While Ohba very likely made a statement regarding Japan's ideal of a man's (and notably not a woman's) role in society being exasperatedly career oriented, recall that Soichiro was being paid by L and not the Japanese Police. Still, culture is ingrained in people, so in this instance what he did could be deemed as heroic.
Another topic entirely that I've noticed primarily in Death Note is the casual regard with which the characters treat the notion of suicide. Yeah, I understand that in Japan, suicide was considered an honorable death in the tradition of Bushido (hari-kari) and WWII's Divine Wind.
That's true, maybe I'm just being a bit hopeful here. I always thought Soichiro's actual moral conflicts were the most interesting part of his character, because he's the one most people confidently call "good". In fact, I wonder if his character and choices aren't just Ohba's way of saying the right choice isn't a black or white issue
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Right, and as vashti points out, I'm incorrect regarding Soichiro's source of paycheck/employment. While quick to point the discrepancy out, had I been correct, I don't believe it detracts from your point at all. In fact, I'd say that Ohba very much had that point in mind, especially given he found L (a character consistently straying in the gray) only a little evil
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*pokes head up* Just factchecking: Soichiro is only paid by L for the duration of the Yotsuba arc. After that, he's back on the NPA's payroll, as are the rest of the taskforce.
The Kira case is certainly personal for Soichiro, though - it's not about his career advancement. You can tell that because he *gives up* his career for it. Besides the whole "I will not bend to evil" thing that he has going on right from the start, he has to catch Kira to clear Light in his own mind. *headdesk*
Another topic entirely that I've noticed primarily in Death Note is the casual regard with which the characters treat the notion of suicide. Yeah, I understand that in Japan, suicide was considered an honorable death in the tradition of Bushido (hari-kari) and WWII's Divine Wind.
Is it still pervasive in Japanese culture?
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The Kira case is certainly personal for Soichiro, though - it's not about his career advancement. You can tell that because he *gives up* his career for it. Besides the whole "I will not bend to evil" thing that he has going on right from the start, he has to catch Kira to clear Light in his own mind. *headdesk*
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