Synopsis
When a fellow death god expresses interest in visiting the human world, Ryuk shares his own experiences there and recounts the tale of Light Yagami—a remarkably intelligent youth who left a strong impression on him. During a typical day at school, Light discovers Ryuk's abandoned Death Note and quickly realizes it is far from an ordinary notebook. He learns that writing someone's name in it causes their death, as long as the user knows the victim's face. Having long been disgusted by the corruption and decay of society, Light sees this deadly tool as a chance to eliminate all criminals and create a perfect new world. After a series of unexplained heart attacks among criminals, authorities begin to suspect that the sudden surge in deaths is no coincidence. Determined to find the person responsible, they enlist the help of L, a world-famous detective. As the body count rises, Light and L face off in a gripping battle of intellect and deceit—a conflict that will determine humanity's fate.
Background
Death Note: Rewrite is a recut version of the Death Note anime series, comprising two movies. The first film, titled Death Note: Rewrite Genshi Suru Kami or Death Note: Relight Visions of a God, condenses the events of the series' first half. The second film, titled Death Note: Rewrite 2 L o Tsugu Mono or Death Note: Relight 2 L's Successors, does the same for the series' latter half. In addition to being shorter, the story's setting and timeline have also changed. Some new scenes and dialogue were introduced—especially in the second film—and the first film is now presented as a reminiscence of the death god Ryuk. Death Note: Rewrite Genshi Suru Kami was released on DVD on March 19, 2008 in Japan and on June 23, 2009 in the US. Death Note: Rewrite 2 L o Tsugu Mono followed on November 21, 2008 in Japan and on October 27, 2009 in the US.
