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A Vᴇʀʏ Dᴀʀᴋ Aɴᴅ Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛғᴜʟ Pʟᴀᴄᴇ
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Mar 31, 2014 11:52AM
A Vᴇʀʏ Dᴀʀᴋ Aɴᴅ Tʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛғᴜʟ Pʟᴀᴄᴇ
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Introduction
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
It is my pleasure, to announce the creation of my first -- and hopefully, last -- discussion thread.
I know that most of you don't know me, yet I'm writing this blog for you. I know some of you won't like it and that I won't care anyway.
Are you human, Tris?
Yes. Yes, I am.
I am human, just like you and I can have bad days and good days. I am miffed and pissed and happy and sad. Sometimes I will take it out on you and it's not your fault. Sometimes I will take it out on you and it is your fault. Sometimes it is so definitely your fault and telling me otherwise is a death wish.
I'm sorry if this is the case. I just like comparing notes. It's my favourite pastime especially, when I am bored. If my opinion doesn't align with yours then I am sorry. If you can't accept this then #### you.
I hope we have come to an understanding..
My Inner Devils are watching you.. ~_~
- Imagination HQ
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
It is my pleasure, to announce the creation of my first -- and hopefully, last -- discussion thread.
I know that most of you don't know me, yet I'm writing this blog for you. I know some of you won't like it and that I won't care anyway.
Are you human, Tris?
Yes. Yes, I am.
I am human, just like you and I can have bad days and good days. I am miffed and pissed and happy and sad. Sometimes I will take it out on you and it's not your fault. Sometimes I will take it out on you and it is your fault. Sometimes it is so definitely your fault and telling me otherwise is a death wish.
I'm sorry if this is the case. I just like comparing notes. It's my favourite pastime especially, when I am bored. If my opinion doesn't align with yours then I am sorry. If you can't accept this then #### you.
I hope we have come to an understanding..
My Inner Devils are watching you.. ~_~
- Imagination HQ
Facts About Myself
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
- I am feminine
- I am eighteen years old
- I don't believe in using the Lord's Name in vain. Instead of saying Oh my God, I will say Oh my Goat..
- Yes, My Inner Devils enjoy watching you... ~_~
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
- I am feminine
- I am eighteen years old
- I don't believe in using the Lord's Name in vain. Instead of saying Oh my God, I will say Oh my Goat..
- Yes, My Inner Devils enjoy watching you... ~_~
On Jumpscares
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I recently caught up with Andres Muschietti’s Mama and found it to be a decent little chiller with one particularly irksome habit. It is packed end-to-end with cheap jump scares. It’s as if the studio insisted the director include a quota of brainless “Boo!” moments amid all the creepy suspense stuff that takes actual filmmaking skill.
Savvy filmgoers understand that jump scares are the worst. Apart from the fact that it requires roughly the same level of craft to startle someone with a loud noise as it does to zap them with a seat buzzer, they have the added drawback of creating distance between the audience and the film. They release tension, rather than build it. This explains their popularity among teenagers who see horror movies as a carnival ride, doling out empty “scares” with mechanical timing.
So finding a minefield of these cheap shots in another otherwise capable spook story like Mama got me thinking. Are there any defensible examples of the jump scare? Or is it an artistic sin every time it’s trotted out?
By my accounting a genuine “jump scare” requires three elements: the shock has to emerge from out of nowhere, it must follow a period of quiet or calm, and a loud stinger must accompany it on the soundtrack. As I pored through memories of the biggest movie scares I noticed an interesting thing. Those scares that fit the definition perfectly, like Alan Arkin’s leap from the shadows in Wait Until Dark, seem lame and manipulative in retrospect. While those moments that held up well strayed outside the parameters of what we consider “jump scares”.
Take the “Sloth” scene from Se7en. I disqualify it because Fincher hides the shock in plain sight the whole time, toying with the viewer’s assumptions rather than throwing in a surprise from out of frame. Likewise, the diner nightmare scene from Mulholland Dr. flat-out tells you a shocker is coming and still manages to pull a heart-stopper through a mixture of reverse psychology and plain old killer timing. The “We’re gonna need a bigger boat” scare from Jaws does not use a soundtrack stinger at all, instead playing without a score until some ominous, orchestral rumbles emerge on the soundtrack. As for the big reveal at the end of Don’t Look Now, the lack of a traditional horror score puts no safe distance between the audience and the film as the image of the figure in the red coat is permanently etched into the fear lobe of the viewer’s brain.
And what of the mother of all jump scares, the final scene of Carrie? While I can’t argue it doesn’t meet the criteria I outlined, I would make the case DePalma elevates it above the classification. For one thing its impact is not just based on a random gotcha but is the cumulative effect of the scene’s surreal (but not too surreal) details. For another thing, the jolt on the soundtrack isn’t a true shrieking stinger but is a dramatic turn in a proper melodic score.
