Death Note #25
Haven't seen anything that makes me want to write a few paragraphs since the huge shock(ingly good series) that is Last Exile. Anyway, in keeping with the theme of this LJ... (fandom/drawing posting)
Briefly ranted while @ work on death_note, right after I discreetly read #25 with my supervisor sitting 5 feet to my right...
I'm not a fan of epic-length series. Let's face it: epic-length plots are really fucking hard to get right, and I don't have the attention span to do the read-wait a week-read-wait a week thing for an extended period. So I try to only look into standalone anime series and completed manga. The charms of Death Note lured me in... (HagaRen did much the same, although I am much less... passionate and opinionated and stubborn... about it. 'cause it's not one of my pet genres. that being urban fantasy) I begin forming this idea of what I think DN is: a short and sweet urban fantasy cat-and-mouse game with only a handful of characters so they all get sufficient attention.
#25 seemed to branch out the plot majorly, what with the second shinigami and the second kira. Frankly, despite all the hints they dropped with the other shinigami and a second death note, I resisted the idea that a second kira would show up... I just want the focus to be on the L/Raito plot line and lots and lots of characterization. The second kira can prove to be an exciting addition to the plot... Not dismissing that... And I'm going on a lot of assumptions here, like the new kira being as able in the ways of the evil as Raito is and can hold up to L... (but did she leave her fingerprint?) She's got to hold up to Raito too, since he's so keen on using her. If that is the case the plot will indeed be taking a direction I don't like.
But I'd rather she to hold up to both L and Raito than for her to co-operate with Raito against L, or for L and Raito to co-operate against her. Seems more interesting that way. L + Raito co-operation presents interesting opportunities too... Lots of faking and psychological games and whatnot. The new kira + Raito interaction can be fun if they work together, but I just don't care enough for the new girl yet, and besides, that sort of dynamics can be seen in a three-way contest too.
Battle Royale. Only it's not the participants who are being murdered.
Another reason I'm so against the development in #25 on first sight is the character design of the new kira. My indie pretentiousness will not tolerate it! Think Nana from the manga of the same name by Yazawa Ai... Eh. People in plaid skirts, studded belts, and general "punk" attire just isn't my thing... As much as I'd like to think that I don't have the stereotypical indie = elite attitude... There's still the disdain for people decked out in "punk" items... Especially in the light of "punk" catching on with major labels in the last few years... Anyway... Highly subjective character design rant over...
The second kira does feel like she came out of nowhere though. Yeah yeah, we were dropped hints on the other shinigami... But all of a sudden L makes the deduction that there's another kira, while before he seems to be focusing on Raito alone. (he mentioned the kids of the other police officers only very briefly...) Um... I'm asking too much?
I'm over my initial shock and inability to accept that DN won't be the short and sweet thing of my fantasies... Still up for more more more characterization. Raito and L are getting rather one-sided lately. (L is still quirkily charming) Oh well. Out for the weekend... No time to write more.
On an unrelated note, deviantART seems less sluggish than I remembered it to be. Am considering joining. (or attempting to remember what my account is called)
Briefly ranted while @ work on death_note, right after I discreetly read #25 with my supervisor sitting 5 feet to my right...
I'm not a fan of epic-length series. Let's face it: epic-length plots are really fucking hard to get right, and I don't have the attention span to do the read-wait a week-read-wait a week thing for an extended period. So I try to only look into standalone anime series and completed manga. The charms of Death Note lured me in... (HagaRen did much the same, although I am much less... passionate and opinionated and stubborn... about it. 'cause it's not one of my pet genres. that being urban fantasy) I begin forming this idea of what I think DN is: a short and sweet urban fantasy cat-and-mouse game with only a handful of characters so they all get sufficient attention.
#25 seemed to branch out the plot majorly, what with the second shinigami and the second kira. Frankly, despite all the hints they dropped with the other shinigami and a second death note, I resisted the idea that a second kira would show up... I just want the focus to be on the L/Raito plot line and lots and lots of characterization. The second kira can prove to be an exciting addition to the plot... Not dismissing that... And I'm going on a lot of assumptions here, like the new kira being as able in the ways of the evil as Raito is and can hold up to L... (but did she leave her fingerprint?) She's got to hold up to Raito too, since he's so keen on using her. If that is the case the plot will indeed be taking a direction I don't like.
But I'd rather she to hold up to both L and Raito than for her to co-operate with Raito against L, or for L and Raito to co-operate against her. Seems more interesting that way. L + Raito co-operation presents interesting opportunities too... Lots of faking and psychological games and whatnot. The new kira + Raito interaction can be fun if they work together, but I just don't care enough for the new girl yet, and besides, that sort of dynamics can be seen in a three-way contest too.
Battle Royale. Only it's not the participants who are being murdered.
Another reason I'm so against the development in #25 on first sight is the character design of the new kira. My indie pretentiousness will not tolerate it! Think Nana from the manga of the same name by Yazawa Ai... Eh. People in plaid skirts, studded belts, and general "punk" attire just isn't my thing... As much as I'd like to think that I don't have the stereotypical indie = elite attitude... There's still the disdain for people decked out in "punk" items... Especially in the light of "punk" catching on with major labels in the last few years... Anyway... Highly subjective character design rant over...
The second kira does feel like she came out of nowhere though. Yeah yeah, we were dropped hints on the other shinigami... But all of a sudden L makes the deduction that there's another kira, while before he seems to be focusing on Raito alone. (he mentioned the kids of the other police officers only very briefly...) Um... I'm asking too much?
I'm over my initial shock and inability to accept that DN won't be the short and sweet thing of my fantasies... Still up for more more more characterization. Raito and L are getting rather one-sided lately. (L is still quirkily charming) Oh well. Out for the weekend... No time to write more.
On an unrelated note, deviantART seems less sluggish than I remembered it to be. Am considering joining. (or attempting to remember what my account is called)