Death Note

Can Shinigami read each other's lifespan?

Cause if they can they can just ell each other how long they have left.

Edited by slimcoder on Feb 8th 2020 at 2:01:54 AM

You know, I've never really thought about it, but this discussion is making me realize something. Isn't it kinda odd that this universe has shinigami but no afterlife?

Nope and people with Death Notes can't see each other's lifespans either if they have the eyes.

Edited by Envyus on Feb 8th 2020 at 5:29:45 AM

OK, maybe I'm being too harsh on the shinigami. They're more how predators eat prey because that's what they do to survive, it's just the cycle of life.

Still, I have to wonder...with a population already so low and so many shinigami being apathetic, what happens if the Shinigami King's subjects go extinct?

Then there's one less parasite that a random human might have to deal with.

Most of them are ultimately just doing what they have to to survive, the problem is that their survival literally demands human death, and they don't actually contribute anything in exchange. Unless, I suppose, if one of them were to specifically only target despots, serial killers, rapists, and other actual violent criminals. Although that train of thought can quickly become a very thin short ride into the "Light was right" camp.

Ryuk, on the other hand, instigates mass slaughter for shits and giggles. And apples. He's the one that would outright deserve a killing if ever it were possible.

Edited by TheAirman on Feb 8th 2020 at 8:01:47 AM

If Shinigami do happen to kill rapists or murderers, it's a coincidence.

Remember that Shinigami aren't supposed to use their Notes to save human lives. That's one of the ways they can die — if they kill people for the purpose of saving others, they turn to dust.

Oh right.

That rule only applies if the human was going to die though. I imagine if the rapist is supposed to die, then killing one when it's about to kill a human is ok.

But yeah, Shinigami seem to literally only exist to feed off humans. The fact a rule that prevents them from saving one is in place says a lot.

And of course, the rule that was just patched in for this special to ensure the kid died, and entirely because Ryuk didn't even bother to tell him (due to him saying he never wanted to see him again, but still).

It's hard to say what the Shinigami's purpose could theoretically be, because even intentionally saving a human life kills them. I imagine killing despots wouldn't work for very long because of this rule.

Maybe they did originally have a role, specific people they were supposed to kill, but they slowly forgot it. Not to mention that their only known way to feed requires a magical artifact that is provided by their king, which leads to a whole bunch of questions. Maybe they originally fed in an entirely different way?

'ed twice.

Edited by Discar on Feb 8th 2020 at 6:22:37 AM

I actually really liked this one-shot honestly. Obata's art was on-point as usual and I was actually very curious to see how Minoru's scheme would pan out. Him getting fucked over by the Shinigami King is a fitting ending I guess; nothing good ever comes of using the Death Note, even if you don't use it.

That's the thing too. It feels like the King came up with that rule entirely to screw with Minoru. He never even used the note, so there wasn't really any reason to put in the rule about selling it, or at least make it a rule for all people who gain it afterwards. Instead he instigates it in a situation where Minoru was bound to die. I guess it shows the unfairness of the entire thing. Light at least lived for a good five years with the note and took an untold amount of lives. This kid...did nothing. His absolute worst move was who he sold it too, and the new rule would have ensured no one was hurt.

The rule has no point but to kill him specifically. But then again, that seems to be the Shinigami thing, so I suppose it makes a lot of sense.

The Shinigami King seem outraged by the idea that a Death Note is being put on mass sale & treated like some kind of commodity. Plus the fact that selling it is actually lucrative & caused so much chaos is prolly too much even for him. Minoru most likely crossed a line treating the book like that & making the kind see a potential new application of it that he never realized.

Edited by slimcoder on Feb 8th 2020 at 6:48:48 AM

Makes sense. Though I'll be honest: part of me wants to scale that back to he's salty.

But yeah, selling the note and turning into something any schmuck can bid on does come off as not really respecting the power of the note...though I'd argue he did to some extent. He understood it was a horrible and dangerous weapon and didn't even want to use it. That being said, he was still willing to give it to people who would potentially use it (though not without immediately giving themselves away). As we discussed before, it going to the government made it somewhat useless as well, since everyone would know who was responsible too. I'm still torn on if Trump getting it would have made the death toll go through the roof since we all know he'd be stupid enough to use it, or if it would have ensured it was never used since, in addition to the we all know it's you factor that was mentioned before, I think that if there was anything that would make Trump's yes people tell him to reign it in, it's having the ability to kill anyone by writing their name down.

Double post.

It's actually possible for the Task Force and the SPK to figure out who A-Kira was.

First, considering their experience, they'd likely take notice of a kid who was seemingly healthy dying of a heart attack out of nowhere.

After that, they just have to somehow get the information from Trump about the new rules (the buyer of a Death Note dies upon accepting and the seller dies upon taking the money) and it would be easy to put two and two together.

At the very least, they'd have to be suspicious about why the President of the United States would kill a random kid in Japan, unless they're going on the assumption that Ryuk told Trump the kids identity and the Donald decided to take him out for some nebulous reason (and considering who we're talking about, that's still entirely in character) in addition to the fact that getting Trump to actually say he doesn't have the note would be as monumental a task as finding the original Kira back in the day.

But it's still possible.

Edited by HandsomeRob on Feb 9th 2020 at 1:41:07 PM

It's Trump. He don't need a reason.

I did say it'd be difficult, didn't I?

Getting that information out of him would be the most difficult part without a doubt. Possibly impossible.

I mean, Trump likely wouldn't talk even without the circumstance of admitting he didn't have the book, because as you said, he doesn't need a reason.

I'm somewhat morbidly curious about who would be the first person Trump writes the name of if he had actually gotten the thing.

A certain kid named Greta?

Dunno, but either political enemies, protesters and business make it pretty high on the list. And some other middle east leader, frankly.

And whoever he is fighting on social networks this week.

Edited by Blueace on Feb 9th 2020 at 6:54:55 AM

Well, he'd need their faces. Obviously he'd be able to kill his political rivals at will, but social media opponents would take more effort, and hopefully he'd forget about them soon enough.

I thought of her, but given the events of the past week I'd guess a certain two Congresspeople and a soldier who actually honored his oath to defend the Constitution from enemies domestic.

You know a Death Note could very well be able to explain what happened with Epstein.

The thing is, at least by the logic of this one-shot, everyone would now that he has a Death Note, so he couldn't really use it all willy-nilly. So it'd be probably less public enemies and more personal grudges.

Edited by WashTheLaundryHero on Feb 9th 2020 at 3:51:42 AM

Man I still don't understand what that meme is about.

But by the logic of Donald Trump, that would mean nothing.

I mean, has he made even one logical decision in his time as president?

He'd use it. He'd use it with impunity, and completely ignore anyone (including people on his side) who tell him not to use it.

Edited by HandsomeRob on Feb 9th 2020 at 4:50:17 AM

It sounds like a reason for the Secret Service to turn on him.

I mean, if they haven't already....

...but I'm slipping a bit into real life I think. Trump is a dangerous topic, even if talking about him here is in context.

Now I'm curious who did get the Note. Ryuk even pointed out that one of Trump's men could pick it up off the floor and use it. Maybe a Secret Service agent picked it up and immediately decided to never ever use it?