I’ve only been able to think of only three honest to God jump scares that fit the definition and still rise above the laziness associated them: Martin Balsam's death in Psycho, the creature reveal from The DescentPee Wee’s Big Adventure. The Descent earns its jump scare with forty-some minutes of restraint and suspense building. As for the glory that is Large Marge, Burton gets away it with awesome execution, simple as that. That moment catches the viewer so completely off guard, and its use of stop motion is so unexpected (and that sped up, ghoulish cackle is so crap-your-pants terrifying) that it deserves to be an exception to the rule. Psycho gets away with it because it's Psycho and the musical stinger in question is the Psycho theme. You can't really be pegged for leaning on horror cliches when you're busy inventing them.
The concepts of the movie scares is too broad for me to cover single-handedly so I turn it over to the horror buffs later. What say you? I find that defensible uses of the jump scare do in fact exist, but are an extremely rare species. Am I denigrating a time-honored horror tradition? What glaring examples have I omitted?
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-
I recently caught up with Andres Muschietti’s Mama and found it to be a decent little chiller with one particularly irksome habit. It is packed end-to-end with cheap jump scares. It’s as if the studio insisted the director include a quota of brainless “Boo!” moments amid all the creepy suspense stuff that takes actual filmmaking skill.
Savvy filmgoers understand that jump scares are the worst. Apart from the fact that it requires roughly the same level of craft to startle someone with a loud noise as it does to zap them with a seat buzzer, they have the added drawback of creating distance between the audience and the film. They release tension, rather than build it. This explains their popularity among teenagers who see horror movies as a carnival ride, doling out empty “scares” with mechanical timing.
So finding a minefield of these cheap shots in another otherwise capable spook story like Mama got me thinking. Are there any defensible examples of the jump scare? Or is it an artistic sin every time it’s trotted out?
By my accounting a genuine “jump scare” requires three elements: the shock has to emerge from out of nowhere, it must follow a period of quiet or calm, and a loud stinger must accompany it on the soundtrack. As I pored through memories of the biggest movie scares I noticed an interesting thing. Those scares that fit the definition perfectly, like Alan Arkin’s leap from the shadows in Wait Until Dark, seem lame and manipulative in retrospect. While those moments that held up well strayed outside the parameters of what we consider “jump scares”.
Take the “Sloth” scene from Se7en. I disqualify it because Fincher hides the shock in plain sight the whole time, toying with the viewer’s assumptions rather than throwing in a surprise from out of frame. Likewise, the diner nightmare scene from Mulholland Dr. flat-out tells you a shocker is coming and still manages to pull a heart-stopper through a mixture of reverse psychology and plain old killer timing. The “We’re gonna need a bigger boat” scare from Jaws does not use a soundtrack stinger at all, instead playing without a score until some ominous, orchestral rumbles emerge on the soundtrack. As for the big reveal at the end of Don’t Look Now, the lack of a traditional horror score puts no safe distance between the audience and the film as the image of the figure in the red coat is permanently etched into the fear lobe of the viewer’s brain.
And what of the mother of all jump scares, the final scene of Carrie? While I can’t argue it doesn’t meet the criteria I outlined, I would make the case DePalma elevates it above the classification. For one thing its impact is not just based on a random gotcha but is the cumulative effect of the scene’s surreal (but not too surreal) details. For another thing, the jolt on the soundtrack isn’t a true shrieking stinger but is a dramatic turn in a proper melodic score.
I’ve only been able to think of only three honest to God jump scares that fit the definition and still rise above the laziness associated them: Martin Balsam's death in Psycho, the creature reveal from The DescentPee Wee’s Big Adventure. The Descent earns its jump scare with forty-some minutes of restraint and suspense building. As for the glory that is Large Marge, Burton gets away it with awesome execution, simple as that. That moment catches the viewer so completely off guard, and its use of stop motion is so unexpected (and that sped up, ghoulish cackle is so crap-your-pants terrifying) that it deserves to be an exception to the rule. Psycho gets away with it because it's Psycho and the musical stinger in question is the Psycho theme. You can't really be pegged for leaning on horror cliches when you're busy inventing them.
The concepts of the movie scares is too broad for me to cover single-handedly so I turn it over to the horror buffs later. What say you? I find that defensible uses of the jump scare do in fact exist, but are an extremely rare species. Am I denigrating a time-honored horror tradition? What glaring examples have I omitted?
On Anime and Manga
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The question, while often posed, is somewhat farfetched. How can two different kind of medium where one is watching and the other is reading can be compared? Regarding anime and manga, the question should be about the original material and the adaptation. Therefore, the real question in this case should be: Why is the original material generally better than the adaptation? It’s more usual for the manga to be the original one of two, so that’s why the statement that manga is better than anime is often used. I have to say, while it is a complete subjective matter, this position is nearly a fact for most cases and is supported by very strong arguments.
