Death Note Another Note: Los Angeles BB Renzoku Satsujin Jiken
Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases

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Being the Death Note fan that I am, I searched tirelessly for more Death Note after the anime ended. That included the live action movies, Death Note special and one shot. So you can imagine that I was pretty excited when I found out there was more Death Note out there in the form of ‘Another Note: LABB Murder Cases’. I was practically squealing (grunting if that makes me sound more manly) at the thought and immediately placed this on my plan to read list. Of course, no one told me this was a novel and not a manga so you can say that I ... was quite surprised when I saw this at my local bookstore.

Story:

The title, Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases was a bit misleading. The entire story itself is in fact, a bit misleading. I immediately dreamt of some kind of back-story in which another human had taken hold of a Death Note prior to the events of the actual story and that it would be some kind of buried, post-Kira incident. It was no such thing. Instead, LABB Murder Cases is in fact more of a detective novel that focuses on nothing more than a not-so-ordinary serial killer who has managed to peak L’s interest. Soon, Naomi Misora is offered to work alongside L in order to solve the case.

The murder cases themselves are quite typical. Naomi Misora and L working together in order to apprehend the murderer is quite typical. All in all, if that was all the story amounted to, this novel would be too typical to carry the name ‘Death Note’ in it. While the first few pages of the novel will interest you, you can expect to be lulled into a bit of a slow investigation at first, only interesting because you are given more of a glimpse at the way Misora thinks and how she meets L for the first time. It does however, soon become interesting as familiar psychological warfare begins. Saying another would spoil it, but be assured that the novel does carry the same psychological manipulation / investigative deductions that Death Note the series carried. The ending the novel sets up is surprising. The way you are misled throughout the novel is done brilliantly. It loses points however, due to some unbelievable aspects of the story and while it is a good story, it lacks the depth and special something a 10/10 would have. 9/10

Characters:

While L of course plays an important role in the novel, he is not in fact, the main character. Instead, the novel gives us a closer look at Naomi Misora prior to the actual story and her relationship with L which is actually quite interesting. Misora who is given such a crucial, albeit short role, in the Death Note series was an interestingly strong character who some might say deserved more. This novel does just that and gives us an excellent look at the Misora’s deductive abilities in addition to her personality which is hidden during the course of the actual series. While in the series we only see Misora as the cool, serious, ex-FBI agent bent on tracking Kira, the novel allows us to see past her serious attire and focus on some of her more human traits.

Furthermore, readers are given a glimpse at Mello as well for he is in fact, the teller, the ‘writer’ and narrator of this story. Not only does this again, give us more insight into a character who meets an end quite quickly, but also gives us a look into the Wammy House, L’s origin, and the way he and the others perceived a future as L’s replacement. 9/10

Overall: I didn’t take much of a look at art because this was a novel. Overall it was an interesting read. It doesn’t have a Death Note in it and there is no Kira seeking to build a utopia, but the psychological / mystery aspects of Death Note are still there. Characters we know from the show are expanded and given a chance to show their true colors in this novel. Finally, the novel builds itself a great climax to end it off and to the casual readers like me who prefer having the answers laid out for them instead of trying to solve them as most mystery fans would do, be ready for a surprise. Death Note Another Note did not need another Death Note to make it a hit. It is a unique experience for Death Note fans, although I would say that only a Death Note fan could understand and enjoy the novel to the extent that I have. My only complaint is that some portions of the story is quite unbelievable and almost ridiculous. 9/10

After watching the anime, I wanted more about L. He was the best character and didn't deserve such an ending. He was my favorite character, yet we didn't learn much about him. So, I read this and I enjoyed it. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the characters were very unique, one in particular, and the story had a natural vibe to it. It was easy to read and connect with the main character. The twist at the end was amazing and I love it when Mello would take you aside to explain things a bit better. It was an amazing ... read and would probably read it again.

