Death Note, Volume 4: Love

I've been making a habit lately of buying gifts to give away from my favorite comic book shop, and Death Note was a perfect choice for my brother's birthday. I gave him the first three volumes, which I had just finished reading and thought he would enjoy--the series is smart and complex, and I've been enjoying it myself. Plus, I like being the cool older sibling. The fourth volume, Love, collects chapters twenty-six through thirty-four of the manga, picking up where Hard Run leaves off.

Ever since L invited Light to join the Kira investigation, Light has had to be especially careful. While it gives him some insight into the progress of the case, it also allows more opportunities to slip up and reveal himself as Kira--the killer of show more criminals worldwide. But the appearance of a second Kira has complicated things even further. Light hopes to discover the identity of the new Kira before L and the rest of the investigation team can. This Kira displays powers even beyond Light's and he is determined to use this to his advantage and kill L once and for all.

L isn't nearly as creepy to me as he used to be. He's still a bit strange and awkward though, making it more difficult to really know what's going on in that brilliant mind of his. Light, on the other hand, is a little easier to read. But this doesn't mean he doesn't have a few surprises in reserve. Since L is closing in on Kira, Light is more concerned than ever to protect his identity and that of the second Kira. In previous collections, we've seen the lengths Light is willing to go to from a distance in order to implement his plan, but this is the first time we've really seen such intimate and personal manipulation. Frankly, it's a bit frightening to watch Light's descent and ruthlessness.

The artwork has really settled in by the fourth volume, with very little continuity or consistency issues. The Shinigami death gods are perhaps the most visually interesting. Besides Ryuk, who we already know, Rem is introduced as a major player in this volume. I particularly enjoyed examining the similarities and differences in the portrayal of two characters, those both subtle and obvious. It was also interesting to compare their attitudes, which was captured quite well by the artist.

I am thoroughly enjoying the Death Note collections and Love is no exception; it may even be my favorite so far. I remain impressed by the story's depth and complexity. This is the only "unflipped" manga that I'm reading at the moment, but it doesn't take too long to settle in, thanks mostly to the strong artwork and design. (And a little bit of practice, of course.) There were a few translation quirks in this volume, but nothing that was too distracting. Also, a few cultural references might pass over some readers, but these aren't paramount to understanding or enjoying the book. Death Note continues to improve with each volume and I'm very much looking forward to the next one, Whiteout.

Experiments in Reading show less

You're worrying too much, Dad.

Well, that took forever for me to finish, didn't it. In all honesty, for a bit there, I was concerned that this was going on the 'series i quit you' shelf. Mainly because I see something like this:



and all I can think about is the Shin Megami Tensei bondage angel by Kazuma Kaneko. (Sorry, couldn't find a good picture of it online, but if you've played the game you know the one I mean.) It's not a good association. But in spite of the occasional bouts of misogyny, the twists and turns of the plot itself continue to delight. Light is on display as his very horrible self in this volume, and I frankly appreciate the refusal to sugar coat. The lengths L will go to to find Kira are also front and center here, in show more case you had begun to think he was some fluffy bunny with his talk of his only friend and all. So, I continue on. Hopefully the reading slump will improve and no further bad memories of Japanese video games will surface to hold me back from finding out what horrors await Light's Dad. show less

This was another enjoyable addition to the Death Note series, though it did seem to drag a bit, which is why I knocked it down a star.

I dropped the rating down another level because I found Misa to be incredibly annoying. The whole "celebrity worship" thing she had going for Light annoyed me a great deal.

The last volume ended with a bit of a cliffhanger... someone besides Light possesses a Death Note and has made the deal for shinigami eyes. This second Kira is eager to meet the original, and L and the task force hope to intercept copycat before Kira can. Of course, Light is still active on the task force. When the second Kira reveals herself (gasp!) to Light, he must decide how best to use her and her shinigami.

Okay, so getting down to specifics, Misa (the second Kira) reveals herself to the police and then Light, confessing her love for him. She not quite what anyone expected. Compared to super geniuses (Wile E. Coyote-style) like Light and L, Misa isn't nearly as clever, but she's no dummy. She's unpredictable as well, being much show more more emotional than Light, and having the power of shinigami eyes. Her shinigami, Rem, is the complete opposite of Ryuk - forthcoming, patient, caring, and protective. Light isn't prepared to handle this curveball, and we see him acting more and more on the defensive.

Still, you can't help but feel that L is also struggling with the investigation. There's an interesting exchange between L and Light, where they talk about being friends. While you know that Light is just playing a part, you do feel for L, who seems lonely. He also contemplates his own mortality, knowing that he should concentrate on what he can do instead of letting the fear of death control him.

I think this volume's shift in focus - away from Light and Ryuk and on to L, Misa and Rem - was effective. While L has grown on me over the past three volumes, I liked Misa and Rem almost right away. Perhaps it's that they aren't as calculating as the other characters, but rather plain about their feelings. I'm looking forward to the next volume, especially after this new cliffhanger. show less

This was another enjoyable addition to the Death Note series, though it did seem to drag a bit, which is why I knocked it down a star.

I dropped the rating down another level because I found Misa to be incredibly annoying. The whole "celebrity worship" thing she had going for Light annoyed me a great deal.

We are definitely back on track with this edition to the deathnote series after a rather lacklustre 3rd book. Misa is a great character to add to the series and the plot gets better and beter once Light and Misa meet. I found myself laughing out loud at some of Misa's crazy actions. I was dipping a little with my enthusiasm for this series but this one has definitely spurred me on to read number 5!

not as good as the first three. nothing new really happens. the premise behind death note is awesome, but somebody dropped the ball here. and as some other commenters have said, the representation of women ( as exemplified by stage 5 clinger, Misa) in this one is just vile. I remember why I stopped watching the anime now. it got boring, which was unfortunate, and truly unnecessary. I mean this is a world overseen by a cadre of awesomely bizarre death gods for chrissake. it could be way better.