This was my first time ever reading a manga book. I honestly did not know what one was until about a year ago when a co-worker was reading one at lunch. Back then I had decided I'd probably never read one of those books. I am eating my words right now. I had this perception that this book was going to give me a headache and it was going to be difficult to understand. I received no headache and despite coming into the middle of the series, I managed to understand the book.
I went to the library to find this particular title, which had been recommended to me by my co-worker. Unfortunately, the library did not have the first volume, so I settled for volume 4. It was a bit difficult coming into a series not really understanding the storyline, but I caught on. In volume 4, L who works with the police is trying to figure out who has been murdering police officers and other people. He has chosen to do these things horrible things in order to rid the world of the violent criminals and create an ideal society, having the notebook allows him to do all these things. He believes it to be Kira and/or the second Kira. Kira is someone who is carrying this notebook that is basically the death note. All the Kira has to know is the name of the person and what they look like, once that is known they can write that person's death note in the notebook and they will die. This process is helped by what is called a Shinigami, which I interrupted as a demon who is attached to the Kira. L believes that the main Kira is one of the investigator's son, his name is Light. L includes him in on the investigation in order to get close to him and confirm his suspicions that Light is the Kira. Light discovers who the second Kira is, Misa Amane, basically a copycat Kira, he befriends her in order to throw L's suspicion off. Misa Amane, 2nd Kira, chooses to utilize the notebook after her parents were killed and there was an attempted attack on her life. L figures out that the two Kira's have joined forces in order to throw him off. Light's plan is to kill Misa and L, but Misa (2nd Kira) ends up helping Light Misa gives up her notebook, which gives up her Shinigami and her memory of the Shinigami but not her memory of Light. Light turns himself in saying he "thinks" he's the Kira. L has him arrested and discovers that no murders occur while Light is in jail. Light has buried the death note and with that the memories of his Shinigami, Ryuk, and Kira.
The series then continues in volume 5, which I have contemplated reading just to see what more begins to happen. It was a bit different reading this book from right to left, top right to left. This is a manga series that I highly recommend reading and that is coming from someone that until now has never read from this genre.
Recommended Fiction:
I'd recommend reading the beginning series of Death Note but I'm also recommending these two books.
Bleach by Tite Kubo
Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto
Recommended Non-fiction:
My Manga World by Jeannie Lee. This book shows you how to draw manga, this book might help someone who is unfamiliar with manga.
Manga for the beginner: everything you need to know to get started right away! by Christopher Hart
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