AnimeSuki Forum - View Single Post - Death Note

L_Yagami · 2010-09-30, 08:40

I know that this thread was opened three years ago but I must write my thoughts down. Last year, a friend of mine lent me all his Death Note mangas. I read them and was touched by the story in a way I haven’t been by any other manga or animé. You have already discussed whether Light was right or wrong, whether his motives where noble or not, which is why I don’t want to discuss that again. I just have to say that I like the character Light Yagami who wanted to make the world a better place, no matter whether he succeeded or whether his means where evil ones.

What do I think about the different endings of the manga, the animé and the life-action film? The manga ending was unbelievably hard to accept for someone who likes Light. The fact that Ryuk actually seems to not regard Light as a friend despite their time spent together, and Light’s pain and begging were, well, I can’t say. On the one side, the ending fits the dark image the entire series has, on the other side, it destroys Light completely (which obviously was the author’s intention). The animé ending however is much better in my opinion as the whole begging part was cut, and Ryuk wasn’t shown as the merciless bastard he is in the manga. Instead, he feels sorry for Light in a certain way. In the film version, Ryuk is portrayed more like in the manga but Misa-Misa and Light’s father who hasn’t died are present which makes it easier to accept Light’s death as two people who love him are at the scenery. The fact that L was there as well, and not Near, is also a positive point I have to mention.

Why I am writing this now? Because I watched the film yesterday, and it brought back all my feelings. After reading the manga, I was depressed for one week. I have to write this down.

I also have to mention this: the hardest fact I and a lot of Death Note fans have to cope with is the absence of an afterlife. I mean, I am not talking about the real life but about a fictional universe where Shinigami, their realm and death notes exist. So it would also have been possible to say that people in this Death Note universe have souls and continue to exist after death. This would have made it much easier to accept Light’s and L’s deaths. Unfortunately, the author decided that the readers shall not have an easy time by clearly stating that there is no afterlife in the Death Note universe, meaning that Light and L simply have ceased to exist. THIS surely is the hardest fact to accept.

2010-09-30, 08:40	Link #487
L_Yagami Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2010	I know that this thread was opened three years ago but I must write my thoughts down. Last year, a friend of mine lent me all his Death Note mangas. I read them and was touched by the story in a way I haven’t been by any other manga or animé. You have already discussed whether Light was right or wrong, whether his motives where noble or not, which is why I don’t want to discuss that again. I just have to say that I like the character Light Yagami who wanted to make the world a better place, no matter whether he succeeded or whether his means where evil ones. What do I think about the different endings of the manga, the animé and the life-action film? The manga ending was unbelievably hard to accept for someone who likes Light. The fact that Ryuk actually seems to not regard Light as a friend despite their time spent together, and Light’s pain and begging were, well, I can’t say. On the one side, the ending fits the dark image the entire series has, on the other side, it destroys Light completely (which obviously was the author’s intention). The animé ending however is much better in my opinion as the whole begging part was cut, and Ryuk wasn’t shown as the merciless bastard he is in the manga. Instead, he feels sorry for Light in a certain way. In the film version, Ryuk is portrayed more like in the manga but Misa-Misa and Light’s father who hasn’t died are present which makes it easier to accept Light’s death as two people who love him are at the scenery. The fact that L was there as well, and not Near, is also a positive point I have to mention. Why I am writing this now? Because I watched the film yesterday, and it brought back all my feelings. After reading the manga, I was depressed for one week. I have to write this down. I also have to mention this: the hardest fact I and a lot of Death Note fans have to cope with is the absence of an afterlife. I mean, I am not talking about the real life but about a fictional universe where Shinigami, their realm and death notes exist. So it would also have been possible to say that people in this Death Note universe have souls and continue to exist after death. This would have made it much easier to accept Light’s and L’s deaths. Unfortunately, the author decided that the readers shall not have an easy time by clearly stating that there is no afterlife in the Death Note universe, meaning that Light and L simply have ceased to exist. THIS surely is the hardest fact to accept.