No, this has nothing to do with the Death Note universe, except for the reminiscence of the already known characters L, Misora Naomi-san and, the storyteller, Mello. So, to all the Kira enthusiasts out there, make no mistake - your hero, your god is not here!

But, error not, nonetheless this is a great story. Written by Nisio Isin (Monogatari series, Medaka Box) and illustrated by Obata Takeshi, the artist behind Death Note (though little there is to be appreciated, solely some cool, shady portraits, now and then), BB Renzoku Satsujin Jiken is a dazzling tale holding a secret thirsting to be revealed. It is an ... astonishing and dark police roller-coaster. Set in prosaic L.A. (as the title implies), graphical dormant, a wave of maddeningly homicides began to diffuse with a peculiar insignia: a series of mysterious and cunning clues are being left behind at every crime scene. The gloomy shadows of a killer on the loose triggers the beginning of the novel, which is simply delicious - from the very moment that Misora-san enters the stage you’re already in too deep. (From the Death Note story we already knew that this Japanese investigator had worked under L’s leadership, and this is her narrative.) As the storyline proceeds, not too slow and not too swift, i’d say at an appropriate and sober pace, you’ll get to know this bizarre, strange persona next to Misora-san and their interaction – fantastic! Such is a sweet gust, grotesque sometimes, amidst the dire sophism you suddenly got caught into. It gets highly addictive, and you’ll never get tedious. You get to know, little by little, the phrenology etched upon our protagonists, deciphering the charade towards the next murder, and more and more of our heroine’s serene pensive and breakthroughs, which later on, in the Death Note manga, posed an acute problem to Yagami Light.

Sailing through the chain of cadavers and psychotic riddles, she attains, somehow, this aura that makes the reader reciprocates with her heart, it’s quite amazing. Though Misora Naomi’s ethos and wit are circled, veiled by one’s dark brilliance, which, consequently, is veiled by another’s empyrean intellect, far superior, her natural propensity for this whodunit is simply perfect. A superb battle of wits!
It is very well thought, and at some point you’ll may even look over your shoulder – who’s there in the shallow shadow? This road across the darkness is a memorable one, one i greatly recommend for any lover of the mystery, thriller and psychological genre. The final pages are everything they should be, not a word wasted, culminating in an extraordinary zenith that’ll blow you away. Profound and potent, a must read where, at one point or another, you will get sucked and become a complicit in this odyssey.

I actually didn't hear about this novel until I read something about it in Anime Insider (before they went under). Then I started seeing fanart of Beyond Birthday, and that just made me want to read the book even more. When it finally came out in Barnes & Noble, I was so excited, I nearly squeed right there in the manga aisle. Initially, I was expecting some sort of epic showdown between L and BB, and though it didn't turn out that way, I wasn't too disappointed when I got to the ending. Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of the author's style of ... writing...it's good, but at the same time, it's a tad wordy and he/she tends to go off on tangents...though because Mello is narrating, that may be the way it was intended. All in all, I enjoyed the book, and I have reread it numerous times. I reccomend this highly for Death Note fans.

Death Note: Another Note was my ray of hope in my search for more official DN related works after I watched the anime and bought the entire manga. Out of curiosity, I just looked up the BB murder case for fanfictions, but I ended up finding this book instead, and I immediately bought it By the way, this book isn't manga, this is a novel written by Nisio Isin, of Monogatari fame, so my hopes were quite high. Again, did not disappoint.

STORY - 8
This is related to Death Note, so what else can you expect? This story isn't about Light, in fact, it has nothing ... to do with Light or the Kira murders case. Instead, this book is about another case the master detective L tackled, that is briefly mentioned in the main story itself. The plot-line is quite typical, L and FBI agent Naomi Misora work together to catch a serial killer. The way the characters are killed, and the clues it leads to the next victim are extremely interesting and well thought out. So despite the generic plotline, I give this an 8.

ART-7

The art was by Takeshi Obata, who illustrated Death Note. Nothing much to see here, but still, well done.

