Average college student Light Yagami discovers a black notebook that claims to be able to kill anyone whose name and face is known to its owner. After testing the notebook on a bully and a criminal holding his father, Soichiro, hostage, Light is met by notebook’s original owner- a shinigami named Ryuk. After some persuasion by Ryuk, Light becomes compelled to use the notebook as a means to create a utopia...

Ryuk, who can see the lifespan of humans, reveals to Light that Misa Amane, a popular idol who Light is a fan of, may only have a few days to live. Light attempts to warn Misa after one of her concerts but fails. However one of her security guards, Tsutomu Yukida, overhears Light’s warnings and offers to help Light protect Misa. Meanwhile, L meets with a few members of the Japanese police, one of which includes Soichiro, in order to form a task force dedicated to capturing Kira.

With “Raye Penber” still following him, Light realizes that L’s phone call was, in fact, a trap. Light becomes determined to kill all the FBI agents involved in the Kira case in order to disperse suspicion on him. In the midst of his planning, Light remembers finding a picture of Cathy Campbell, the name of Raye’s lover, during the bus-jacking incident. Meanwhile, Misa sacrifices half of her remaining lifespan to Rem in order to receive the shinigami eyes, allowing her to see the real names and lifespans of anyone she looks at.

Suspecting that Mark Dwellton met with Kira before his death, L plants cameras and listening devices in the houses of families Mark was following. Light quickly realizes this and formulates a plan to temporarily prove his innocence to the task force members. However, L’s suspicions do not waver and he enrolls into Light’s university in order to investigate him personally.

Misa reveals that she has fallen in love with Light and wishes to help him kill L. At the same time, L reveals to the task force that, based on the killings made at the wake of the recent broadcast, a second Kira may have appeared. L then suggests recruiting Light into the investigation team both as a way to move the investigation further and get him to possibly reveal himself as Kira.