‘Death Note’ Director Shusuke Kaneko: Nietzsche, Manga, and Gods of DeathThe Japanese films Death Note and Death Note: The Last Name were released in Japan just a few months apart in 2006, Kill Bill style. Based on the hugely popular manga series of the same name, they tell the story of a handsome young college student named Light Yagami who finds a magical notebook that strikes dead anyone whose name is written on its pages.