Death Note Panel
You can get me to write a thesis on why I love Death Note but I do not want to take up too much. I will get straight to some basic points and key ideas. However I am more than happy to explain more things in detail.
Firstly, I want to thank the club members who participated in the panel I have thoroughly prepared. Whether you helped out, presented something or just turned up to hear what I have to say, thank you very much for your support. One of the things this club aims to do is to present another perspective of anime. ‘Death Note’ is my favourite anime for that particular reason; among the many more I will go into depth.
And secondly, the following agenda will list what has been discussed and explored during the panels that took place on both Monday (September 9, 2013) and Thursday (September 12, 2013). Each of them delivered different responses and feedback but each member who attended participated and were nonetheless nothing but positive!!
Key Features of the Panel:
- Screenings: Anime Episodes (Japanese) + Movie 1 (first 10mins)
- Key Topics to open Discussion: A world free of criminals…
- Fan-fiction + Abridged Series + Live Action Skit
- Apple Symbolism + Apple Bobbing game
- Reviews of Death Note
- Sharing of Merchandise
- Literacy References (Shakespeare’s Macbeth & Julius Ceasar)
- Religious Symbolism
- Which Death Note character resembles you?
- Death Note Trivia
- Death Note Debate: “Are Light’s actions justifiable?”
- Card game
For those who are not familiar with the series, here is a brief synopsis – which is taken from my personal DVD collection. Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects – and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami (death God) named Ryuk. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal…or his life?
Based on the original manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata consisting of twelve volumes and 108 chapters, the anime series is something worth checking out for the following reasons:
- Art and animation are stunning (multiple viewings are required to catch detail and symbolisms)
- This anime adaptation is very close to the story and structure of the manga
- Particularly the English dub, the performances are spot on and critically acclaimed (especially the voice actor of L).
The panel opened up with some key topics for discussion among members and participants. Ideas and points were mentioned as follows:
Imagine a world free of criminals – it is not possible; recent examples were used such as reviewing the parole system; everyone should at least have a chance for redemption; consider the economy (how much to pay for criminals who stay in jail); “are death sentences appropriate for serious cases rather than life sentences?”
If you found a Death Note, would you use it?
As mentioned by Ryuk, “people who use the Death Note experience nothing but pain and misery”. It is all about self control, if you know the notebook’s powers and its potentials and have a clear mind; there maybe some cases when using the Death Note can be exceptional to use. However there is a fine line when using Death to maintain power, and that is where Light’s character slowly trembles.
How can you change the world? Raising money for charity; as teachers, transmit knowledge to future students; creating awareness of poverty by getting involved in social events such as 40-hour famine; giving someone a hand.
Background information on the series:
- The manga serialized from 2003 to 2006.
- The anime series premiered in 2006 consisting of 37 episodes
- A light novel – Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Case
- Three games for Nintendo DS have been released
- Three live action films have been produced in Japan
- Following the series’ success, it has become a cult phenomenon including a few incidents where students have been suspended from school for possessing a ‘Death Note’
Now here is my review of the series:
The soundtrack is amazing and bears a lot of symbolism. The storyline and concept is very clever even though it is simple. The many uses of the Death Note and the directions it take delivers lots of twists and turns which makes it very exciting to watch at times. Particularly the feud between Light and L are very interesting and often unpredictable to witness. The second half of the series, as most fans agree, seems to deliver some disappointments; but overall, I really enjoyed the series’ atmosphere. My rating is 9/10. It is my favourite anime series of all time.
The floor was open to other members and participants which many of them agreed with my points.
Symbolism (Apples):
- In Greek mythology, the goddess Hera received a golden apple after her engagement to Zeus for fertility. In this case, the connection between Light and Ryuk (humans and gods) indicates the production of a ‘new world’ free of crime.
- In Genesis, the ‘forbidden fruit’ represents temptation. Light accepts the Death Note to become like God which ultimately leads to his downfall.
- In secular ideology, the cosmos is a perfect round shape, just like an apple. In most figures, Light holds an apple in his hand which represents that Light is the new god holding the world in his possession and control.
Apples are red; equivalent to blood meaning life. Ryuk eats a lot of apples as Light kills criminals simultaneously.
Here are some photos of my collection. As you can tell, I am a massive Death Note fan. I collect whatever merchandise I can find.
ACU Anime Club 