Something that occured to me concerning the treatment of the LAW in Maou ep. 01 - 03
I was picking berries today and suddenly, something occured to me about Maou... (very soothing work, picking berries. ^-^)
So, this is my view on this matter after the first three episode, even the fourth (damnit, download, GO FASTER) might already change my mind, let alone the later episodes. But I thought this too interesting not to write down, so I'll post it anyway.
See, after watching Maou Ep.03, it seems to me that what Naruse believes in isn't really justice, as such. It's justice as it is dealt BY THE LAW.
OK, this might be fairly obvious, but for me it's still interesting, how that is what everything seems to be centerer around.
In episode three when the mother says that, no matter what the law said about her just having killed Yousuke in self-defense, she would always be a murderer, we see Naruse visibly be shaken by something he is responsible for. Apparently, the thought that she, or any of his secondary victims (yes, I'm using Death Note terminology here ^-^), might feel bad or guilty for what they did never entered his mind before.
On the other hand, the thought that Naoto might have felt guilty/responsible for his actions never seems to have entered his mind either. (Granted, I doubt Naoto WOULD have expressed guilt or remorse, but we've yet to see evidence of Naruse ever having tried to confront him.)
In both cases it seems that Naruse assumes that, because the law officially said it was self-defense and therefore free of charge, the people on who that judgement was passed would see it just the same.
In the same way, Naruse never actually acts outside the law. He plays hazardous games, he takes chances that are surprising in such a perfectionist as him, he never kills anyone himself and all his "secondary victims" are, in the end, innocent of a "real" crime.
I find this highly interesting. Obviously, Naruse thinks that the judge made a wrong decision when he passed the judgement on Naoto. At that moment, the law is clearly wrong to Naruse, and he very assuredly wants Naoto to feel bad about what happened. His whole plan of revenge happens because the law let his brother's murderer get away.
And he seems to be completely convinced that the verdict of "innocent" passed by the law makes everything OK for the murderer. The law makes the murderer happy, because it has spoken.
It sounds like an absolution, doesn't it?
The fact that the law says "innocent" makes the culprit feel/be innocent.
Just like, in the catholic church, the priest - in God's name - makes the believer innocent by absolving him of his sins.
This analogy can be taken further - in fact as far as: The law - spoken by various people - is Naruse's own personal god. And this god disappointed Naruse, abandoned him, if you will, when he needed him. So Naruse rebelled against the law and and conveyed a plan that would give him the justice that he wants.
The devil rebelling against God by going against him and his creation.
But, and this is an extremely important point, Naruse still believes in the absolving powers the law has and as I wrote above, he won't act outside of the law. He'll twist it and bend it, but he doesn't break it.
Of course this is a very clever thing to do, legality-wise, but I personally believe that Naruse also CAN'T go against the law.
In episode three they used a quote from Goethe's "Faust". Now, my favourite part from that drama is actually the beginning, where God and Devil have a talk with each other - and Devil asks God's permission to tempt Faust.
In the German original he says:
"MEPHISTOPHELES:
Was wetter Ihr? den sollt Ihr noch verlieren,
Wenn Ihr mir die Erlaubnis gebt,
Ihn meiner Straße sacht zu führen!
DER HERR: Solang' er auf der Erde lebt,
Solange sei dir's nicht verboten.[...]"
(Translation done by me, as I sadly don't have the English version at hand and I'm kind of lazy right now:
"MEPHISTOPHELES:
What do you bet? you'll still lose that one,
if you give me the permission,
to gently lead him down my street!
THE LORD: As long as he lives on earth,
as long it will not be forbidden to you. [...]")
A little later on:
"DER HERR: Du darfst auch da nur frei erscheinen;
ich habe deinesgleichen nie gehaßt."
(Translation:
"THE LORD: You may appear freely at that place too;
I never hated your kind.)"
The devil needs God's permission, because he is God's slave and cannot go against his wishes. Actually, in Goethe's Faust, the very last sentence of that "Prologue in Heaven" is this:
"MEPHISTOPHELES:
Von Zeit zu Zeit seh' ich den Alten gern,
Und hüte mich, mit ihm zu brechen.
Es ist gar hübsch von einem großen Herrn,
So menschlich mit dem Teufel selbst zu sprechen."
(Translation:
"MEPHISTOPHELES:
From time to time I like to see the old man,
And take care not to break with him.
It is very nice of such a high Lord,
to speak so humanly to the devil himself.")
The devil, though being the arrogant character he is, he twists the words around a bit to make himself look better, will not - and cannot - go against God's wishes.
In the same way, Naruse will not - and cannot, I believe - go against the law. He can murder, terrorize, destroy - but he cannot go against the law doing it.
I have not seen Mawang, I cannot say how Maou will end, but I think that this is a way to solve the story. At one point, Naruse will break the law, will see himself as higher as the law and act outside of it - and at that point, the law will bring him down and the story will end, with the devil as part of God again.
