To anyone planning to read this manga (or watch the anime) please take your time with it because it is a handful of things to take in and trust me, you'll probably get confused sometimes, but nonetheless this series is actually one of my favorite manga/anime. First of all, both the concept and the art work for DN are what really drew me to this manga in the first place. Takeshi Obata did an excellent job with the character designs even with the minor characters and the atmosphere that he created with the scenery in the background really made it enjoyable to both read and look at. I couldn't take me eyes off of it! I would sometimes stare and stare at a page for about 5 minutes or more! Takeshi Obata is truly one of manga's most talented artists in my opinion. Ok, so now to Death Note's story/concept. This manga really gets you thinking even with just reading the first chapter. Just think about it, a notebook that can kill just by writing someone's name in it. How cool and twisted is that? And it even comes with your own personal shinigami (or Death God) so why not? But in all seriousness, if you want an manga that really gets you thinking with good artwork and great character designs, then read Death Note. I'm sure that you won't regret it.