#death note spoilers

[megaderping]

I feel like when people compare Akechi to Light Yagami, they fundamentally misunderstand his character. Their similarities really end at their designs, and Light is the kind of person Akechi would despise. Light Yagami lives a pretty privileged life at the start of Death Note. He has a stable home, with two parents and a sister who care about him. He's a successful student. There isn't really inherent tragedy to his life. The whole reason he starts using the Death Note is a mix of curiosity and a jaded worldview, and when it works it empowers him, very quickly goes to his head, as he believes he is one who can be a god of a "new world" once the shock of his initial kills wears off. While his first kill was to help someone, that altruism didn't last. He is in charge of his choices, while Ryuk mostly vibes and maybe eggs him on a little. Fundamentally, Light has something Akechi lacks: agency, and a comfortable life he took for granted. Meanwhile, Akechi is someone who lived on the bottom rung of Japanese society. His very existence is shameful there, between his mother being a sex worker, his status as an illegitimate/"throw away" child, and his mother's suicide. Years languishing in a foster system that is notoriously inhumane, in a country where 90% of the adoptions are grown men for inheritance and patriarchal reasons, while very few children in the system find permanent homes. When Akechi awakens his power, he approaches Shido not because he wants to kill people but for a stupid revenge plan cooked up by a traumatized child who's been nudged along by a malevolent god. He wants to build Shido up so that at the height of his power, he can expose him for the monster he really is, while another part of him genuinely wants to be useful to Shido, as Cogkechi later calls out. His feelings are a mess of contradictions, and so it's no surprise that Shido was able to mold him into his assassin at only 15 years old. It's also worth noting that Akechi only approaches Shido with his ability to cause psychotic breakdowns. Shido is the one who teaches and instructs him to do shutdowns. He's still complicit, very sunk cost with his revenge plan, but as I spoke of here, even if he wanted to quit, he couldn't alone. Shido's cleaner and control of the law and ability to effortlessly turn him in would render the Metaverse his only safe haven. I think people look at 11/20 Akechi and Akechi in the early parts of the engine room and assume that's just his "true self," when in reality it's another mask. Royal makes it very clear because in Rank 7, he outright warns Joker of what's to come via a pool metaphor and offers an out (though he's MUCH happier if you don't take it/stick to your principles), and in Rank 8, he goes on that big "I hate you" speech... while Sunset Bridge is playing. Y'know, the song that plays at the end of most confidants to reaffirm bonds. So when he smiles as he shoots what he assumes to be Joker, that doesn't mean he's genuinely happy. More likely, he's an emotional clusterfuck, given he also is disoriented enough to namedrop "Shido-san" over the phone, and in the subsequent meeting with Shido, tells him not to kill the Phantom Thieves and that Morgana is "just a cat." Yes, he says they'll make them fear for the rest of their lives, but remember, he's talking to Shido. The things he says are likely all incredibly calculated to sound appealing to Shido. And when you consider that he planned to utterly destroy Shido's reputation after the election, the "delay" makes even more sense.

Later, Akechi goes on about how the people he induced shutdowns on were deserving of their fates, but I don't think he believes it so much as it's the only way he could convince himself that it was worth it, and given how much society failed him, and given how many of the people he targeted were likely rivals/competitors or rich fucks, I think he'd be less inclined to assume good faith. Kunikazu Okumura was not an innocent little victim, after all. He was one of the people who requested breakdowns and shutdowns the most. I think Akechi enjoyed killing him not because of how it'd hurt Haru, but because of catharsis. Because Okumura is just as monstrous as Shido, so why should he feel remorse? However, I don't believe he feels the same about Wakaba, as when he discusses her with Shido, he mentions how her fate was because she refused to willingly work for him. It's another justification, but I personally think Wakaba's death was the most painful for him because he was effectively making Futaba just like him. That's why I think his reaction to Sae threatening Sojiro's custody was genuine. Anyway, evil grinning Akechi is just another mask, as I said. Keep in mind, this is someone who laments not meeting Joker years ago, someone who Morgana outright points out is lying about his hatred. And that's the thing. Light Yagami, while a really fascinating character, is not someone who had all this childhood suffering or lack of agency. He does not regret his actions in the slightest and goes down due to his own hubris in both the anime and the manga. While you can argue that Ryuk set him up by dropping the Death Note, Light was the one who picked it up and chose to use it. Any nudging from Ryuk didn't coerce Light into doing it because Light seized the opportunity. No, if Light Yagami is like anyone in Persona 5, it's Masayoshi Shido, not Goro Akechi. Both believe they are god/god's chosen, that they are the ones who will reshape the world to their ideals, and to be frank, both use and abuse women to serve their own purposes. Goro Akechi goes down sacrificing himself for the Thieves and pleading with them to stop his father and again in Maruki's reality when he refuses to let Joker accept a gilded prison of a world for his sake when he knows better than anyone what it's like to have no true freedom. If you max his confidant, you see him in the postcredits, leaving his survival entirely possible, and I think it works because at the end of the day, Akechi was meant to be a victim and a foil. Light is a villain protagonist and a cautionary tale. Though its his POV we follow, he isn't someone we're meant to root for, but I definitely don't think enjoying the character is a bad thing at all. He's really interesting! I just think that a lot of the Akechi and Light comparisons are surface level at best.

[nerdstify]

stress relief

likes do nothing!

