the shinigami was right
Okay, here it comes: my contribution to the already polluted conversations about Death Note (the anime/manga series).
A few things first though:
So here goes!
Problem with Light Yagami.
Let's start the conversation with the police chief's son: Light Yagami. Personally, I was against Light's methods of creating a better world. I wanted L to catch him; I wanted Light to be stopped. I was relieved when the show ended with Light dying in the stairway, caught between heaven and hell, unable to go to either.
However, many viewers support Light and his methods of punishment (or at least they support his founding ideas and the results of his actions). It is true that under Light's reign, the crime rate did drop significantly. Light desired a better world and believed he could make it happen. He wanted a peaceful place where people were held responsible for their actions and bad behavior was not tolerated. He was not inherently villainous, though regardless of his desirable ideals, I disapprove of his disdainful methods.
Light uses his own moral compass as the measure by which to judge the world. The phrase "judge, jury, and executioner" come to mind. Even the Shinigami realized the errors in Light's ideology and tried to tell Light that eventually he would find only one evil person remaining: himself. A picture from the manga is below.
And that is exactly what happened. Light started out killing only criminals on death row. Then he moved to lesser and lesser criminals until he was killing people for petty crimes. Later in the anime, he starts killing innocent people whose ideas did not align with Kira's. And eventually, when a third party (Mikami) is in control of the Death Note, it is revealed that Light would eventually start purging lazy people.
Light has no regard for existing laws or order. He believes that the law-and-order system has failed the people and that his own methods are far superior. The song 'There Are Lines,' from the musical, describe this well when Light and his father converse:
Chief Yagami: You don't kill a man, just to read the signs
Light Yagami: That's no better than bad that good defines
Light does not even acknowledge that there is inherent good or bad. Only a relativism that has no regard for the collective whole. He takes his personal ideals, parades them as the will of Kira, and forces them onto the people of Tokyo.
This sudden influences of black-or-white ruler whose only punishment is death completely changes how the citizens view authority, governmental rule, and each other. The harsh reality of living in a world where all crimes are punishable by death led the residents of Tokyo to fear for their lives. They began to worry about mistakes in their past and about being killed for accidents. Even the police began to act radically different. For example, when Near's brother was in the middle of running a heist, he sent a decoy to distract the cops. Before Kira, the person acting as the decoy would have been taken into custody by the police and questioned regarding information about Kira or Near's brother. However, the heist takes place years into Kira's reign. The decoy gets out of his car, surrounded by police, and places his hands in the air, symbolizing surrender. And what do the cops do? They shoot and kill him right on the spot.
After all, wasn't that the only punishment under Kira?
Problems with L:
Now let's talk about L for a moment.
In the middle of the show, when L died, I was shocked, dismayed, and discouraged. I was rooting for L! I wanted him to bring down Kira and detain Light. But I did not support because L was the 'good guy.' It has been said before and I will say it again:
L is not the moral compass of this show.
He does not set the example of right and wrong. Without hesitation, he allowed a man to die in his place while justifying it because the man was a criminal on death row. Isn't that exactly how Kira got started? Another ling from 'There Are Lines;' speaks to this behavior as the Chief of Police says to L:
"There are lines that can't be crossed..Nothing wrong can turn out right, By saying wrong's alright to do...You don't kill someone, as a substitute...just to buy a clue, This is not a plan, lawman can pursue"
Neither L nor Light seemed concerned with the sanctity of life. They were just playing cat-and-mouse and enjoying the thrill. In the song 'Playing His Game' Light and L sing:
"I'm sure he is one and the same as the me who is playing his game"
This theme is consistent throughout the anime as well, as they both sacrifice other people in the name of their cause. These two seem to think that right and wrong are relative to their own agendas. L is more than willing to let people keep dying in order to determine how Kira is killing. L has one goal: to stop Kira. Kira also has a single goal: rid the world of evil.
