Death Note (All-in-One Edition)

This is a purchase I honestly don't regret. A lot of people were skeptical of this because of how many pages the book has, and the poor spine, but let me tell you this: if you honestly want to have a compact, all in one, "I just want to read the story" book, get this. There are many pros and little cons.PROS:1. All-in-one feature (Cost-efficient)The main feature of this book is it has all the volumes in one. Compared to the boxset and the black book editions, you are paying for less. The boxset ranges from 50-70 dollars (depending on if you buy it used or new), while the black book editions are 10-15 dollars per book (there's six in total.) These are just based on the prices on Amazon. If you wanted to, you could literally take this book on a flight and binge-read Death Note.2. Page qualityBecause this is such a big book, there's going to be a difference in page quality. The pages are actually like a magazine, glossy and nice to touch. The 1st manga volume of Death Note I have has a rough and dry paper feel. These, however, allow your fingers to glide smoothly. I actually enjoy this paper a lot more, and the pages are thinner.3. Box coverThe book comes with a box cover to hold your book. It is a great display piece, but also, it gives protection to this big book. The art on the front and the back is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. The grey, black, white, and red color scheme is fantastic.4. Includes Near epilogueTowards the end of the book, you are able to read a Near epilogue which takes place 3 years after the story. This has been translated from Japanese to English. From my understanding, this is the first time it was officially published in English.5. Collector's pieceCome on, this is so cool to have. Sure, it's a bit on the top, but you got to admit, it's a real conversation piece.CONS:1. Uncomfortable reading positionsYou definitely have to be creative when reading this. I find the best way to read this is to read it at a desk. I wouldn't advise to read it laying down... because if it falls.... well...2. Being carefulThe spine is definitely strong, but if you're a perfectionist, you should do all you can to prevent creasing the spine. So far, my spine is in tip-top shape, but it's because I don't force it beyond its capacity nor force it to be wide open. This is how I've always preferred to hold books anyways, but this can be a con for some.3. It can get heavyIf you're holding this for a while, your arms might hurt. Again, it really depends on how you hold it.Overall, I am extremely happy with this purchase! The cons themselves do not bother me nor have I run into them. These are just what I have considered for those who might want to purchase the book. This is a fun gift for a friend, for a first-time reader, or for a longtime fan who just loves the story. All in all, I am content with the packaging, feel, and book. The story is truly a masterpiece!

With the weight of this it could easily knock someone out. I'm lucky the TSA didn't confiscate this as a murder weapon. Nonetheless, beautiful edition contained in a box, with thin pages of magazine-like paper, but I like the feel so it's okay. The binding isn't tough so it's easy to open up and read it. Awesome collectible and a bargain for the whole series instead of buying the single volumes. Includes a bonus story too.

The media could not be loaded. Very BIG book. The spine doesn’t crease if you were wondering and the pages are thin and sometimes a little see through but that’s not a problem for me so. Anyway I love Death Note and this is really cool and a useful book so I can read it and bring it anywhere!

The books were a great gift for my teen. She absolutely loves them and the details. She can't put them down. Perfect for any anime fan.

Idk my book arrived a bit damaged. It's COMPLETELY legible I just don't like that I got it thinking they'd fix the issue with the books arriving bent up. Other than that, I like it. It's pretty sturdy and has quite a bit to read. Seems to go further than the anime I've seen about it which is nice.

This is the version to buy if you're on a budget and want to own the whole series. Does not include Volume 13 "How To Read". I also got this on sale for $23.99 right here directly from Amazon, so if the price has changed, I might wait until it returns to that price.Physical Item ReviewThe book and slipcase itself are decently put together. The slipcase is basically just cardboard, but it gets the job done and looks nice enough. It's easy to slide the book in and out of, which is a pleasant surprise given how large and unwieldy the book is. The book itself is full of compromises, but ones that make sense and justify the reduced price of $24. The cover and spine of the book are sturdy, but the pages are extremely thin and you'll need to be careful turning the page so that you don't accidentally tear a page. You'll often be able to see through the page you're reading to what's on the other side of the page, but it's not too distracting. I'm relatively sure this choice was made to cut down on the overall weight of the book, because remember, this is 2400 pages in one hefty tome. Speaking of which, this book is still heavy. I can't imagine most people will be able to hold this for long without their arms getting tired, so you'll need something soft to lean this on. The ink on the pages is nice and thick, yet doesn't seem to smear easily, which is great (I've had ink smearing problems with other manga and novels in the past). Nothing feels cheaply printed and everything is easy to read and distinguish on the page. There are even some editors notes from the original Japanese version that are translated into this English version that I found very nice additions. One last minor complaint I have is that the pages are not numbered in any way that makes sense. Some pages have numbers, most do not. This makes jumping around from chapter to chapter on re-reads especially difficult, since it's hard to tell what page you're on most of the time.Just hope that it gets wrapped in bubble wrap when it gets shipped to you, because mine wasn't and one corner of the book and slipcase were noticeably dented. That's on Amazon.Story ReviewThis is one of the best manga stories I've ever read. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll try to be vague. This is an intellectual duel between two very well-defined characters that are similar in some ways, and polar opposites in others. It's a cat-and-mouse game with the future of the world at stake, and it all feels well thought out and reminds me of the essence of the ideological battle between Batman and The Joker. Death Note does not rely on action to tell its story because it doesn't need it. If you're looking for explosions and guns and punching, this isn't the series for you. If you want incredibly well-written drama and intelligent characters, this might be a new favorite for you. If you've watched the anime already, you'll definitely love the original manga, because the anime is practically a 1-to-1 adaptation of the manga.Art ReviewI'm not much of an art critic, but I wanted to make special note of how well drawn everything is in this series. It feels like every panel tells you exactly what you need to know, whether it be visually and without dialogue or with only a character's face and some dialogue, and doesn't clutter the panels with unnecessary filler. Facial expressions are of utmost importance in this series, and they're done extremely well and they almost never feel over the top (except when appropriate, and it's rare).Overall, this is well worth the $24 I paid for it, and am glad I bought it. It's not perfect, but it does a lot for how little it cost and I recommend it to anyone looking to buy this series on a budget. If money is no object to you, however, I would probably recommend buying the original 12 volumes in its box set (plus the bonus features Volume 13 How To Read), or the 6 volumes of the Black Edition instead (two volumes per Black Edition for the full 12), because those would be easier to take with you if you plan on reading away from home.