Decades after its release, Death note Remains my favorite anime of all time for one big reason that many western viewers missed completely. Many consider Death note The quintessential anime experience. From anti-hero protagonist Light Yagami to L Lawliet’s memorable character design, Death note Has become one of the most recognizable anime in the 21st century. But, what’s up Death note So relevant in today’s culture is not what fans think.
Tsugumi Ohba’s complicated reverse mystery is condensed into 37 episodes. While Death Note is shorter compared to long-running anime like One piece Or NarutoIts premise and execution are just as popular, and not just in Japan. The anime has inspired both Western and Eastern artists for years. Death note-inspired cosplays and fan art are constantly trending on social media. Moreover, several Death note Movie adaptations have been produced, including a film by Netflix in 2017.
There is also a musical version of Death noteWith an original soundtrack in English starring Broadway actor Jeremy Jordan as Light. While a live stage production in the US it. has not yet been announced, fans are led to believe that a US it. Premiere coincided with the newfound popularity of the musical. However, despite the countless attempts to recreate the original Death note Anime Nobody holds a candle to the 2006 anime series, thanks to one huge reason many fans missed: its deeply rooted biblical and Buddhist inspirations.
Death Note still holds its place as the face of the anime industry
Death Note is known as the classic anime starter series, and for good reason
Death note Follows the story of high school student/prodigy Light Yagami. One day, out of the blue, a mysterious black notebook falls from the sky, left to be found by none other than light. With the words “Death Note” engraved jaggedly across the book’s leather cover, Light soon discovers that it has the ability to kill anyone whose name is written within its pages. Together with the owner of the notebook, Ryuk, a shinigami of the smoke of the dead, Light takes on his self-inflicted vocation to rid the world of criminals.
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However, although the protagonist’s goal may seem justified from the outside, He soon falls into delirium as the story progressesbelieving that he is not destined to become the “god of the new world”“ Which he will do by avoiding anyone who stands in his way, including his own father and sister, if he needs to succeed. Not surprisingly, Licht’s mission goes far from unnoticed. Soon, a brilliant, although hermitlike detective, L Lawliet, joined the case to trace the elusive justice dealer, who is somehow able to kill without being present.
Death note Cool plot is what makes the series so culturally impactfulWhich makes perfect sense, considering its home studio is Madhouse Inc. Founded in 1972, Madhouse Inc. is a Japanese animation studio based in Nakano City, Tokyo. Although the studio has been successful since its inception, it became especially relevant in the early 2010s when they adapted series such as Death Note, Hunter x Hunter (2011), And One punch man. Additionally, the studio is home to various anime legends such as Death Parade, No Game No Life, Overlord, Parasite, And many more.
Madhouse is a unique animation studio for one specific strength: the stories it chooses to adapt. Anime such as Death note And hunter x hunter, In particular, they are not necessarily known for their animation styles or action sequences. however, death notice, parasite, And Overlord are some of the most outstanding anime sites of all time. Madhouse may not have the most unique animation style or quality, but the stories they cover are consistently intriguing, thought-provoking, and consistently relevant.
Religious symbolism in Death Note
Death Note draws inspiration from the world’s two most practiced religions
When I first watched notes death, I caught a bit of the religious symbolism that the series contains. However, I admittedly missed more than I should have, considering how prevalent it really is upon closer inspection. Death note Centers around Light’s attempt to create and rule a world cleansed of evil using the notebook and the efforts of a detective known as L to stop him. As Light becomes accustomed to his newfound ability, he becomes intoxicated with power, and bound to reform the world in his image.
Death note Contains both biblical and Buddhist themes. However, they are each prominent in different parts of the series. The biblical themes remain constant throughout the series. However, despite their notable impact on history, they have gone largely unnoticed by Western anime fans. When comparing Death note To the Bible, Light Yagami represents the human race and/or Judah. According to the Bible, since the first sin committed by Adam and Eve, the human race remains in a fallen state, separated from God.
The most uncomfortable scene in Death Note is actually the most important
According to some readings of the Bible, people often believe that their own worldviews are optimal, thinking that if they could only change the world according to their vision, life would be better. Although this is a tempting reading of Light, it is also possible that he represents Judah. During Jesus’ time on earth, he had 12 disciples who followed him faithfully and assisted with his ministry. However, one of his followers, Judah, turned him in to the authorities.
