Despite its run having ended over 15 years ago, Death Note: Short Stories collection that came out in Japan last year is set for English release for the first time.
Death Note's original run in Japan was from 2003 to 2006, as gifted high schooler Light Yagami used the titular notebook to reshape the world, putting him up against the equally gifted detective L and eventually his young proteges, Near and Mello. Death Note ended after 108 chapters with a heavy sense of finality, ensuring that direct sequels would probably be off the table... and yet, the Death Note universe was so popular that it was difficult to leave it alone entirely, leading to a number of one-shots and flashback chapters being released sporadically over the years. Some of these stories have not seen an official translation, and thus many Death Note fans have never had the chance to read them.
Scheduled for release by Viz Media on May 10, 2022, Death Note: Short Stories includes half a dozen distinct stories, among them the recent "a-Kira" story from 2020, which features a clear pastiche of Trump and drew a lot of attention for its pointed political commentary. Also included are the original Death Note pilot chapter, which features a different protagonist, the 2008 "C-Kira" story (sometimes called chapter "109" as it directly follows the original story), and shorts about L and his life before the Death Note case, such as his time at the orphanage for geniuses, Whammy House. Some 4- joke comics (referred to in Japanese as yonkoma) from the Death Note 13: How to Read guidebook have also been reprinted for the first time since that book's publishing in 2008.
Death Note has managed to stay in the public eye largely because of its stream of new adaptations--a live action Japanese TV series, live action Japanese film series, a live-action, English language Netflix adaptation, and of course, the anime, which didn't begin adapting the manga until after it had concluded. Since interest in the franchise hasn't died down, coming back for special one-shots every now and then is actually a pretty great strategy--new content can be created and expand that world, but because the original is so self-contained, these stories can't impact the characters or legacy of the original negatively.
While Western manga fans have often been unable to get their hands on these kinds of one-shots, especially back in the 2000s, the Death Note: Short Stories collection is finally offering them a chance to add these to their manga collection.
Look for Death Note: Short Stories when it releases from Viz Media on May 10th!
