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Death Note is a Japanese manga series created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata. The series centers on Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook, the titular “Death Note”, dropped on Earth by a shinigami (death god) named Ryuk. The Death Note grants its user the ability to kill anyone whose face they have seen, by writing the victim’s name in the notebook. The story follows Light’s attempt to create and rule a world cleansed of evil using the notebook, and the complex conflict between him and his opponents.

Death Note was first serialized in 108 chapters by Shueisha in the Japanese manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 2003 to May 2006. The series was also published in tankōbon (paperback) format in Japan starting in May 2004 and ending in October 2006, and since then has been translated internationally. The series was adapted into live-action films released in Japan on June 17, 2006, on November 3, 2006, and on February 2, 2008. The anime series aired in Japan from October 3, 2006, to June 26, 2007. A novel based on the series, written by Nisio Isin, was released in Japan on August 1, 2006.

Light Yagami is an extremely intelligent young man who resents the crime and corruption in the world. His life undergoes a drastic change when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the “Death Note”, lying on the ground. The Death Note’s instructions claim that if a human’s name is written within it, that person shall die. Light is initially skeptical of the notebook’s authenticity, but after experimenting with it, Light realizes that the Death Note is real. After meeting with the previous owner of the Death Note, a shinigami named Ryuk, Light seeks to become “the God of the New World” by passing his keen judgment on those he deems to be evil or who get in his way. A shinigami’s Death Note is a notebook that can kill any human whose name is written in it. All Death Notes are governed by the same set of rules determining the extents and limitations of the Notes’ powers.

Soon, the number of inexplicable deaths of reported criminals catches the attention of the International Police Organization and a mysterious detective known only as “L”. L quickly learns that the serial killer, dubbed by the public as “Kira” (キラ, “Kira”? derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the word “killer”), is located in Japan. L also concludes that Kira can kill people without laying a finger on them. Light realizes that L will be his greatest nemesis, and a game of psychological cat and mouse between the two begins.

After several murders, Misa Amane, a possessor of another Death Note, meets Light and tries to help him to do his work but she is captured by L. Light makes a plan involving renouncing ownership of both Death Notes, and all of his memories of them, and turns himself in to L for surveillance. After losing his memories, Light and L start to investigate a criminal group named “Yotsuba” together who had Misa’s Death Note. When arresting them, Light recovers all his memories while touching the Death Note, remembers his plan, and forces the former owner of Misa’s Death Note, the shinigami Rem, to kill L.

After L’s death, two young men, who are also individually exceedingly capable, battle for the role of successor. These two future successors are known as “M” and “N”; M represents Mello, and N represents Near. Mello is intelligent, but hasty and stubborn. Mello makes appearances occasionally in several episodes, and does not seem like a very important element, but his appearances will prove to be a pivotal element. Near, the successor of L meanwhile creates the “SPK” (Special Provision for Kira). The SPK is a small team designed to arrest Kira, otherwise known as Yagami Light.

Meanwhile, word of Kira has gone worldwide. After L’s death, Light is granted the position of the “new L”. Light believes that he has accomplished his initial goal of eliminating L, but he has yet another challenge. Light is challenged by Near in a battle of minds. Near automatically suspects Light to be Kira and plans different ways of attack. In the end, Light is caught by the SPK and killed by Ryuk.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya follows the high school life of Haruhi Suzumiya, a young and very active high school girl, and those who are caught up in her antics. While Haruhi is the central character to the plot, the story is told from the point of view of Kyon, one of Haruhi’s classmates.

Yuki Nagato, Haruhi Suzumiya, and Mikuru Asahina in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, performing the “Hare Hare Yukai” dance.

Kyon is an ordinary first year high school student who has recently given up his fantasies of espers, time travelers, and aliens as he left middle school.^[9] When he chooses to speak to Haruhi, he unwittingly sets off a chain of events which drag him into surreal situations; he is drawn further into a world eerily like the fantasies he had just managed to outgrow, with Haruhi at its center.

Searching for a group that interests her, Haruhi joins and quits every club in the school, finding only dissatisfaction.^[10] Kyon makes a snide remark about her actions and accidentally provides Haruhi the inspiration to create a club of her own. To help start the club, Haruhi forcefully drafts Kyon, who only stays in the club to protect other helpless victims of Haruhi’s “voluntary arrests”. As the story progresses, Kyon finds that each of these supposedly “helpless victims” has a specific reason to be there.^[11]

The first of these new members is Yuki Nagato, a silent bibliophile who usually wants to simply be left alone to read. Without Haruhi knowing, Yuki is in fact a “humanoid interface,” or an artificial human, created by the extraterrestrial Integrated Data Entity.^[11] The next member is the shy and timid Mikuru Asahina, who is one year above Haruhi; she is actually a time traveler.^[11] The final member of the SOS Brigade is Itsuki Koizumi, who is almost always smiling and more than willing to give in to Haruhi’s strange demands. He turns out to be one of many espers in an organization known as the Agency.^[11]

Except for Kyon, the members of the club are secret agents of various organizations who are sent to observe Haruhi. They gradually explain that Haruhi has superhuman control over every aspect of the universe—an ability which she is unaware of. Whenever Haruhi becomes bored or otherwise dissatisfied with reality, she subconsciously creates a new universe—one more to her liking—and attempts to switch over, thus leading to the destruction of the current universe. In order to prevent this, the members of Haruhi’s club spend their time attempting to keep their god-like leader entertained, hold her powers in check, and maintain the illusion of a normal life.

The series never clarifies whether the club members gathered around Haruhi by their own free will, her subconscious, or were simply created out of thin air for Haruhi’s amusement. The question of their origin is a motif seen throughout the series.

Hare Hare Yukai Ending song of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Hare Hare Yukai

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