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pewter's reviews
97 reviews
Death Note, Vol. 1: Boredom by Takeshi Obata, Tsugumi Ohba
3.0
Ah, my problematic fave that didn't really age great, but I still enjoy. Believe me when I say I've devoured every piece of Death Note media I can get my hands on (did you know there's a korean musical?) and I'm still enamored with the concept of a terrible, fantasy murder weapon in the hands of humans. I love a great egotistical villain, I'm down for cheesy monologues, and I never say no to Obata's artwork - everything they touch is gold.
That being said, poor Death Note doesn't hit solidly with my adult self. I find it hard to forgive the extent to which female characters are dead/used and tossed aside with absolutely no agency. I can't name a single female character that isn't. The supporting cast outside of the main protagonists/antagonists are a little indistinct (generic?), and the conflict doesn't show a lot of growth between them.
What I wish I saw more of in this series, aside from a little extra in terms of supporting cast, or any form of diversity whatsoever, would be more investment into the shinigami/fiction side of the story. There's some really interesting potential to explore that world or those characters, and I feel like that was missed a little.
I read the recently-released one-shot chapter, and it reminded me of what I enjoyed in the story - thinking of how different people would use a Death Note uniquely, and how they'd get away with it. That's certainly the draw, at least, which still remains.
That being said, poor Death Note doesn't hit solidly with my adult self. I find it hard to forgive the extent to which female characters are dead/used and tossed aside with absolutely no agency. I can't name a single female character that isn't. The supporting cast outside of the main protagonists/antagonists are a little indistinct (generic?), and the conflict doesn't show a lot of growth between them.
What I wish I saw more of in this series, aside from a little extra in terms of supporting cast, or any form of diversity whatsoever, would be more investment into the shinigami/fiction side of the story. There's some really interesting potential to explore that world or those characters, and I feel like that was missed a little.
I read the recently-released one-shot chapter, and it reminded me of what I enjoyed in the story - thinking of how different people would use a Death Note uniquely, and how they'd get away with it. That's certainly the draw, at least, which still remains.