Death Note/YMMV

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Alas, Poor Scrappy: Misa, in the anime, at least if you believe she actually jumped. Doubles as an Alas, Poor Villain.
  • Alas, Poor Villain:
    • Misa, as mentioned above.
      • Light's death causes her to commit suicide. It doesn't help that the scene was, technically speaking, very well-done. And that she actually killed herself after she had managed to get somewhat of a normal life.
      • Light in the anime. Certainly just after Matsuda shoots him. The way he calls out to Takada and Misa, asking what he should do now that he's lost and going to die, is pretty heartwrenching.
      • Also in the manga. He lays bloody on the ground, all allies having died or abandoned him, knowing that his death is coming. As his heart gives out, Light repeats over and over how he doesn't want to die, like a helpless child. Pitiable for some.
    • Takada. Her death was really, really ugly. And even if you didn't like her (since she was an arrogant bitch), you can't help feeling a bit sorry for her due to the cruel nature of it all.
  • Adaptation Displacement:
    • "Death Note? Man, I love that anime/movie. What, there was a comic book?"
    • Individual scenes are subject to this as well, even amongst fans who know the manga. The infamous "potato chip" scene was understated and matter-of-fact in the manga, but bring up potato chips in reference to Death Note, and people either recall the over-the-top Japanese dialogue from the anime, or the even more ridiculous English dub of the same scene.
  • Alternative Character Interpretation: Everyone, humans and shinigami, but especially the main characters.
    • Taro Kagami from the pilot chapter. Throughout the story, he comes across as a genuinely good kid who simply got thrown into horrifying circumstances way beyond his control. The pilot's ending, however, is very open-ended. We know Taro kept the Death Note. It's unclear whether he simply kept it or if he did a Face Heel Turn and started using it again. Unlike Light, whom Word of God specifically identifies as "evil," Taro is someone whose moral alignment is genuinely open to interpretation.
    • Also, anyone in the main story. Is Light a psychopathic depraved lunatic with delusions of godhood who kills people indiscriminately for a reason which has been inherently deconstructed? Or is he just a nice guy trying to do the right thing and is in fact the second coming of Christ? Similarly, with L: is he a brilliant chessmaster with a desire to stop a mass-murderer, a talent for reading human nature like an open book, and a genius that surpasses Light (considering he didn't have a Shinigami and all...)? Or is he just a paranoid neurotic who manipulates and schemes to destroy the heroic Light and ruin the utopia that he is trying to create, and is in fact the anti-christ in human form? Apparently either interpretation will get you ripped apart by someone on the right forum...
    • As for Light himself, it is implied that the power of the Death Note corrupts the user, and when Light returns the Death Note to Ryuk, he loses all memories of his killing and actually asks himself whether he'd be capable of killing. So is the Death Note actually responsible for Light's murders as Kira, or was he just a rotten individual all along and just drunk with power?
    • Some people also noticed after Ryuk took away his knowledge of the Death Note, but he regained it later, Light acted like he had multiple personality disorder. You can supposedly see it in his eyes: when his eyes are slanted he's Kira and when they're round again he's switched back to Light. Of course, near the end of the series, Kira takes over, and his eyes don't turn round again until the very last episode. Re-watch the scene in the anime when L dies. Light's eyes switch from pointed to wide while he's falling out of the chair, and he suddenly goes insane, grabs L and starts screaming. After Rem dies however, his eyes are pointed again and he's perfectly calm and collected again. Also he does tend to dissociate from his actions as Kira, even when he doesn't need to, for instance, in the manga when he explains to Ryuk: "If I blow it, Kira may have to kill his own family."
    • There's also the question: Did Light really have a "perfect life" or did he have a crappy childhood? [1]
    • Also, in the anime, while running away, he saw a younger and more innocent version of himself. So did Light die trying to escape arrest, or was he brainwashed and snapped out of it while running away and thus, tried to find a place to hide to die alone]].
    • Mello. Is he an overly-emotional Chaotic Good guy with an inferiority complex who's tired of being Always Second Best, or is he an evil selfish Axe Crazy Manipulative Bastard? Or both? Yeah...both.
    • Near.
      • He openly states that good and evil are purely subjective concepts, and whilst this doesn't necessarily disqualify someone from being Good or Evil, he never shows any inclination towards either, pursuing Kira both because it's what L would do and in order to avenge L. in the manga, it's heavily hinted (or rather speculated by Matsuda) that he kills Mikami with the Death Note in order to get final revenge for L. However, this detail is omitted from the anime, and in general the focus of his character is more on becoming L's successor than avenging him.
