| Art Instagram - @Nanalytix | 🤍

a death note chapter 1 vs episode 1 comparison

I think people tend to be under the assumption that the death note manga and anime are basically the same besides their endings and the foot washing scene, and thus generally interchangeable. Personally, i don’t believe this is the case. Though many of the changes are small things a casual viewer might not notice, to me these small changes add up to such a degree that despite being so similar, reading the manga and watching the anime are two very different experiences (not even getting into how the anime butchers the second half lmao)

For the record, im not against significant changes in adaptations. On the contrary, i find the oft-hated 2015 tv drama to be a compelling alternate take on the narrative (even if it often struggles in the execution of its concepts). Rather, this whole Thing is more of a documentation of the big and small changes made in adaptation, through the lens of my own extremely subjective interpretation of both versions.

the anime naturally makes many structural changes to the narrative so for the sake of consistency, i will generally be going through things according to the anime’s chronology. If i believe one of these changes has a notable effect on how the narrative comes across, i’ll mention it. I’ll try not to repeat things that are identical between versions, so naturally some existing familiarity with either version would be preferable

Let's Begin

Light: this world… Ryuk: …is rotten

The anime takes the opening lines of the manga (which are spoken separately by light and ryuk, respectively) and gives light ryuk’s line, while light’s is then shared between both of them.

Though they are very obviously visually drawing parallels between the two characters in the manga, i think the actual sentiment expressed in their respective lines isn’t meant to be quite as connected as the anime portrays it. the role “boredom” and “morality” play in their respective motivations is pretty important later on in the chapter, so just keep this in the back of your mind for now.

After light picks up the note for the first time, he puts it back down and starts to leave, dismissing it as a stupid chain letter. But once he thinks about the fact that it’ll supposedly kill people, he turns back (and goes back for it). This choice to go back is not present in the manga, he simply picks it up, laughs, and puts it in his bag without a second thought.

Though light laughs at it in both, in the manga the sequence in general feels lighter in tone compared to the anime (where light only takes interest in it Because it claims to kill). 

In general, light comes across as more mature in the anime, in his facial features and behavior. Tragically, there is no “fwaah” 🥺

It’s minor but Anime light entirely skips manga light’s rationalization of finding someone it’s “okay to kill”, though he does immediately rebuke himself for taking this so seriously

This may just be up to translation differences but anime light seems almost eager for the death note to be real, while manga light seems to just want confirmation, and is much more distressed over the circumstances. Again, the anime leaves out light determining who to kill specifically in terms of who it would be “okay to kill”. And here he then doubles down to someone who “ought to die”, as the situation has gotten more serious

It’s a small thing, but the anime completely removes this scene (the teacher is knocking him out of his thoughts of killing one of his classmates). It’s only notable to me in how it connects with the wider tonal differences between the versions of the story, and of how much less willing the anime is to portray light’s more mundane immature/human aspects

I'm not including pics but this sequence where light comes across a woman being harassed by a group of bikers is a lot more graphic, showing the preamble to sexual assault where the manga just implied it to be a possibility.

This one is probably more subjective, but when light pulls out the note to stare at it and laugh a little eagerly, the anime’s delivery is really like. Obvious overt Supervillain laugh (even if it is fairly quiet). The manga comes across a little more….. Idc, childish? Immature? Not to mention the sweat on his face

A small change, but in the anime there’s no disbelieving “a…[bold text] shinigami?”

Anime light sweats at his initial meeting of ryuk, but it’s gone as he resolves himself. Manga light sweats and sweats and keeps on sweating through most of the rest of the conversation, the closed eye expression being one of frustration before he opens his eyes and resolves himself.

In the manga, light’s hand trembles as he grabs the chair while getting up.

With the context of the rest of this chapter/episode, these lines come off very differently to me. Anime light feels like he was only surprised by the sight of ryuk+jumpscare, and is wayyy more confident in this situation. That he has been waiting for ryuk feels like a true statement. But in the manga, it really comes off like he is pissing himself scared right now and is desperately pretending to be cool and lies about it to try and have some control over the situation

The anime omits this hilariously awkward line, which really adds to the “light’s absolutely freaking out” of the manga

Ugh, for such a little thing im genuinely kinda devastated that the anime just doesn’t have that look between ryuk and light. It makes the “most people would be too scared” feel so much less pointed. Light later says that there’s “some power that makes you want to use the death note” and i think this bit really drives in how truly abnormal light’s behavior is, even for people who willingly use the death note. 

Off topic but I Hate those “the death note has supernatural powers that makes you evil” theories i really do, it gets rid of everything interesting about the narrative, i’ll fight you. anyways.

Again, the difference in composure. Anime light is still sweating over this, but overall way more “cool” than manga light’s heavily shadowed, serious expression and hunched shoulders

Im so sad at how they’ve removed so much of this lowkey humor in the anime. Light’s awkward laughter is so funny and characterful to me, he is sooo internally freaking out…

i think the juxtaposition of dark shit with humor to be one of the big appeals of the manga, and one of the main reasons i find the anime pretty boring tonally. 

