Death Note – Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases

Light novels, by definition, are easy to read novellas driven by dialog and snappy action. The light novels I’ve read, which were based on existing anime or games, were quick to read, but not necessarily enjoyably so. The troubles I’ve encountered with light novels tend to pertain to word usage and sentence structure.

These literary speed bumps can be attributed to two sources: the author or the translator, and in rare instances, both. Japanese and English sentence structure have almost nothing in common, and it takes a really good author and/ or translator to take the intent and concept of a Japanese language light novel and make it so English speaking audiences can not only read the novel, but enjoy it as well.

The uber popular Death Note franchise released its first light novel in 2006, which was then translated into English and distributed in America in February of 2008. The book takes place before the Kira Case and explains L’s relationship to Naomi Misora. Will Another Note be as intense and all-consuming as the manga and the anime? Or will Light need to take names?

Plot Summary

Strange murders have been happening in L.A. and have gained the attention of the mysterious super sleuth known only as L. All the murders have a connection and point to the killer, but the connection is so shrouded in riddles, it will take more than one mind and set of eyes to solve . L thus recruits FBI agent Naomi Misora to help him crack this gruesome case and bring the killer to justice.

It becomes a race to decipher the clues, which tell when and where the next murder will take place. The killer seems to be leaving a message behind, and not just of the murders. Who is this message for and will the intended recipient discover its meaning before it’s too late?

Review

Another Note is either written by someone who really knows the English language, or the translator is excellent at his job. Either way, the story has a natural flow other translated light novels lack. The lingo and dialog seem like everyday English, which makes Another Note read just like a short story and not a translated piece of fiction.

This light novel is also a very quick read. It took me about an hour and some change to complete the book. And it wasn’t an onerous task either. The sentence structure is solid and the word choice is good. The cadence for the book is fast paced and easy to follow, which is why it reads so fast.

Story

Although it was great to read a little more about L and his weird ways, the story felt a little forced in sections. The choice of narrator was excellent, and gave the tale some authenticity. But halfway through, the killer’s impetus for his killing spree is revealed to have a bizarre connection to the Kira Case, which seemed a bit of a stretch. There was a, “Seriously? Why is this in here?” moment after reading that chapter. There wasn’t a need to tie this story to the rest of Death Note in such a way, and it detracted from the impact. Another Note could very well have stood on its own in the Death Note universe without the Kira Case tie-in.

The names created for characters in the novel were another thing the story could have done without. Believe Bridesmaid? Quarter Queen? Backyard Bottomslash? What’s wrong with Bernadette Brown or Quintin Quartermaine? Or how about Bibi Bento? Any of those would have been better than the lame made-up names used in the novel.

Character Development

Another Note is for devoted Death Note fans and doesn’t stand by itself. All the character development has already been established in the manga and none is given in the book. Fans of the manga who haven’t read all of the series, but at least read volumes One through Three, can still jump in and read the book.

L is weird, Misora is determined. That’s about as much development is given throughout the story. If anything, L is shown to be more odd than readers first thought, or is he?

There are plenty of twists in the story, but they’re not nearly as intense as the ones in the manga series. It’s hard to really create something on par with the original, but Another Note still entertains and elicits a few gasps of surprise. However, the reader can see some of the plot twists coming, unlike the manga.

Production

The novel is sharp in black canvas hardcover, embossed with silver lettering and wrapped in a white, silver embossed book band. The beginning chapter has a colored illustration featuring L and Misora with a clear, lead page cover. Each chapter has a gray monochromatic illustration and each page has a creatively placed page number. The book even has an enclosed ribbon bookmark. Another Note is very attractive and worth the money put into it.

Conclusion

Another Note is an enjoyable diversion for fans of the Death Note manga and anime. I found the book interesting but not nearly as much as the series. Read it to kill time, but don’t read it to answer any hard hitting questions on back story. It’s a novel fans should read if they want just a little more L in their lives. Whether or not the amount delivered satisfies hardcore fans of the frumpy detective can only be measured on a fan by fan basis.