As if this wasn't bad enough, L kidnaps and tortures the Second Kira in order to gain information about Light; however, at this point in the story, the Second Kira was only Misa, who had no memory of Light's secrets. L literally kidnapped and tortured a high school girl and his only regret was that his plan didn't work. Yikes!
Character Importance: Misa
Okay I get it: Misa is annoying and a poorly portrayed female whose primary existence is to dote over a boy. She never talks about anything but Light and Kira. She has no depth and is generally a sad attempt at a character, and I am sure she is deservingly hated by feminists everywhere. However, she does serve an important role: She worshipped Light/Kira regardless of the fact that Light did not care about her at all. I will say it again: He didn't care about her. She thought of him as a god and he didn't like it. She blindly followed him and it annoyed him! His wish was her command and he disapproved of her. He was trying to create a utopian world with himself as the ruler and she gave him that - and he hated it! It was all that he wanted, but wasn't enough.
What Light was striving for, and what Light wanted, were two different things.
Misa, in her shallow portrayal of a sidekick and accomplice, still highlights the cognitive dissonance of Lights ideas versus his actions.
Character Importance: Near (N)
Many people consider the death of L and the proceeding radical change in the anime, to be a downfall for the story. Like most other aspects of the anime, I enjoyed it and found it significant to the overall account. First, I enjoy animes because, unlike most American stories, they aren't afraid to kill a main character and hand you a new one. Because of this, I am much more likely to believe the peril and fear for the characters. As for L, he and Light were one and the same person, both enjoying toying with people and playing their game of cat-and-mouse. After L dies, Near and his brother Mello step into the picture. And the anime changes - drastically. But, secondly, it's fitting; L played with people, but N played with toys. Near was not interested in interactions with Light. He was not interested in facing Light or forcing Light's hand in a masterful set-up. Though Near does finally catch Light through an elaborate plan, Near's ideas were largely independent of Light's actions. At the end of the series, Near sits, plays with his toys, and tells Light he may do whatever he chooses; Near had already played his hand and either won or not. During this time, Light is quite confident he has won and Near will die; L would never have allowed Light to have such confidence, as a matter of his own pride. Near doesn't care. He isn't interested in people, just winning and moving on to something else. To L, facing of with Light was stimulating, intriguing, and the case of a lifetime. To Near, Light was annoying.
Character Importance: Matsuri
Oh Matsuri. Throughout this show, Matsuri struggled to understand the severity of the situation. He struggled to recognize future consequences of his actions. He struggled to realize the intricacies of the game they were caught in. But at the end, in the abandoned warehouse, it was Matsuri who did not struggle to acknowledge reality. He understood that Light was Kira and that they have been deceived. It was Matsuri who understood the evil that Light had done and intended to do. It was Matsuri who shot Light, and prevented him from writing more names in the book. Matsuri. The one that trusted the most, laughed the most, and struggled the most. It was Matsuri who understood the truth, when the others struggled to grasp the betrayal.
Why I consider myself a fanatic:
Watching this anime always makes me slightly uncomfortable. I understand and relate to Light's desires, but I am uncomfortable with his methods. I have read other people's blogs and forum posts trying to articulate why I do not support Light. What is wrong with his method (before he started killing the innocent), other than it doesn't make me feel good?
All this has brought me to spend a lot of thought on the ethical dilemma of 'is it justifiable to purge sin with sin' and 'why is it wrong for someone to act as "judge, jury, and executioner?"'
As for purging sin with sin, I have determined that this is an undesirable method because this cycle can never get rid of all sin, because new sin is created by trying to destroy the old. So no, it is not justifiable to purge sin with sin, because we will continue purging sin until there is noone and nothing left. Perhaps I over simplified the matter, but for now, that answer is satisfying.
