I read/watch Death Note for the laughs

[teakay]

... and I also read porn for the story. No, really. You can stop laughing now.

Yeah, on the outside it's pretty depressing. Not only is it easier than ever for people to die (and they duly proceed to do so) there's nothing on the other side, and there's no way back. So the user of the Death Note doesn't go to heaven or hell, but then it comes out that nobody does, so what was the point of the distinction again? Ha ha.

I'm sure there's oodles of meaning in Death Note, even if the writer doesn't seem to think so. I can read the serious essays and nod along. But then I turn around and go back to laughing at bits like Light and L and Misa dancing 'round in a circle with random Shiny Happy Bubbles floating about. And a cornered Higuchi putting a gun to his head and realizing, belatedly, that there's little point in taking yourself hostage. And those super potato chips, of course. And L telling Misa "I have been a huge fan of yours ever since the August issue of Eighteen"*, that whole scene right there.

*The image I get there is either L is a legitimate fan or, with suspects narrowed down, he's been sitting with a stack of teen magazines and studiously paging through them For The Investigation.

Also, pathos and symbolism is all well and good but with one certain scene I will forever hear Light shouting "You're not Jesus!"

In this regard, Death Note: Another Note does not disappoint. To take just one example: The Akazukin Chacha debate. In a nutshell, details fuzzed:

Ryuuzaki**: "The victim has the whole run of Akazukin Chacha except two volumes. This is clearly a clue. The killer must have taken them to leave some kind of message."
Naomi: "Maybe he just didn't buy those volumes?"
Ryuuzaki: "Impossible. He must have. No true fan would leave out volumes."
Naomi: "Well, maybe he lent them out?"
Ryuuzaki: "If other people want to read Akazukin Chacha they can jolly well buy their own."
Naomi: ...
Ryuuzaki: "Any jury would agree!"
Naomi: -_-
Ryuuzaki: "This is a Clue. I'd bet my jam on it."
Naomi: ... your jam goes for five bucks, tops.
Mello (narrating): "Yeah, Ayahana-sensei would be insulted."

So. The super-conclusional leap, which is a stretch but does prove to produce a clue after all, is amusing enough, at least for Yours Truly, but it doubles when one realizes, after reading the whole book, that Ryuuzaki knows it's a clue because he's the killer and he put it there himself. He wants the clues to be found, after a bit of effort, so as to lead up to the planned finale and have L spend the rest of his days tearing out his hair in frustration over That One Case. But then Naomi has to go and be all sensible about it...

**For those who've seen my LJ interests, yes, apparently there's something about disturbed killers with massive burn scarring that makes me sigh and go weak in the knees. Perhaps I will talk to myself about this little predilection next.

Comments

[pukingtoreador.livejournal.com]

I totally fell for it and actually suprirized at the ending. Makes up a bit for the medicore writing and unbelieveable names. Honestly, Backyard Bottomslash?

[tobykikami.livejournal.com]

... that's obviously what the victims had in common. Seeing as he could see all their names with the shinigami eyes, Beyond Birthday decided to put them all out of their misery and cap off his series of mercy killings with himself, though he did end up having to leave behind the unfortunate Mr. Babysplit. Surpassing L was just a bonus. It all makes sense now!