Deviation from the main storyline
Every now and then, an anime that is adapted will change course from the main story line. Why is that? Sometimes it is to end the series quicker than the actual manga, or perhaps it is because the director wanted to share his ideas with the rest of the world. That being said, to deviate from the main story is an aspect that is generally not well received, especially for the manga readers. For instance, the ending of the original Full Metal Alchemist holds much controversy. One might say that the ending was original, thoughtful and that it differed from the typical shounen ending, while the other will think that ending is an insult to the intention of the original author. A more prime example would be the adaptation of a terrible manga “Dance in the Vampire Bund”. After much change from the manga, turns out the anime version was even worse. I find this argument to be lightly weak. Simply for the reason that I’m totally for original content and new ideas with adaptations. That’s what I can reproach to Full Metal Alchemist : Brotherhood. It simply wanted to please the fans with a complete copy paste of the original story.
Too much content, not enough time
Let’s face it, most series out there are 12-13 episodes and only few them actually pass the 25 mark. It is normal for an anime to have problem adapting a manga that is quite long. Results, the anime will be cut at an uneventful place or the last episodes will simply be rushed right of the bat. The prime example here is the anime adaptation of Claymore, where in all respect, it is impossible to actually find an ending; a true disgrace to the fans of the series. It is also common for a series to be lightly rushed to meet the expected ending. However, it is also a fact that some series will be rushed beyond any humans’ capacities. Shadow Star Narutaru, a very well received mind-fuck manga, is a whole shit of lameness in the anime. Elfen Lied also falls into this category. I find this to be a major problem with new series lately. Most of them is always rushing into nonsensical endings. Really, it hurts my soul when a potentially good anime is ruined by a mediocre pacing.
The Impossibility
This is the case where it is impossible for an anime to grab the overall feeling and meaning of a manga and to transform it into animation. For this, I give the best example in my manga review of Aria:
“Aria is really helped by the black and white. Though, this statement has a better impact when comparing it to the anime where, even though it benefits the color and the animation, isn’t just as lively and thoughtful as its original source.”
It is often the artwork that is impossible to translate. As I mentioned Uzumaki and Freesia earlier, these two can’t work because of an art style that is impossible to make it look good in anime.
The benefice for anime is also a reason
If there’s a benefice with anime, is that the characters actually move and talk. For some, this is the ultimate argument to protect any anime. However, it is also a crucial counter-argument. First, the voice acting of anime if often enthusiastic and very high pitched. Now, even though it adds up to the enjoyment of the show, some people can’t stand it at all. Second, since it is an animation, you are a slave of the pacing that the anime is giving you. In manga, one can read at his pace and stop where ever he wants. With anime, one minute is the same minute for everyone and you usually have to stop till the end of the episode before stopping.
Ok, are there any exceptions?
I actually feel bad for bashing anime in this article. I love anime and I actually do think that some anime titles surpassed the original. Here are some of them my friends :
Seto no Hanayome
This parody worked fantastically in anime, not so much for reading.
Berserk
If you compare what is adapted, which is the first story arc of Berserk, the anime surpasses the manga for having a better focus on the story.
Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex
Just because of the music.
Ga-Rei : Zero
It’s not really a fantastic series, but I give it credits for being way better than the manga in term of enjoyment and actually making sense.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~--~-~-~-~-~-
The question, while often posed, is somewhat farfetched. How can two different kind of medium where one is watching and the other is reading can be compared? Regarding anime and manga, the question should be about the original material and the adaptation. Therefore, the real question in this case should be: Why is the original material generally better than the adaptation? It’s more usual for the manga to be the original one of two, so that’s why the statement that manga is better than anime is often used. I have to say, while it is a complete subjective matter, this position is nearly a fact for most cases and is supported by very strong arguments.
Deviation from the main storyline
Every now and then, an anime that is adapted will change course from the main story line. Why is that? Sometimes it is to end the series quicker than the actual manga, or perhaps it is because the director wanted to share his ideas with the rest of the world. That being said, to deviate from the main story is an aspect that is generally not well received, especially for the manga readers. For instance, the ending of the original Full Metal Alchemist holds much controversy. One might say that the ending was original, thoughtful and that it differed from the typical shounen ending, while the other will think that ending is an insult to the intention of the original author. A more prime example would be the adaptation of a terrible manga “Dance in the Vampire Bund”. After much change from the manga, turns out the anime version was even worse. I find this argument to be lightly weak. Simply for the reason that I’m totally for original content and new ideas with adaptations. That’s what I can reproach to Full Metal Alchemist : Brotherhood. It simply wanted to please the fans with a complete copy paste of the original story.