[poofmalyakaet]

death note except Light and Sayu act like real siblings

[discountsoysauce]

Light: *kills Ryuzaki*

Light: damn this is boring where's Ryuzaki

[whoishotteranimepolls]

I think everyone can guess the theme of this "Who's Hotter" Battle Royale

[corviiids]

death note is an entire series of L and light correctly clocking each other's character intentions trains of thought personality ideals beliefs next moves etc etc etc and then either not identifying or being resistant to taking the most advantageous course of action because they simply cannot resist taking the more interesting path. there are multiple points throughout the series in which either one of them could have ended the game by simply flipping the board but they don't do it because then they don't really win. that's not to say they won't play underhanded or use hidden advantages but if they're going to do that it needs to be something the other could feasibly respond to or else they won't be satisfied. they both need to know, if i continue to play by the rules we've mutually set, could i come out on top? could i outplay him in a legitimate fight? could i beat him if i did it right? and the answer is the reason why they both lose

[kittysauce]

“ SLEEP NOW, HERE AMONG YOUR CHOICES . ”

[PANEL REDRAW!!!!]

[chinoxi]

what are you doing out there all alone in the rain , ryuzaki ?

[silverwoodwork]

Started this as a tiny sketch more than 10 years ago, and I finally finished it...

Interesting how she wore this in the anime JUST before a major character died

[s-3lliot]

Part 1 of the long Death Note Analysis

Okay no because I’m sorry but what the fuck. You’re telling me that of the SIXTY-FOUR cameras that were placed in Light’s room, NONE of them thought to place one RIGHT WHERE HE SITS at his goddamn DESK??? Like HELLO???? Bro is writing names left right and center and not a SINGLE one of the 64 goddamn cameras can catch his WRITING?? Man no wonder he doesn’t respect his dad or the ICPO, they’re fuckin’ STUPID. 

[darklight-owl]

Happy (late) Light Yagami Death Day

Turnabout Notebook was definitely one of my favorite Ace Attorney cases fr.

[jotawife]

it’s an old tumblr format, but I made it for my siblings. they have all watched death note and I haven’t. i said I’d watch it and they wanted me to do some predictions and what I think I know. so I made this.

edit: here’s the update after I watched all of death note

[do-you-ship-it-polls]

Do you ship it?

reason under the cut O_O

"L and Light are the founding fathers of toxic yaoi" is what people WANT you to believe but these poor men are being slandered... You see it's ackshually totally heterosexual to give your bestie (who's also your mortal enemy) a foot massage while he he makes soft little grunting noises and wipes the water droplets from your rain-soaked hair all while a soft melancholic piano track is accompanying this surprisingly tender moment between the two of you- IF it's a religious callback to Jesus and Judas. It's just a Bible reference bro. No homo. 🤓☝

Anyhow don't google the Japanese version of "Playing his Game" (which is called "Inside of him" in Japanese) from the Death Note Musical. I assure you there is absolutely nothing gay about those lyrics.

Wdym people love shipping two mortal enemies with an unhealthy obsessive murderous rivaly??? What is the world coming to... Besides Light is clearly heterosexual. His lack of interest in women is because he's a based sigma male obviously...

and additional reason here but this one spoils a bit of the series

Foot washing scene. The musical. God, they're so obsessed with each other. When L dies Light loses his main drive, his passion- being Kira isn't fun anymore without L, he isn't having a good time even though he won their battle of wits. Light being L's first friend. L being... really, the first person to understand Light. Theyre insane I love them

[marcmorrigan]

Released to [REDACTED]. SPK 02-04-10 6:45 PM

also released:

3 - One (1) sealed bag s/c cigarettes & lighter which were found in right exterior vest pocket of unnamed male accomplice.

4 - One (1) sealed bag s/c polaroid photo which was found in left interior vest pocket of unnamed male accomplice.

Note: victim posthumously identified as one Mail Jeevas, DOB 02/01/1990 (aged 19yrs at time of death). Request that Gevanni update documentation accordingly. - N

always thinking about the polaroids matt and mello didnt get to take + the amount of clean up and paperwork near and the SPK probably had to do after they seized all the kira case files from 'L'... also like. do you think near had to identify matts body. who else was there that couldve done it. anyway whatever teehee <3

+ 'clean'(er) version without all the scratches and stuff:

[corviiids]

[death note spoilers]

--

The night Ryuzaki dies, L appears in Light's bed.

In Light's arms are a towel and a pair of pyjama pants, neither of which belong to him. L sits cross-legged in a standard king, hunched over a slim notebook computer which is creasing and no doubt heating the sheets to a fire hazard. The desk is mere inches away. Light had lost the fight for a four-poster with a canopy, which might have granted him some meagre protection from the blue light of L’s ever-on laptop, but it hadn't mattered anyway, because L had soon after migrated to the bed they shared given it had no impact on his horrendous posture anyw

Whose memories are these?

L glances up.

“You can shower first,” he says, zeroing in on his towel and pyjama pants in Light’s hands. “I’ll be a while.”

“I can't find my loungewear.”

“It's in the hamper. You can borrow mine.”

“Thanks,” says Light, and wakes up.

--

lawlight, 3.8k, a fic i wrote on a plane about light having nightmares in which he is in a romantic relationship with the recently murdered L.

[twolovelyberries]

people call the second half of death note boring as if it doesn’t contain both the worlds most pretentious love triangle and the worlds most tedious hate triangle. L Lawliet 2: Electric Boogaloo. everyone except light gets a narrative foil. light experiences Teenagers for the first time as a young adult. matt is there. near wears an L mask for no reason other than the drama. light at his most pathetic. excessively convoluted notebook scheming. light constantly saying things like “who is the guy who killed L. i’d like to have a word with him.” death note’s worst and best haircuts, both on the same guy. what more do you guys want