Death Note is a psychological thriller manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, first published in 2003. The story follows Light Yagami, a brilliant high school student who discovers a mysterious notebook called the Death Note. This notebook, belonging to a god of death named Ryuk, has the power to kill anyone whose name is written inside, provided they know their face.

Frustrated by the injustice and corruption in the world, Light decides to use the Death Note to impose his own version of justice. Under the alias Kira, he begins mass-murdering criminals, hoping to create a "perfect" world where he would rule as a god. However, his actions soon attract the attention of the authorities and a mysterious genius detective known as L. L is determined to discover Kira's identity and bring him to justice.