Death Note 13: How to Read - Shinsou
Death Note 13: How to Read

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This manga is the one-shot that started the Death Note series. I expected some things to be different, not much. I found this issue to be enjoyable yet ... odd.

I'll be frank: here, there is such a thing as a death /eraser/. Something to bring those that were killed in the Death Note back to life. That should tell you something right there.

The main character is an average kid with no intention to actually kill anyone (he did by mistake) which made the plot fairly less entertaining. The Death Eraser was just weird - really glad Ohba got rid of it.

It's a cool "look what started it all" kind of story, though not much if you're looking for something really engaging like the actual series. The art was good and the character could be seen as more relateable, but it's just something that fall short when compared to what was done with it later.

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This is the prototype that would soon give light (pun intended) to one of the most famous and beloved series by both manga and non-manga fans alike, so how's it?
It's a quick read; as a matter of fact, I finished reading it in around seven minutes or so. However, I'd like to point out something: the story isn't really as good as the "official" 'Death Note'.
Meet Taro, a thirteen-year-old boy who, at the way home, picks up a dark, mysterious notebook. Without much knowledge of English, Taro can only understand the last part of its name; in fact, he just thought it was a regular notebook because he didn't know what "death" meant. When he finally gets home, he decides to write about his day in it. With low self-esteem, Taro, a bullied and depressed kid, writes about every tiny detail about it with the bullies' names on it. His mum invites him for dinner, such a "normal" middle-schooler day, isn't it?
What may have seemed normal previously is now completely shattered. As soon as the class starts, the teacher announces the bullies' unexplainable, sudden death due to a heart attack (sounds familiar?).
Overall, I'd give this a score of six; even though it's a one-shot, the story lacks a bit of "flavour" to it — such a quick story, even if it's good, doesn't exactly appetise me.
The artwork is splendid; I personally like when manga and anime are overdramatic and convey surprised faces, but everyone's surprised faces astonished and gave me a feeling of anxiety (which is what I look up to when I'm reading or watching something).
Trespassed seven years, the story ends with a question: what would you do if you had the power to kill anyone, at any time with something as simple as writing their name on a notebook whilst having their face in mind?

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