CHARACTERS - 10

As usual, we have our brilliant detective L, his character hasn't changed. He's still the same as he is in the main series.

The true star of this book was in fact, Naomi Misora. In the main series, we see her as an ex-FBI agent and Ray Penbar's fianceé. However, this book gives us an insight into how brilliant she was. In the short time in this book, she truly shone like a star.

Another very interesting character is B.B, I won't spoil much though.

This story was narrated by Mello, and I'd say, although he changes his style of narration, it was still fun to read.

ENJOYMENT- 8
Fun to read, and Mello's narration makes it twice as enjoyable to read.

OVERALL -
I enjoyed this story! It helps us know the characters from Death note a lot better. Not to mention, some parts of this story rub off on the main story. (My choice of words wasn't very good, I know)

When I rewatched Death Note, I felt like I could empathise with Naomi Misora a lot more. Her death felt a lot more emotional, and the fact that Light had outwitted such a brilliant FBI agent made me love him more. (Light was already my favourite anime character of all time)

I recommend Death Note: BB murders case to anyone who's watched the main series, and wants to know more about L, since he literally stayed in the shadows, revealing almost nothing about himself during his appearance in the main series.

Before starting the review of the novel... Spoiler Warning for those who haven't read the novel.

Hmmm where do I start? There are so many things to talk about.

First of all... Let's talk about Mello being the narrator. Unfortunately, him being the narrator did not make any sense nor made the narrating any different.

The story told in Another Note takes place in 2002, L dies in 2004. Mello was 15 when L died, and he was still in Wammy's House. So, when did L see Mello and tell him the story about Beyond Birthday and 2 others? It does not make sense.

In the book, Mello ... speaks as if the battle between L and Kira was over. Of course, he might be referring to L being dead. But he made it sound like he was writing all this after everything was over and everyone knew who Kira was. But he did not actually see Kira die. He died 2 days before Kira did. So, when actually did Mello write Another Note?

The novel introduces Rue Ryuzaki as a side character. Ryuzaki presents himself as a private detective. Naomi is a bit suspicious of him at first, because he has strange manners (sitting around hugging his legs, eating sweets all the time and crawling around on the floor), but L tells her to work together with him, so she does.

The thing is, the reader (as the he is meant to be) immediately assumes that Ryuzaki is L. This makes sense, because not only does L present himself as "Ryuzaki" in Death Note, but the way he acts is also strikingly similar.

Of course, the author wants the reader to think that Ryuzaki is L, but Ryuzaki is actually Beyond Birthday, the killer. That would have been a great twist, had it only been logical. But it wasn't. Another Note clearly states that B.B. doesn't know L personnaly. Which means he doesn't know anything about his habits or about what he looks like. So how come he guessed all of it? - doesn't make sense.

Also throughout the book Misora and Ryuzaki (I mean B) work together to solve the three crimes B has commited. Most of the time, Misora was led by Ryuzaki to find the answers. Even the smallest stuff, she needed Ryuzaki's help. I was frustrated because that's not the image she represented in the manga. She was originally portrayed as a very clever woman. Her needing Ryuzaki's help in every step she took did not make sense. (I must add that I actually liked the setup of the crimes. I only did not like the way they were solved.)

This book could have been good if only the author had at least tried to be logical. I usually overlook that kind of thing, but in this novel, I simply couldn't. Death Note: Another Note was starts promising but end with failure.

Although I'm not the biggest fan of Death Note, I still decided to give this novel a shot. And even though it was a tiny bit disappointing I'm still happy I read it.

When I picked it up I was expecting it to be more like the original series with a lot of mental sparring and what not, but instead it takes the straight mystery route and follows our main character Naomi as she tries to uncover the truth behind a string of murders in LA.

Story 8/10
The writer managed to cram everything in to only 1 volume, which I think is a shame as some length ... could have drastically improved the novel. Aside from that the story, to me, felt kinda slow at times

Art 7/10
Don't take this one seriously, I only vaguely remember 1 illustration which was done quite well . . . I think.

