#death note meta

[pennyblossom-meta]

Analysis of the romance in Death Note's Spiraling Trap game.

EDIT 02/03/2024: minor edits and fixes, added a few imgs and extra content.

A huge thank you to the folks over at agtteam who translated L - the ProLogue to Death Note: Spiraling Trap into English! Now we can all date L become FBI agents after hours.

I've been playing the game recently and one of the features I love the most is the L Communicator, which allows the main character (referred to as MC henceforth) to take a break from adventuring and listen to L talk about whatever is on his mind.

There's around one hundred different lines available as the MC develops a relationship with L and they paint him as such a sweet, attentive and thoroughly unique individual that I was surprised by how detailed it was. If you're thinking about playing, then this part is definitely worth putting effort into.

The mechanics of the dating sim are relatively simple: during the adventure, you'll pick up a number of recipes hidden among traps and tools. Then, Watari will provide the ingredients and you can give L whatever sweets he specifically craves. These recipes and cravings depend on the time of day and can be season specific.

Character analysis

As stated in-game, giving L sweets causes his appreciation for the MC to grow. However, L being L, means that he craves different sweets throughout the day. He's definitely very specific about what he likes and what he wants for his sugar fix.

However, if you give L something he isn't craving at that specific moment, he will sulk. The way he expresses his displeasure varies according to the depth of the budding relationship he has with the MC.

L: To tell you the truth, there are many other things I would have preferred. L: [F/N], I hate to say this, but I really would have preferred something else. L: F/N], you must know that I was hoping for something else, right? L: [F/N]… It’s not my favorite but, it made me really happy.

Note: Given that the books in the expanded universe (Another Note and L: Change the WorLd) came out before this game, I think some of the quotes further ahead might be a subtle nod to how L is perceived by the police forces as the "creepy murder detective". However, references about his piece of mind lead me to believe that L craves some respite from the burdens he carries on his shoulders — burdens so strong that they managed to curve his spine.

Note: I'm unsure how the system here works, as the MC also gets points for gaining L's trust in the actual adventure when they a) agree with his observations and b) find key objects hidden in unsuspecting places. It might affect the available lines through the L Communicator.

L: Today is going to be a better day… Let’s think positive. L: I wonder what kind of morning this will be. L: It seems the air outside is crisp this morning.

L: I want to finish what I need to get done before night falls. L: It’s nearly sunset. Time for children to go back home. L: If you just stare into space, night will be here before you know it.

L: It’s already evening… Time keeps passing me by. L: There’s something different about the air at night. L: Night-time, dusk… It’s the witching hour.

As a naturally introspective individual, L observes the world around him and draws conclusions. To my surprise, the game actually managed to capture how observant L is about small, unsuspecting details of daily life and give him a slightly poetic side laced with a hint of wistfulness that suits his character well.

This is a side of L in his private life that I personally wish we had been able to glimpse during the Kira investigation. Though, at the time, L was busy trying to prove that Light was, indeed, Kira. It left him little to no time to enjoy the world around him. During the brief time that L could have had a semblance of rest right before the Yotsuba arc, he was depressed that his deductions were "wrong" — though I could see him musing about some of the above, equal parts whimsy and sulking.

L: If I start to lose my touch… I guess I’ll retire. L: Another day, another mystery… L: I have a lot of thinking to do. L: I feel like doing some capoeira… L: I haven't played tennis for a while. L: The weather today is… Well, it matters not. L: I, um… No, ignore me. L: Am I reading too much into it…?

As a thinker, L has a lot of unfinished thoughts he says out loud. Some border on cliché, others are musings about things he'd like to do or that he's missing.

I wonder if some of his thoughts end up trailing off because, suddenly, he catches himself and believes they're not important? Or that he doesn't think the MC would be interested in what he has to say beyond work matters?

L: “In spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn.” Though, too much sleep isn’t good for anyone. L: If you think about things persistently, noticing all the sides to them will come naturally. L: Strawberries… Despite the name, they aren’t actually berries. How berry disappointing. L: The one who has thought it through wins. It’s true for chess, and for deduction. But in the case of love… I don't know.

He's also a philosopher at heart, always thinking about the human condition. In these we can also witness his dry humour, silly puns along with a subtle desire to share his thoughts on the world and give helpful advice.

As for love, L is cautious but willing to learn. It's a topic where he's out of his depth.

L: Um, Watari is… L: I wonder if Watari’s asleep? L: What could Watari be up to? L: Today is Thanksgiving Day. I am truly grateful to Watari for his diligence.

I found it interesting how L's thoughts eventually go back to Watari and what he's doing. He's the one person that L relies on and whom he interacts with the most. Other people are passing acquaintances at best, who show little interest in L beyond work.

Notice how he mentions diligence? Although it is a utilitarian consideration, it also reveals a thankfulness for the comforts of familiarity and the peace of mind that trusting someone close brings. This is a topic we'll explore better at a later stage, i.e., how trust and acts of service work as a relationship builder.

Romance

Neutral stage

One of the first things I've noticed is that, during the early stages of the relationship, L is still very formal and quite a bit dismissive — even borderline rude. As his sugar fix gets sated by the MC's keen suggestions (Watari provides the ingredients, of course), L grows gradually more fond of them and wants to include the MC in his life with an enthusiasm I can only define as endearing.

L: Aren’t you bored? You don’t have to check in on me. L: Don’t you have stuff to do?

At the beginning, L is still wary of the MC on a personal level as they have absolutely no rapport beyond a partnership of circumstance and usefulness in the name of justice. He's quick to get bored and doesn't take it very well when he's given sweets he isn't craving. A bit childish, one could say, the way he sulks when the MC errs by not reading his mind.

L: Did I enjoy it? Let me just say “no comment”. (about sweets that weren't quite to his taste)

It's also very in-character for L to feel both annoyed at someone who is randomly calling him and be suspicious of their motives.

Growing interest

L: Spending the afternoon with you isn’t so bad. L: Even though it’s late, you’re not going to bed, huh? L: You must be a night owl, [F/N]. L: I’m a little curious about you, [F/N]. L: Are you having a good time? I’m just curious. L: You’re kind of… Ah, no, forget I said anything.

He starts addressing the MC by their first name as he becomes more enamoured. It's very sweet. I was pleasantly surprised at how attentive L becomes as he gradually comes to the conclusion that this is a person who understands him.

Mind, due to game mechanics the MC gains approval by giving L sweets, but from a narrative perspective what's really happening is that L not only feels seen and understood, but also accepted. And when that happens, he starts lowering his walls and relaxing.

As a plot device, I would say these are defining moments within L's thought process here; he's curious about the MC, finds them interesting enough to want to know more them and pursues that curiosity to see what they might have in common. It seems he's both a little baffled and content about this development.

L: [F/N], what do you think of when you see a sunset? L: What are you doing this afternoon? Oh, should I not have asked? L: Are you a night owl? Oh, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want.

It should also be noted that L is very mindful of boundaries. There's a tentative, almost shy attempt to connect. He's determined to indulge in his curiosity since the MC's attentiveness towards him shows an opening for closeness he's unused to (but is happy about) and to tend to his more immediate needs (i.e., food cravings), which in turn shows a genuine concern for him. Aside from Watari, I doubt anyone ever extended L similar kindness.

And it is in this determination to get to know the MC that I also find Mello's words (AA: LABB Murder Cases) that L is actually a very active, aggressive individual with absolutely no interest in social conventions perfectly represent him this game, as he navigates a growing fondness with expectation, curiosity and caution — on his own terms, while minding that he doesn't overstep.

L: Staying up late talking to you… It makes me feel calm.

I find it particularly heartbreaking how this confession of L unknowingly makes it more transparent how burdened he is. The spine curved by burdens unseen, the addiction to mind games and sweets; all of these point to stress factors which isolate him further, increasing the loneliness and lack of affection in his life.

That L feels the need to mention the MC makes him feel calm seems telling.

L: We’re both late workers, huh? That makes me happy. L: [F/N]… You’re pretty formidable. L: It’s reassuring to have a partner like you. You’re someone I can trust. L: Your feelings have been received. (Valentine's Day) L: The fact we’ve become so close was an unexpected development on my part.

And here it is, the acknowledgement just as L enters the highest stages of approval, where he expresses admiration and happiness at the close bond he developed with the MC.

