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happy birthday to the detective ever

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happy halloween!! 👻🎃

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when you love a male character so much he starts to become a girl

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reference from Wilde (1997)

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they should work together idk guys

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god help

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I'm tired of drawing it, so I'll leave it as it is

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Misa Amane 💛

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betrayal kiss

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How to Read 108: A Chapter-by-Chapter Death Note Analysis

Hello everyone!! Welcome to my revived Death Note blog. I recently had the opportunity to rewatch the anime (twice) and fell back into my old obsession, so I thought I’d re-read the manga with a more critical eye and share some of my own thoughts as I go for anyone craving more meta and analysis from one of my favorite pieces of media ever.

Mainly I will concentrate myself on analyzing dialogue, narration techniques and characterization, since that’s what I mainly take note of when I consume anything, but I will also try my hand at doing some research on contextual information and artistic choices, dividing my analysis chapter by chapter.  Something to keep in mind is that this analysis is fully made for people who have completed the manga in its entirety and will be riddled with spoilers for further chapters. Sometimes I will break down a chapter analysis into two parts, like in the present case.

Without further ado, let’s go!

Chapter 1: Boredom. Lilith’s Breakdown. Part 1

Key takeaways:

Themes and Parallels: Ryuk and Light

The main antagonistic forces in the story.

Themes and Parallels: Ryuk and Light

We begin our story and the very first thing we are presented with is a parallel between two worlds: The Realm of the Shinigami and our own Human world. Through the juxtaposed dialogues of our initial characters, this exposition directly links their character motivation and narrative arcs. They have a common problem: Their worlds are rotting, and every day seems like and endless, tired routine for them both.

It’s interesting to note the artistic choices to depict this sense of forlornness. We have to keep in mind that Death Note is a Shonen and aimed at young boys from ages 12 to 18, so what better scenario to mirror a dour fictional realm than a packed middle of the day class where all kids wear the same uniform and very few, in any, seem to have any interest on what’s going on in front of them. If you look very closely to all the students in this picture, none of them are actually looking towards whoever is giving this lecture, in the same way that Shinigami are not interested in doing their task.

Light and Ryuk are both non-conformists in their respective realities. Creatures who stand out from the crowd and who, by their acute awareness of what’s wrong in their world, feel boredom more deeply and painfully than the rest. Ryuk is not a shining being of intelligence like Light is, but we will see throughout the story that he’s a pretty self-aware and insightful Shinigami, when compared to every other that we meet.

Ryuk as a choric narrator

In classical Japanese Noh Theater, there is a figure called the jiutai (地謡), sitting at the outskirts of the main plot happening on center stage, they serve as the chorus that helps narrate parts of the story, reveal inner thoughts and emotions of characters, and offer reflections of the unfolding events, much like the classical Chorus in a Greek Tragedy. They, however, do not affect the narrative and serve more as a mediating connection between play and audience.

Although Ryuk’s role is certainly not confined to a mere commentator, seeing as he is the one who instigates the main narrative (and eventually ends it), Ryuk’s status of not only a God, but an apathetic one who is barely physically or emotionally affected by the events of the story, gives him a role above and separate from any of the other characters’.

Clad in skin-tight dark bodysuit meant to highlight his monstruous, lifeless appearance, gothic accessories consisting on spikes, chains and skulls, black, tattered wings and feather accents, Ryuk immediately gives the appearance of a preternatural, terrible bird of death. However, the face paint-like make-up, unmovable grin and feathers reminiscent of a medieval suit also give the impression of a clown or a jester, which Obata, Death Note’s artist, will expertly use to his advantage depending on the role Ryuk will take on at each present moment.

This is Ryuk’s dual nature in the narrative: he is there as an ironic chorus, laughing at every tragedy and obstacle the characters and the world faces, providing comic relief, and breaking the tension in a rather grim and suspenseful story, but he is also there as the Grim Reaper, a constant reminder of the destiny that looms over every character, and specially our main character, for as he first states it:

Ryuk may not have chosen Light, and Light is anything but a man without agency, and yet the series often makes you question how much of Light’s fate was set in stone since the start (We will analyze this tension between chance and destiny through the story) Ryuk, the dark figure literally hovering over Light during his whole time as Kira, emotionally detached from the human drama around him, will often be used to remind us of the irony of this whole story, as well as of the inevitability of death every human has to face.

Which brings me to my next point.

The Antagonistic Forces: L and Light.

There are few instances in Death Note where an extradiegetic narrator appears in the story, so let’s examine this first moment. Immediately after the opening scene in the Shinigami world, when Ryuk makes the first disruption that sets forward the story’s events, the following narrative is introduced as an all-out battle between two chosen people.

Now, with our understanding of what befalls one half of this pair, we will examine how well this premise holds as the story unfolds. For now, however, the narrative presents itself as a man-versus-man conflict between the 選ばれし者 (The Two Chosen Ones), and yet again we are compelled to question the role of fate's hand in shaping their paths.

