L or Kira: Might contain Spoilers

[baka1412]

Ryuuk's also a possible choice for me, too bad there isn't any option for him...

Btw, where is Spongebob ? I though he is the next Kira

[Holmes]

Ryuuk's also a possible choice for me, too bad there isn't any option for him...

Btw, where is Spongebob ? I though he is the next Kira

TOTALLY AWESOME VIDEO!!!! +10 and more.

[pofa]

Near. Though Death Note isn't much of a show. The debate it provokes is interesting, but so many of the "dramatic, intense, psychologically searing, etc;" scenes that people wax poetically about came off as contrived and unrealistic (unrealistic in the sense of how the characters acted; obviously the scenario isn't meant to be realistic).

Also, I must admit that I'm confused as to why so many people support Light. Of the mangas (and fiction in general) that I've read, there are few where I can think of a main villain/anti-hero as totally loathsome and easy to hate as him. I suppose that's the main strength of the series; the greatly differing conclusions/messages that people draw from it.

But Near was boring, whereas Light was dynamic. (L wasn't boring, but only because he was played against Light.) It's the Macbeth complex: interesting isn't necessarily the same thing as likeable. Light was a spoiled, sheltered, self-serving bag of hot air (although really, so were most of the characters in Death Note, including Near), but that's not what we're focused on: Light chose a bloody goal at the beginning of the series and never backed down, subordinating everything in his and everyone else's life to its achievement--and he was willing to get his own hands dirty (at least until episode 25, which: I have a gigantic list of problems with the show/manga after that point anyway). A character like that is easily fascinating and necessitates a response from the viewer: you either want to see him taken down, or you want to see him succeed despite yourself. It's natural to find him the most memorable character.

As for the rest, you're right; Death Note is more of a macabre morality play than a story with deep, realistic, rounded characters and relationships. But that's why I hate Near: The show/manga asked me to trade realistic characters and relationships in exchange for transparent archetypes that would function, realistically or not, to further the author's over-reaching themes and goals. I'm willing to do that, but only if everyone and everything that happens in the story really does bring us closer to the over-reaching theme. In other words, there's no character development, so the story itself is just a skeleton, like an Aesop's fable (or a Yuki-onna legend), and this makes people or actions that don't serve the structure/goal of the story--extra bones in the skeleton--very easy to spot.

To me, Near is an extra bone. His existence is redundant; any function he served had already been served by L. This goes for Mello too, although I like Mello more than Near. He comes closer than anyone else in the series to being a realistic character with feelings and extra-functional motivations/personality. But that's the very reason he doesn't belong in this story.    "Near + Mello > L" was lame, an attempt to justify stretching the series out far longer than such a delicate skeleton could survive.

So yeah, I voted Light. He was a killer, but Near comitted the far greater crime of being a storytelling fail.

[dilbertschalter]

Near. Though Death Note isn't much of a show. The debate it provokes is interesting, but so many of the "dramatic, intense, psychologically searing, etc;" scenes that people wax poetically about came off as contrived and unrealistic (unrealistic in the sense of how the characters acted; obviously the scenario isn't meant to be realistic).

Also, I must admit that I'm confused as to why so many people support Light. Of the mangas (and fiction in general) that I've read, there are few where I can think of a main villain/anti-hero as totally loathsome and easy to hate as him. I suppose that's the main strength of the series; the greatly differing conclusions/messages that people draw from it.

Well ... but you didn´t vote  There is still no vote for Near.

I voted #4 because I don't like series as a whole much, but of the listed DN characters Near is my favorite.

[dilbertschalter]

Near. Though Death Note isn't much of a show. The debate it provokes is interesting, but so many of the "dramatic, intense, psychologically searing, etc;" scenes that people wax poetically about came off as contrived and unrealistic (unrealistic in the sense of how the characters acted; obviously the scenario isn't meant to be realistic).

Also, I must admit that I'm confused as to why so many people support Light. Of the mangas (and fiction in general) that I've read, there are few where I can think of a main villain/anti-hero as totally loathsome and easy to hate as him. I suppose that's the main strength of the series; the greatly differing conclusions/messages that people draw from it.

But Near was boring, whereas Light was dynamic. (L wasn't boring, but only because he was played against Light.) It's the Macbeth complex: interesting isn't necessarily the same thing as likeable. Light was a spoiled, sheltered, self-serving bag of hot air (although really, so were most of the characters in Death Note, including Near), but that's not what we're focused on: Light chose a bloody goal at the beginning of the series and never backed down, subordinating everything in his and everyone else's life to its achievement--and he was willing to get his own hands dirty (at least until episode 25, which: I have a gigantic list of problems with the show/manga after that point anyway). A character like that is easily fascinating and necessitates a response from the viewer: you either want to see him taken down, or you want to see him succeed despite yourself. It's natural to find him the most memorable character.

As for the rest, you're right; Death Note is more of a macabre morality play than a story with deep, realistic, rounded characters and relationships. But that's why I hate Near: The show/manga asked me to trade realistic characters and relationships in exchange for transparent archetypes that would function, realistically or not, to further the author's over-reaching themes and goals. I'm willing to do that, but only if everyone and everything that happens in the story really does bring us closer to the over-reaching theme. In other words, there's no character development, so the story itself is just a skeleton, like an Aesop's fable (or a Yuki-onna legend), and this makes people or actions that don't serve the structure/goal of the story--extra bones in the skeleton--very easy to spot.