"An unexpected development on my part" is quite the turn of phrase. One can only wonder, but I'd make an educated guess that L didn't see this coming because:

a) no one showed feelings towards him before. In his line of work, hidden behind a screen there is no time to indulge or get attached to anyone (he would mistrust their intentions anyway) and so L keeps everyone at arms length, sharing little more than a professional side of himself and fostering utilitarian relationships that help him win "games". L ultimately carries various burdens the average civilian would never be able to understand, all due to the pressure of his job. When failing at the "game of cat and mouse" means being responsible for the likely deaths of dozens, perhaps even hundreds or thousands, the stakes are up in unimaginable ways. What started as a thrill chase can have catastrophic consequences should L fail. That in itself alienates him from society at large. It's a game that L plays well and absolutely profits from, but it is also an indicative of two major flaws: his addictive personality and how he suppresses his emotions to carry on. Coincidentally, it's the expanded universe, in particular Another Note: LA BB Murder Case and L: Change the WorLd, that give us the best insight into this. This isn't too dissimilar to the struggles policemen face in high risk jobs or technicians who have to flag and delete sensitive content from online platforms. These people end up changed from what they see — and some carry traumas for the rest of their lives. That's not to say that L doesn't feel for others. He respects people whom he considers good or morally upstanding (Soichiro Yagami), who are competent in their line of work (Naomi Misora, Mogi), worthy of a second chance (Aiber and Wedy), who speak their minds, unafraid (Aizawa) or who are reliable, loyal to him as a person and not just his cause, in whom he can place his trust and feel secure won't betray him (Watari). The MC seems to fall mostly in the last category, though the relationship is rather precocious — and there seems to be a fair amount of wishful thinking and even projecting on L's part, since communication happens over a device connecting two people remotely. He falls both for the idea of the individual and their attentiveness towards him. When L mentions that they make him feel calm, I'd argue it comes both as a surprise to him and a confession of a closeness and safety he intimately craved — though I personally view L as someone who feels lonely and wanting healthy human contact, even if his social skills might not be the best (worsened by his distrust of people as a whole). Someone who ultimately is willing to adapt to him but whom he can adapt to, as well. Someone who sees him as a person and not an unfeeling robot. It's a POV that certainly challenges certain aspects of DN: Vol 13. I would further argue that L's portrayal has evolved significantly beyond the manga, and that his subsequent humanising is partially a result of the creative liberties the English translations took, as well as a more empathetic view of the character and hidden struggles. Each medium displays a separate iteration of L, with common variables.

b) L fosters distant relationships with others as a safety measure. Aside from Watari, L's contact with other people had always been distant, work-focused, perhaps even tainted by notions of his supposed creepiness as a kinky detective "who relished bizarre murders" (L:CtW). He's useful to the police because he achieves favourable results, though L is still viewed as "a human computer, capable only of measuring mass murders in terms of cold numbers, a reclusive sociopath" (L:CtW). He isn't necessarily liked; in fact, I would argue he rubs people the wrong way most of the time — as we can see during his interactions with the Task Force, during the events of Death Note. L is tolerated, a useful asset who is both mysterious and a pain to deal with. However, he's also put on a pedestal due to his status (i.e., Relight, the children at Wammy's). For the latter, he purposely shatters their idea of L as this unbeatable, paragon of justice by defining himself as a monster (anime), a dishonest cheating human being who hates losing (manga). I do share in lux-mea-lex's perspective on L doubting his own humanity and how it fuels a certain self-hatred for distrusting everyone around him. As lux mentions, "love comes with trust" and L is an excellent detective precisely because he questions everything and everyone — but it comes at a cost: his own loneliness. To draw a parallel, L's ultimate flaw — and that which makes him great at his job — is not unlike what we see during the moments of extreme anguish that Veronica Mars goes through in her personal relationships and which draw people away from her when she oversteps boundaries to prove she's not being lied to. That mistrust comes from experience, for people burdened with having seen too much and it's not unlike a kind of paranoia acquired when one has to deal with the worst of humanity on a daily basis.

Full reciprocity

L: [F/N] you’re the light that illuminates the dark night. That’s an exaggeration of course, but… L: What I need to live is glucose… and to talk to you. Nourishment for my brain and heart. L: When we’re together, I feel like there’s no problem we can’t solve. L: The afternoons I get to spend with you are precious to me.

When the MC achieves the stage of full reciprocity with L, he's very open to showing vulnerability and lowering his emotional defenses. I found this to be particularly sweet, as L is such a secretive man with so many hidden layers that him being willing to show such honesty with that one person he holds dear is incredible character development.

Beyond the game, I would say that achieving this stage with L would be much more difficult and, naturally, would involve going beyond picking the best sweets for him.

Something important to keep in mind is that L seems to value acts of service, as the people who interact with him more closely have some utility value and aid his work. However, L's life revolves around his work; he lives and breathes his detective work, which is why having a partner who brings him peace would be so important.

L: The time I spend with you is as important to me as the sweets. L: Good morning. It makes me really happy to see you here. L: For your sake… I’d think of a way to get through anything. We share a bond. L: When you have time, I’d like to take you to a shop that makes the best sweets. L: When you’re free, how about we play tennis together? I will have Watari reserve a court. L: If something were to happen to me… I want you, as the person I hold dearest, to carry on the L moniker. L: When my thoughts hit a dead end late at night, I feel like I’m stuck in a maze. But, having you here makes me feel reassured.

I also found it very sweet how L takes the initiative to plan for activities to do together with the MC. And how their presence, their reassuring words make him feel at ease. It seems that a loving relationship would give L a goal in life beyond his work.

Carrying on the L moniker... this quote might be the result of L's trust in the MC growing during the events of the game, or a sentiment L nurtures due to the MC being attentive enough to understand his specific cravings. But being able to read L and having the mental dexterity to become him are different things, as the latter involves a lifestyle that few would want and a complete focus on work. Even FBI agents have lives beyond work.

L: I learned from you that sweets are the bond that brings people together. L: You give me true peace of mind. No one could ever replace you. L: The way I am now, I… I can’t think straight when you’re not around. L: Being able to share this sunset with you, I couldn’t ask for anything more. L: You understand, don’t you [F/N]? What my heart so strongly desires is something more… L: When I talk to you, I feel like my senses are sharpened. Thanks to that, my radar has become more sensitive.

What a sweet guy. I love how L focuses on the little things and just wants to spend time together with the person he holds dearest. It's almost as if he daydreams a close, loving relationship — a trait that clashes with L's logical side.

This game and the expanded universe of Death Note have convinced me that there are many more layers to L than what we can see in the main story.

As Fu Takahashi, who plays L in the 2020 Japanese version of the musical, said:

“(...) A common thing about L among these versions is that, despite his superficial image as a smart guy who hates losing, he actually feels lonely and needs affection, I imagine. Perhaps he is an orphan – his character suggests so. He tries to control his emotions, like the feelings towards his parents, or romantic feelings; that’s why he is sort of dependent on games or battles of the mind. So I want to play L while thinking about the foundations on which his personality has been formed.”

I think this quote and the game are actually very telling of L's core personality and how it moves beyond that cold, calculating persona that defines him in the manga. It's also more in line with the characterisation that we see in the anime and the books, which help humanise L.

As I mentioned elsewhere, learning how to trust and be comfortable around someone else would do L wonders. Though that person would have to accept him for who he is and help him learn how to navigate a healthy relationship.

Perhaps the true test of love, for L, would even be for him to be confronted with someone who knows who he really is and, is not only kind to him, but also sees the best in him — regardless of his flaws. I think that we've had a glimpse of it in this game and it's a breath of fresh air.

#death note #l lawliet #death note: spiralling trap #spiraling trap #romance #death note meta #watari #character analysis #l lawliet headcanons #l lawliet x reader #in a way #kira #soichiro yagami #aizawa #naomi misora #aiber #wedy #task force

[stupidsexpotflanders]

There's a huge debate about how Light's morality would've been if the Death Note hadn't fallen in his hands - on whether he would've been just as terrible or a good person. (This meta is based on the manga and only the manga)

I believe Noteless Light Yagami would be very mid,morally speaking. While he definitely isn't the kind of guy who would go out of his way to torment people,and he's very much an idealist,Light does have a tendency to stand idly by when faced with injustice. He saw a classmate of his being bullied and did nothing to defend the guy,despite obviously showing moral disapproval of it in his monologue. Besides,Light has a big amount of soft power in school,IMO. Not only he's a student with ridiculously high grades,he's also popular with other students. However,I don't think this makes him a bad person,since there's still a social risk even for him. It just makes him a not-good one. It also might be tied to his sense of self-preservation in canon,IMO. Light is condescending and arrogant,but those are hardly evil flaws on themselves. Besides,he's competitve and ambitious,but those traits don't have moral value either.

On another note(pun not intended),while Light surely has a huge ego and a hubris problem,his worst flaw(s) is(are) emotional cowardice and moral laziness. I understand why people don't attribute this set of flaws to him - he's shown as very dilligent and dealing with harsh situacions (kinda) gracefully. Besides,his arrogance often gets the best of him. However,Light is also shown time and again running from feelings and self-reflection. His journey as Kira starts exactly like that - his two first killings are a freak accident because the guy basically thought the Death Note was creepypasta. For a moment,Light decides to do the right thing and toss the murder weapon but these seconds of common sense don't last long. Still,he decides this is what he always wanted,instead of actually confronting the fact that he made a massive blunder(plus,the trauma from causing two deaths by accident). Plus,Light is particularly prone to Sunk Cost Fallacy - the more he loses,the more driven he becomes. Like the Law of Inertia - if a body is at rest or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, it will remain at rest or keep moving in a straight line at constant speed unless it is acted upon by a force. And since Light did nothing to stop the trainwreck,it remained with a constant speed.

#death note #light yagami #dn meta #death note meta #unpopular opinion #or:light is a shithead with an ego but his main sin is sloth not pride

[normal-thoughts-official]

"The Lawlight foot rub isn't gay you idiots, it's a Bible reference!!!"