We could interpret 選ばれし者 in two ways: one tells me that Light and L are two extraordinary individuals whose abilities led them through a certain path since the moment Ryuk dropped the Death Note. However, the use of the word “chosen” invites deeper questions. Chosen by whom? Was their all-out battle an inevitable consequence of their existence—fated from the start? Does a cosmic force guide the events of this world, or were they chosen specifically for this conflict? Alternatively, does the concept of a “Chosen One” imply that they would have remained special, even if the notebook had never entered their lives?

I did some research both online and with Japanese-speaking friends and the consensus seems to be that the phrase carries a dual interpretation to it, suggesting both fate and merit when used in literature. At the same time, the archaic grammar し in 選ばれし gives the phrase a poetic or elevated tone, which strongly suggests a higher, almost divine selection to a first-time reader.

That external narration, and this first panel are all the hints we have about the other half of the "two chosen people" in this first chapter. A man working from the shadows gathering information from the world’s largest international police organization, his identity hidden even from us as readers by obscuring his eyes, exhibiting a weird-ass floor computer set-up for some reason. He’s lean, he’s black-haired. He’s mysterious. As a first impression, you’d probably expect a cool Byronic type of anti-hero. Brooding yet charming, dark and isolated yet wretchedly attractive, with a troubled past, but good intentions at heart. Well! In the following chapters we will see how both L and Light continue to fulfill or challenge our expectations and examine how well L fits the shoes of our protagonist’s antagonist force.

Next up! Chapter 1: Boredom. Lilith’s Breakdown. Part 2

3. Establishing the protagonist:

Light and expectations

Light’s resignation

Light’s cognitive dissonance

Thanks for reading! I would love to hear your own thoughts.

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Top 10 Animal Comparisons for Near

inspired by this iconic post by @13eyond13 :-)

10. Gecko

geckos made it onto the list because of their round black eyes and solitary nature. i also found it interesting that the oldest known gecko lived to 27, which is the same age we see Near in his last canon appearance.

9. Hedgehog

wary of people and not easily trusting. generally solitary, although capable of forming few attachments, and most content in familiar, comfortable environments. both show tendencies to curl in upon themselves.

8. Squirrel

curious and intelligent with impressive memories and problem-solving skills. also seen to be quite cunning and have a variety of tricks and schemes to deceive potential predators or food thieves. they would have been higher on the list if not for the fact that they are known to be very active and social.

7. Raccoon

not as strong a comparison for Near as they are for L, but they are known to be highly intelligent, cheeky and mischievous, much like Near. the comparisons are similar to those of squirrels, but ranked slightly higher due to their more solitary nature.

6. Rabbit

intelligent and inquisitive but can easily become bored. the appearance is the main feature that made me rank them so high, with reference to the round black eyes, small build and (for some breeds) white aesthetic. they also typically spend their entire lives in the same place and do not move far from their warren, which reflects Near's preference for staying indoors in one place where possible. rabbits probably could not catch a plane by themselves.

5. Seal

much like the gecko, seals came to mind because of their big black eyes and solitary lifestyles. they move in packs for safety but are not typically close with other individual seals, which mirrors Near's preference for working in a team despite having no close personal relationships outside of that. however, seals are much higher on the list because of their tendency to lounge around on rocks or play alone when they aren't hunting, which reminds me a lot of Near. they are also known to be intelligent and cautious.

4. Arctic Fox

quite small and unassuming but sneaky, clever and adaptable. arctic foxes are not as strong or aggressive as other breeds but are very cunning, and sometimes follow larger animals like polar bears while hunting for protection and to find prey. in terms of aesthetic, the arctic fox specifically reminds me a lot of A-Kira Near with its white fur/dark eyes combo, long body and graceful aura. foxes are also commonly associated with the zodiac Virgo, which is Near's star sign.

3. Sheep

a very common comparison for Near based on appearance. both are calm and level-headed with a high level of intelligence, and very strong memory and recognition skills. despite being known for their placid nature, sheep can have a wide range of emotions, much like Near.

2. Cat

rolls around on the floor, plays with toys and is often destructive while playing. looks innocent but is actually a little bastard. my specific choice for him is a ragdoll cat because of their placid temperament, mostly white colour palette and preference for the indoors (and also because i am a ragdoll owner myself, so i am very biased <3)

1. Frog

self-explanatory i suspect. he may not share the most personality traits with frogs, but their overall vibe is too similar to rank any lower than first.

bonus comparison, in case you aren't convinced:

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You awful, awful man (affectionate)

The second half of my key chain design! You can find L here :D

I drew these while listening to the musical on repeat and now I can’t stop thinking about them help.

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Day 4: Family

@deathnotetober

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winter kiss

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The face of a man who has successfully thrown a megablock into nears Cheerios.

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game over

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Light that i drew for my friend✨