      • On that last point: while Word of God states that readers are meant to draw their conclusions about whether or not he used the Death Note on Mikami, Obata describes him as "dishonest" and "the more evil" of him and Mello.
      • This is complicated further by the fact that Obha has spoken more favourably of him, describing him as "blessed from above" with L's brainpower, so it really is open for interpretation.
    • Souichiro Yagami. Word of God states that he is the only character that truly fights for justice. He is quite definitely determined to catch Kira for the sake of justice, but also objects to L's more unorthodox (and less savoury and lawful) methods. However one may question just how "just" threatening an unarmed civilian at gunpoint really is. Not to mention making the trade for Shinigami Eyes and attempting to write Mello's name into the Death Note, only failing to write said name in full because Mello asks him if he's ever killed a person, leading to a moment of hesitance which proves his undoing.
    • Raye Penber's Stay in the Kitchen line. Is he a misogynist, or does he just want his future wife to live a normal life as a housewife so she will no longer be in the risky trade as a law enforcement officer?
    • From the live action movies there's Light's girlfriend (lol what?) Shiori Akino. Is she a) genuinely clueless or b) she knows / suspects Light is Kira and is in denial or c) she knows / suspects Light is Kira and is trying to talk him out of it.
    • In the 2017 film mia sutton did she ever love light or was he just a tool also did she really believe in kiras cause or was it just an excuse for power or given that the director compared her to the animes light was she only in it for herself but believed what she was doing was right
  • Americans Hate Tingle: And Italians Hate Light Yagami.
    • Misa Amane is way more accepted in Japan, Europe and South America than in North America. If she could see fan reaction to her, she'd probably wish the NA Death Note fandom was more like the Batman fandom; she'd be more popular then!
  • And the Fandom Rejoiced: Shane Black has been hired to direct the American Live Action Adaptation.
  • Anvilicious : The power to kill is evil.
  • Ass Pull: Mello and Near also come almost entirely out of the blue, in contrast to the usual pains the story takes to show the plans in action from start to finish.
  • Broken Base: Wether light should have won it not is hotly debated Drago in leather pants aside some people just feel that it would have been cooler and or feel that nears victory was REALLY forced
    • opinions on the 2017 film vary some people say that it was an interesting take on the story others say it's a defilement of the franchise. To. Others its so,okay its average
  • Complete Monster: Light is arguably in this trope's territory by the end of the series. It's clear he's cast off all altruistic qualities, committing murders in the name of pure self-deluded egomania instead.
    • Ryuk calls Light out on this at the end of the first Live Action movie, and Rem re-iterates in the second one. In the films, he actually becomes worse than he ever was in the series, arranging for his girlfriend (whom he may or may not have even loved) to be killed so that the FBI agent in his way whom he'd manipulated into killing her would then take herself out. In the second one, he sinks so low as to make an active attempt on his own father's life, which thankfully fails thanks to L. Even as he dies, he's unrepentant and insistent that Kira's way was justice with his last breath. And since both Higuchi and Rod Ross were not in these films, that makes Light himself the single most atrociously evil person in the story.
    • Not to mention Higuchi. Rem actually comes to prefer Light over him when he expresses his obsession for Misa, hoping to make her, 12 1/2 years his junior, his bride. And, among all the characters who come into possesion of the Death Note, he's the only one who has no motive or attempt at justification whatsoever; he's just BAD. He's also the only Death Note user whose death has no aspect of Alas, Poor Villain whatsoever.
    • Word of God names Mafia leader Rod Ross for the much competed title of "Evilest Person in Death Note". To beat out Serial Killers, mass nurderers, torturers, terrorists, greedy bastards, and monsters that enjoy watching human suffering for the lulz, you must be doing something right... or rather wrong. Seeing how absolutely nonchalant he is about Mello's various atrocities definitively indicates just how soulless he is, and gives you the impression he's seen (and done) much worse in the past. In general, he comes off as the most repulsive person during that phase of the story, even moreso than Light.
    • In the 2017 film Ryuk, who initially seems to be more humourous like his counterpart, makes it clear it's all an act, he's a detestable monster. Ryuk preys on Light's desire for justice and vengeance for his mother and used it to goad him into using the notebook. He also consistently manipulates the situation by leaving out details. He loves watching Light struggle with morality for fun, viewing the earth as a playground. This version of Ryuk is a horrifyng demon with a sick sense of humour who torments people for kicks.
  • Crazy Awesome:
    • Movie-L has a high-tech getaway car. And it's a bright pink Angel Crepe van.
    • Also Light and Mikami emphasis on CRAZY.