Yeah bitch, no shit it's a Bible reference. I grew up Catholic within the Theology of Liberation, do you think they ever shut the fuck up about Jesus washing Judas' and Mary Magdalene's feet? That shit is burned straight through my goddamn frontal lobe

Here's the thing though. In the Bible, washing one's feet is an act of worship. It is a very common theme, actually, with Jesus being offered to have his feet washed and then washing the person's feet instead being a motif. And the whole point of that is that Jesus is always washing the feet of those who have sinned, of the biggest pariahs at the time - prostitutes, the sick, the poor, you name it. Jesus' whole thing was saying that those who were at the margins of society were actually the ones most likely to enter heaven, those who deserved to be worshipped. It was also an act of forgiveness, of allowing them to start anew, in many cases - such as Judas'

So L washing Light's feet necessarily evokes exactly that symbolism - of worship and forgiveness. But here's the thing though, L is not fucking Jesus. He is an extremely competitive and frankly immoral guy, he would never "turn the other cheek" so to speak. Honestly, for anyone who is anything short of, you know, a holy figure way above human's capabilities, forgiving someone you know is about to kill you is proof of utmost love and devotion. For L, who cares about nothing other than winning, doubly so

So three things are going on in this scene: 1- L is allowing Light to actually fucking kill him; 2- L is, despite that, straight up worshipping Light; and 3- he's touching Light's foot

I think we can confidently say that the third one is the least gay out of all of them

#death note #dn #light yagami #l lawliet #lawlight #meta #death note meta #fuck all of you for making me talk about the damn bible #yagami light #l death note

[lowoliet]

so I saw a post a few days ago that mentioned the way the western death note fandom perceives Light as having a quote unquote god complex (which obviously. I cant find. because it's impossible to find anything on here), and I thought I'd just expand on that a little.

TLDR, while you could probably use other evidence to claim he has a god complex, him literally calling himself a god is more of a translation error than anything else

the post was basically explaining that Light calling himself the "shinsekai no kami da" wasn't the same as if he had called himself a 'god' in the western sense, which. I honestly feel I should have realised before, but translation issues are a bitch and its easy to take sub/dub as gospel when you don't understand the context of the original Japanese.

this article sums up the concept of kami better than most of the other sites I could find, but if you're too lazy to read that (real) here are the main points

kami aren't divine, omnipotent, perfect, or necessarily good

they also aren't inherently different to other living beings, just a higher manifestation of them

while the term can refer to "gods" like amaterasu, izanagi and izanami, it also refers to spirits, forces of nature, humans who became kami after dying, and even elements of the landscape itself

some of the details on this site conflict with other sources I've found but the ones I've listed above seem to be pretty consistent.

basically, the term kami gets misconstrued as always meaning "god" in the Christian (? idk I'm not religious maybe just western in general) sense in most translations of Japanese media into English (and vice versa), which has resulted in a pretty widespread misinterpretation of how Light actually views himself, at least in the English speaking fandom.

also this is largely unrelated to this particular discussion but another thing that probably should have indicated that he doesn't see himself as some omnipotent omniscient being was this panel lmao

^chapter six

you could argue that he thought this at first and then gradually became more delusional except. you couldn't because he already giving the whole shinsekai no kami da spiel in chapter one.

anyway people who probably know more than me about Shinto and Japanese mythology I'm sorry if I got anything wrong 😔 I'm getting my information from pretty dubiously reliable websites here feel free to correct me

#not to ramble in the tags but #even if he did see himself as a god #it wouldnt. really be that unjustified? #similarly to his supposed superiority complex in which he. pretty much is actually quote unquote better than most of the people around him #he does literally have access to the power of the gods??? #which is a detail i feel gets slightly overlooked in this discussion #death note #death note meta #light yagami #shinto #japanese mythology

[very-much-asleep]

I love L’s rain scene so much because it’s basically him telling Light, ‘I completely see through all of your bullshit and there’s nothing you can do about it :)’

I mean, L completely roasts the man with the ‘has there ever been a single moment in your entire life where you’ve actually told the truth’ line, and it’s always unbelievably satisfying to hear it because Light deserves it so badly. Seeing him make up this fancy, flowery response to the question and L just says, ‘I had a feeling you’d say something like that.’ He is so done with Light’s nonsense and it’s amazing to see.

I also like how he sort of… mocks/ pokes at Light’s god complex, in a way? Or at least, I like to think L was completely aware of the implications of washing Light’s feet and that’s precisely why he chose to do it— as well as the line which is something like ‘it’s the least I can do to atone for my sins’ or whatever: he’s taking the piss at Light’s self-righteousness, and again, it’s incredibly satisfying after a whole series of Light getting away with arrogance and lie after lie.

Also… am I looking into it too far or does his behaviour also tie into Aizawa’s comment about L always getting the last laugh? As in, even when L knows he’s about to die, he still asserts his knowledge and certainty over Light without hesitation: kind of like saying ‘you might win this physically/ succeed in killing me but I still won the mental game ages ago’, in a way.

#L knows exactly what he’s doing and is making sure Light knows it #if he’s going to die he may as well go all out you know #sleep’s collection ➝ thoughts #death note #l lawliet #death note meta #kind of?

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

How would Death Note go if, everything was the same, except the way that Misa and Light got their notebooks was reversed? So Misa just found hers randomly and Ryuk is her Shinigami. But Light was saved by a Shinigami who was in love with him and gained both their book and their lifespan. And Rem. (Don't ask me why the Shinigami was in love with Light lol)

For the sake of this ask, maybe pretend that Misa doesn't get killed in an alley.

Caveat

I mean, in Light's Kira glory days, the Shinigami in general are all interested in what's happening with him and I can easily imagine one or two becoming enamored with this insane human who's giving them the entertainment of their lives.

Before then, well, Gelus clearly romanticized Misa as he watched her and saw her as a tragic figure in need of saving. She was young, beautiful, had a tragic past with the death of her parents, and he couldn't stand the thought of watching her die at such a young age because of this stalker.

The point being that he only knew of Misa from a distance and liked what he could see looking through a window. Now, Light doesn't have the tragic backstory to attract Gelus's interest, he had a great life before canon started with a family that loved him and a bright future ahead of him, but in theory Gelus could have become fascinated with this seemingly perfect young man who's dying of boredom on the inside and want to save him from his untimely death at the hands of a mugger.

So, sure, why not.

Misa Meets a Death God

Misa picks up the notebook and thinks it has a nice asthetic, Misa being very into gothic lolita, and that while morbid humor is the sort of thing she could have as a prop in her bedroom. Fits right in.

I imagine she doesn't think much about it, doesn't believe it, and that's when Ryuk gets bored actually. The thing with Light was that he waited a bit to see what the person who picked up the notebook would do and that he'd planned to keep dropping it around until someone interesting picked it up.

Ryuk felt thrilled when Light picked it up on the first try and went fucking insane with the death count. Ryuk settled happily in for the ride of his life, watching as Light murdered people in interesting ways and tried to murder that detective.

If Misa's not doing anything, and she's likely not, then Ryuk will take it back from her and try again until he gets someone who is interesting. Even if Misa accidentally killed a person, I don't think she'd have the will or interest to be Kira without Light's prior example. What Light did requires... well... being Light. Misa could become the second Kira because she already idolized Light and he'd made it, in a weird way, culturally acceptable. I imagine Misa might kill the man who'd killed her parents but that would be the end of it.

I imagine Ryuk would end up with a mobster eventually and be very entertained as it's used for inter-gang assassinations. But hold that thought.

Light Meets a Death God

Light, I imagine very shaken from nearly dying, walks away from the incident not sure how to feel then holy shit a god of death has come for him. He panics even harder than he did in canon with Ryuk until Rem explains that Light was saved by a Shinigami that was in love with him and here is his new murder notebook.

Now, the thing about canon, is that Light started in as Kira because a) he at first didn't believe it then killed a man and went "my god" b) he thought he was going to be taken to the underworld so started in killing as many people as he could before Ryuk met up with him. Light had about a day to talk himself into this where he goes from "oh my god I just killed someone" to "only I can kill fucking everyone!". Here, the circumstances are different, he hasn't killed anyone and he doesn't have the motivation to make the most of the notebook before a Shinigami comes for him as Rem is pointedly giving it to him.

I imagine Light mulls over it for a bit, a god literally died for him and gave him this as a gift, how should he use it if at all. I imagine his first instinct, as in canon initially, is not to use it/not to want to be a murderer. Then, however, I imagine he thinks of all the people he believes the world would be better without, a world in which he can get rid of violent crime entirely as an unseen god, and thinks about what the Shinigami saved him from.

Had it not been for Gelus, Light would have died, because a human wanted to stab him.

Then Light's back on the "only I can do this!" murder bus and Rem is... not entirely thrilled with any of this (while Rem pointedly never liked Light I do think it was more than just how dismissive he was of Misa but also that Light was casually making use of the notebook for such extremes).

I imagine Rem sticks around, as Gelus died for this motherfucker, but she doesn't like it.

