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Decades after its release,Death Noteremains my favorite anime of all time for one big reason that many Western viewers missed completely. Many considerDeath Notethe quintessential anime experience. From anti-hero protagonist Light Yagami to L Lawliet’s memorable character design,Death Notehas become one of the most recognizable anime in the 21st Century.However, what keepsDeath Noteso relevant in today’s culture isn’t what fans think.
Tsugumi Ohba’s complicated reverse mystery is condensed into 37 episodes.While Death Note is shorter compared to long-running anime likeOne PieceorNaruto, its premise and execution are just as beloved, and not just in Japan.The anime has inspired both Western and Eastern artists for years.Death Note-inspired cosplays and fan art are constantly trending on social media. Furthermore,multipleDeath Notemovie adaptationshave been produced, including a film by Netflix in 2017.
There is also amusical version ofDeath Note, with an original soundtrack in English starring Broadway actor Jeremy Jordan as Light. While a live stage production in the U.S. has not yet been announced, fans are led to believe that a U.S. premiere is inevitable with the musical’s new-found popularity.However, despite the countless attempts at recreating the originalDeath Noteanime, none hold a candle to the 2006 anime series, thanks to one huge reason that many fans missed: its deeply rooted Biblical and Buddhist inspirations.
Death Note Still Holds Its Place as the Face of the Anime Industry
Death Note is Known as the Classic Anime Starter-Series, and For Good Reason
Death Notefollows the story ofhigh-school student/prodigy Light Yagami. One day, out of the blue, a mysterious black notebook falls from the sky, left to be found by none other than Light. With the words “Death Note” engraved jaggedly across the book’s leather cover, Light soon discovers that it has the ability to kill anyone whose name is written within its pages.Alongside the notebook’s owner, Ryuk, a Shinigami from the realm of the dead, Light takes on his self-inflicted calling of ridding the world of criminals.
Death Note Is Still Popular Today, But Not For The Reason Fans Think
Despite being almost 20 years old, Death Note is still one the most easily recognizable anime of all time, for one unexpected reason.
However, while the protagonist’s goal may seem justified from the outside,he soon falls into delirium as the story progresses, believing that he is undeniably destined to become the “god of the new world”which he will create by eradicating anybody who stands in his way, including his own father and sister, should he deem it necessary to succeed. Unsurprisingly, Light’s mission goes far from unnoticed. Soon, a brilliant, albeit hermitlike detective, L Lawliet, joins the case to track down the illusive justice dealer, who is somehow able to kill without being present.
Death Note’skiller plot is what makes the series so culturally impactful, which makes perfect sense, considering itshome studio is Madhouse Inc.Established in 1972, Madhouse Inc. is a Japanese animation studio based in Nakano City, Tokyo. While the studio has been successful since its conception, it became especially relevant in the early 2010s when they adapted series such asDeath Note, Hunter x Hunter (2011),andOne Punch Man.Additionally, the studio is home to various anime legends such asDeath Parade, No Game No Life, Overlord, Parasite,and many more.
Madhouse is a unique animation studio for one specific strength: the stories it chooses to adapt. Anime such asDeath NoteandHunter x Hunter,in particular, are not necessarily known for their animation styles or fight sequences. However,Death Note, Parasite,andOverlordare some of the most outstanding anime plots of all time.Madhouse may not have the most unique animation style or quality, but the stories they cover are consistently intriguing, thought-provoking, and consistently relevant.
Religious Symbolism in Death Note
Death Note Pulls Inspiration From the World’s Two Most Practiced Religions
When Ifirst watchedDeath Note,I picked up on a bit of the religious symbolism that the series contains. However, I admittedly missed more than I should have, considering how prevalent it really is on closer inspection.Death Notecenters around Light’s attempt to create and rule a world cleansed of evil using the notebook and the efforts of a detective known as L to stop him.As Light gets used to his newfound ability, he becomes drunk with power, and obsessed with reshaping the world according to his image.
Death Notecontains both Biblical and Buddhist themes. However, they are each prominent in differing parts of the series. The Biblical themes remain constant throughout the series.Yet, despite their notable impact on the story, they are widely unnoticed by Western anime fans.When comparingDeath Noteto the Bible, Light Yagami represents the human race and/or Judas. According to the Bible, since the first sin committed by Adam and Eve, the human race remains in a fallen state, separated from God.
Death Note’s Most Uncomfortable Scene is Actually Its Most Important
The Notorious “Foot Massage Scene” is Death Note’s Crown Jewel
According to some readings of the Bible, people often believe their own worldviews are optimal, thinking that if they could only change the world according to their vision, life would be better.While that’s a tempting reading of Light, it’s also possible he represents Judas. During Jesus’ time on earth, he had 12 disciples who followed Him faithfully and assisted with His ministry. However, one of his followers, Judas, turned Him into the authorities.
