Like I said in a previous post, I had just purchased a Death Note side story/novel from Indigo. I was contemplating today whether to read it or a CSS book….and I decided to start this (short) 170~ page novel and get it over with before continuing this CSS textbook.

As I began to read, I felt a feeling of deja vu/nostalgia, revisiting characters from a series and world that I had visited and left long ago. Just like the Dark Angel novels I’d read this this week.

I realized how much fun reading can be when something like that occurs. It’s not “reading”, it’s revisiting old friends, if that makes sense. Like how I felt when I read Naruto: Shippuuden after a Naruto manga hiatus. I’d encounter people I used to know, and see how they’ve changed or read an interpretation of a character that is slightly different from what I know, but fundamentally similar to what I’m used to. Writing that last sentence made me of Sky’s Content, a Shikamaru fanfiction I’ve been reading, and how I get the same feeling when I read about other Naruto characters. What I’m getting at is that I love a good world. A world of Dragon Ball Z, a world of Naruto, a world of Mega Man, Final Fantasy VII, Azumanga Diaoh, Seinfeld, whatever….any world that has rich characters. And I really love going back to that world when I feel like I’ve experienced everything I need to know, only to find out there’s more.

What I mean is
I’ve watched the Dark Angel series, read the novels, I don’t think there’s much else to this world that I can experience, in any form of media.
I’ve watched the Death Note anime, read the manga, read the interviews…I also don’t feel like there’s much more in this world that I can experience either…
Well, that’s what I thought, until I read this, and then it added more depth to this already existing world.

Which brings us to the review.

I thought this novel was superb. I mean, I contemplated how something could be written or plotted as well as Death Note, especially given that this was a novel, and written by some dude I’ve never heard of. I was expecting something….that couldn’t live up to the original. How could it? As this was a prequel to Death Note, it deals with a story without Kira. And in the world of Death Note, the entire world is effectively based around Kira and the people close to him.

But this story features a case between L and Naomi Misora, who sadly, was only in 2 short episodes of the anime but being a character I really loved. Much like Takeshi Obata, I believe I fell in love with her design. Takeshi Obata was…hmm, I don’t think upset is the word, but wasn’t expecting Naomi Misora to have such a short time in the Death Note world. I found it interesting that they made a novel out of this relationship since it was only mentioned quickly (how L knew Naomi Misora as a strong individual, not one to take her own life – relevant to the Kira case).

Oh god, I’m all over the place, writing at 4AM….my brain fried from reading most of the day.

Anyways, I found this novel to be an excellent supplement to the Death Note world. It certainly has its very unexpected twists…which I really won’t spoil. It was just…it was watching the mind of L work…sort of. Ah, you have to read it to get it.

I’ll keep this short:
If you liked Death Note, this is a story you can’t miss. Not for the plot reasons as this really changes nothing reading Death Note, but for the characters. To feel what it’s like to be in L’s presence again, to feel what it’s like to see his mind working, to see ridiculous deductive abilities…It just really helped paint a more interesting image of the Death Note world. It’s a pretty short novel, 170 pages but the margins are huge. I found that it was written extremely well, the reading level was much higher than those Dark Angel novels I read. I had been worried that the translation would screw it over or that they’d american-ize it in some way but it felt pretty accurate to what I imagine the original was like.

I find myself wanting more novels and short stories. There’s so much more than can be told about L. We were with him in his final days but his beginning is still a mystery, and an interesting one at that. Reading the novel only showed how many places they could go with that character of limitless fascination. As you can the eyes of Naomi, you realize how absurd (and interesting) L’s actions, mannerisms can be.

I’m trying to think of other characters who fascinate me as much as L. The list of names is short. Very short. While L played a very prominent role in Death Note, I would have loved to see more of him….maybe they’ll come out with more novels. I can only hope…

Oops. This has nothing to do with the post but Merry Christmas everyone :)