Too much content, not enough time
Let’s face it, most series out there are 12-13 episodes and only few them actually pass the 25 mark. It is normal for an anime to have problem adapting a manga that is quite long. Results, the anime will be cut at an uneventful place or the last episodes will simply be rushed right of the bat. The prime example here is the anime adaptation of Claymore, where in all respect, it is impossible to actually find an ending; a true disgrace to the fans of the series. It is also common for a series to be lightly rushed to meet the expected ending. However, it is also a fact that some series will be rushed beyond any humans’ capacities. Shadow Star Narutaru, a very well received mind-fuck manga, is a whole shit of lameness in the anime. Elfen Lied also falls into this category. I find this to be a major problem with new series lately. Most of them is always rushing into nonsensical endings. Really, it hurts my soul when a potentially good anime is ruined by a mediocre pacing.
The Impossibility
This is the case where it is impossible for an anime to grab the overall feeling and meaning of a manga and to transform it into animation. For this, I give the best example in my manga review of Aria:
“Aria is really helped by the black and white. Though, this statement has a better impact when comparing it to the anime where, even though it benefits the color and the animation, isn’t just as lively and thoughtful as its original source.”
It is often the artwork that is impossible to translate. As I mentioned Uzumaki and Freesia earlier, these two can’t work because of an art style that is impossible to make it look good in anime.
The benefice for anime is also a reason
If there’s a benefice with anime, is that the characters actually move and talk. For some, this is the ultimate argument to protect any anime. However, it is also a crucial counter-argument. First, the voice acting of anime if often enthusiastic and very high pitched. Now, even though it adds up to the enjoyment of the show, some people can’t stand it at all. Second, since it is an animation, you are a slave of the pacing that the anime is giving you. In manga, one can read at his pace and stop where ever he wants. With anime, one minute is the same minute for everyone and you usually have to stop till the end of the episode before stopping.
Ok, are there any exceptions?
I actually feel bad for bashing anime in this article. I love anime and I actually do think that some anime titles surpassed the original. Here are some of them my friends :
Seto no Hanayome
This parody worked fantastically in anime, not so much for reading.
Berserk
If you compare what is adapted, which is the first story arc of Berserk, the anime surpasses the manga for having a better focus on the story.
Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex
Just because of the music.
Ga-Rei : Zero
It’s not really a fantastic series, but I give it credits for being way better than the manga in term of enjoyment and actually making sense.
On Death Note
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Have you ever played chess against a worthy opponent? You have your entire army at your disposal, and so does your opponent. You sacrifice some of your insignificant pawns in order to bring down some of your opponent’s bothersome pawns. Then come your opponent’s tougher pieces, those that hold greater powers of movement on the board. You have to bring them down slowly but surely, at the same time trying to protect yourself as king from being eliminated by any one of them. In order to protect yourself, you have no choice but to risk some of your more important pieces as well.
Now comes the critical moment, when you have to predict exactly to the dot the movements that your opponent is going to take in the next few moves. But your opponent is no fool as well. He, too, seems to be able to predict your every movement to such fine precision, and acts accordingly. To save yourself, you send even your queen to her death, in the process stripping your opponent of more vital pieces. Finally, it’s you versus your opponent, two kings staring piercingly eye-to-eye, as if trying to search the innermost thoughts of each other’s minds, each considering a thousand possibilities in the flash of a second in each’s minds, planning a course of moves to best overtake and checkmate each other. You foresee your opponent’s potential steps and execute a plan. You draw closer to him as he too draws closer to you. Checkmate is nigh, it’s either you or him. You can hear your heart racing and you break a sweat, having never faced such a tough nut before. Perfection is victory; one minor miscalculation and it’s all over……
Can any of you out there relate to having been in such a pinch before? If yes, I’m sure you’ll be able to picture the life of Light Yagami a.k.a. Kira of the anime Death Note as the ultimate chess game of all time unfolding from the very moment L declared war against the self-proclaimed divine custodian of justice.
Before I move on, let me clarify that this anime analysis and review only covers the 2006-2007 anime series.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Light Yagami and Amane Misa, together with the shinigamis respectively associated with them, Ryuk and Rem
Synopsis
Light Yagami is a young genius and aspiring high school student with a bright future who has a strong sense of justice and abhors everything evil. When he discovers a death note one day, his life changes completely as he learns how to use it to kill anyone by just knowing his or her name and face. Not long after, Light encounters the previous owner of the death note, a shinigami (death god) by the name of Ryuk. Maintaining his composure even in the face of a shinigami, Light reveals his intentions of purging the world of all criminals using the death note, leaving behind only those whom he judges to be honest and kind, subsequently becoming the “god of the new world.”
