There’s no denying that Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump is the biggest manga magazine of all time, known for serializing several classics over the decades. Launched in 1968, the magazine eventually released fan-favorite series such as One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, and many more acclaimed manga. The magazine has seen countless changes over the years, but the biggest one is the transition from long-running series to shorter stories. However, while that trend is new to fans in the 2010s and 2020s, Death Note is one of the shorter stories that somehow made its mark in the industry. Written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, the manga was serialized from 2003 to 2006.
It didn’t take long after the manga finale for Madhouse to release an anime adaptation, forever changing the Shonen industry. The anime premiered on October 4th, 2026, exactly two decades ago, but even after all this time, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Death Note is one of the best series in anime history, filled with thriller, suspense, and supernatural elements. While the overall story in general is one-of-a-kind, what truly drew fans in is the exceptional main character, Light Yagami, who redefined what a Shonen protagonist could be.
The story centers around a genius high school student, Light Yagami, who becomes twisted after tasting the kind of power no mortal should’ve known about. While looking out from his classroom window, he saw a seemingly ordinary notebook falling from the sky. He later picked it up and realized it was a Death Note that claims to take the life of a person whose name is written on it if the user fulfills specific conditions, which are quite easy to follow. Although Light believes that the notebook is nothing but a prank, he still decides to experiment with it by using a felon’s name. He never expected he would succeed in killing the criminal, and it doesn’t take long for the teenager to form his own distorted sense of justice and decide to purge the world of all criminals by going on a murder spree.
Going under the alias “Kira,” Light evokes fear and unrest among the people until a mysterious detective known as L swears to stop Kira’s rampage. It also doesn’t help that the true owner of the notebook, Ryuk, a Shinigami, tries to use Light as a means of entertainment. What truly sets him apart is that he begins using the Death Note with a noble intention of ridding the world of criminals. However, the power he possessed in his hand was never something a mortal could handle. To be able to control life and death itself gave him the idea that the kind of a god complex that turned his sense of justice into something twisted.
In the process of getting rid of all the criminals in the world, Light never hesitated to use those around him. His goal was to create a peaceful utopia with no crime, but his dream was never fully realized since he became the one causing the chaos he once despised. He manipulated Kisa, who was clearly in love with him. Not to mention that he killed L and his father in hopes of hiding his identity. Light would also never hesitate to erase his memories and manipulate himself if the situation deemed it necessary. He wasn’t born evil, but the power he held turned him into something he couldn’t recognize anymore. In the end, he died a sad death at the hands of the Shinigami who had been using him all that time.
However, it’s not just Light, but the anime in general follows morally gray characters, which makes them all the more intriguing. Instead of painting everything as black or white, the story focuses on the complex characters and the nuance between every step they take. This haunting narrative doesn’t preach a simple lesson, but instead, it tests the viewers by showing a world where a person who lowers global crime rates forces the masses to question if the ends can ever justify the means. The story was never about justice but the lengths someone would go to justify their evil. Instead of a clash between good and evil, the story focuses on a battle of wits between morally gray characters where neither side is completely right or wrong.
Is Death Note one of your favorite anime as well? Let me know in the comments section what you like most about Light Yagami. Or you can just share your favorite Endgame moment to commemorate the anime’s anniversary.