  • Creepy Awesome:
  • Crowning Music of Awesome:
    • The songs Japanese band Maximum the Hormone did for the second opening and closing credits.
    • Nightmare did a great job too.
    • Low Of Solipsism, which plays whenever Kira is on a killing spree, and Death Note, which plays at various moments in the series, both qualify as well.
    • Don't forget L's theme (A and B).
    • Special mention also must go to "Domine Kira".
    • Basically, any of the epic classical music played. Leave it to Death Note to make writing in a notebook fucking EPIC. Or eating potato chips.
    • Coda ~ Death Note, the music played over the credits of the final episode. That scene really wouldn't have had the same power without it.
  • Cry for the Devil: Deserving or not, Mello, Takada, Light, Mikami, and Misa all had very sad deaths.
  • Die for Our Ship: Misa and Takada for getting in the way of L and Light. Takada gets this from Light/Misa shippers as well, some of whom actually cheered when Light killed her, even though he was only using both of them. To a lesser degree, Halle for getting in the way of Mello and Matt or Mello and Near.
  • Draco in Leather Pants: Any of the series' protagonists, to varying degrees.
  • Dying as Yourself: Arguably, Light Yagami (in the anime). When he saw a younger version of himself, it's possible that he was brainwashed and broke out of it. Therefore, it's possible that he realized what he did and was trying to find a place to hide and die alone.
  • Ending Fatigue: The second arc. Protip: it's worth it just for the finale.
  • Escapist Character: Light is handled well enough to be this rather than a Villain Sue.
  • Ensemble Darkhorse: Matt. He has very few panels in the manga, but is very popular in the fandom. Also Beyond Birthday and Naomi Misora.
  • Evil Is Cool: Most of the... umm, "less heroic" characters, especially Light. Ryuk, Mello and BB also qualify.
  • Evil Is Sexy: Light Yagami, Misa, Mikami and Mello.
  • Fandom Gank: Some fans question if the ending is a Fandom Gank, merely because Light got defeated by Near, who switched the real death note with a fake one. The young Yagami is set up to be the most brilliant criminal ever.
  • Fanon Discontinuity: Many, many fans would like to forget that Rem kills L. Others like to ignore the bits involving Near and/or Mello. Some even take that a step further and pretend the second season as a whole never happened. And there is yet another group of fans who would very much like to believe that Light won and/or lived.
  • Fashion Victim Villain: Poor Mello actually thinks he looks intimidating in that outfit.
  • Faux Symbolism: The apples. The artist assumed they were there for their religious significance, but the writer just put them there because he thought they were cool. So he claims, anyway.
    • Not to mention the first opening credits that make us think that Light is going to do something really just and noble. Heck, the first time you see him he's reciting Scripture perfectly in class. Two episodes into the series, you know better.
      • Throughout the series, there a number of images that just happen to resemble crosses. And in the first opening credits sequence, Misora is seen holding the recently killed Raye Penber's body, looking uncannily like La Pieta art.
      • The first opening credits also shows a split-second image of Light laying on what appears to be a stained-glass window (in the second opening, this is repeated, only Light is shown more as a festering corpse).
      • Also in the opening credits is an image of Light handing Ryuk an apple, in what appears to be a crude mimicry of Michelangelo's ceiling painting of Adam and God (With Light as Adam, giving the apple more symbolism, and Ryuk as God, being flanked by Shinigami rather than cherubim). Also note how, in this image, Light has THAT chain handcuffed to his wrist, which leads off-screen. Is speculated to mean that the image may actually be larger, including L attached on the other end.
  • Foe Yay: Tons of it. L seems to get this with all his enemies-with Light above all others but also with Misa, and Beyond from Another Note at least on B's side. B is very obsessed with him. As for Light and L the two compliment each other's methods and skills all the time, and regard each other as worthy adversaries. L evokes feelings in Light that he feels for no one else. L is the most important person in Light's life even after he is dead. And in the anime L is the only person on Light's mind when he's dying. And of course, there's that infamous foot massage in the anime, which must be seen to be believed.

L: It's the least I can do to atone for my sins.
Light: ...Do as you wish.

When Beyond Birthday committed his third murder, he attempted an experiment. Namely, to see if it were possible for a human being to die of internal hemorrhaging without rupturing any organs. Specifically, he drugged his victim so they fell unconscious, tied them up, and proceeded to beat their left arm thoroughly, being careful not to break the skin. He was hoping to bring about enough hemorrhaging to cause death from loss of blood, but this attempt ended, sadly, in failure. Blood congested in the arm and it turned purplish red beneath the skin, but the victim did not die. He simply shook, convulsed, and remained alive. He had been convinced the blood loss incurred was enough to kill someone, but apparently he had underestimated the matter. As far as Beyond Birthday was concerned, the actual method of murder rated fairly low on the amusement scale, and it was never more than an interesting experiment. It did not particularly matter to him whether it succeeded or not. Beyond Birthday simply shrugged, and took out a knife...