The sudden, unexplainable deaths of so many criminals of both major and petty crimes over a period of time catch the attention of Interpol and the famous detective, L. L proclaims a war against Kira, Light’s self-proclaimed moniker, and vows to bring him down by all means. Realizing that L will be his greatest obstacle in fulfilling his dreams, Light accepts the challenge and vows to exterminate L, along with all who may attempt to oppose his ideals for a sin-free world. Nonetheless, things soon become more complicated than they seem to be, with the appearance of a second death note and shinigami in the human world, as well as L’s fearless intention of revealing himself in person to the very one he vows to capture……
Light Yagami and the Death Note
Light meeting L for the first time during the university entrance exams
Judgment on a rotting world
Drawing parallels from Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Death Note delves into a somewhat similar core theme, albeit presented differently. The million-dollar question that the very plot of the anime revolves around is this: “Is it justifiable to purge sin with sin?” While Code Geass presents two childhood buddies, Lelouch and Suzaku, waging fierce wars from opposite ends of a spectrum of this argument, Death Note portrays two genius strategists, namely Light and L (subsequently Near), staring intently at each other from opposite ends of the same spectrum, swearing to checkmate the person standing at the other end in the smartest and most cautious way possible.
On this spectrum of argument, Light stands at one end, declaring his detestation for mankind’s inherent nature to sin that has brought about a rotting society where the lawless seem to prevail. Seeing no hope for mankind, his discovery of Ryuk’s death note reveals to him a self-realized responsibility to judge the world and purge it from all lawlessness by passing the death sentence on all criminals, major and minor, using the death note. On the other end stands L/Near, who, although existing to uphold justice in a world of crime, despise the idea of passing the death sentence on all criminals, perceiving it as being tantamount to mass murder. In the anime, we thus see the showdown of all time as both these characters engage in a challenge of strategies, a match of caution and intellect between two great minds paralleled probably only to each other. Somewhat reminiscent of the renowned fictional showdown between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, I’d say.
Soichiro Yagami and members of the Japanese National Police Agency investigating Kira's case
L in his characteristic awkward sitting position
Selfishness vs selflessness
I can’t help but realize how similar Light is to Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series as well in terms of character. Light as Kira possesses a combination of a deadly power and gifted intellect that draws so much fame and even a cult following that exalts him as divine ruler over a new world. Even those who outrightly disagree with his ideals fear his prowess and influence, choosing instead to cooperate with him or at least stand back and do nothing to oppose him, much against their will. And just like Voldemort, Light has as much mercy towards his followers as he has towards his enemies. As selfish as it may sound, his very existence very much resembles a chess game, where his sole purpose is to protect himself as king, even if it will cost him all his other pieces including his queen (represented by Kiyomi Takada, his former girlfriend and “goddess-to-be” of the new, sinless world).
On the other hand, we see L and the members of the Japanese National Police Agency working under Soichiro Yagami showing such willingness to lay down even their lives and families in the name of justice. Being involved in investigating Kira’s case and thus opposing his ideals, they know the dangers they will be putting themselves into just to purge the world of an obsessed murderer. L and Near, in particular, are well-aware of the imminent dangers they are exposing themselves to just by tampering in Kira’s plans, but their sense of justice to see a mass murderer stopped prevails over their desire to continue living undisturbed in a world fearsomely controlled by a mass murderer.
Hence, we see striking similarities and remarkable contrasts between Light and L/Near: both have a strong sense of justice and an intense desire to uphold righteousness in a crooked world, but each has different ideals as to how justice and righteousness should be upheld and judgment executed upon the lawless and the unruly.
Misa showing her immense affection for Light in front of L
Near, L's successor, in his characteristic hair-rubbing gesture
Light's symbolic death in the middle of a flight of stairs
Comments on the anime
Truth be said, I’m no big fan of shinigami-themed animes. I find shinigami-themed animes to be somewhat spooky and filled with taboo, as if shinigamis are not matters that one should tamper around with, even in fiction. But truth be said, I know a great anime when I see one as well. Death Note has clearly outdone most of its contemporaries in the world of anime. Unlike a whole lot of animes out there, Death Note explores a deeply psychological plot and a highly questionable ethical dilemma in a dark and somewhat taboo-filled manner. The story opens interestingly with an object of death previously unheard of in the human world, and the dark plot slowly unfolds as the rules of the death note become revealed one by one. The plot then expands and turns in a more engrossing direction with the appearance of L, Amane Misa and Rem, who prove to be stinging thorns in Light’s initially perfect plan. L’s death and Near’s subsequent pursuit of Light further thicken the plot, keeping viewers absorbed to the storyline right up to the ending. In all honesty, not one episode passed when I didn’t have even a slight adrenaline rush; every episode kept me in much suspense, absorbed in the storyline wanting for more and waiting impatiently to watch the next episode to see what happens next.
Commenting on the graphics, I’d say Death Note has not disappointed me in this aspect as well. In fact, the artists behind the anime’s graphics have done well in portraying the characters in such a realistic fashion that brings out their true nature and intents. True to its dark psychological plot, the characters in the anime are designed with a touch of seriousness and a shade of darkness around them, bringing out the mood and impression that the plot is intended to deliver. Of course, in a plot with a heavy theme like this, exaggerated body parts and excessively watery eyes would be absolute no-nos, and the anime’s artists have done well to realize this. The musicians behind the anime’s background music also deserve commendation, as the overall mood of the story is well-enhanced with the appropriately “dark” music embedded in the anime’s many suspense-filled scenes and intriguing events.
