An Innovative Use of Potato Chips! Light's Alibi Strategy in "DEATH NOTE" is Still Revolutionary

"Would you really go that far to evade surveillance!? When Light Yagami (voiced by Mamoru Miyano) realizes he's being watched by L (voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi), he devises a method to continue his judgment of criminals while clearing himself of suspicion—and that method involves none other than potato chips.

The anime "DEATH NOTE" is based on the manga of the same name, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, which was serialized in "Weekly Shōnen Jump" (Shueisha) from December 2003 to May 2006. The manga has sold over 21 million copies worldwide. The story follows the protagonist, Light Yagami, who accidentally picks up a notebook dropped by a Shinigami, which has a terrifying rule: "Anyone whose name is written in this notebook will die." As Light uses the notebook to execute criminals, he becomes known as "Kira." The series depicts the intense mind games and psychological battles between Light, who aims to become the "god of the new world" through righteous judgment, and the genius detective L, who is determined to uncover the identity of the mass murderer Kira. The series has been adapted into live-action films and dramas both in Japan and abroad.

FBI agent Ray Penber, who had infiltrated Japan for an undercover investigation, was killed by Kira. L suspects the families of Koreyosi Kitamura, the deputy director in charge of Penber's investigation, and the Yagami family, thus narrowing the scope of the investigation to these two families. He then plants bugs and hidden cameras in both households to establish an extensive surveillance system.

Before returning to his room, Light notices that the doorknob, which he usually leaves turned down by about 5 millimeters, has been turned all the way up, and the mechanical pencil lead he had set to break upon opening the door had indeed snapped. Realizing these signs of intrusion, Light suspects the presence of surveillance cameras and bugs, and he orders the Shinigami Ryuk to investigate the locations of all the cameras.

Ryuk's investigation reveals a staggering 64 hidden cameras installed in Light's room. Under such scrutiny, it would be impossible for Light to use the Death Note. Although he had preemptively scheduled the deaths of criminals by writing them in advance with specified dates and times, if the executions were to stop suddenly due to the ongoing surveillance, suspicion towards him would only grow stronger.