Characters 10/10
The characters are really where the novel shines. The novel only uses 3 characters but that's really all it needs. It's because of its small cast that I could really enjoy each character individually.

Enjoyment 8/10
The one thing I feel really improved the novel was Mello's commentary and style of storytelling. Without this I feel the whole thing would have been too bland or just straight out boring.

Overall 8/10
The only major reason I was disappointed is because I desperately wanted another Death Note. If it weren't for that I could have enjoyed the whole thing way more. As far as you picking it up goes, don't pick it up just because you loved DN, only get it if you like mystery novels.

I just finished reading Another Note and I was blown away.
This book is, to me at least, brilliant masterpiece.

It captures Death Note's characteristic genius through new eyes - those of a very human, very intelligent character.
I found my own thought processing, views and theories lined up with Misora's in a stunning way, backing the book that much more riveting to me.

Short and sweet - or not so sweet in the case of the subject matter.
Another Note is a compact story filled with detail yet without drag.
Much like the original Death Note story, it makes readers think; use their brains like the characters do.
By ... the end, you're solving a mystery yourself - about yourself, as well as the book.

Packed with intelligent dialogue and fantastic plot, this is now without a doubt my favourite stand-alone novel.
For fans of Death Note, I cannot recommend this novel highly enough.

This book I’ve had my eye on for a while. I recently got it for Christmas and read it right away. At first, I thought I actually wouldn’t like it. That changed after reading a few chapters.

(SPOILERS!! SPOILERS!! SPOILERS!!)

This novel follows Naomi Misora. She gets a call from L on her computer asking Naomi to investigate three murders. Naomi was a little hesitant to accept because she was on a leave of absence, but it was literally from L, the top detective globally. No way could she turn down an offer from him. She accepts the offer, and makes her way to the first ... victim’s house. After a little investigating, Naomi decides to check under the bed when she notices a hand reach out. She quickly jumps back and the person the hand belongs to crawls from under the bed. Naomi asked who this suspicious person was and they said, “You can call me Ryuzaki.” From then on, they both work on the three cases together.

Los Angeles BB Murder Cases is one of my favorite novels I’ve read. Especially because it’s a book that’ll keep you interested and not bored out of your mind. Except maybe the 1st chapter. That’s why 2 points were deducted off of my score. Other than that, this book was perfect! It kept me interested, it made me think, and it surprised me. Not a lot of books I’ve read have made me thoroughly think about the situation I was reading. This one did. It made me think from multiple people’s perspectives and understand each one and where they’re coming from. One thing I also wanna add is that I liked that they never showed Ryuzaki’s face. At the start I actually thought it was L.

The art included in this novel is outstanding. Then again, that didn’t shock me in the slightest. Death Note’s official art are probably some of the most highly-detailed drawings I’ve seen. I’m pretty sure I saved some of my favorite official artwork from Death Note on my phone. Don’t blame me, the art is really pretty!

Do I recommend this book? YES! It is so GOOD. Like stated, one of the best novels/side stories I’ve read. Death Note never disappoints. Can’t wait to read L: Change the WorLd and see what my thoughts of it are!

This 7 chapter novel is a rather quick read, but that doesn't make it bad. Overall the story was well paced. Plus who doesn't like a published fanfiction of the well loved death note?
Story: 9
Damn this story was good, during mystery stories I like to try and figure out the mystery too, but this was just a mystery within a mystery. At times there were parts I got a bit mind blown at but that's hardly a bad thing; it's not like conclusions were jumped to either it was well thought out.
Art: 5
Well, I, mean it wasn't bad. Oh boy do I love classic ... font.
Yeah, I mean it's a novel, there isn't really art. The front cover looks cool though, and I kept on getting people complimenting it... Little did they know it's a manga- spin off.
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 9
It's entertaining, what can I say? With a few plot twists and comedic conversations, it's definitely not something I got bored of.
Overall: 9
Go. Read it. Only if you have time though, no pressure.