Canon then proceeds pretty much the same except that L and Light end up in this stalemate in college as Misa doesn't have a Death Note to rock the boat. L can't get any real evidence on Light at all, his attempts to rattle him reveal nothing, and Light in turn can't get L's name and Rem refuses to tell it to him out of principle.

Except, at some point, I imagine Ryuk gets jealous. Why does Rem get this batshit insane human and he keeps having to drop the notebook all over the place? I imagine Ryuk asks Rem to trade, he'll give the kid his notebook, Rem can take Gelus's, and they'll switch so Rem can be with the kind of boring humans she likes and Ryuk can stick with this kid.

Rem of course refuses, as does Light who suspects Ryuk and knows how to bully Rem into doing mostly what he wants, and so I imagine a miffed Ryuk makes things hard for Light/more interesting. I imagine he starts killing people in a way so as to provide L 'evidence' so as to be able to get firmer suspicions of Kira.

A man dies shouting at Light that he's the devil then douses himself in gasoline then lights himself on fire. Another person dies doing the same thing but they throw themselves into a woodchipper.

(L hates that he can't use any of this as evidence not just simply because the entire world's gone mad about Kira anyway but also because these fuckers keep killing themselves before L can ask questions.)

I imagine Light, at his wit's end, agrees to trade with Ryuk but only if Ryuk tells Light L's name. "That's cheating" - Ryuk says as he did in canon (also, Ryuk is having a great time inconveniencing Light).

Death Note becomes a weird thriller comedy in which L is hunting Kira, but The Happening is going on, and Light is trying to find a way to manage Ryuk, Rem, and L all at the same time while also planning L's murder in a way that it makes it look like L just caught The Happening.

#death note #death note meta #death note headcanon #light yagami #rem #gelus #misa amane #ryuk #l lawliet #meta #headcanon #opinion

[grimalkinmessor]

Light's end has always bothered me for multiple reasons (the biggest of which is it not actually being his fault that he lost therefore robbing me of a greater poetic justice but you can't win 'em all), but I think one nobody really talks about is that,,,Light wasn't afraid to die.

Well—he WAS, at the beginning, but part of the reason I'm so obsessed with his relationship with Ryuk is because Ryuk's existence was a constant threat to Light's life. And yet Light never once seemed afraid of him, or tried to cozy up to him, or even attempted manipulate Ryuk into doing things for him. Sure, he bribed him sometimes into going along with his plans, but he was friends with Ryuk. Or—as close to friends as I assume a Light Yagami and a Shinigami can get.

But before Light meets Ryuk, he 100% believes that he's going to die. His frenzy those first few days can be attributed not to any moral righteousness, but to a desperate sort of resignation. Light thinks that he's sold his soul after killing those first two men, so instead of destroying the Death Note, he immediately sets out to make as big of an impact as possible. He wants to go out with a bang! He wants to be remembered! Light is afraid of death in those first days—but he also comes to terms with it somewhere between killing Otoharada and Ryuk showing up. He was ready to go with Ryuk quietly if he was there to take his life or his soul.

But then—he learns that he's not going to die.

The face of a boy excited and relieved.

Light learns that there are no consequences to using the Death Note.

THIS is when he starts getting cocky, when he starts to actually convince himself of all that moral stuff he spouts.

But he's still not afraid of death.

Oh he's afraid of being caught, for sure, and after L humiliated him on live television, he might've even been afraid of execution. Because he'd seen firsthand just how quickly L could turn the tables on him, how he could make Kira look foolish. And Light definitely does not want to be remembered as foolish.

I don't think Light was afraid of actually DYING though, because when Ryuk says "You know I could just kill you", Light laughs. Literally laughing in the face of death. Light KNOWS that Ryuk will eventually kill him, but as long as he goes down the way he wants—on HIS terms—it's fine. Ryuk claiming that he'd be the one to finally end Light might've even been a relief, considering how Light's mind works. A god can only be killed by another god, etc. etc. 'Killed By A Real-life Shinigami' sounds metal as FUCK. Top-tier way to die if you're as much of a gloryhound as Light.

And one thing that irks me is that—the five year gap kind of,,,,takes that, from Light. Light spends so long on top of the world with no real challenge that by the time that Near and Mello show up, he's far more arrogant than he was when he was up against L. Light is, once more, afraid of death. He's lost that tolerance he built up in those pivotal first few days, and he goes out, not in a blaze of glory like he wanted, but clawing and pleading to live like a dog.

Light lost his recklessness, his impatience, his acceptance of the inevitable because he believed that he could now change the inevitable—all somewhere in that five year time skip.

This makes him less likely to get caught, yes, but it also takes away that—that teenage dauntlessness that he had at the beginning. Pre-skip Light feared L and L alone. Only the idea of being caught by someone who could truly tear him down frightened him. Not even death compared.

And I suppose that Light's spiralling at the end is a sort of poetic justice in this case?? But it's not the one I wanted.

I wanted Light's recklessness to blow up in his face. I wanted his carefully curated plans ruined by his own impatient hand. I wanted him to go down much as he probably first intended—in a blaze of glory. I wanted his fall to be explosive and terrifying to the audience. A moral of the story that shoots you right in the chest and really makes you think.

Instead he was reduced to just,,,,another criminal, begging for his life.

Which, yes, I suppose, is also a message in and of itself (all evil figures throughout history have only ever been human, have only ever been men that bleed red at the end of the day, and nothing they've ever done or said will change that), but I also find that....exceedingly boring.

#death note #grim rants #yagami light #light yagami #death note meta #i guess...? #im just venting my frustrations with the ending #again #i know the five year skip was supposed to show us how fast kira consumed the world and how quickly corruption spreads #but also yOU COULDVE BROUGHT NEAR AND MELLO IN WAY EARLIER #WHEN LIGHT WAS STILL THE DUMBASS THAT BUILDS FLASHBOMBS IN HIS DESKS #it wouldve so much funnier plzzzz #and more interesting in my opinion #23 yo light was kinda more of a bitch not gonna lie #like wheres the man that orchestrated a bus jacking to get one man's name?? #and then met that man in person again and made him kill his own comrades???? #WHERE'D MY ARROGANT/DESPERATE LITTLE HASTY BOY GO #he went from a zim to a mr burns and i disliked it greatly thank you

[maevearcher]

...um, okay, so, @pennyblossom-meta, here is part one of my two cents. I...I actually decided to peruse the manga again, so I'd pay more attention to specific things instead of...just living it over and over again, and beyond... So, I've decided to split things into parts, so it doesn't get insanely long either. This first part covers up to the point where Misa introduces herself to Light.

…I never know how or where to start these things….

First things first, I want to be clear on the fact that this, everything that I’m going to say, comes from the perspective that I’ve held true to my core values over as many years as I remember, ever since I learned how to read, namely that the book is better and truer that the movie. That the original written word is the baseline truth on which I must build any interpretation that will not result in me falsifying the very essence of what I’m trying to understand.

On that assumption, in any analysis of the character of L, I always, but always refer back to the manga, with the anime serving as completion of details here and there, with the anime giving me the absolutely exquisite feel of actually hearing him (and for me, the English dub is the best, I love Alessandro Juliani’s low, vocal fry-ish rendition, I love his harsh tones here and there, which I find most fitting for the particular manga scenes they are constructed upon.

It is true that anime and musical and whatnot paint a much more….humanized, softened picture of L A rounder, more sympathetic, more socially palatable picture. An image of this lonely autistic genious, locked inside the confines of his ways, waiting for the right person to come along and save him from the banes of his solitary existence…until he meets Light and realizes there’s someone out there who he can relate to, for understanding and stuff. I personally don’t buy too much into that.

I am not going to debate too much whether or not he’s autistic, because I cannot presume to understand that kind of a mind, that kind of an IQ, and the emotional development losses that come with it (because nature doesn’t make presents, almost always a high IQ comes with a lower EQ, grain of salt added). However, I can see neurodivergent traits, such as preference for low-stimulation environments, perhaps sensory sensitivity (such as preference for one particular type of fabric or comfort in clothing style…. – or perhaps he simply can’t be bothered with style choices and all, and tee and jeans seem like a safe perpetual go-to option)….but these have been analyzed to death.

As for the Ryuzaki persona theory….from what I’ve read and from what evidence I can put together, I find it only partially correct. Excluding the autorial intent (or rather, lack of) from the equation, going completely in-universe and treating fiction as reality….it is true that he acts differently when he is alone, prior to meeting the task force. He stands up straight and sits differently, he even does yoga and meditation to think. But later he slips into this total weirdo of a person…but I think this is highly intentional. I mean, he doesn’t fake his personality when interacting with the task force, he blatantly exaggerates some behaviors, with the purpose of being underestimated, as well as to cover some of his tracks, which people can chalk off to him just being a weirdo. Another thing….I think he has a waaay better understanding of social norms and regulations than people usually give him credit for. I mean, he is not socially awkward, that would amount to making involuntary mistakes out of genuine ignorance of social norms, because one cannot figure out the appropriate response. However, I cannot see him doing that. He is blunt and sarcastic and mean because he’s sort of a jerk when he wants to be… and he has little reason to be otherwise in the little slice of his life we are shown.  

