Introduction
We have all considered it. If we could kill anyone in the world, magically, without even incriminating ourselves, wouldn't we? Would there be anything such as abiding by crimes happening in front of us. If we happened to be in a store that happened to get robbed while we were there, would we stop it?
The fact is that most people feel that the world would be better off minus a few people. Rapists, Murderers, some Politicians. Death Note capitalizes on these feelings. It shows us a world where one man gets the power to kill anyone he wants. And it takes a look at the psychological, social, criminal, and realistic impacts of such power.
The first episode, Rebirth, is a great introduction to Death Note. It is a great argument for the medium of Anime. The best aspects of Anime's unique style comes together with a demonic talent for shot framing that only works in this medium. Death Note is a special anime, worth not just one week, but thirty-seven weeks of appreciation.
Death Note is a gem. It's one of the greatest stories from the last decade. It's one of the best psychological thrillers, detective stories, and divine epics rolled into one. So join me as I take apart the series and examine is cinematic, animated, narrative, and psychological messages.
Analysis
We’re introduced to the world of Death Note by a long zoom-in through a dark tunnel. We see a desolate black and gray landscape filled with gruesome looking creatures. We see Ryuk, his bulged out jewel-red eyes, observing in silence.
Light Yagami is sitting in a classroom. He's bored and disaffected. We’re looking at his eyes. He translates a passage into English. We get to hear news reports of several violent crimes. It’s clear that these news passages evoke the same desolation and emptiness that Ryuk’s world showed us. Then Ryuk and Light both say that their world's are rotten.
This establishing scene gives us everything. It gives us the tone. It gives us Ryuk's POV, which will serve as the audience POV. It allows us to be sympathetic to both protagonists.
The next scene is the introduction of the Death Note. It falls through shadow into light, a cinematic past time, and a trope that will repeat throughout the series. Light opens it up and reads the first rule, “The human whose name is written in this notebook shall die.” He immediately closes it. This moment is vital for us as viewers. If Light just accepts the Death Note, as some chosen one would a blade, we would disconnect. He’d be a villain, and Death Note would lose its primary strength. Instead, he closes it, calls it ridiculous and steps away.
But, Light takes the Death Note with him. We don’t know why yet, which is important. He thinks something must be wrong with him. And admittedly we might think so too. The weight by which Light is taking the Death Note lends credibility to this skepticism. Even if we hadn’t seen Ryuk and the Shinigami Realm already, we see a trusted character lending weight to an object.
At home, Light considers the Death Note more. He takes great care in choosing his first kill. This establishes his intelligence. Light is a character who will not easily be caught using the Death Note. The slow pace of this episode keeps us leaned in, it keeps us wondering about what’s going to happen. He makes the educated choice of writing the name of a criminal, a violent hostage taker. When it works, his surprise is our surprise.
Light doesn't kill easily. He suffers a toll even from this first kill. His chill and bored demeanor disappears. He's killed.
The Cram School scene that follows is one of phenomenally niche moral observation. Light needs to test the Death Note before his own eyes. He thinks of killing a school bully. Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there. We’ve all wanted to kill a terrible classmate who bullies or mugs or beats up people we know, especially the ones who are weaker and perceivably more intelligent than they are. But it also colors Light, he has a strong moral fiber against this sort of negative behavior.
Another read is that this might be the first scene where Light realizes the kind of power in his fingertips. Later the series will remark that Light wouldn't have been evil if he didn't have the Death Note. But by making his psychology real in this episode they establish how someone could make the transition. It’s important to remember Light already thinks the world is rotten.
We see the kid who was getting bullied inside being a total shit head about his Mom coming to pick him up outside. We find our own morality tested here. The kid was just getting bullied and that wasn’t right. But that street side behavior, that isn’t right either. That kid might not bully other kids, but it sounds an awful lot like he might bully his Mom.
Death Note keeps these questions of morality in our minds. When Light remarks that maybe the world just needs fewer people, we find ourselves agreeing with him.
Of course, this is a just a trick.
Killing Shibuyimaru is a bit rough. The idea of walking into such a visceral and violent crime reads a bit rough. It's here to establish something for the main character while not being too unrealistic. When that truck comes in, the sound effect of that slap echoes in our chest. The Death Note is real.
We see the portal to the human realm is a portal full of light. This is the part of the episode that fits the title best. Ryuk goes through the light to the other side, a dark and rainy world.
Light arrives home and establishes how smart he is when his Mom asks for his test scores. This is a trope. The charming psychopath. Although we don't know the second part just yet.
His change is already a bit notable but when he opens the Death Note and the pure volume of names in the notebook are seen, we’re meant to feel a little sick. We’re at least shocked. This guy has killed hundreds of people.
Ryuk shows up in full horror movie symbolism. When Light asks if Ryuk is there for his soul, Ryuk establishes that he isn’t that sort of agent. He has no morals, Ryuk is a literal embodiment of chaos and that’s an important rule of thumb for Shinigami. There’s so much of Death Note that just plays on a bit of a reverse religious story. Light sees God, in a literal form, but it’s the opposite of our Angels.
Ryuk’s role here is telling as well. He’s the exposition dump, the narrator, the camera lens. He explains the rules of the Death Note to Light and fills in what the notebook itself doesn’t or can’t say.
When Ryuk receives the apple we have another reverse trope. The human gifts the apple to the God. Light is the one holding this forbidden secret, not Ryuk.
The most powerful line of Ryuk’s in the whole series comes here. “Why? I did it because I was bored.” Ryuk introduced a phenomenal tool of human death and destruction - something that costs the soul of the user, and the lives of anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way - because he was bored. Ryuk’s immorality exists in this single statement, but it also gives away Light’s claim to actually being chosen, as he was no doubt hoping.
We get to see Light’s flashback to himself in the alley after killing two people. “This world is rotten, and those who are making it rot deserve to die.” This mission statement is so perfect it hurts.
We have built up sympathy through the episode, we have seen Light’s ability to kill people who seem to deserve it. It’s bittersweet as we get our first montage, an iconic moment in and of itself, of Light writing the note and killing people with heart attacks. Light gives a little monologue about “vermin of the world” he talks about how “if I don’t do it then who will.” We won’t see these words again until the final episode, and what a beautiful embed this is.
It will be a long journey from here to the end with Light, and this moment starts it off and ends it all. We should be disconnecting in this scene also, even if we’re still interested, these are delusions of grandeur. And it ends with the ultimate one. “I will become the God of this New World.”
Ryuk’s amazement reflects our own. “Humans are so interesting.” It’s a line that we agree with, even if Light’s danger, naivete, and power are striking us with awe. He looks into the sun glint and the episode ends.
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Thanks for joining me in this look at Death Note. Next week we will steam along to Episode 2: Confrontation.
Until then remember to come back every day for more Expository Conundrum. Tomorrow we look at Legend of the Drunken Master, a trip back to a time when Jackie Chan wasn't relevant (in America) yet.
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Plug Time!
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