What Is The ‘Death Note’ Creator Doing Now?
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Death Note is more than just one of the most popular manga and anime of the 00s. It’s one of the most successful shows of all time. In terms of anime, the show is second only to Fullmetal Alchemist in terms of viewership. And the manga has sold 30 million copies worldwide. When the anime was on the air between 2006 and 2007, it was unbelievably viral. The idea of internet virality was still a fairly new thing at the time, and Death Note was at the forefront. Reuploads of the show’s 37 episodes garnered millions of views on Youtube.
Death Note is the debut series from Tsugumi Ohba. He went from a brand-new face in the Japanese manga scene to one of the most famous basically overnight. He’s also one of the most mysterious, with Ohba only being a pen name and the creator’s real identity remaining unknown. What has this wildly successful and elusive author been up to since the end of Death Note?
Bakuman & Platinum End
About a year after the end of the Death Note anime, Ohba’s new manga became public. That manga is Bakuman, an interesting deconstruction of the manga industry. It deconstructs and pokes fun at that industry through the perspective of many aspiring new manga artists. The style is a complete tonal shift from the dark thrills and turns of Death Note. Bakuman is more of a comedy story with a motivational message. The manga got an anime adaptation between 2010 and 2013. While Bakuman is nowhere near the viral fame of Death Note, both the manga and the anime still have sizeable fanbases, and the title cemented Tsugumi Ohba as more than a one-hit-wonder.
More recently, Ohba did a manga by the name of Platinum End. This title strikes much closer to the tone of Death Note. It’s similarly dark and shares the theme of demented godhood and the abuse of absolute power. Critically speaking, this is Ohba’s most panned work to date. Many cite Platinum End as the one bad manga and anime to come from the author. But, still, the title has its fans, and may scratch the itch of anyone looking for something similar to Death Note.
Shoha Shoten
Finally, there’s Shoha Shoten. This is Tsugumi Ohba’s newest title, and it just began releasing back in October of 2021. In an almost cyclical way, this title hits less of the Death Note energy and is more similar to Bakuman. The premises is two boys who aim to be successful comedians. Where Bakuman is a dissection of the manga industry, Shoha Shoten is a dissection of live entertainment. Undoubtedly, the manga will receive an anime adaptation in the future, although nothing has been formally announced as of right now. Hopefully, when it arrives, it will be another notch in Ohba’s illustrious belt.