    • From the Pilot chapter, Taro's nightmare. The people he accidentally killed return as reanimated corpses to accuse him and grab at him with their skeletal hands.
  • Hilarious in Hindsight:
    • in Volume 5 of the manga L wonders "Just how far ahead have you prepared, Light Yagami...?"
    • In Volume 2 Light declares in his mind "I can't let myself be even remotely suspected of being Kira!" Yeah, good luck with that.
    • We agree, Ryuuk. Humans are fun!
  • No Yay:
  • Paranoia Fuel: Your life can be ended at anytime just by having some Japanese god write your name in a notebook. Moreover, it's implied that this happens all the time. And, the only fate that awaits you or anyone, for that matter is nonexistence.
  • Possession Sue: When Fanfic writers get ahold of Light Yagami it's usually this along with a side order of Villain Sue and Mary Tzu...
  • Replacement Scrappy:
    • Near He just ain't L,.
    • K for Light in the movie-verse.
  • Rescued from the Scrappy Heap:
    • Misa during the Yotsuba arc when she successfully outmaneuvers and controls Higuchi.
    • Also in the live action movies, where she's portrayed as a more sympathetic character, with the death of her family being shown as a constant source of pain for her, rather than just being forgotten about the minute she joins Light (who, in the movies, she comes to acknowledge as a monster who doesn't care for her, but she just can't quit him.. Not to mention she has photos of her parents alongside her pictures of Light, openly says she should've died with Mom and Dad, and breaks down in tears when Light decides to kill his father.)
  • Ron the Death Eater: Soichiro Yagami and Misa regularly in L x Light Fan Fics. Also Rem for killing L. L-centric fics frequently derail Light into an outright Complete Monster. Light-centric often give L the same treatment.
  • Seasonal Rot: Apart from the final episode, the second part of the series, that is, everything after L's death, is almost universally considered to be inferior to the first. Whether this means "quite good, just not as good" or "so bad it never happened" depends on who you ask.
  • Selfish Good, Selfish Evil: L, Light, Mello, and Near are all selfish in their own ways going with the theme of "childish and hates to lose."
  • Ship Mates: Most fans ship Light/L with their Mello/Matt or Mello/Near.
  • Squick: Higuchi's plans to make Misa his bride.
  • Stoic Woobie: L, surprisingly.
  • Tastes Like Diabetes: Misa's attitude gets like this at times, especially compared to the overall aesthetic of the series.
  • Too Cool to Live: This applies to pretty much all the characters that meet bad ends, but especially Naomi.
  • They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: Naomi Misora and Matt
  • Ugly Cute:
    • Most of the shinigami. Also L-Takeshi Obata meant to make L look ugly, but he has plenty of fangirls.
    • Beyond, seeing as he's L's evil doppelganger.
  • Uncanny Valley: Misa on the Volume 4 manga cover artwork.
  • Unfortunate Implications: The ladies in this series tend to be Too Dumb to Live, and with one or two exceptions only have value in relation to the male characters.
  • Unpopular Popular Character: L
  • Values Dissonance: Many western viewers take offense at what they perceive as Raye Penber's paternalistic and condescending attitude toward his fiancée, retired F.B.I. agent Naomi Misora—and, worse, her seemingly contented acceptance of it. (In the DVD Commentary, her English-dub voice actress Tabitha St. Germain said that that scene was particularly difficult for her.)
  • Viewer Gender Confusion: Mello, in the manga. Rem is female but looks androgynous. Also, Near who is male but is voiced by female VAs in both the original and the English dub.
    • Interestingly, Mello's original name was Near, and vice versa, but an editing error at Shonen Jump saw their names switched around.
  • Wangst:
  • What an Idiot!: Naomi Misora giving Light her real name. In the manga, Mikami gets noticed by the SPK when he is asking Kira for orders... on national TV. Also, Higuchi.
  • What Do You Mean It's for Kids?: Even plenty of anime fans mistake it for Seinen. It was published in Shonen Jump.
    • It just barely qualifies. Had the manga started when Light was in college, it would be a seinen. Granted, it's more for high school students than the typical 12-15 demographic associated with shonen.
  • The Woobie: Rem, Gelus, and especially Soichiro and Sayu. From the movie, Shiori.
  1. ↑ and some guys!
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