As for 'judge, jury, and executioner,' after conversing with a wise and educated friend of mine, I was mostly satisfied by a couple of points:
- First, I, like most, think it important to have a fitting punishment AND a fitting punisher. I do not consider Light a fit punisher because he judged everyone from his singular moral ground and personal experience, without considering the people, their morals, and their desired construct of judgement. He seemed like a child angrily trying to punish his parents because they did not feed him candy for dinner. Light does not understand the situation in its entirety nor does he understand the rationale behind Japan's judicial system. He doesn't even attempt to create a new judicial system. Light simply thought he should get what he wanted, regardless of other people. This narrow and egocentric mindset, assures me he is unfit to punish.
- Second, even if Light wanted to act truly just and without bias (to which he never made any attempt) it would be unlikely that he could have succeeded. He is naturally drawn to his own bias, preferences, and limitations. Therefore, his system was flawed from the beginning. To quote the consulted sage: "Hence the introduction of laws; judges to interpret, juries to weigh, and executioners to carry out the sentence."
- Thirdly, I am a Christian who actively participates in a relationship with the Creator. As such, I find great comfort and dependence on forgiveness for my sins. A preacher recently articulated a lot of the feelings I had for this anime: "As Christians represented by and representing the Gospel, we depend on and must practice: replacing vengeance with mercy, replacing justice with grace, and replacing guilt with forgiveness." Death Note is void of all mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Light and L are driven by a vengeance that is deserved, a justice that is yet unfulfilled, and a guilt that stems from natural consequence. However in a world that is all vengeance and no mercy, all justice and no grace, and all guilt and no forgiveness, it cannot possibly be a utopia. We as broken and sinful people, cannot possibly live up to that standard. For we have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God. Romans 3:23
A few things first though:
- There are so many spoilers ahead. I hold nothing back.
- I recently realized that I am in fact...a fanatic. But a strange kind of fanatic. I don't have any posters, spirit wear, nor do I have a Death Note notebook of my own. However, I spend waaaaay too much time thinking about this story. I have watched the series multiple times and have read reviews, posts, musings, appraisals, and critiques. I listen to the musical (it's awful by the way, but the words are significant). I have analyzed (and overanalyzed) the story and consulted several people about its moral dilemmas. Of course, there are a couple ways in which my Death Note education lacks: One, I haven't read the manga (I know, this is a big one, but I want to read it in Japanese! So I have to finish learning Japanese...) and two, I haven't watched the Netflix live action rendition (I tried, but turned it off in disgust within three minutes).
- Story Synopsis: Light Yagami is the police chief's son and a model japanese high school student. He discovers a Shinigami's Death Note which grants him the power to kill people simply by writing a person's name on the god of death's paper. Light immediately begins writing the names of known criminals, attempting to create a utopia, and, in the process, becomes known to the world as 'Kira.' A mysterious character by the name of L starts working with the Japanese police to detain Kira and, later, a second Kira (a girl named Misa who is a copycat killer and also has a Death Note). L quickly determines that Kira is Light Yagami and they battle in a game of cat-and-mouse until Light kills L. At which point, a character named Near enters the story, somewhat replaces the role of L, and eventually defeats both Kira and the Second Kira.
So here goes!
Problem with Light Yagami.
Let's start the conversation with the police chief's son: Light Yagami. Personally, I was against Light's methods of creating a better world. I wanted L to catch him; I wanted Light to be stopped. I was relieved when the show ended with Light dying in the stairway, caught between heaven and hell, unable to go to either.
However, many viewers support Light and his methods of punishment (or at least they support his founding ideas and the results of his actions). It is true that under Light's reign, the crime rate did drop significantly. Light desired a better world and believed he could make it happen. He wanted a peaceful place where people were held responsible for their actions and bad behavior was not tolerated. He was not inherently villainous, though regardless of his desirable ideals, I disapprove of his disdainful methods.
Light uses his own moral compass as the measure by which to judge the world. The phrase "judge, jury, and executioner" come to mind. Even the Shinigami realized the errors in Light's ideology and tried to tell Light that eventually he would find only one evil person remaining: himself. A picture from the manga is below.
