectives and the less than flattering depiction of women. Be that as it may, there is little doubt in anyone who enjoys detective-fiction and manga that 'Death Note' is perhaps one of the best written stories to ever grace the medium of literature. And to that end, anything 'Death Note' would have a rather high-bar to clear if it wants to be accepted by the fandom. Thankfully, Death Note: Another Note clears the bar convincingly.
I must first and foremost thank and applaud Andrew Cunningham for doing an excellent job of translating the text and bringing it to the English language in a manner that does not fully take away from the word-play that Japanese writers are known for. Some jokes based on the Japanese-script are definitely lost on people who have little or no knowledge of the same, but it wasn't a great impediment in enjoying the story as a whole.
As to the story itself, it fits within the Death Note universe like a bespoke suit in the wardrobe of a person with taste. It provides some insight into the world of 'L', and peels away at the layers of intrigue that surround him, and what is particularly pleasing is that as a surrogate for the reader, we have the character of Naomi Misora. A person who is unsure of her fate but is firmly grounded by her own abilities as an investigator. Since the story acts as a prequel to the events of the main Death Note story, it does a wonderful job of highlighting the link between L and Misora and their very first interaction as professionals.
Other characters from the main story are mentioned in passing or have their presence alluded to but the dramatis personae of this story are certainly L, Misora, the Killer and also the narrator whose identity I shall not reveal here. In many ways, the story feels as if it's taking place within a locked-room and it is the talent of NisiOisiN's writing that has made a plot with few characters seem incredibly vast. Furthermore, although this is a novel and not a manga, there are several moments of physical descriptions that pay tribute to the visuals of the Manga.
For those wondering if this book would work as a good primer for the main Death Note story, I would say "yes". But I would recommend against it. Not only because of the little Easter-eggs strewn about the text but also because in my opinion, the fate of these characters in the main Death Note story greatly influences the overall impact which this story generates. And so, I would highly advise readers to adhere to the chronology of the publication rather than the chronology of the story.
It is not an easy task to write a story set in a universe created by someone else (as many fan-fiction writers can imagine) however, NisiOisiN does an excellent job of preserving the essence of Tsugumi Ohba's masterpiece while bringing to the story a decidedly alien warmth and panache.