News from the Yomiuri Shinbun:

BEIJING–Chinese authorities have begun cracking down on pirated products featuring the popular Japanese manga “Death Note,” which they say is adversely affecting the mental and physical health of young people.

The products in question include books, notebooks and DVDs featuring movie adaptations of the manga.

“Death Note” is popular among middle school students in urban areas in China.

The authorities inspected book and stationery stores near schools nationwide from May 28 until Friday. Illegal publications containing Japanese and U.S. horror stories, including “Death Note,” were subject to the crackdown.

In “Death Note,” the central character punishes criminals, using a notebook said to have magical power to kill people if their names are written in it. In China, the price of the pirate DVD is four yuan, or 64 yen, and they sell very well among middle school students.

A popular student game is to write parents’ and teachers’ names on the notebooks that imitate “Death Note,” and educators consider this a problem.

That popular student game sounds very similar to what has been occurring in South Korea following the popularity of Death Note there. Is Death Note corrupting the minds of children and turning them into wannabe shinigami?