Death Note: New Generation

Death Note: New Generation (デスノート NEW GENERATION) is a three-episode miniseries that is part of the Death Note live-action film series. It bridges the 10-year gap between the previous films and the upcoming film Death Note: Light Up the NEW World, focusing on the three new lead characters of the film.

The series was announced on August 9th, 2016, and it premiered streaming through Hulu Japan on September 16th.

Characters

 * Tsukuru Mishima, portrayed by Masahiro Higashide
 * Ryuzaki, portrayed by Sousuke Ikematsu
 * Yuki Shien, portrayed by Masaki Suda
 * Touta Matsuda, portrayed by Sota Aoyama
 * Sho Nanase, portrayed by Mina Fuji
 * Sakura Aoi, portrayed by Rina Kawaei
 * Ryuk, voiced by Shidou Nakamura
 * Near, portrayed by Daisuke Sakaguchi
 * unknown character portrayed by Tomoyo Nakamura
 * unknown character portrayed by Kazuyuki Aijima

Plot
The miniseries focuses on the three new lead characters of the film Death Note: Light Up the NEW World: Tsukuru Mishima, Ryuzaki, and Yuki Shien. Each episode provides backstory for one of the characters and bridges the 10-year gap between the previous films, which canonically took place in 2005-2006, and the new film taking place in 2016.

The first episode, "Rebirth," focuses on Tsukuru Mishima and how he came to join the Death Note Countermeasure Task Force, which continues to operate to look into deaths that might be caused by a Death Note. The title "Rebirth" is a reference to Kira's return.

The second episode, "Dying Wish," focuses on L's successor Ryuzaki. The story involves him looking into a case regarding a locked-room murder on request of J, another member of Wammy's House. The new film character Sakura Aoi also appears in this episode.

The third episode, "Fanaticism," focuses on Yuki Shien. The story involves the trauma he carries from the murder of his family and why he became a cyber-terrorist following in Kira's footsteps.

Reception
The series topped Hulu Japan's rankings for the month of September 2016. Reviews have been favorable.