Multiversity Manga Club returns! After an extended delay we return to “Death Note” the story of Light Yagami and his so called righteous quest to rid the world of crime and create utopia. As you may recall, I had some pretty large misgivings with the first half of “Death Note,” which you can read about here. Unfortunately, those many of those misgivings are only compounded with interest in the back half of the series. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
A quick warning, I will be discussing SPOILERS for “Death Note,” including the book’s ending to some degree. If you’re spoiler adverse, read with caution or just come back once you’ve finished the series.
Written by Tsugumi Ohba
Illustrated by Takeshi ObataLight Yagami is an ace student with great prospects–and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. Will Light’s noble goal succeed, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against?
I don’t know how I feel about “Death Note.” It’s been a few days since closing the pages of the final volume and I still don’t know if I’m better or worse for taking the 108 chapter journey. There were times when I couldn’t put the book down and others when I couldn’t bear to pick it back up. I’ve rarely had such a like/hate relationship with a piece of fiction.
A quick recap on where we left off; after relinquishing the notebook (along with his memories of it) Light assisted L in tracking down and apprehending the “new” Kira, Higuchi of the Yotsuba Corporation. Volume six ends with Higuchi seemingly cornered, preparing to take his own life. While this marked the halfway point of the series in terms of number of volumes, the true halfway point of the series actually occurs later in volume 7. In the early chapters of volume 7, Light regains the notebook from Higuchi, along with his memories of being Kira, and quickly proceeds to carry out his masterfully orchestrated plan. This culminates in the rather anticlimactic, yet wholly tragic, death of L. This is the fulcrum, the pivot point around which the story of “Death Note” turns, leading into the book’s second act. If the first half of “Death Note” was the story of Light/Kira’s rise to power, the second half is undoubtedly the story of his fall.
That idea, the slow unraveling of the impenetrable web of lies, plots, and secrecy woven over the course of a thousand pages, sounds rather captivating. However, in killing L, the story loses not only its most compelling character, but also its heart.
Light Yagami is, quite frankly, a terrible protagonist. Last time, I made the obvious comparison to Walter White (and I promise, this is last time I bring up Breaking Bad). What made that series so successful was its ability to make you root for White, regardless of the evil things he did. He was a deplorable character, but a sympathetic and at times even tragic one. Light certainly begins as a similarly complex and even somewhat relatable character. However, I quickly found it harder and harder to engage with the character. He is manipulative, callous, misogynistic. I took hope that the major status quo change, Light’s renouncement of of the notebook and his memories, would allow Ohba to develop Light into a more complex character, to demonstrate some positive quality. In truth, I thought that his growing friendship with L indicated hope for Light. Not necessarily the hope for redemption but, as Luke hoped for Vader, for some shred of goodness. However, in returning to the notebook and Kira, in killing L and taking his identity, we are left with only Light, the textbook sociopath. From here, his story more closely mirrors Patrick Bateman than Walter White.
There’s no denying that “Death Note” is technically impressive. Both in terms of Obata’s artistic mastery and Ohba’s intricately crafted web of scheming intrigue. And yet, for all its technical prowess, “Death Note” isn’t a great story. Much of book’s latter half feels bloated and decompressed, with whole chapters devoted to explaining the convoluted game of cat and mouse played by Light and L’s successors (more on them later). At times I would be on that edge of my seat, waiting to discover how Light would escape seemingly inevitable capture. Others, I would painfully trudge the boredom of yet another bout of exposition laden explanation of how a character gained the upper hand. In the attempt to keep each party one step ahead of the other, Ohba crafts a story that is both addictive and mind numbing. It feels like final 50 chapters are essentially an extended case of the villain monologuing his evil plan.
Continued belowThis section of the story does have redeeming qualities, primarily in the introduction of L’s successors and the growth of the Japanese Taskforce members. L’s successors, the child-like Near and the candy loving wild child Mello, are great additions to “Death Note.” While not quite as endearing or interesting as L himself, the characters are terrific legacy characters, a yin and yang reincarnation of the original. Their inclusion allows the original Light/L conflict to explode on a global scale, with the international intrigue and stakes of a 007 or Mission Impossible film. It’s a welcome shift from the smaller, more intimate conflicts of earlier chapters.
Ohba also takes great care in developing the various members of the Japanese Taskforce, particularly Aiwaza and Matsuda. Aiwaza’s struggle with his trust of Near and his growing doubts regarding Light is some of the best emotional drama we get in this highly methodical and intellectual arc. Similarly, Matsuda’s growing resignation to the inevitability of Kira’s reign showcases the stark reality of the present situation.
Misa Amane, a character I had several problems with previously, is largely sidelined in favor of Kiyomi Takada, Light’s college ex and new “Kira spokeswoman.” If Light’s treatment of Misa in the early chapters was merely an uncomfortable example of Light’s misogynistic tendencies, his relationship with with Takada is a full on showcase. I stand by the fact that Light’s misuse and abuse of the women in his life is one his most damning qualities. Even if we wasn’t a mass murderer a thousand times over, these traits make him utterly repulsive.
My first act after finishing “Death Note” was to comb the internet, getting a feel for the fan response to the series’ finale. I expected it to be divisive and wasn’t proven wrong. I saw a number of dissenting opinions, some lamenting Light’s demise, others wishing for a more definitive conclusion. However, if there’s one thing I can say I found truly satisfactory about “Death Note,” it is the conclusion. The final chapters, from the meeting in the warehouse to the cryptic final pages, hit all the right notes. Light’s story ended as predicted at the very beginning, with his name in the notebook, penned by Ryuk. Light died as he lived, revealed as the monster, the wild beast, the villain. The final twists and turns where some for of the series’ best developed and well paced. The final chapter acts as both a satisfying period and a puzzling ellipses, leaving just enough uncertainty to spur on continued creativity and conversation.
In that regard, I’m glad that I read “Death Note.” It’s not a story I particularly liked. I often found myself sickened by it, and hated the way that it held sway over me, compelling me to continue reading. This led to a sort a binge/purge approach to reading, something that felt wholly unhealthy. However, in other ways, I found the story to be a satisfying one. Characters like L, Soichiro, and Aiwaza will stick with me. Light stands as one the greatest villains in fiction. I’ll always be amazed at Ohba’s ability to keep track of the numerous threads while simultaneously guiding the reader, as well as Obata’s ability to give life to the story. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can give a satisfying conclusion to this review itself, since even as I type my estimation of the story shifts. Perhaps it will be worth visiting in the future. Regardless of the book’s objective issues, pacing, tonal shifts, and missed character opportunities, or my own subjective qualms, I would go ahead and recommend “Death Note.” If nothing else it’s a great conversation starter. I hope to have some of those conversations here and would love to hear your thoughts on the story.
Due to the delay of our “Death Note” wrap up and the upcoming holidays, Multiversity Manga Club will be taking the rest of December off. Check back in January as we kick off a new year of exciting manga. I can assure you, the first book of the year will be considerably more upbeat and far less daunting in size. Happy holidays and see you in 2016!
