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Killer Penmanship in 'Death Note'

A high school student uses a supernatural notebook to  rid the world of evil in 'Death Note.'
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A high school student uses a supernatural notebook to rid the world of evil in 'Death Note.'

In the Japanese anime series Death Note, high school student Light Yagami is in possession of a super-powered notebook that allows him to kill anyone, simply by writing down the victim's name. Light tries to use the book to rid the world of evil, but he's not the only one with an interest in the notebook.

Based on a comic series by the same name, the show airs during Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. Volume 4 of the series will be released on DVD Tuesday. Critic-at-large John Powers offers a commentary.

Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

John Powers is the pop culture and critic-at-large on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. He previously served for six years as the film critic.