To mention in passing, I found two things in the anime to be highly symbolic as well. The first is the fact that Light’s surname is Yagami (夜神) which, although being a common Japanese surname, is not written in the conventional kanji characters for this surname (八神). Light’s surname in kanji, which literally means “god of the night,” reflects his desire of becoming a god by the dark means of killing and purgation by death. The second is the scene when Light died in the middle of a flight of steps after Ryuk wrote his name down in his death note, which is symbolic of the fact that users of the death note can neither go to heaven nor hell after they die.
As much as I dislike shinigami-themed animes, I must say that it would have been utterly foolish not to consider this masterpiece of a plot for a prestigious award, at the very least. Nevertheless, the judges of the 2007 Tokyo Anime Award have evidently proven themselves to be no fools, bestowing this Oscar of animes to, amongst others, the deserving title of Death Note.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Have you ever played chess against a worthy opponent? You have your entire army at your disposal, and so does your opponent. You sacrifice some of your insignificant pawns in order to bring down some of your opponent’s bothersome pawns. Then come your opponent’s tougher pieces, those that hold greater powers of movement on the board. You have to bring them down slowly but surely, at the same time trying to protect yourself as king from being eliminated by any one of them. In order to protect yourself, you have no choice but to risk some of your more important pieces as well.
Now comes the critical moment, when you have to predict exactly to the dot the movements that your opponent is going to take in the next few moves. But your opponent is no fool as well. He, too, seems to be able to predict your every movement to such fine precision, and acts accordingly. To save yourself, you send even your queen to her death, in the process stripping your opponent of more vital pieces. Finally, it’s you versus your opponent, two kings staring piercingly eye-to-eye, as if trying to search the innermost thoughts of each other’s minds, each considering a thousand possibilities in the flash of a second in each’s minds, planning a course of moves to best overtake and checkmate each other. You foresee your opponent’s potential steps and execute a plan. You draw closer to him as he too draws closer to you. Checkmate is nigh, it’s either you or him. You can hear your heart racing and you break a sweat, having never faced such a tough nut before. Perfection is victory; one minor miscalculation and it’s all over……
Can any of you out there relate to having been in such a pinch before? If yes, I’m sure you’ll be able to picture the life of Light Yagami a.k.a. Kira of the anime Death Note as the ultimate chess game of all time unfolding from the very moment L declared war against the self-proclaimed divine custodian of justice.
Before I move on, let me clarify that this anime analysis and review only covers the 2006-2007 anime series.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Light Yagami and Amane Misa, together with the shinigamis respectively associated with them, Ryuk and Rem
Synopsis
Light Yagami is a young genius and aspiring high school student with a bright future who has a strong sense of justice and abhors everything evil. When he discovers a death note one day, his life changes completely as he learns how to use it to kill anyone by just knowing his or her name and face. Not long after, Light encounters the previous owner of the death note, a shinigami (death god) by the name of Ryuk. Maintaining his composure even in the face of a shinigami, Light reveals his intentions of purging the world of all criminals using the death note, leaving behind only those whom he judges to be honest and kind, subsequently becoming the “god of the new world.”
The sudden, unexplainable deaths of so many criminals of both major and petty crimes over a period of time catch the attention of Interpol and the famous detective, L. L proclaims a war against Kira, Light’s self-proclaimed moniker, and vows to bring him down by all means. Realizing that L will be his greatest obstacle in fulfilling his dreams, Light accepts the challenge and vows to exterminate L, along with all who may attempt to oppose his ideals for a sin-free world. Nonetheless, things soon become more complicated than they seem to be, with the appearance of a second death note and shinigami in the human world, as well as L’s fearless intention of revealing himself in person to the very one he vows to capture……
Light Yagami and the Death Note
Light meeting L for the first time during the university entrance exams
Judgment on a rotting world
Drawing parallels from Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Death Note delves into a somewhat similar core theme, albeit presented differently. The million-dollar question that the very plot of the anime revolves around is this: “Is it justifiable to purge sin with sin?” While Code Geass presents two childhood buddies, Lelouch and Suzaku, waging fierce wars from opposite ends of a spectrum of this argument, Death Note portrays two genius strategists, namely Light and L (subsequently Near), staring intently at each other from opposite ends of the same spectrum, swearing to checkmate the person standing at the other end in the smartest and most cautious way possible.
On this spectrum of argument, Light stands at one end, declaring his detestation for mankind’s inherent nature to sin that has brought about a rotting society where the lawless seem to prevail. Seeing no hope for mankind, his discovery of Ryuk’s death note reveals to him a self-realized responsibility to judge the world and purge it from all lawlessness by passing the death sentence on all criminals, major and minor, using the death note. On the other end stands L/Near, who, although existing to uphold justice in a world of crime, despise the idea of passing the death sentence on all criminals, perceiving it as being tantamount to mass murder. In the anime, we thus see the showdown of all time as both these characters engage in a challenge of strategies, a match of caution and intellect between two great minds paralleled probably only to each other. Somewhat reminiscent of the renowned fictional showdown between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, I’d say.