So, this is my view on this matter after the first three episode, even the fourth (damnit, download, GO FASTER) might already change my mind, let alone the later episodes. But I thought this too interesting not to write down, so I'll post it anyway.
See, after watching Maou Ep.03, it seems to me that what Naruse believes in isn't really justice, as such. It's justice as it is dealt BY THE LAW.
OK, this might be fairly obvious, but for me it's still interesting, how that is what everything seems to be centerer around.
In episode three when the mother says that, no matter what the law said about her just having killed Yousuke in self-defense, she would always be a murderer, we see Naruse visibly be shaken by something he is responsible for. Apparently, the thought that she, or any of his secondary victims (yes, I'm using Death Note terminology here ^-^), might feel bad or guilty for what they did never entered his mind before.
On the other hand, the thought that Naoto might have felt guilty/responsible for his actions never seems to have entered his mind either. (Granted, I doubt Naoto WOULD have expressed guilt or remorse, but we've yet to see evidence of Naruse ever having tried to confront him.)
In both cases it seems that Naruse assumes that, because the law officially said it was self-defense and therefore free of charge, the people on who that judgement was passed would see it just the same.
In the same way, Naruse never actually acts outside the law. He plays hazardous games, he takes chances that are surprising in such a perfectionist as him, he never kills anyone himself and all his "secondary victims" are, in the end, innocent of a "real" crime.
I find this highly interesting. Obviously, Naruse thinks that the judge made a wrong decision when he passed the judgement on Naoto. At that moment, the law is clearly wrong to Naruse, and he very assuredly wants Naoto to feel bad about what happened. His whole plan of revenge happens because the law let his brother's murderer get away.
And he seems to be completely convinced that the verdict of "innocent" passed by the law makes everything OK for the murderer. The law makes the murderer happy, because it has spoken.
It sounds like an absolution, doesn't it?
The fact that the law says "innocent" makes the culprit feel/be innocent.
Just like, in the catholic church, the priest - in God's name - makes the believer innocent by absolving him of his sins.
This analogy can be taken further - in fact as far as: The law - spoken by various people - is Naruse's own personal god. And this god disappointed Naruse, abandoned him, if you will, when he needed him. So Naruse rebelled against the law and and conveyed a plan that would give him the justice that he wants.
The devil rebelling against God by going against him and his creation.
But, and this is an extremely important point, Naruse still believes in the absolving powers the law has and as I wrote above, he won't act outside of the law. He'll twist it and bend it, but he doesn't break it.
Of course this is a very clever thing to do, legality-wise, but I personally believe that Naruse also CAN'T go against the law.
In episode three they used a quote from Goethe's "Faust". Now, my favourite part from that drama is actually the beginning, where God and Devil have a talk with each other - and Devil asks God's permission to tempt Faust.
In the German original he says:
"MEPHISTOPHELES:
Was wetter Ihr? den sollt Ihr noch verlieren,
Wenn Ihr mir die Erlaubnis gebt,
Ihn meiner Straße sacht zu führen!
DER HERR: Solang' er auf der Erde lebt,
Solange sei dir's nicht verboten.[...]"
(Translation done by me, as I sadly don't have the English version at hand and I'm kind of lazy right now:
"MEPHISTOPHELES:
What do you bet? you'll still lose that one,
if you give me the permission,
to gently lead him down my street!
THE LORD: As long as he lives on earth,
as long it will not be forbidden to you. [...]")
A little later on:
"DER HERR: Du darfst auch da nur frei erscheinen;
ich habe deinesgleichen nie gehaßt."
(Translation:
"THE LORD: You may appear freely at that place too;
I never hated your kind.)"
The devil needs God's permission, because he is God's slave and cannot go against his wishes. Actually, in Goethe's Faust, the very last sentence of that "Prologue in Heaven" is this:
"MEPHISTOPHELES:
Von Zeit zu Zeit seh' ich den Alten gern,
Und hüte mich, mit ihm zu brechen.
Es ist gar hübsch von einem großen Herrn,
So menschlich mit dem Teufel selbst zu sprechen."
(Translation:
"MEPHISTOPHELES:
From time to time I like to see the old man,
And take care not to break with him.
It is very nice of such a high Lord,
to speak so humanly to the devil himself.")
The devil, though being the arrogant character he is, he twists the words around a bit to make himself look better, will not - and cannot - go against God's wishes.
In the same way, Naruse will not - and cannot, I believe - go against the law. He can murder, terrorize, destroy - but he cannot go against the law doing it.
I have not seen Mawang, I cannot say how Maou will end, but I think that this is a way to solve the story. At one point, Naruse will break the law, will see himself as higher as the law and act outside of it - and at that point, the law will bring him down and the story will end, with the devil as part of God again.