Revisiting the anime series Death Note

[noname223]

Today I watched the first episode of Death Note again. I watched the series myriad of times as teenager. For a long time I thought it would always be my most favorite anime of all time. The last re-watch might be 10 years ago.

Recently, I re-watched all Ghost in the Shell series/films. I really like the philosophical aspects, the series is intricate and very deep. This time I read more about Debort, McLuhan Baudrilla. The producers were influenced by their academic work. The re-watch felt really good and worthwhile. Maybe it is my favorite anime franchise now. The TV series have some weaknesses though. Death Note is more dense in comparison.

I really like the idea behind Death Note. I have the feeling though the series is more for adolescence. In some ways Light Yagami has a naive and childish view of the world. Very manichean. And obvioulsy megalomaniac. Maybe I just watched it too often. It is an extremely good thriller. But if you know every twist of all episodes there is not much value to re-watch it. L and Light are fantastic characters without a doubt. The second half of Death Note isn't as good as the first half.

I really enjoyed the Ohba and Obata co-production Bakuman. I can highly recommend the manga. The anime was mediocre.

I was extremely disappointed by Platinum End. (It has horrible takes on life and death.) I stopped reading it after a few volumes and I considered it trash. I really don't get how the author didn't realize the issues of the manga. Personally, I hope for a new Ohba project. I could imagine after Platinum End this won't happen.

Probably my favorite manga accouncement I ever experienced was the Death Note Short Story that shadow dropped 2020. A part of me said it was worth to have survived to witness this to happen. And I loved the short story.

Maybe I will continue to re-watch Death Note. But in some ways Death Note is fascinating because you imagine yourself what you would do in Light's position. For some this can be an escape of boredom, a philosophical experiment, a self-interrogation about good and evil. I think though besides that Death Note isn't that deep. It is edgy, it has great protagonists/antagonists and is extremely thrilling. The philosophy is rather superficial even though the battle of wits is fantastic.

What do you think?

By the way do you know there is a short story of Death Note that is extremely against assisted suicide?

 

[floatingair]

Haha. I imagined myself in Light's position. I would take out the world's evildoers (the ones who start wars) and find a way to post on it safely on the dark net as a prediction so they know someone out there is exacting VENGEANCE. Then I would make requirements, such as stopping wars or I kill the leaders, getting rid of homelessness, etc.

I would have to find a way to make money through it though. What would you do? One of the short stories, the character has them giving money to all of the people using a certain bank. That's risky in the modern day as it would put a spotlight on me.

 

[noname223]

Haha. I imagined myself in Light's position. I would take out the world's evildoers (the ones who start wars) and find a way to post on it safely on the dark net as a prediction so they know someone out there is exacting VENGEANCE. Then I would make requirements, such as stopping wars or I kill the leaders, getting rid of homelessness, etc.

I would have to find a way to make money through it though. What would you do? One of the short stories, the character has them giving money to all of the people using a certain bank. That's risky in the modern day as it would put a spotlight on me.

Yeah in the modern world getting away with it is much harder. The protagonist of the 2020 story found a good way. Maybe writing evil billionaires into the Death Note. And they have to donate the money to the average citizen. In some ways it would be Bernie Sanders there should be no billionaires but in a radical way. By fighting inequality in general everyone would benefit also me. I think though it is likely they would find it out. For example with intelligencer services and tracking of internet activities.

I also wanted to ask where Light Yagami might go if he cannot go to heaven nor hell. It is a rule in the Death Note. There is the fan theory he becomes a shinigami.

 

[DeathByBananabread]

I absolutely LOVED the 2020 Death Note oneshot. Interesting use of the remaining characters. Near ends up exactly how you'd expect him to be & he's painfully relatable. I hope that design of him gets a figure or something someday.

I do think in-general the pressures of making a hit story for Shonen Jump (seemingly writing a lot of it rushed, on-the-fly) negatively impacted the latter half of Death Note & the rest of Obha's work. My pie-in-the-sky hope is that Death Note someday gets a remake with the same premise that can explore the idea more deeply & more thoroughly with less nonsense.

I love Near, & Mello is iconic, but BOTH characters could be completely, utterly, entirely removed for a better story. The musical does that, & while I'm not a fan of the musical it has a lot of fans devoted to it.