They need to stop getting rid of light’s awkward bits, it really humanizes him

Light has resolved himself to his mission, he proclaims it with a smile on his face, in both versions. (Manga light finally doesn’t have sweat on his face anymore)

But why is he doing all this? Ryuk even asks flat out in the anime. And what does light say?

Well this is where it gets really interesting… It is here where what i believe to be the single most significant adaptation change occurs. 

Light has two RADICALLY different answers.

A childish, wide eyed smiling proclamation that “nobody will commit crimes anymore. the world will start to become a better place,” versus a serious “i was bored…too.”

once you strip away the cat and mouse games to reach the thematic and emotional bones of death note (the manga), i find it to be a story that is fundamentally a character study of our beloved beloathed protagonist light yagami. As such, i find Altering something so critical to who he is like this irrevocably changes the entire narrative. 

And the thing is, both sentiments are expressed in both versions, but come across very differently due to their contexts. 

←- right to left

This first chapter has had some fairly major structural changes done in the process of adaptation. While the anime goes from light seeing the death note fall from his classroom window to meeting ryuk for the first time in chronological order, the manga has a timeskip in the middle of it. What did they skip? Light’s first time actually using the death note. So when ryuk later tells light that he dropped the death note for a human to pick up out of boredom, light responds that he was bored too… leading directly into a flashback of when he first used the note. 

In the manga, the juxtaposition of events leads us to read “i was bored too” as: 

“Light used the death note for the first time because he was bored” 

In the anime, the same line is instead a direct answer to ryuk asking his motivation for becoming kira. Reinforced by following it up with a flashback to the immediate aftermath of light discovering that the death note truly works (+ his decision to become kira).

Though not significantly different, i do find it interesting how the anime has omitted light considering getting rid of the death note and thinking that the second victim didn’t deserve death (then talking himself into accepting it). As a result, anime light’s rationalization of his behavior feels less personal, and has much less doubt.

Again, the manga goes way harder into light’s emotional state, and doubts about this whole thing. “Just two, and look at me…” Also, no guilt blanket burrito in the anime ☹️

Now back to the conversation with ryuk, the anime is very notably missing this line from light. Ryuk has never seen someone write as many names in the notebook in 5 days as light has, and light is not dealing with it well. He’s being flippant about it, but this little line is some of the most damning evidence that the guilt of killing people is actively eating away at him, and to a pretty severe degree.

Though anime light does bring up the same/similar lines about making the world a better place and having doubts about his mission, their place in his motivations has been significantly de-emphasized. The general change in light’s characterization seems to make him look much colder, cooler and more capable, at the expense of removing most of his humanity and a lot of the dimension to his character, particularly regarding his personal feelings re: being kira.

This wouldn’t be so much of an issue to me if (ironically) the anime had changed More in order to support its new direction (the shift in light’s characterization+increased emphasis on L as well as L and Light’s dynamic), but i don’t think it executed it very well. I honestly think the musical actually delivers on these specific goals much more successfully, but we’re leaving that for another post.

can you believe i wrote all that for one chapter/episode. Christ.

Anyways look at this loser who deep down knows he’s doing the wrong thing but chooses to just keep doing it.

i want to write some matsuda/near because i can and i have some free time. it is hard to pick myself up to do smth though 😒

still thinking about that bit in htr where ohba says if soichiro had lived then light wouldn’t be able to kill him and so the 13 day rule would be disproven… can you imagine. can you imagine looking your child in the eye and knowing that 1) he is the mass murderer you have been chasing for five years 2) the only reason you’ve caught him is because he loved you too much

DN RAREPAIR WEEK - DAY 1

Shinigami | Premonitions | Fate

Event submissions will be accepted from 12am AEDT on March 17th, 2025 until 5pm AEDT on April 1st, 2025. Submit your work by tagging the @dnrarepairweek account, or using the tag #dnrarepairweek25. Feel free to send an ask or DM if your post has not been reblogged after 48 hours!

You can see the rules here and the FAQ here. If posting on AO3, you can submit your work to the collection.

Graphic designed by the wonderful and talented @yaoi-hate-machine :-)

He felt this since childhood. Everyone is looking at him. When he was outside, he felt everyone's gaze on himself. It made his skin crawl. Despite the fact that every time he turned around to realize that no one was actually looking, he couldn't shake off this feeling. That horrifying thought always gnawed on his sanity. Everyone — every single person — is looking at his clothes, monitoring his footsteps, listening to his voice; everyone would not miss the chance to devour him the moment he slips up, the moment they see a flaw, a mismatch, inaccuracy. He felt like he was under constant scrutiny.

He had learned to live with it. His every thought, his every action and every word must comply with strict guidelines the society has set, must add to his perfect image and not subtract from it. In a new place he must choose the only correct path out of millions possibilities. One that would make him seem like a good person, good, trustworthy and righteous man. One that would earn him being treated with humanity and respect.