Soichiro Yagami and members of the Japanese National Police Agency investigating Kira's case
L in his characteristic awkward sitting position
Selfishness vs selflessness
I can’t help but realize how similar Light is to Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series as well in terms of character. Light as Kira possesses a combination of a deadly power and gifted intellect that draws so much fame and even a cult following that exalts him as divine ruler over a new world. Even those who outrightly disagree with his ideals fear his prowess and influence, choosing instead to cooperate with him or at least stand back and do nothing to oppose him, much against their will. And just like Voldemort, Light has as much mercy towards his followers as he has towards his enemies. As selfish as it may sound, his very existence very much resembles a chess game, where his sole purpose is to protect himself as king, even if it will cost him all his other pieces including his queen (represented by Kiyomi Takada, his former girlfriend and “goddess-to-be” of the new, sinless world).
On the other hand, we see L and the members of the Japanese National Police Agency working under Soichiro Yagami showing such willingness to lay down even their lives and families in the name of justice. Being involved in investigating Kira’s case and thus opposing his ideals, they know the dangers they will be putting themselves into just to purge the world of an obsessed murderer. L and Near, in particular, are well-aware of the imminent dangers they are exposing themselves to just by tampering in Kira’s plans, but their sense of justice to see a mass murderer stopped prevails over their desire to continue living undisturbed in a world fearsomely controlled by a mass murderer.
Hence, we see striking similarities and remarkable contrasts between Light and L/Near: both have a strong sense of justice and an intense desire to uphold righteousness in a crooked world, but each has different ideals as to how justice and righteousness should be upheld and judgment executed upon the lawless and the unruly.
Misa showing her immense affection for Light in front of L
Near, L's successor, in his characteristic hair-rubbing gesture
Light's symbolic death in the middle of a flight of stairs
Comments on the anime
Truth be said, I’m no big fan of shinigami-themed animes. I find shinigami-themed animes to be somewhat spooky and filled with taboo, as if shinigamis are not matters that one should tamper around with, even in fiction. But truth be said, I know a great anime when I see one as well. Death Note has clearly outdone most of its contemporaries in the world of anime. Unlike a whole lot of animes out there, Death Note explores a deeply psychological plot and a highly questionable ethical dilemma in a dark and somewhat taboo-filled manner. The story opens interestingly with an object of death previously unheard of in the human world, and the dark plot slowly unfolds as the rules of the death note become revealed one by one. The plot then expands and turns in a more engrossing direction with the appearance of L, Amane Misa and Rem, who prove to be stinging thorns in Light’s initially perfect plan. L’s death and Near’s subsequent pursuit of Light further thicken the plot, keeping viewers absorbed to the storyline right up to the ending. In all honesty, not one episode passed when I didn’t have even a slight adrenaline rush; every episode kept me in much suspense, absorbed in the storyline wanting for more and waiting impatiently to watch the next episode to see what happens next.
Commenting on the graphics, I’d say Death Note has not disappointed me in this aspect as well. In fact, the artists behind the anime’s graphics have done well in portraying the characters in such a realistic fashion that brings out their true nature and intents. True to its dark psychological plot, the characters in the anime are designed with a touch of seriousness and a shade of darkness around them, bringing out the mood and impression that the plot is intended to deliver. Of course, in a plot with a heavy theme like this, exaggerated body parts and excessively watery eyes would be absolute no-nos, and the anime’s artists have done well to realize this. The musicians behind the anime’s background music also deserve commendation, as the overall mood of the story is well-enhanced with the appropriately “dark” music embedded in the anime’s many suspense-filled scenes and intriguing events.
To mention in passing, I found two things in the anime to be highly symbolic as well. The first is the fact that Light’s surname is Yagami (夜神) which, although being a common Japanese surname, is not written in the conventional kanji characters for this surname (八神). Light’s surname in kanji, which literally means “god of the night,” reflects his desire of becoming a god by the dark means of killing and purgation by death. The second is the scene when Light died in the middle of a flight of steps after Ryuk wrote his name down in his death note, which is symbolic of the fact that users of the death note can neither go to heaven nor hell after they die.
As much as I dislike shinigami-themed animes, I must say that it would have been utterly foolish not to consider this masterpiece of a plot for a prestigious award, at the very least. Nevertheless, the judges of the 2007 Tokyo Anime Award have evidently proven themselves to be no fools, bestowing this Oscar of animes to, amongst others, the deserving title of Death Note.
On Angels and Demons in Fiction
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Perhaps, some time ago..
I participated in a rather lively debate amongst myself and another being - about Angels and Demons..
Now.. You may be wondering..
Why the #### do I care?
Well, I know just the answer..
You Don't..