To me, Near is an extra bone. His existence is redundant; any function he served had already been served by L. This goes for Mello too, although I like Mello more than Near. He comes closer than anyone else in the series to being a realistic character with feelings and extra-functional motivations/personality. But that's the very reason he doesn't belong in this story.    "Near + Mello > L" was lame, an attempt to justify stretching the series out far longer than such a delicate skeleton could survive.

So yeah, I voted Light. He was a killer, but Near comitted the far greater crime of being a storytelling fail.

First, when it comes to what characters are my favorite, how I see it depends on whether or not I actually like the show (or book or whatever(. In shows that I like, my favorite characters tend to be the most complex and unpredictable; ie in DC my favorite characters are Haibara and Kogorou. In shows that I don't like though, my favorite characters tend to be those that I associate with in some way or that I think have the most amusing mannerisms/style. Yes, Near as a character is boring, but I still liked him better than Light or L (which is odd, because Near is supposed to be a pretty unpleasant dude).

Second, I didn't find Light's character interesting or deep at all. I found him to be insane, power mad, and completely unable to reflect on his own actions. Watching/reading, I couldn't help but get the feeling that he did what did not because of any actual desire to improve the world, but simply because he enjoyed killing people (this was clearly the case for Mikami, as he is depicted as getting immense pleasure from "eliminating", but I felt it was true of Light as well). For me to find a character interesting, I want there to be at least some conflict in them. Light had none, except for maybe 2 minutes in the first episode.

[pofa]

For me to find a character interesting, I want there to be at least some conflict in them. Light had none, except for maybe 2 minutes in the first episode.

I agree with you that he had no conflict within himself, and my example, Macbeth, certainly agonized about his choice to go on killing much more than Light did. I don't think I ever claimed he was deep (he isn't), but maybe, instead of "interesting," I should have described Light as "morbidly fascinating" to watch. I cared nothing about him at all, right to the end, but I needed to see what would happen to him (what the author's point was about him). That's why I found him more interesting than Near.

My argument wasn't that Light was deep, but that choosing to employ characters who had no depth or conflict was the way the author chose to tell this story, and it irritated me when he tried to exceed the limitations of that method of storytelling (as in the Near arc).

But it seems like we're arguing taste, not right or wrong. I don't mind the absence of complex characters in a story (although I love them, too), as long as it's a deliberate absence that somehow helps the author achieve his goal. And I'm in agreement with you that there was a lot of fail in Death Note.

It kept me on the edge of my seat for a while, though. If they'd just made that alternate ending for the anime the real ending, I would be a much bigger fan.

[Misztina]

I cannot really say that I like Light, but he was the best among the listed characters excluding Kudo-kun. Near and Mello were very lame. L gets all my respect, the only reason why I don't vote him now, because he lost, he was outwitted by Light. And to be honest, that was Light's biggest achievement in the entire series. Light played his cards very well, and also luck has sided him. Well, certainly not till the end.
So his character and storyline was very interesting, just as Pofa and Ryuuk said so earlier.

[CoolKid3]

To me, Near is an extra bone. His existence is redundant; any function he served had already been served by L. This goes for Mello too, although I like Mello more than Near. He comes closer than anyone else in the series to being a realistic character with feelings and extra-functional motivations/personality.

This basically sums everything I'm thinking right now that's why I want to change my vote to M... When I voted yesterday, there's was no M on the list that's why I voted for N (though I would have voted for L actually but he doesn't really need my vote)....

[Akonyl]

To me, Near is an extra bone. His existence is redundant; any function he served had already been served by L. This goes for Mello too, although I like Mello more than Near. He comes closer than anyone else in the series to being a realistic character with feelings and extra-functional motivations/personality.

This basically sums everything I'm thinking right now that's why I want to change my vote to M... When I voted yesterday, there's was no M on the list that's why I voted for N (though I would have voted for L actually but he doesn't really need my vote)....

Mello is interesting because he's his own character.

To me, Near is little more than the author basically going "oh man, it would be so awesome if Kira actually managed to kill L... but I can't exactly have Kira win... I know, I'll introduce an L 2.0 to finish up the story and catch him!"

[Girl19]

I literally hate Near. Just needed to let that out.

Voted for Kudo, by the way. lol

[baka1412]

N and M just there to increase the Yaoi based character for the girl Fanbases..

[kkslider5552000]

N and M just there to increase the Yaoi based character for the girl Fanbases..

girls watch this show?




um...I mean...












































girls watch this show? Shouldn't they be watching cooking shows or QVC?

[baka1412]

I'm sure you would be surprised of how much BL doujin was made compared to straight theme for this series...

[Kleene Onigiri]

N and M just there to increase the Yaoi based character for the girl Fanbases..

girls watch this show?




um...I mean...












































girls watch this show? Shouldn't they be watchingcooking shows or QVC Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City?

fixed

I'm sure you would be surprised of how much BL doujin was made compared to straight theme for this series...

Guess he doesn't want to know that

[Girl19]

N and M just there to increase the Yaoi based character for the fangirl Fanbases..

fangirls watch this show?
um...I mean...
fangirls watch this show? Shouldn't they be watching cooking shows or QVC?

Fixed. Please choose your words wisely before insulting a whole species.