#i looked up when. bin ladin was killed. and it might be pre 2011 btw ^_^ that line definitely gives 'not long after 9/11' vibes because

[chemicalarospec]

archiveofourown works 27954677 (fic about light and 9/11)

Nooo wayyyyyyy! I HAVE to read this.

Okay I'm back, it was good! 2012 vibes came through with the "oniichan"s lol. (Actually, not sure why I felt this. It is. Japanese. For some reason I just don't think people would type that today.) (I don't think the author is Japanese? Just didn't give the vibes of writing from within the POV, idk, there were some details on Japanese crimes but I wasn't sentient at the time so I don't know if they were international news. Well-researched though if not Japanese; I even checked the school year and I think it works (sorry I'm a freak I'm a weirdo I like researching things!!).)

And Light would totally try to predict the effects of 9/11 haha. I tend to think of Pre-Death Note Light as inbetween the popular fanon do not say neutered do not say neutered de-clawed, dare I say woobified version, and the No Regard for Human Life Death Note Light, but this always-pitiless Light was cool and interesting! I like how this interpretation had him always fundamentally the same callous person but still had 9/11 effect his motivation and ideology. This is a certified "America deserved 9/11" moment (this clip is funnier if you know he originally said, "yeah, I said that" and then that it wasn't fully serious). (Light Yagami would be fixed if you taught him socialist theory. I think it could be done.) I was born after 9/11, so I can't actually say much to it lol. The author definitely remembers it (posted 2012, says it was previously posted but since they have other backdated works, I think it might actually be from 2012), but the fic really is an exploration of how Light Yagami would have reacted -- doesn't seem like much of the author's own sentiments leak in--, which I admire since that's something I struggle with in my own writing.

I wasn't sure why there was a section with Near at the end (the titular symmetry? I didn't know in what way) until the last line, to which I went, "Oh, yeah." The AN also says it wasn't well received when it was first posted, and I can see why, but (speaking as someone who was not alive for 9/11 and 22 rather than 11 years after the event) I don't find it objectionable (re: "This is a certified 'America...'") . I'll admit though, the construction of the parallels isn't in the best taste, depending on how you take it -- I think the symmetry is meant for the towers themselves and the symmetry of the conviction of justice (same as in the manga/show Light/L), but the metatextual comparison of Light Yagami, fictional man, to the real 9/11 terrorists kinda might be in poor taste. This is discourse. I'm not a Discourse Master. I am making zero claims on this matter, just perspectives that others may take.

I left kudos twice because I forgot I wasn't signed in on this computer haha.

If anyone's curious, I searched up "9/11 Japanese" after making the post and apparently there were a few Japanese banks with some employees in the World Trade Center who died, and a young man on one of the planes.

I've been thinking about making a post about how remembering it was written in 2004 is necessary to understand some parts of Death Note, and I can't believe I didn't think about including 9/11 there seriously until now, but obviously, yes, of course it influenced the narrative not just in a-possible-joke-to-make way.

Wow, this is like my Goodreads reviews at this point lol. Since this was technically an ask, I wrote all my thoughts, but it was more than I expected. Sorry, is probably be awkward if you are the author!