Death Note: 13

[access_identity]

Sort of finished Death Note 13. I said sort of because there were parts that I hope weren’t really important for me at the moment that I had to skip. I need to cram as many information as possible for tomorrow - so pick the useful, put aside the others

Comments

[access_identity]

yep, 'the death of the author'.

but can our interpretations be used to generate, or conform, theories about a work? that's still left me confused.

For instance, let's say I make an interpretation of Trinity Blood.

Let’s see. There are Cain, Abel, and Seth.

Cain is traditionally the first child of Adam. He and his minions sport Davidian stars as their symbol. Cain, first. Of the three Abrahamic faiths, Judaism came first in history.

Abel, the second child; works for the Vatican, i.e. Christianity, naturally surrounded by the cross. Christianity was the second Abrahamic faith to emerge.

Seth, the third child; the Metushelahs are living in a city, the architecture of which is abound with styles clearly deriving from Islamic cultures. Islam was the last Abrahamic faith to be born.

Humans and Methuselahs hate each other, but it turns out that it all merely stems from their failure to understand each other well. The real bad guys are Cain and his companies…

So does Trinity Blood reflect the current situation of the Abrahamic faiths and imply that Judaism is bad?

We then, for instance, accuse Trinity Blood of being anti-semitic (and suppose it triggers people to shout 'ban!' on Trinity Blood). But the author rejects it: "That's not it! It's just a coincidence! The details were there just because when they were designed, they looked good. I just wanted to make the three parties look very different and distinguishable from each other."

What then?

[shediao]

As far as intention goes, I'd believe the author if she (he?) says that. Japanese mangaka like to take pre-existent symbols and create their own mixes 'n matches, though some do better research than others. Assuming though that there's an intention behind the names, it may be the one you propose, or something more complex than that.
(saya ngomongnya agak mutar2 ya)

[furato]

Japanese mangaka like to take pre-existent symbols and create their own mixes 'n matches, though some do better research than others.
And I think the default guess when a mangaka throws in symbolism in their weekly/monthly series should be "because it looks cool". This has often been revealed as true despite tons of fan speculation. Eiichiro Oda, when asked in SBS about the significance of Sodom and Gomorrah, the name of the giant horses of Water 7, answered, "Eh, One Piece is not that deep". In a different manner, Kubo Tite admitted that the Hueco Mundo arc is all over the place and that he basically makes the story up as he goes. Mangaka who deliberately put intricate, serious symbolism in their manga appear to be the minority, and I can't even name an example.

Personally, I would not proclaim death of an author until the work is declared finished. Until then, they remain the gods of those small universes, free to bend everything in it to their liking.