Light has no regard for existing laws or order. He believes that the law-and-order system has failed the people and that his own methods are far superior. The song 'There Are Lines,' from the musical, describe this well when Light and his father converse:
Chief Yagami: You don't kill a man, just to read the signs
Light Yagami: That's no better than bad that good defines
Light does not even acknowledge that there is inherent good or bad. Only a relativism that has no regard for the collective whole. He takes his personal ideals, parades them as the will of Kira, and forces them onto the people of Tokyo.
This sudden influences of black-or-white ruler whose only punishment is death completely changes how the citizens view authority, governmental rule, and each other. The harsh reality of living in a world where all crimes are punishable by death led the residents of Tokyo to fear for their lives. They began to worry about mistakes in their past and about being killed for accidents. Even the police began to act radically different. For example, when Near's brother was in the middle of running a heist, he sent a decoy to distract the cops. Before Kira, the person acting as the decoy would have been taken into custody by the police and questioned regarding information about Kira or Near's brother. However, the heist takes place years into Kira's reign. The decoy gets out of his car, surrounded by police, and places his hands in the air, symbolizing surrender. And what do the cops do? They shoot and kill him right on the spot.
After all, wasn't that the only punishment under Kira?
Problems with L:
Now let's talk about L for a moment.
In the middle of the show, when L died, I was shocked, dismayed, and discouraged. I was rooting for L! I wanted him to bring down Kira and detain Light. But I did not support because L was the 'good guy.' It has been said before and I will say it again:
L is not the moral compass of this show.
He does not set the example of right and wrong. Without hesitation, he allowed a man to die in his place while justifying it because the man was a criminal on death row. Isn't that exactly how Kira got started? Another ling from 'There Are Lines;' speaks to this behavior as the Chief of Police says to L:
"There are lines that can't be crossed..Nothing wrong can turn out right, By saying wrong's alright to do...You don't kill someone, as a substitute...just to buy a clue, This is not a plan, lawman can pursue"
Neither L nor Light seemed concerned with the sanctity of life. They were just playing cat-and-mouse and enjoying the thrill. In the song 'Playing His Game' Light and L sing:
"I'm sure he is one and the same as the me who is playing his game"
This theme is consistent throughout the anime as well, as they both sacrifice other people in the name of their cause. These two seem to think that right and wrong are relative to their own agendas. L is more than willing to let people keep dying in order to determine how Kira is killing. L has one goal: to stop Kira. Kira also has a single goal: rid the world of evil.
As if this wasn't bad enough, L kidnaps and tortures the Second Kira in order to gain information about Light; however, at this point in the story, the Second Kira was only Misa, who had no memory of Light's secrets. L literally kidnapped and tortured a high school girl and his only regret was that his plan didn't work. Yikes!
Character Importance: Misa
Okay I get it: Misa is annoying and a poorly portrayed female whose primary existence is to dote over a boy. She never talks about anything but Light and Kira. She has no depth and is generally a sad attempt at a character, and I am sure she is deservingly hated by feminists everywhere. However, she does serve an important role: She worshipped Light/Kira regardless of the fact that Light did not care about her at all. I will say it again: He didn't care about her. She thought of him as a god and he didn't like it. She blindly followed him and it annoyed him! His wish was her command and he disapproved of her. He was trying to create a utopian world with himself as the ruler and she gave him that - and he hated it! It was all that he wanted, but wasn't enough.
What Light was striving for, and what Light wanted, were two different things.
Misa, in her shallow portrayal of a sidekick and accomplice, still highlights the cognitive dissonance of Lights ideas versus his actions.