In the Bible, Jesus knew the betrayal was coming ahead of time but did nothing to stop it, as he knew it was his God-given destiny. His surrender to the betrayal and to the government eventually led to his great sacrifice: the saving of the world through his death on the cross. In this case, L represents Jesus, betrayed by mankind. Like Jesus, L was fully aware that his death was inevitable but fully accepted it, nevertheless.
“The sound of a bell was unusually loud today…” – L Lawliet
The notoriously uncomfortable yet highly symbolic “foot massage scene” from Death note Has two possible inspirations from the Bible as well. Judah said to the guards of the Temple:
“The one I kiss is the man; Arrest him.” – Matthew 26:48 (NIV)
Just before his arrest, according to the Bible, Jesus spoke directly to his betrayer and said:
“Do what you came for, friend.” And the people stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. – Matthew 26:50 (NIV)
L’s offer to give Light a foot massage, despite his underlying suspicion of his impending death, is very reminiscent of this biblical passage. Furthermore, I found that many fans find the scene uncomfortable. In fact, I am a high school film teacher and recently taught my students about this very topic. They, too, found the foot massage scene wildly out of the ordinary. That is, until I told them about the powerful biblical symbolism. Then they realized how beautiful the scene really is, despite its social abnormalities.
Although the connection to Matthew 26 is strong in this scene, some fans (including my students) may wonder why the author chose a foot massage as L’s symbolic act of surrender. Back to the Bible, it is widely known that Jesus Christ would consistently wash the feet of those he cares for. As the day for his arrest is approaching rapidly, Jesus often gathered with his disciples.
One night, Jesus stood from the dinner table, poured water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of his disciples. The Son of God was performing an act of service usually meant for the lowliest of servants. As light, the disciples objected at first. But they soon refused to accept these acts of unimaginable kindness. In the same way, just as Judas accepted Jesus’ feet washing, light given in L’s request.
Light’s Death: A Buddhist Conclusion to a Biblically-Sourced Storyline
Although much of Death Note’s inspiration is from the Bible, the ending is actually reminiscent of Buddhist beliefs.
Despite his tremendous efforts to rise above the riffraff of the earth, Light is unable to escape the universal confines of the human condition. Falling from his throne as “God of the New World,” Light dies alone, like every other person, where even Ryuk, an unfeeling Shinigami, pities him. While Licht experiences many euphoric highs throughout the series, some of them resemble Gojo’s “enlightening” Jujutsu Kaisen, His efforts were in vain. No man is divine, and playing God by inflicting your own worldview on others yields no long-lasting results.
At the end of the US Death note Manga, immediately after Light’s death, are two black pages, indicating to readers that his afterlife was non-existent. The rules of the death note state that its user will not go to heaven or hell. However, according to theorists, an unknown Shinigami appeared in a Death Note OVAStrongly resembles Light Yagami. This appearance led many fans to believe that he was reincarnated as a Shinigami. While fans argue that this would be against the rules of the Death Note, the Shinigami realm could be interpreted as “purgatory,” which is literally neither heaven nor hell.
Reincarnation after death is a widespread concept in Buddhism, which is one of Japan’s most widely practiced religions. actually, According to the HSE (Health, Safety and Environment Services)Buddhist teachings see life and death as a continuum, believing that consciousness (the spirit) persists after death and can be reborn. Death can also be an opportunity for liberation from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Life as a Shinigami could be considered “liberation” from the cycle when taking into account their endless, almost pointless, existence in the afterlife.
finally, Some Mahayana Buddhists believe That pure light of contentment appears at death. In general, it is said that advanced practitioners enter the light, although lesser practitioners are drawn away into lesser lights and into a kind of dream world with many alluring or nightmarish appearances before being reborn. Licht’s iconic death scene reflects the same ideas. After fighting the inevitable, the protagonist slowly accepts his fate, falling into an eternal sleep as the setting sun shines on his lifeless body.
I was shocked to find out that my film students, many of them are huge Death note Fans, have never noticed the prominent religious symbolism in the series. What was once a ridiculous foot massage scene in their eyes has become a powerful depiction of autonomy pulled from one of the world’s most prominent religions. Before diving deeper into the sheer amount of symbolism in Ohba’s series, the anime remained at the top of my list for years. However, after discovering what many western fans completely missed, Death note Will forever be my favorite anime.
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