The feeling followed him into adulthood. Now, when he had taken on William's name, he must control his image with even more scrutiny. Is his voice low enough? Is his stance too relaxed? Does his body look normal enough? When he first saw himself in the mirror, the person he must be, he stopped eating. One pound of fat could ruin this perfect image. Two weeks later Louis force-fed him, muttering something under his breath. William only smiled weakly and fell asleep in the plate of Louis' stew. He wasn't able to fight off his own mind any further.

He started doubting himself. Rather, he never stopped doing that since he had learned that important thing about himself. A child, he immediately doubted the conclusion he had reached. He had heard that people like him are abnormal, insane. No matter how much efforts he put into complying with society's own guidelines, that same society would push him away. He had heard that people like him are killed. He had seen that many times.

His reflection isn't his anymore. He's just pretending. Putting on someone else's skin with that someone else's clothes, hair and mannerisms. Nothing was his. He has just borrowed his skin. It looks out of place on him. Everyone can surely see that. The longer he looks in the mirror, the more he feels sick. Everything he has grown to consider his doesn't belong on him.

"Brother are you alright?" Louis asks with audible concern and wraps his arms around William's shoulders. It's somewhat soothing.

He forces himself to close his eyes and tries to smile. He is sure that it looks forced and tight. Because it's just not her face.

ohhh, i have just pissed off a good chunk of russian fandom and got told to a) lock myself up somewhere and throw away my phone, b) visit a psychologist, c) kms.

another thing they said is that we're not in english fandom. my friends told me that i should post it here. so i will. after i translate it.

and remember, not all in our fandom are like that. no. idiots are just a bit more socially acceptable there.

My favourite Death Note fics! (Masterlist)

G

Sketching by sstwins. 0.2k words, complete. Naomi x Rem (F/F). Quite lighthearted, Rem felt very in character too! No warnings.

Metronome by sstwins. 0.1k words, complete. A little bit of L's dread. No warnings.

T

This Is How I Disappear by TzviaAriella. 26k words, complete. Light Yagami's execution. Absolutely AMAZING, I am fully convinced this is the best Death Note fanfiction there is. Major Character Death.

Ghosts In The Fog by avaricelyrie. 67k words, incomplete. Meronia (M/M) casefic, canon compliant for most of the main series except Mello lived! Very compelling. No Warnings

M

Twisted Fate by TwilightMaster15. 114k words, incomplete. Minor Lawlight (M/M). Shuichi Aizawa as Kira! Major Character Death and domestic abuse.

Imperfections by emopressofthewind. 0.8k words, complete. Matt x Light (M/M). No warnings, also there's no Kira or Wammy's House.

something stronger than the drinks in the bar by neallo. 2.3k words, complete. Matt x Halle (M/F). Very cute! No warnings.

E

one and the same by neallo. 3.5k words, complete. Some domestic Mello x Near (M/M) PWP, I also really found the idea of Mello being Eraldo Coil interesting. No Warnings.

Cicatrix. 0.8k words, complete. Some Mello x Matt (M/M) PWP, and a little bit of hurt/comfort in there too.

obedience training by neallo. 0.9k words, complete. Mello x Near (M/F), very cute! No warnings.

In fifth grade a boy tried to impress me by swallowing a whole tadpole live and I punched him so hard that he puked and the tadpole was fine.

shit i felt and did before i got myself a label:

- being weirdly annoyed by my boobs and looking for ways to make them invisible since they barely started to grow. i learned what binder was at the old age of nine. i didn't have enough money of course and i didn't know where i could buy it. so i used simple bandages before they started to annoy me.

- trying to justify the feeling of queerness by telling myself that my parents just raised me that way. they literally did not. i have a very traditional family.

- not taking photos of myself before i started presenting myself in a gender neutral way. if i had choice i would hide on group photos. i rarely took selfies. the only ones I have from that period are of me in a cosplay.

- using male pronouns and masculine grammatical gender on the internet 'for fun'. or phrasing my sentences in a way which would not require using gendered words at all.

- awkwardly laughing when i passed as a boy in front of people who knew me as a girl. not correcting people when i was alone. i loved being ambiguous about my gender when I could.

- being a feminist and fully supporting the use of gendered words for occupations... while not using them to describe myself.

- feeling like i am totally one hundred percent cis because 'i do not feel like i am a man, that' s not me'. gender binary is a bitch.

it took some self-reflection to realize what the 'symptoms' pointed at. yet i did not believe myself at first. i guess it really was fear that kept me from living through my younger years comfortably.

and my government.

i don't think misa amane deserves to have a happy ending or a happy relationship with someone who will treat her like a princess.

that being said, i have an indescribable urge to shield her from any danger, including yagami light, hug her and tell her that it will all be okay and she doesn't need someone who treats her like light did.

pls let me coddle my mass murderer