Death Note (the manga): A brilliant man with the effortless power to kill targets those who offend his ethical or aesthetic sensibilities, but his work attracts the attention of an equally brilliant though eccentric detective. The detective gets close to the killer, even becoming friends with him and letting him “assist” the investigation, and the two engage in a protracted exchange of diabolical traps and stratagems to try and discover/eliminate each other. Eventually the killer triumphs over the brilliant detective and causes his downfall. The killer takes the detective’s place within the criminal justice organization. But the friends and colleagues of the detective continue to pursue him, and eventually back him into a corner. All throughout, the body count rises steadily.
Hannibal (the television show, through the first 1.5 seasons): A brilliant man with the seemingly effortless power to kill targets those who offend his ethical or aesthetic sensibilities, but his work attracts the attention of an equally brilliant though eccentric detective. The killer gets close to the detective, even becoming friends with him and “assisting” the investigation, and the two engage in a protracted exchange of diabolical traps and stratagems to try and discover/eliminate each other. Eventually the killer triumphs over the brilliant detective and causes his downfall. The killer takes the detective’s place within the criminal justice organization. But the friends and colleagues of the detective continue to pursue him. All throughout, the body count rises steadily.
The more Hannibal I watch, the more convinced I become that it and Death Note are different cultural lenses pointed at the same story.