Character Importance: Near (N)
Many people consider the death of L and the proceeding radical change in the anime, to be a downfall for the story. Like most other aspects of the anime, I enjoyed it and found it significant to the overall account. First, I enjoy animes because, unlike most American stories, they aren't afraid to kill a main character and hand you a new one. Because of this, I am much more likely to believe the peril and fear for the characters. As for L, he and Light were one and the same person, both enjoying toying with people and playing their game of cat-and-mouse. After L dies, Near and his brother Mello step into the picture. And the anime changes - drastically. But, secondly, it's fitting; L played with people, but N played with toys. Near was not interested in interactions with Light. He was not interested in facing Light or forcing Light's hand in a masterful set-up. Though Near does finally catch Light through an elaborate plan, Near's ideas were largely independent of Light's actions. At the end of the series, Near sits, plays with his toys, and tells Light he may do whatever he chooses; Near had already played his hand and either won or not. During this time, Light is quite confident he has won and Near will die; L would never have allowed Light to have such confidence, as a matter of his own pride. Near doesn't care. He isn't interested in people, just winning and moving on to something else. To L, facing of with Light was stimulating, intriguing, and the case of a lifetime. To Near, Light was annoying.
Character Importance: Matsuri
Oh Matsuri. Throughout this show, Matsuri struggled to understand the severity of the situation. He struggled to recognize future consequences of his actions. He struggled to realize the intricacies of the game they were caught in. But at the end, in the abandoned warehouse, it was Matsuri who did not struggle to acknowledge reality. He understood that Light was Kira and that they have been deceived. It was Matsuri who understood the evil that Light had done and intended to do. It was Matsuri who shot Light, and prevented him from writing more names in the book. Matsuri. The one that trusted the most, laughed the most, and struggled the most. It was Matsuri who understood the truth, when the others struggled to grasp the betrayal.
Why I consider myself a fanatic:
Watching this anime always makes me slightly uncomfortable. I understand and relate to Light's desires, but I am uncomfortable with his methods. I have read other people's blogs and forum posts trying to articulate why I do not support Light. What is wrong with his method (before he started killing the innocent), other than it doesn't make me feel good?
All this has brought me to spend a lot of thought on the ethical dilemma of 'is it justifiable to purge sin with sin' and 'why is it wrong for someone to act as "judge, jury, and executioner?"'
As for purging sin with sin, I have determined that this is an undesirable method because this cycle can never get rid of all sin, because new sin is created by trying to destroy the old. So no, it is not justifiable to purge sin with sin, because we will continue purging sin until there is noone and nothing left. Perhaps I over simplified the matter, but for now, that answer is satisfying.
As for 'judge, jury, and executioner,' after conversing with a wise and educated friend of mine, I was mostly satisfied by a couple of points:
- First, I, like most, think it important to have a fitting punishment AND a fitting punisher. I do not consider Light a fit punisher because he judged everyone from his singular moral ground and personal experience, without considering the people, their morals, and their desired construct of judgement. He seemed like a child angrily trying to punish his parents because they did not feed him candy for dinner. Light does not understand the situation in its entirety nor does he understand the rationale behind Japan's judicial system. He doesn't even attempt to create a new judicial system. Light simply thought he should get what he wanted, regardless of other people. This narrow and egocentric mindset, assures me he is unfit to punish.
- Second, even if Light wanted to act truly just and without bias (to which he never made any attempt) it would be unlikely that he could have succeeded. He is naturally drawn to his own bias, preferences, and limitations. Therefore, his system was flawed from the beginning. To quote the consulted sage: "Hence the introduction of laws; judges to interpret, juries to weigh, and executioners to carry out the sentence."
- Thirdly, I am a Christian who actively participates in a relationship with the Creator. As such, I find great comfort and dependence on forgiveness for my sins. A preacher recently articulated a lot of the feelings I had for this anime: "As Christians represented by and representing the Gospel, we depend on and must practice: replacing vengeance with mercy, replacing justice with grace, and replacing guilt with forgiveness." Death Note is void of all mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Light and L are driven by a vengeance that is deserved, a justice that is yet unfulfilled, and a guilt that stems from natural consequence. However in a world that is all vengeance and no mercy, all justice and no grace, and all guilt and no forgiveness, it cannot possibly be a utopia. We as broken and sinful people, cannot possibly live up to that standard. For we have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God. Romans 3:23
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