Symbolism and Hidden Themes within Death Note

Takeshi Obata (Feb. 11, 1969) is a japanese manga illustrator who worked in collaboration with Tsugumi Ohba to create Death Note. Obata has worked with Ohba to create two other graphic novels, Bakuman and Platinum End. Although he worked on many well known manga series throughout his career, and collaborated with many manga artists, nothing is really known about Obata himself. Other than his name and birthdate, there isn't much to go on other than his work. He is a man of mystery like some of the characters he draws.

Tsugumi Ohba is a japanese manga writer known for being the author of Death Note who worked with Takeshi Obata in order to create Death Note and a few other graphic novels. Ohba is a very mysterious individual, just like their collaborator Obata. Not much is known about their personal life, not their name, birthdate, gender, etc. Their entire identity is a closely guarded secret, and the public doesn't know much about them other than they were born in Tokyo, japan. "Tsugumi Ohba" is actually a pen name they created.

Death Note has shown to be full of various symbols and themes related to western and japanese culture. The manga has many references to other pieces of well known literature like Sherlock Holmes and Julius Caesar. It has overtones of christianity, references to the bible, as well as symbols related to biblical stories. There are also very obvious overtones of japanese religion and culture, such as references to japanese religious figures.

In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve were tricked into eating fruit from the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" by a serpent. God told them that they were forbidden to eat fruit from the tree, but they did. As punishment, God banished them from paradise. An apple is believed to be the "forbidden fruit", that Adam and Eve had eaten. They are represented as an object of temptation and sin. Apples are one of the most prevalent symbols used throughout Death Note. They are the favorite food of the shinigami Ryuk, and he is always eating them. They are also an allusion to the Death Note itself as an object of temptation and sin. Light is consumed by temptation to use the Death Note and uses it to commit countless sins. And just like how Adam and Eve were punished for eating the apple, Light was eventually punished for using the Death Note. This has shown to be one of the most popular symbols in the Death Note, but according to the author it was not intentional. He wanted apples because the red contrasted with the Black colors of Ryuk.

The Divine Rule is the assertion that monarchs have the authority to rule and that they answer to no one else but God. These people believe that they were destined to rule over others, and it is their right to do so. The Divine Rule is prevalent in Death Note in regards to Light Yagami. When light starts using the death note, he begins to believe that he is destined to become "God" of his "new world." That once he purges the world of all the criminals, sinners, and people he believes to be unjust, he will create a better world. He believes that it was his purpose to rule over everyone as a god. And he uses the death note as a tool to pass divine judgement onto criminals. onto those who he believes to be wicked and unkind. To those that stand in his way to becoming "God" of his "new world." He will do whatever it takes to reach his goal, because he believes it is his right to do so.

L is a martyr towards his cause because he will do anything, even sacrifice himself, in order to complete a case. Jesus is considered to be a martyr on account of his crucifixion. L is comparable to Jesus in this way, especially because of their shared betrayals. Light was able to join the same task force run by L in order to learn L's real name so he could kill him. Even though L was extremely suspicious of Light and his intentions, he still considered him a friend. Light, and everyone else on the task force are essentially L's disciples. Light later betrayed L and caused his death. Jesus was betrayed by his disciple Judas and was eventually killed. The relationship between L, Light, and the task force is like an analog to Jesus and his disciples.

One of the most obvious symbols of japanese religion is the presence of a shinigami. A Shinigami is a spiritual being responsible for guiding lost souls to the next life. They wonder the world looking for lost souls to help them move on. They are also considered to be "Grim Reapers", because they know when it's time for someone to pass on and they collect their souls accordingly. Ryuk is a shinigami in the world of Death Note. He, like many other shinigami's, use their notebooks to write down the names of people who's lifespan has run out. They essentially "execute" people when it's their time to go, similar to a grim reaper. When Ryuk give Light his notebook, he essentially gives light the power of a shinigami. Light, in a sense, becomes a shinigami when he starts using the death note. He becomes a grim reaper who executes people when "HE" believes it's their time to go.