Editing Death Note (section)

===Development===
The ''Death Note'' concept derived from a rather general concept involving {{Transliteration|ja|[[shinigami]]}} and "specific rules".<ref name="HowtoRead59">{{cite book|last=Ohba|first=Tsugumi|title=Death Note 13: How to Read|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/59 59]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|isbn=978-1-4215-1888-6|url=https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/59}}</ref> Author [[Tsugumi Ohba]] wanted to create a suspense series because the genre had some suspense series available to the public. After the publication of the pilot chapter, the series was not expected to receive approval as a serialized comic. Learning that ''Death Note'' had received approval and that Takeshi Obata would create the artwork, Ohba said, they "couldn't even believe it".<ref name="HowtoRead174">{{cite book|last=Ohba|first=Tsugumi|title=Death Note 13: How to Read|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/173 173]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|isbn=978-1-4215-1888-6|url=https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/173}}</ref> Due to positive reactions, ''Death Note'' became a serialized manga series.<ref name="HowtoRead58">{{cite book|last=Ohba|first=Tsugumi|title=Death Note 13: How to Read|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/58 58]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|isbn=978-1-4215-1888-6|url=https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/58}}</ref>

"Thumbnails" incorporating dialogue, panel layout and basic drawings were created, reviewed by an editor and sent to [[Takeshi Obata]], the illustrator, with the script finalized and the panel layout "mostly done". Obata then determined the expressions and "camera angles" and created the final artwork. Ohba concentrated on the tempo and the amount of dialogue, making the text as concise as possible. Ohba commented that "reading too much exposition" would be tiring and would negatively affect the atmosphere and "air of suspense". The illustrator had significant artistic licence to interpret basic descriptions, such as "abandoned building",<ref name="HowtoRead180">{{cite book|last=Ohba|first=Tsugumi|title=Death Note 13: How to Read|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/180 180]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|isbn=978-1-4215-1888-6|url=https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/180}}</ref> as well as the design of the Death Notes themselves.

When Ohba was deciding on the plot, they visualized the panels while relaxing on their bed, drinking tea, or walking around their house. Often the original draft was too long and needed to be refined to finalize the desired "tempo" and "flow". The writer remarked on their preference for reading the previous "two or four" chapters carefully to ensure consistency in the story.<ref name="HowtoRead59"/>

The typical weekly production schedule consisted of five days of creating and thinking and one day using a pencil to insert dialogue into rough drafts; after this point, the writer faxed any initial drafts to the editor. The illustrator's weekly production schedule involved one day with the thumbnails, layout, and pencils and one day with additional penciling and inking. Obata's assistants usually worked for four days and Obata spent one day to finish the artwork. Obata said that when he took a few extra days to color the pages, this "messed with the schedule". In contrast, the writer took three or four days to create a chapter on some occasions, while on others they took a month. Obata said that his schedule remained consistent except when he had to create color pages.<ref name="HowtoRead192">{{cite book|last=Ohba|first=Tsugumi|title=Death Note 13: How to Read|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/192 192]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|isbn=978-1-4215-1888-6|url=https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/192}}</ref>

Ohba and Obata rarely met in person during the creation of the serialized manga; instead, the two met with the editor. The first time they met in person was at an editorial party in January 2004. Obata said that, despite the intrigue, he did not ask his editor about Ohba's plot developments as he anticipated the new thumbnails every week.<ref name=" HowtoRead174"/> The two did not discuss the final chapters with one another and continued talking only with the editor. Ohba said that when they asked the editor if Obata had "said anything" about the story and plot, the editor responded: "No, nothing".<ref name=" HowtoRead180"/>

Ohba claims that the series ended more or less in the manner that they intended for it to end; they considered the idea of [[L (Death Note)|L]] defeating Light Yagami with Light dying but instead chose to use the "Yellow Box Warehouse" ending. According to Ohba, the details had been set "from the beginning".<ref name="HowtoRead58"/> The writer wanted an ongoing plot line instead of an episodic series because ''Death Note'' was serialized and its focus was intended to be on a cast with a series of events triggered by the Death Note.<ref name="HowtoRead60">{{cite book|last=Ohba|first=Tsugumi|title=Death Note 13: How to Read|year=2008|pages=[https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/60 60–61]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|isbn=978-1-4215-1888-6|url=https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/60}}</ref> ''13: How to Read'' states that the humorous aspects of ''Death Note'' originated from Ohba's "enjoyment of humorous stories".<ref name="HowtoRead194">{{cite book|last=Ohba|first=Tsugumi|title=Death Note 13: How to Read|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/194 194]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|isbn=978-1-4215-1888-6|url=https://archive.org/details/deathnote00ohba_0/page/194}}</ref>

When Ohba was asked, during an interview, whether the series was meant to be about enjoying the plot twists and psychological warfare, Ohba responded by saying that this concept was the reason why they were "very happy" to place the story in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''.<ref name="HowtoRead192"/>