In the Bible, Jesus knew the betrayal was coming ahead of time but did nothing to stop it, as He knew it was His God-given destiny. His surrender to the betrayal and to the government eventually led to his great sacrifice: the saving of the world through His death on the cross.In this case, L represents Jesus, betrayed by mankind. Like Jesus, L was fully aware that his death was inevitable but fully accepted it, nonetheless.
“The sound of a bell has been unusually loud today…” – L Lawliet
The notoriously uncomfortable yet highly symbolic “foot massage scene” fromDeath Notehas two possible inspirations from the Bible as well. Judas had told the temple guards:
“The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” – Matthew 26:48 (NIV)
Just before his arrest, according to the Bible, Jesus spoke directly to his betrayer and said:
“‘Do what you came for, friend.’ Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.” – Matthew 26:50 (NIV)
L’s offer to give Light a foot massage, despite his underlying suspicion about his oncoming death, is highly reminiscent of this Biblical passage. Furthermore, I have found that many fans find the scene uncomfortable. In fact, I am a high schoolfilm teacher and recently taught my studentsabout this very topic. They, too, found the foot massage scene wildly out of the ordinary. That is, until I told them about the strong Biblical symbolism.Afterward, they realized how beautiful this scene really is, despite its social abnormalities.
While the connection to Matthew 26 is strong in this scene, some fans (including my students) may wonder why the author chose a foot massage as L’s symbolic act of surrender.Going back to the Bible, it is widely known that Jesus Christ would consistently wash the feet of those he cared for. As the date for His arrest approached rapidly, Jesus often gathered with his disciples.
One night, Jesus stood from the dinner table, poured water into a basin, and began to wash His disciples’ feet. The Son of God was performing an act of service usually meant for the lowest servants. Like Light, the disciples objected at first. However, they soon relented, accepting this act of unimaginable kindness.In the same way, just as Judas accepted Jesus’ feet washing, Light gave into L’s request.
Light’s Death: A Buddhistic Conclusion to a Biblically-Sourced Storyline
While Much of Death Note’s Inspiration is Sourced from the Bible, Its Ending is Actually Reminiscent of Buddhist Beliefs
Despite his colossal efforts to rise above the riffraff of the earth, Light is unable to escape the universal confines of the human condition. Falling from his throne as “god of the new world,”Light dies alone, like any other man, where even Ryuk, an unfeeling Shinigami, pities him. While Light experiences many euphoric highs throughout the series, some of which resemble Gojo’s “enlightening” inJujutsu Kaisen,his efforts are futile.No human is divine, and playing god by inflicting your own worldview on others provides no long-lasting outcome.
At the end of theDeath Notemanga, immediately following Light’s death, are two black pages, indicating to readers that his afterlife was non-existent. The rules of the Death Note state that its user will neither go to Heaven nor Hell. However, according to theorists, an unknown Shinigami appears in aDeath Note OVA, strongly resembling Light Yagami. This appearance led many fans to believe that he was reincarnated as a Shinigami.While fans argue that this would go against the rules of the Death Note, the Shinigami realm could be interpreted as “purgatory,” which is quite literally neither Heaven nor Hell.
Reincarnation after death is a prevalent concept in Buddhism, which is one of Japan’s most practiced religions. In fact,according to the HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment Services), Buddhist teachings view life and death as a continuum, believing that consciousness (the spirit) continues after death and may be reborn. Death can also be an opportunity for liberation from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.Life as a Shinigami could be considered “liberation” from the cycle when taking into account their endless, almost pointless, existence in the afterlife.
Finally,some Mahayana Buddhists believethat a pure light of bliss appears at the point of death. Generally, it is said that advanced practitioners enter this light, whereas lesser practitioners get drawn away into lesser lights and into a kind of dream world with many alluring or nightmarish appearances before being reborn. Light’s iconic death scene reflects these same ideas.After fighting the inevitable, the protagonist slowly accepts his fate, falling into an eternal slumber as the setting sun shines on his lifeless body.
I was shocked to find out that my film students, many of whom were hugeDeath Notefans, had never noticed the prominent religious symbolism in the series. What once was a laughable foot massage scene in their eyes became a powerful depiction of selflessness pulled from one of the world’s most prominent religions. Before I dove deeper into the sheer amount of symbolism in Ohba’s series, the anime remained at the top of my list for years. However, after discovering what many Western fans completely missed,Death Notewill forever be my favorite anime.
HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment Services)
