Light Yagami is a genius high school student who discovers the "Death Note", a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it, as long as the writer has seen that person's face. After experimenting with the notebook, Light meets the Shinigami Ryuk, the notebook's original owner, who dropped the notebook to the human world out of boredom. Light tells Ryuk of his plan to rule as a god over a new world free from criminals, where only people he deems morally fit to live remain. Light becomes known to the public as Kira (キラ), which is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the word "killer". Ryuk, invisible save to those that possess the Death Note, follows Light around and takes enjoyment from Light's meticulous actions as Kira.