What I believe he truly struggles with is an understanding of emotions  apart from their motivational aspect. We always see him having a very fine understanding of behavior, but he’s always, always asking “why? what are they hoping to achieve? what are they after? what is their purpose?....”  I don’t think he has ever been confronted with the possibility of having someone be kind, nice, affectionate towards him for the simple enjoyment of his company, without being out to get him, or get something from him. He sees people either as neutral entities, or as people who either will hurt him or will use him.  (And I would soo much like to see more of his life outside this particular situation when adrenaline is through the roof both from the chase, the thrill of the game, and from the fact that he is , in fact, in very real mortal danger, much more so than the relatively risk-less situations he has been in in his previous cases.)

What he comes across at first is…extremely self assured, to the point of egomaniac from the point of view of a normal person. But…he HAS to be this way in order to do what he does, he has to over-believe in himself because if he were to second guess himself and waver, he would have self destructed years ago.  At first, he acts  from this higher ground vantage point, allowing himself to even show Light that he was unsure about the action plan, during the initial televised confrontation (how he was like “I…I don’t believe it…I couldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes…”) Then, his choice of words, how he is always using his pronouns well (“Listen to me” instead of just “Listen”, “I want you to…” instead of “Please do…”) he is very assertive about his position of authority.

What I also love is that he’s sooo expressive through body language, especially frustration (fist slam to the floor, clenching fist, gritting his teeth in frustration, throws the stack of papers on the floor, especially before meeting the task force, when he can actually afford such transparency). That fades a little bit later, and is only apparent in him gripping his knees a little more forcefully and (what I imagine, with the help of the voice dub in the anime) slightly colder and more distinnctly pronounced words, these being the ways of conveying. frustration and anger.

However, that’s not the only emotion he is expressing. He is caring and considerate. He refers to the FBI agents as “precious lives”. He acknowledges the integrity of Soichiro Yagami (a man who earns L’s respect and keeps it throughout….)  and allows him the privacy of secrecy over the surveillance footage from his home (and again, as my only concession to the anime, the warmth in his tone when he allowed him this privacy…). He repays transparency with  sincerity - he tells Soichiro that the surveillance period of seven days will not be extended secretly, telling him that he has his word on this…. And you can feel the honesty radiating from him at this point, he's never being a jerk for the sheer hell of it, in a completely undeserved fashion. One can argue about the way he belittles Matsuda, but let’s not forget Matsuda screwed up majorly a few times, and I for one would have been harsher on him than L was, so…. Besides, I do think, as  I said in a previous post, that L actually came to like Matsuda  and was affectionately cruel towards him the way you make life hell for a younger sibling. Which in turn proves (a manner of) attachment from L, he certainly does not see them as pawns.

I love it how he proves himself to be soo far from the image of the recluse genius, working only from behind the comfortable shield of his computer, unable or afraid to face the world outside……no, guys, he is aggressive and decisive, both in his opinions and in his actions, he is dead set from the beginning on having Kira commit a murder in front of him so he’d find out how exactly Kira kills, therefore, being pushy and (almost) reckless in some decisions, he takes the step of actually meeting Light and forcing him to make his next moves….He’s being force-of-nature aggressive….while having this…strange duality between cynicism and idealism where he almost wants to believe in the normalcy of Kira’s psyche, how no one can be so absolutely cruel as to kill someone without batting an eyelash…..

Somehow, I don’t believe for a second that he’s as listless and apathetic as he sometimes wants to appear. There are all these emotions brewing under the surface, barely masked by the “please” politeness, almost like I can see the “go fuck yourself” underneath haha. But there are times when he breaks that stance, for instance when he is confronted with the possibility of the shinigami being real, which disrupts his whole thinking system. That’s what he’s reacting to, to the internal earthquake (which he quickly tries to rationalize away), not out of fear of the supernatural... Also, I love his instinctive spasm of a reaction in the manga, compared to the long-drawn panic mode in the anime (completely out of character and unjustified imo)....

Aand...the reason I fell in love with him oh so many years ago. I mean, not The reason, but the moment where admiration morphed into love. The moment where he basically bled right there, emotionally, for Ukita. Now, I don't see it for one lousy second how Aizawa was abusive in his touch (he was just...having a normal emotional reaction using normal male tools), AND I don't interpret it as aversion to be touched, on L's part, as he is shown to shake hands with Light and such normal human interactions. What's happening here is his desperate attempt to remain in some semblance of control, to not let this whole situation unravel into tragedy (as he actually says, in so many words), not to break down emotionally under the weight of the guilt....for a man whose blood is directly on his hands, as well as the "precious lives" of the FBI agents. He is basically shaking with guilt and sorrow, and, of course, a little fear (he's human after all).

To be continued...

#l lawliet #death note #l death note #death note l #death note analysis #death note meta

[mapsareforbraindeads]

death note fandom… you guys know that misa did bad things of her own accord, right? not just under light’s influence? is this a new concept to some of you?

because to me, it seems like some parts of this fandom seem to love not holding misa accountable just because she’s a more cute and endearing character than light.

like, correct me if i’m wrong, but most people who defend misa say that it was all light’s fault and that he was the toxic one, but that’s just wrong in so many ways. there is no “toxic one” in yagamane. they’re both shitty people. light plays judge jury and executioner to kill off anyone he wants and misa killed innocents and stalked light by buying his information and forcing him to date her. but people always ignore the stuff that misa did because she’s a girl boss who can do whatever she wants without light.

and yes, she CAN do things without light. she kills, she stalks, she does horrible things because of her own selfish desires! light does the same! you can’t demean one of them and praise the other when they both did horrible things for the same cause.

another thing is that misa (and rem) manipulated light into their relationship. sure, light manipulated her into staying, but there’s a huge difference. the difference is that misa literally TOLD light to use her. light didn’t consent to ANYTHING. their whole relationship is commands upon commands with no end.

i’m just upset about the fandom’s views on their relationship. i made a post about this a while back, but i felt like i had to make another one because oh my god this BOTHERS ME.

misa isn’t your perfect girlboss. get that through your head before you start to call people misogynistic for suggesting that light isn’t the only one in the wrong.

#vari posting #death note #yagamane #light yagami #misa amane #death note meta #ek vents

[magicaii]

am i the only one who genuninely doesnt think there was any bullying going on from mello to near during wammy's house? i think from the one interaction we saw when they were kids its implied that the main reason mello spoke so venomously and had such a dramatic reaction to being crowned co-successor was precisely because he never took his feelings out of near and that they just bottled up inside, so when he was finally confronting near he just kinda exploded? like i dont think they were really used to talking to each other much at all, other than having to interact in classes due to their closely matched performances. mello is a normally rational person who just so happens to be sensitive about being confronting his own perceived inferiority but i dont think that means he was constantly acting out on it or anything, especially not to the point of seeking near out. i get the impression that mello is very coolheaded and ambitious, and would find bullying near both unproductive and boring. lets be real, he had better things to do (such as trying to surpass him).

in that same chapter (59), theres a shot of both near and mello idle in their daily lives, which are completely separate from each other. near is building a puzzle and dismisses a peer chiding him to go outside, while mello IS outside playing with friends. i think we're supposed to get the impression that they mostly go about their own separate lives and wouldnt have much to do with each other if not for the one sided rivalry.

in essence this misconception also captures a lot of the way this fandom sees mello and near's general dynamic. yep im a fan of meronia but i see mello as being less obsessed with near the person and more with what near represents- an insurmountable barrier to himself holding complete power and not a person he would want to interact with in any way. thats why i really dont see mello as a bully, because for that to be the case his grudge with near would need to be FAR more personal. a lot of bullies choose their victim on very abstract bases (they're scrawny, they're ugly, etc) but in mello's case, his vendetta is based on objective measures. bullying someone about one of your own projected insecurities might feel alleviating, but for mello, what is bullying near gonna do about the fact that the objective systems in place are telling him that he's not as accomplished as near? there's also the fact that he does see near as being better than him and bullies typically only take out their anger on those who they perceive to be weaker- something mello reasonably does NOT see near as. near was likely seen by his entire group of peers as untouchable, in more ways than one.

considering how calculating and cunning of a person mello is, i just dont see him finding any sense in going out of his way to be an ass or being able to justify it. a silent, simmering type of grudge works much better for a person like mello than straight up bullying in my opinion. he's not unable to control his emotions, and he would most likely redirect those feelings into working harder to surpass him. and again, i don't think near as a person actually mattered much to him, other than being slightly irritating.

basically stop propaganda about mello being overly emotional 2024!!

#and this is where i reveal that im a believer of tragic one-sided meronia #oops #meronia #death note #mihael keehl #nate river #death note near #death note mello #death note meta #death note analysis #yes im the same person who wrote about them being doomed soulmates on a meta pre-contextual level... man

[booklovertwilight]

Good morning. What about death note everyone gets wrong in your opinion? Have a good day, sir.

Good day, anon! You're very polite~ I'm not sure about everyone, but at least the western Death Note fandom has some very specific misconceptions about what exactly Light means when he's talking about "becoming a god".

