Light Yagami is a genius High School student who is about to learn about life through a book of death. When a bored Shinigami, a god of death, named Ryuk drops a black notebad called a Death Note, Light receives power of life and death with the stroke of a pen. Determined to use this dark gift from the best, Light sets out to rid the world of evil - namely the people he believes to be evil. Dropping dead one by one, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer, and a battle of wits, deception and logic ensues.