Now, that will, of course, bring another question up..
Then, why am I reading this?
Well, I have another brilliant answer for you..
I don't know..
So, if you are still reading this I suggest you stop... stop right now...
stop... and never darken my doorstep again...
Now, that all the introductions are out of the way..
let me explain myself..
No.. No, that doesn't sound right. Let me rephrase it again for you;
let me explain myself.. as stoutly as possible..
Hm..
Ready?
..
Angels .. are boring.
Yes. Yes, they are.
On the Other Hand...
I noticed, shortly after my first encounter with this conclusion, that demons are - by comparison - far better to angels in terms of literature.
confused.. ?
No, of course not, but I'm going to explain anyway..
because you have nothing better to do..
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Angels.. Angels are always good..
Now, don't get me wrong, there are all types of good.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Stereotypical Angels :-
Guardian Angels
- Angels that are good. They are so good, they bore me with their goodness. Of course, they absolutely hate it when good good-people are harmed - in any way - even if they deserved it, and are most likely a Dues Ex Machima to the plotline, and guess what.. I hate them..
Wrathful Angels
- Of course, they are good. They are so good, they will exterminate you once you do anything naughty. I love them.. not..
and now..
NON-Stereotypical Angels :-
Awesome Angels - with flaws - :-
- Yeeeeeeahh.. no. No.. Of course not..
Of course, I'm not being entirely truthful if I don't admit that they do have flaws..
All angels have one flaw..
They are.. good.
good..
They have NO FLAWS..
It almost seems impossible, while we are all accusing Gary Sues, Mary Sues and the one thing we have failed to notice :-
Angels Have No Flaws..
which henceforth, portray them - as a character - flawed..
Now..
DEVILS..
can be..
well.. primarily, they can be ..
- evil
and, then..
- misunderstood
- tragic
- heartbroken
Things That Make Them Flawed..
and it doesn't matter..
- who you are
- what you are
- what you want
- what you like
If you enjoy literature..
you enjoy flawed characters..
Why else are Demonic Characters so popular these days?
Exactly..
So, if you have speculations about the Angel x Demon Debate next time you bring it up, know that a flawed character is always better than a Mary Sue..
Now, you must have one more question before you go..
Why the #### did you tell me this?
Because, I enjoy stealing that 5 minutes of your lifetime you'll never get back..
Ever..
and your welcome.
Goodbye.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Perhaps, some time ago..
I participated in a rather lively debate amongst myself and another being - about Angels and Demons..
Now.. You may be wondering..
Why the #### do I care?
Well, I know just the answer..
You Don't..
Now, that will, of course, bring another question up..
Then, why am I reading this?
Well, I have another brilliant answer for you..
I don't know..
So, if you are still reading this I suggest you stop... stop right now...
stop... and never darken my doorstep again...
Now, that all the introductions are out of the way..
let me explain myself..
No.. No, that doesn't sound right. Let me rephrase it again for you;
let me explain myself.. as stoutly as possible..
Hm..
Ready?
..
Angels .. are boring.
Yes. Yes, they are.
On the Other Hand...
I noticed, shortly after my first encounter with this conclusion, that demons are - by comparison - far better to angels in terms of literature.
confused.. ?
No, of course not, but I'm going to explain anyway..
because you have nothing better to do..
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Angels.. Angels are always good..
Now, don't get me wrong, there are all types of good.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
Stereotypical Angels :-
Guardian Angels
- Angels that are good. They are so good, they bore me with their goodness. Of course, they absolutely hate it when good good-people are harmed - in any way - even if they deserved it, and are most likely a Dues Ex Machima to the plotline, and guess what.. I hate them..
Wrathful Angels
- Of course, they are good. They are so good, they will exterminate you once you do anything naughty. I love them.. not..
and now..
NON-Stereotypical Angels :-
Awesome Angels - with flaws - :-
- Yeeeeeeahh.. no. No.. Of course not..
Of course, I'm not being entirely truthful if I don't admit that they do have flaws..
All angels have one flaw..
They are.. good.
good..
They have NO FLAWS..
It almost seems impossible, while we are all accusing Gary Sues, Mary Sues and the one thing we have failed to notice :-
Angels Have No Flaws..
which henceforth, portray them - as a character - flawed..
Now..
DEVILS..
can be..
well.. primarily, they can be ..
- evil
and, then..
- misunderstood
- tragic
- heartbroken
Things That Make Them Flawed..
and it doesn't matter..
- who you are
- what you are
- what you want
- what you like
If you enjoy literature..
you enjoy flawed characters..
Why else are Demonic Characters so popular these days?
Exactly..
So, if you have speculations about the Angel x Demon Debate next time you bring it up, know that a flawed character is always better than a Mary Sue..
Now, you must have one more question before you go..
Why the #### did you tell me this?
Because, I enjoy stealing that 5 minutes of your lifetime you'll never get back..
Ever..
and your welcome.
Goodbye.
