The story follows , an ace high school student who is profoundly bored with his life and disillusioned by a world filled with crime. His life shifts when he discovers the Death Note , a supernatural notebook dropped into the human world by Ryuk , a rogue shinigami (death god) who is equally bored with the monotony of his own realm. Volume 1 establishes the fundamental rules of the notebook:
: If no cause is specified within 40 seconds, the victim will die of a heart attack. If a cause is written, the details can be further refined within the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.
: A genius student whose initial goal of achieving justice is quickly complicated by a growing god complex and a ruthless willingness to eliminate anyone who threatens his mission.
: A brilliant, eccentric detective who manages to deduce Kira’s general location in Japan through a televised trap, setting the stage for the rest of the series.
The first volume of the English edition of the manga, titled Boredom , serves as the foundation for one of the most celebrated psychological thrillers in the medium. Created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata , this volume introduces the high-stakes game of wits between a brilliant student and an enigmatic detective. Core Premise and Synopsis