It has been over a decade since cult anime Death Notice aired, but will fan ever get to see another season? According to Tsugumi Ohba’s manga series, Death Notice initially aired in 2006 and 2007 and has been helmed by Attack On Titan manager Tetsuro Araki. The anime tells the tale of Light Yagami, a high-school pupil who comes into possession of a mysterious notebook (the titular Death Note), which can kill anybody whose name is written. As Light goes on a vigilante killing spree to rid the world of those he deems morally unworthy, he is tainted by the Death Note’s ability. He enters a cat-and-mouse game with all the eldest L — a detective tasked with investigating the deaths of those Light has murdered.
The Death Note anime is by no means the sole adaptation of Tsugumi Ohba’s manga. The same year that the anime began broadcasting in Japan, a live-action movie premiered starring Tatsuya Fujiwara of Battle Royale fame as moderate Yagami and Kenichi Matsuyama – who voiced Gelus in the anime) – as L. Since then, there’s been a live-action TV series, a controversial Netflix Death Note adaptation and even a musical.
However, despite all the many adaptations on the market (and some of those with multiple sequels), Death Note season 2 still hasn’t occurred over 13 years because it originally aired. Can fans of this cult anime ever expect to see another season of Death Notice? Here’s what we know.
Death Notice buffs will recall the anime ended on a pretty final note with the death of Light Yagami, and its 37 episodes covered much of the activity from the first manga. Add to this the length of time that’s passed because it aired and the fact there’s been no official word from manufacturing company Madhouse about a follow-up plus it would seem Death Notice season 2 isn’t happening.
On the other hand, the very last chapter of Tsugumi Ohba’s manga didn’t make it into Death Note, and he penned a one-shot unique published in 2008 that picked up a few years following Light’s death. A fresh Death Note one-shot chapter will also be published in Japan’s Jump SQ magazine in February 2020, so there’s a lot of elastic material out there ought to Madhouse decide to go ahead with another season.
While Death Notice buffs could be waiting forever for the next season, additional adaptations of the first manga have gotten a two or three. From the Western live-action film series, the first two films protect the events of the manga, but there’s also a spin-off film titled L: Change The World, a 2nd direct sequel called Death Notice: Light Up The New World plus a prequel miniseries called Death Notice: New Generation.
Netflix also recently announced its plans for a Death Note sequel, but considering just how much its first adaptation deviated from the manga, that might not be news that many fans of the anime welcome with open arms.