See, while 神 ("kami") is often translated as "god", it doesn't carry the same connotations that a western audience would associate with the word. Kami are not omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, or even necessarily benevolent; they are simply essences of nature, and they carry with them all the aspects that implies. For this reason, I often consider kami to mean something closer to "spirit", but if you're translating kami as "god", then they are gods of something. Of a family lineage, a part of the world, a force of nature, or a celestial object. Essentially, anything that is to be honored, worshipped, venerated, or aspired to can be a kami.

This localization problem is likely the reason why, in the English "translation" of the Death Note Musical, the song There Are Lines does not even attempt to translate "神になれ" ("kami ni nare", become a god!) from the song 一線を超えるな ("issen wo koeru na", do not cross the line). Because, to an English-speaking audience, hearing Soichiro commanding his son to become a god sounds very strange.

But Soichiro isn't telling Light "become omnipotent". He's telling him "embody the essence of your own values". And Light is replying back, "I will embody my values." The irony of this duet is in Soichiro's assumption that Light's values are fundamentally the same as his own, when they are in fact on opposing sides.

Generally speaking, throughout every piece of Death Note media, when Light talks about becoming "the god of the new world" (新世界の神), what he's talking about is becoming the force of nature that creates a better society. And you will note that, in this, he is not boasting: in fact, he actually accomplishes this on-screen. Kira is a force of nature, who does indeed change society; not entirely for the better, and certainly not in a kind way, but that's not required. In the way that Jews or Christians or Muslims conceptualize the idea, Kira is certainly not God. But by Shinto standards, Kira could certainly be considered a kami.

#none of this is to say light isn't immensely egotistical #but he's not wrong (about that) #thank you for the ask anon! #hope you don't mind the essay~ #death note meta #asks #light yagami #death note #shintoism

[pennyblossom-meta]

L Lawliet: a deep dive into the expanded universe pt.01

EDIT (07/04/2024): Added some imgs.

Apologies for being so late to give this a follow up to @maevearcher's meta which can be found here and here. As usual, she’s made excellent points and I'll try to answer the ones which caught my eye.

Since this post ended up gaining a life of its own and becoming a bit too long, I’m splitting it in 2 or 3 parts. The core of the content for part 01 starts after under the button to Read More.

Here we talk about L's humanity.

I'll start with a disclaimer of my own: while I consider the manga as the base for the story, I'm very much open to the expanded DN universe as a complementary study of the characters and their motivations — sometimes even filling in the blanks for some of the background mysteries, such as the dynamics of Wammy's House and how L's successors view him.

To further clarify: by canon I mean the manga and any works by Tsugumi Ohba as the base material. I think @maevearcher and I are more or less in agreement on that, from what she mentioned in her own posts. As she said, the written word is indeed the baseline truth.

The expansion of the DN universe also has its own very special set of problems; for example, in many ways, L:CtW (L: Change the WorLd) commits the sin of overindulgence by throwing in considerations that, arguably, go against canon. Besides the ending where L lives for a final 23 days and Watari dies, the portrayal of Near in the movie (though in the novel he's also walking a fine line between becoming partially and very much OOC) is also a point of contention. I confess that I really wasn't fond of the way they portrayed Misa as a potential crush of L given canon insights on his opinion about Light whether in the role of Kira or as a person (pg.64 of Vol 13: How to Read, henceforth referred to as V13:HTR), but aligning L to become more humane and forgiving was at least interesting.

The same happens with the live action movies, the 2015 series, and the musical. At least the game Spiraling Trap isn't clashing with canon elements — that I could tell. The main plot is separate from the events of DN and the dating sim is a little slice of heaven into L's thoughts and emotions which I dearly love.

However, while L:CtW does indeed overindulge, the novel AN:LABB (Another Note: LA BB Murder Cases) gives us a singular glimpse into L through the eyes of Mello while keeping the events mostly accurate to the main plot, even with its slight deviations. It's certainly an optional perspective to the core of DN, but one that I always found very insightful. In V13:HTR, Obha mentions how he would’ve liked that there were more novels about L and how he solved previous cases, in a similar fashion to how Nisio Isin approaches AN:LABB. Here’s what Ohba says in pg.61 of V13:HTR:

(...) I didn’t think up much for [L’s] past. For him to be in such an influential position, he must have solved an amazing amount of cases, but I have no idea what kind of cases they were or how he solved them. But I would love for NISIOISIN, who wrote the Death Note novel, to write more stories about that (...)

This means that, to some extent, even the original author, Ohba, accepts AN:LABB as close to canon — or rather, as canon as it can get given the creative liberties allowed to a third party writer. To that point, Nisio Isin took L’s capoeira demonstration during the Yotsuba arc and made it a whole thing in the novel, with L taking inspiration from Naomi Misora’s skills. However, given the importance of that event, in the main story, L takes a while to even remember Misora so we can infer that either the stress of the case is getting to him OR learning capoeira and subsequently Misora’s role in it didn’t leave that much of an imprint on him because true canon didn’t really put that much emphasis into it. Either way, it’s an extrapolation that works. The technicalities can be overlooked given how ambiguous the scene is, as there is more than room to deduce a different past.

At the same time, I am an apologist that there are shared characteristics to L throughout the different mediums. My own interpretation of L's character has the manga as a baseline, but the expanded universe has taught me that there are sides to him that might not be so easy to perceive in dialogue bubbles or illustrations alone. Little things like L's addictive personality or the way he represses feelings are visible in the manga but caught beautifully in the novels, for example.

Going from the written word into the screen also represents a loss of the purity achievable only within the narrative in-book, where you can extrapolate and reach your own conclusions without being subject to the bias of sound and movement — though manga aggregates the visual to words and with it an altogether different dimension of meaning. That's one of the many things I enjoy about elements of fiction introduced through books; the stillness of the images and the narrative are more complex. Every time the baseline gets adapted, it loses something or that something shifts to fit into the perception of others. It ceases being pure and its essence is fundamentally shattered. Like the concept of a musical score on paper that gets played by an orchestra, there will never be an adaptation as good as the source material because it breaks the illusion.

While I can certainly extrapolate and accept the loss, I find that the written word from the novels, the tone of a VA's voice and the body movements in a live action still complement the manga well, despite narrative clashes.

About L’s humanity

Recently I've been re-watching the anime and it's incredible how Alessandro Juliani's understanding of the character resulted in such a well-rounded voice for L. I actually prefer the EN version to the JP because of the voice acting. It's superbly brilliant, even if L becomes less listless. He's certainly still aloof, but his aggressiveness is portrayed more vividly; in contrast, L in the manga feels a bit more dangerous and scary to me due to the range of expressions that the anime didn't manage to add in due to time and budget constraints. If anything L tones down how dangerous he can be. He does this on purpose so that he can trick and trip his adversary, as can be seen during his earlier interactions with Light. At times, L makes a mockery of himself, apparently placing himself in the position of a more demure individual while sharply observing the world around him and forming conclusions.

As to @maevearcher ‘s first point:

(...) An image of this lonely autistic genius, locked inside the confines of his ways, waiting for the right person to come along and save him from the banes of his solitary existence…until he meets Light and realises there’s someone out there who he can relate to, for understanding and stuff. I personally don’t buy too much into that.

The depth to which L relates to Light can be overestimated, but not without reason. Theirs is mostly an adversarial relationship with varying deviations throughout the expanded universe, but if we solely consider the manga then we get this comment from Ohba regarding whether L has any friends on pg.64 of V13: HTR:

Nope. And when he says that Light is his first friend that’s a big lie. He never considers him a friend. He probably secretly thinks really negative things about him.

During the Yotsuba arc, L is at a disadvantage. Light has turned the tables, tricked him into what Beyond Birthday could not do and thus gained a solid position into rendering L almost powerless to charge him. To elaborate on the latter point: BB wanted to create the perfect, unsolvable crime to humiliate L, making him lose, and thus “spend the rest of his life trembling in fear of B’s shadow” (pg.163, AA:LABB); L would know who the guilty party was but wouldn’t be able to prove it or bring that person to justice. As such, L would not be able to solve the mystery. At the end of the novel BB fails due to Misora’s quick thinking and that’s that. However, Light has several advantages that BB lacked, starting with his own social position, charm and the impeccable reputation of a model student and the prized son of a police chief who helps solve cases every now and then.

We can argue that, what truly happens in manga canon, is L and Light showing how much they respect each other for their detective skills, forming a sort of strange kinship within the cat and mouse game, especially when Light loses his memories of the Death Note. The game thrills them and they enjoy pushing each other’s buttons. No one else has ever challenged them like this. That being said, the first time they meet up for coffee after the tennis match, L is observing Light like a hawk, keeps testing him for a reaction and seems somewhat irritated at how much Light talks. I would venture a guess that L doesn’t actually like Light that much, even when he loses his memories. He might even find Light a nuisance when he waves the flag of morality — though this is a common problem L is confronted with when dealing with the Task Force, in particular Chief Yagami and Aizawa. This also places him at another gruesome disadvantage, as he’s surrounded by people who openly dislike and criticise his methods. The Task Force is also extremely wary of the way L pursues Light and think he’s being stubborn without proof to substantiate his reasoning. Ironically, it’s Aizawa, one of L’s most critical subordinates, who initiates Light’s downfall years later once he starts to consider L’s suspicions in light of Near and Mello’s tactics. 

Both L and Light respect the game, no matter where it takes them. I would further make an educated guess that Light even preyed on L’s vulnerabilities during the Yotsuba arc, predicting how L might fall into depression for failing at the game. Light was more than capable of understanding that L’s competitive and childish side would make him a sore loser, especially given that he had already “lost” the first round of battles just by showing his face. Even if there is a sliver of friendship between both during Light’s months of amnesia, it’s dead and buried the moment he becomes Kira again. 

My conclusion here would be that, while what happened with Light was extreme, it was also somewhat similar to Beyond Birthday’s eternal enmity towards L: the challenge, the need to humiliate and take down the greatest detective, one of the most brilliant minds to ever walk the Earth. There are some notable quotes from AA:LABB that reference what it is to be L, surrounded by future challengers and individuals who both look up to L and want to prove they’re better than him:

Pg.69

By simple arithmetic, L's ability in 2002 was the equivalent of five ordinary investigative bureaus, and seven intelligence agencies (and by the time he faced off against Kira, those numbers had leapt upward several more notches). This is easy to think of as a reason to respect and admire someone, but let me say this as clearly as possible: that much ability in one human is extremely dangerous. Modern danger management techniques rely heavily on diffusing the risk, but his very existence was the exact opposite. In other words, if someone was planning to commit a crime, they could greatly increase their chances of getting away with it by simply killing L before they began. That was why L hid his identity Not because he was shy or because he never left the house. To ensure his own safety For a detective of L's ability, self-preservation and the preservation of world peace were one and the same, and it would not be correct to describe his actions as cowardly or self-centered.

Pg. 117

L was the goal of everyone in Wammy's House. Everyone of us wanted to surpass him. To step over him. To step on him. M did, N did, and B did. M as a challenger, N as a successor. B as a criminal.

Pg. 160:

B approached Naomi Misora, calling himself Rue Ryuzaki. Rue Ryuzaki - L.L.  For anyone from Wammy's House, there could be no higher goal than identifying yourself with that letter - and Beyond Birthday seized this case as his chance.

One of the biggest problems with these quotes is that they paint a very complicated — and, ultimately, suffocating — picture of what it is like to be L. Ohba himself mentions Watari’s predisposition towards collecting geniuses from all over the world and what Wammy’s House has turned into, under the snippet for Watari’s character (pg.60 V13:HTR):

He’s a guy who cultivates detectives for fun. That’s kind of terrible, isn’t it?

Everyone profits from L. Watari becomes richer than ever. Wammy's House becomes breeding ground for geniuses who end up dreaming of a life where they enjoy constant thrill and challenge. However, in order to do so, the dream cannot be complete until the successor crushes the original; until M, N, B and A defeat L. At least one of L’s successors couldn’t handle the pressure and committed suicide. B, known as Backup, runs away from the orphanage and goes on a murder rampage. Having never met L in person, he deduces several personality quirks that the “original” demonstrates, going as far as exacerbating them in order to be creepy and repulsive. Mello, who boasts of having met L in person and being privy to stories about how he defeated several other detectives (then taking their aliases as a trophy) both fervently admires L and wants to step on him. 

Step on him. That’s quite the turn of phrase. It does sound scary, doesn’t it? To be surrounded by people who would take the opportunity to pull you down, no matter how much they admire you. They want to be you, to prove that they’re better than you. It’s game and ego. Life and death. Winner and loser. 

And that’s perhaps the most blatant summary in approved canon of what it is like to be L that we’ll ever get. We can, of course, argue that Watari cares about L. He’s not only his handler, but also the one who brought him into Wammy’s House. It’s fairly clear that he nurtured (and even enabled) some of L’s most distressing character traits, though I wouldn’t necessarily say it was with a purely utilitarian agenda. It’s perfectly acceptable to extrapolate how Watari might’ve wanted to keep L, a child of great intellectual genius, happy by allowing him to be challenged and properly educated. In fact, AN:LABB (pg. 145-46) even gives us L’s perspective on the kindness that justice can achieve, which is confirmed within the expanded universe to be similar to Watari’s teachings as L confronts Kujo in L:CtW. 

"I have nothing to do with him," L said. "To be completely accurate, I do not even know B. He is simply someone I am aware of. But none of this affects my judgment. Certainly I was interested in this case, and began to investigate it because I knew who the killer was. But that did not alter the way I investigated it, or the manner in which my investigation proceeded. Naomi Misora, I cannot overlook evil. I cannot forgive it. It does not matter if I know the person who commits evil or not. I am only interested in justice." "Only... in justice... " Misora gasped. "Then ... nothing else matters?" "I wouldn't say that, but it is not a priority." “You won't forgive any evil, no matter what the evil is?" "I wouldn't say that, but it is not a priority." "'But..." Like a thirteen-year-old victim. "There are people who justice cannot save." Like a thirteen-year-old criminal. “And there are people who evil can save." "There are. But even so," L said, his tone not changing at all. As if gently admonishing Naomi Misora. “Justice has more power than anything else." "Power? By power ... you mean strength?" "No. I mean kindness." He said it so easily. Misora almost dropped the phone. L The century's greatest detective, L. The detective of justice, L. Who solved every case, no matter how difficult... " ...I misunderstood you, L." "Did you? Well, I'm glad we cleared that up."

I would, once again, venture another educated guess that, while Watari’s primary reasons for starting a program of successors to L was noble, it ultimately backfired on an individual level. Society wise, the letters, as L calls them in L:CtW, are a force for good. They solve crimes, help law forces around the world to keep peace. Some of them even become scientists like Dr Kujo — though she becomes the main antagonist in the spin-off novel. However, the pressure this kind of lifestyle fostered creates a group of individuals who are highly competitive and manipulative. Some, like A, can’t handle it. Even L has his own troubles, being called a reclusive sociopath, possibly by the police forces who treat him as a utility rather than a person. He’s someone they admire and resent, who is tolerated given how effective he is at cracking down cases. 

This passage from L:CtW paints a grim picture of the way L suppresses his own feelings as he breaks down for not being able to prevent Maki from being kidnapped (pg. 150-51):

"Light...it hurts. My heart--" It was a hurt that L Lawliet had suppressed, that he had to suppress in order to continue his existence as the peerless Detective L. How had the world's top detective been described in regard to facets of his personality rather than his ability as a detective? He had been called a kinky detective who relished bizarre murders, a human computer capable only of measuring mass murders in terms of cold numbers, a reclusive sociopath. What L thought of such estimations of his personality only L could know. But no one could truly understand L. How L did not and could not forget the faces of thousands of victims. Who could comprehend the man who had lived his life, and had to live confronting all the lives that ended prematurely, the tears of grief-stricken survivors, the devaluing of life as a daily reality. How was it possible to measure the pain of such a man? Was it a strain so heavy that L's back curved under all its weight? Was it an agony so terribly to leave the indelible dark circles around his eyes? Was it a feeling so bitter that every bite he took needed to be coated in sugar? The chronically rounded shoulders, the inevitable dark circles, the eccentric tastes--L suppressed the pain of being a champion of justice, but the evidence of the pain was moulded into his very body.”

Even within the clear disparity from the official canon, this passage slaps. It humanises L further, making the detective become a person and not just a machine who is content with his lifestyle. I know there’s a tendency for those who prefer the manga to see L as someone who is unabashedly himself and perfectly alright with the life he lives. I would argue that the Kira case was not only the most difficult challenge L ever faced, but also a series of moments where he had to be at his best — and at his worst. He had to do everything within his power to solve the case, not only because of his pride but because of what he considers to be his sense of justice. Saying with such confidence ‘I am justice’ is a rather cheesy and childish thing to say out loud, though I read it as both what started as a child’s stubbornness and what L became, as he positioned himself as a barrier to prevent crimes. 

L suppresses himself, represses his emotions; he tries to control them, as Fu Takashi says in an interview, he is “dependent on games or battles of the mind”. Perhaps this is a consequence of the foundations of his personality. Despite L’s innate stubbornness, it could be argued that this is as much his fault as it is Watari’s, who didn’t nurture L’s social skills as he should have when he was a child. By not having an outlet outside of his hobby, L is trapped in a prison of his own making. Superficially, L is a “smart guy who hates losing”, but what about the rest? What about the things that make him human, the connections with others? In the same interview, it is mentioned how L feels lonely and needs affection. But what affection can you get when you isolate yourself from the world and keep everyone at arm’s length? He’s not a machine. Even machines become obsolete with time, and need outside help to keep functioning.

As for the latter point, if everyone around L is trying to step on him, humiliate him and surpass him, then it’s only natural that his emotional defences would be up. Aside from Watari, whose loyalty he can count on, he’s alone. L has no one else. And everyone around him will have a dangerous, significant probability to betray him.

Next in part 02: About romance, having someone close and intimate, the meaning of the Monster speech.

Tagging @rinneroraito, @flametrashira and @sharkiethrts who might be interested in this meta.

#death note #l lawliet #death note meta #light yagami #spiraling trap #l lawliet headcanons #l lawliet x reader #watari #mello #mello death note #nate river #mihael keehl #near death note #beyond birthday #another note #l change the world #l death note #l lawliet death note

[officiallightyagami]

just because light is mildly misogynist doesn't make L a feminist king. L blatantly assumed kira was a man, as did everyone else, and he had no problem torturing the main female character (misa). his successor near refers to takada kiyomi, who was meant to be about as smart as light even though that clearly wasn't written well, as a "stupid woman" iirc. the entire reason light is portrayed as having misogynistic thoughts is because the authors are very clearly misogynistic, and their worldview taints the entire work.

#death note #death note discourse #death note meta #light yagami #i should just call myself the light yagami defender at this point its sad #but to pretend like other characters are feminist icons just cuz light holds some misogynistic views is laughable #light in universe holds these views because of the society he was raised in #and out of universe he holds them because the authors hold them #some ppl would also refer to his manipulative relationships with takada and misa as showing hes misogynistic #but imo he wouldve manipulated them either way #and misa pretty much forced him into that relationship so their relationship was mutually toxic

[someoneinthecrowd0757]

Misa no Uta is an underrated masterpiece that changes Misa's whole characterization fr fr

Misa no uta is one of the most compelling moments in the entire Death Note series, within one of the most compelling episodes of the series (if not just outright the best). 

To cement his return as Kira, Light plans to kill L. Light requires Misa to be at risk for this, throwing her under the bus if the plan fails and REM weren’t to save her but guaranteeing the deaths of L and REM both if it succeeds, and it's very likely to do so.

As Misa walks the streets of Japan, she sings this song to herself and the audience that immediately stands out, being the sole musical number in the series. 

The song is about her relationship with Light and Kira, her place by his side as the loyal follower turned God herself. It’s about love, trust, fanaticism and the danger of allowing yourself to know something for a fact or to choose the version of reality that provides you the most happiness, whether it’s the full truth or not. Her powerlessness in the face of what he is is not something she’s ignorant to, and the ways he continually takes advantage of this drain her of life a little further everyday, and yet she wouldn’t give it to anybody else. How could she? She is indebted to him, in her eyes. 

“Hold my hand in the dark street for if you do I know that I’ll be safe” Kira saved her. He ensured the death of the man who killed her parents and nearly killed her in one of those dark streets she so fears. Misa never recovered, she ran open armed into the belly of the beast before she could ever begin to do so. By the time the consequences of her actions became clear, and Kira's nature was startlingly apparent, it was too late to attempt to stop this. So she lies to herself, and justifies this all with the guarantee of safety she's been provided.

“Even if I'm far away and alone, I can be sure that you’ll find me there. This, I know.” and this is the indisputable fact of the matter, isn't it? That even if she forgets, surrenders the Death Note and lives her life, it is simply the illusion of control. She knows she’ll be back, she knows she’ll be brought to Light’s side again by herself with no memories of what he turned out to be. Then, even if she isn’t? What becomes of her? Surely Light would never let her simply walk away, and she knows that. So the lies she tells herself are cemented by that, and her fanaticism surrounding Kira becomes a pillar of who she is. For if that is lost, if she doesn’t believe that he is attempting to achieve good anymore, then how can she love him despite the way he treats her?

“You draw me close for a while, so quiet, you tell me everything” at the start they operated somewhat as equals, with Misa having the upper hand of REM on her side. Light does keep her informed, does treat her as an equal (outwardly, at least). Yet once they are imprisoned, once the tide shifts entirely, this changes inalterably and in a way Misa has no time or opportunity to change. 

“If i forget what you say then you’ll come to me and tell me again, yes you’ll tell me once again…”  This once again is cementing her handling of the aftermath of this shift, her now regaining her memories entirely and seeing the forest for the trees. There is no escape for Misa, and any ticket out was lost before she could do a thing. REM will die, though I don’t know if Misa knows of this at this point. I'm certain she couldn’t have been fully ignorant to it being highly likely, and she will serve Kira until her dying breath. She has made her peace with that long ago, deciding it’s for the greater good and serving the life debt she believes she owes him.

But then there’s the question. The one plaguing her throughout the rest of the series, I’d say–The truth that she continuously makes the conscious decision to avoid looking in the face.

“But what happens when I know it all, what should I do after that? What then?” 

This is where the fact that this scene has played out as almost a funeral procession, ending with her standing on the very rooftop where she will eventually meet the answer to her question, cements this as an eerie, gorgeous, perfect scene. Misa will have nothing to live for, is the answer. If all she has done has been in the name of helping a madman who not only doesn’t love her, but actively dislikes her? If this life debt was unwanted, if Kira wasn’t all that good at all? If he’s not a god, if her parents were simply a number amongst the many hundreds of thousands Light kills… then why did she survive any of it? Why is she still here? 

I’m also fascinated with the choice to have at what point in time this scene takes place in, be somewhat impossible to fully discern. This is the same outfit, the same sunset, the same ledge that Misa’s story ends with. When she kills herself at the end of the series, is that moment one we’ve long ago witnessed already? Is this meant to indicate that anything of Misa truly died then? Or is this the moment she reflects upon when she makes that fateful walk, years from now? Is this the moment she wishes she could go back to? To change?

In all reality, I truly wish that more of the intricacies to Misa's character that are implied heavily would've been made somewhat more text than they ever are in canon. Many people's opinions of her character are somewhat justified, although I think that some of the way that people react is a tad misogynistic at times as well but the way she exists as a woman in service to Light who wants for nothing and lives for nothing else is, too, in it's nature a misogynistic thing. I think that Misa is fascinating as a character and would be infinitely more fascinating if the subtext heavily implied in this scene were made more canonical than it was.

#misa amane #death note #death note meta #misa no uta #misas song #meta textpost

[very-much-asleep]

A question for anyone who’s interested: how high (or low) do you think L’s self-esteem is? Is he as arrogant as Light and too proud/ affirmed of his intelligence? Or does he harbour insecurities about feeling inadequate beyond his intellect (like in terms of emotional matters and humaneness), like his intelligence is his only saving grace? Does he waver between the two? Is he perfectly in the middle; critically and objectively aware of both his strengths and his shortcomings, but comfortable enough in those strengths to not be bothered by his flaws? If he’s very self-assured, does he ever doubt himself?

He calls himself a ‘lying monster’, but does the word ‘monster’ mean anything to him on an emotional level, or is it merely an objective statement which doesn’t make him feel any worse about himself—but then why would he choose the word ‘monster’ specifically, with such connotations of hatred, fear and disgust, as opposed to some other word? (And so it goes on and on…)

#i can see arguments for any point of view to be honest #i don’t have an answer to this myself yet but i’m curious to see what other people think on the matter #death note #death note meta #l lawliet #sleep’s collection ➝ thoughts

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Maybe more on Misa being an Actual Intelligent Character in Death Note? If it wasn’t for the sexism n all that

A bit about Misa's death as well as the sexism in Death Note.

Sure, that's certainly worthy of a post.

On Misa Amane

The thing about Misa is she's actually very clever, she's just reckless and lacks experience in police investigations/forensics. Most of fandom (at least as of years ago, haven't tapped in in a very long time) compares Misa to either L or Light and finds her lacking.

The thing about Light is that, while he'll take risks, they're often very calculated with 1001 different contingency plans. His reckless moments happen, as do moments spurred by emotion rather than cold logic, but they're remarkable because they happen relatively infrequently.

Add to the fact that Light stands out of the crowd because he's this ridiculous, anal, brilliant planner.

Misa approaches things as problems to solve and is actually very efficient about solving them.

Problem Solving: Misa Style

She wants to meet Kira, she's not necessarily considering what could go wrong (she has very little self worth) or how this would look in a police investigation (she only knows basics of this/pop culture and isn't brought up in a police household the way Light is). What she is able to do is in a population of millions, within a few weeks, find Kira before he finds her, plan a meeting with him without his knowledge and without getting caught by the police, and is then able to enter a relationship with him.

True, she has the eyes, she has Rem who is willing to die for her, but she not only finds Light Yagami out of millions, with none of the information L has at his disposal, but she strong arms him into doing what she wants.

Later, in the Yotsuba Arc, Misa recovers her memories before Light and in a single afternoon not only escapes police custody but gets a confession out of Higuchi, gets it recorded, all without outing herself as Kira.

I think it's also telling that Light trusts her to pull this off without any supervision from him and with Rem's disapproval of Light and all his schemes.

Later, when she's memoryless, she essentially wins a battle of wits/discussion with Takeda (who has become Misa's temporary/disposable replacement).

And at the end of the day you have to look at the position Misa ends up in. She was never killed off by Light, she ends up essentially Light's permanent partner even when he replaces her with the likes of Mikami and Takeda (Light stays with Misa even when he, in theory, had no more use for her), and she essentially gets everything she sought out to achieve.

Of course, Light then dies, but Misa was out of the game by that point.

Misa achieves what no other character in Death Note does. Which, frankly, makes her one of the most terrifyingly intelligent characters in the series.

#death note #death note meta #death note headcanon #misa amane #meta #headcanon #opinion