This article was first published in the Zhihu column: Japan-China ACG Alliance Asia Branch Author: Gray Plains Milan Orange Heart Society has been authorized to reprint, forwarding this item and indicating the residence
Do tears necessarily represent sadness?
Or is there bound to be tears when you are sad?
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Not necessarily.
At the very least, Milan was sad and tearless when he saw the ending of Death Note (dn). That kind of sadness is different, it's dry, heart-wrenching, it's helpless. Obviously only one step away, why is this so?
(Curtain Call)
No anime has ever been as impressive as "dn", after tossing the audience for dozens of episodes, with only one ending. Unlike "From the Calm Tomorrow" where the last few episodes gradually entered a good state and climaxed with the blessing of bgm, "dn" really left the most emotional picture in the last five minutes. The sunset is still there, where is the teenager looking?
(Echoing the sunset from end to end)
Of course, the reason why "dn" can become a collectible work is not only because of its excellent ending, but also because everyone sees almost different things from it. The foregoing is just Milan's personal feelings. Don't spit it out! Then, in order to evaluate the work as objectively as possible, we still analyze it from the plot, human settings and other aspects as before.
"dn" uses the typical plot mode of a suspense film that is easy to succeed. Do not understand? It's okay, just listen to Milan slowly. In "dn", this mode is embodied in the complexity and ups and downs of the plot. The so-called complexity, which is well understood, is that the story develops along a tortuous road, with many twists and turns, and there may be many forces involved. If there is a game in the film, neither of the participating parties can easily win. Look at "dn", which can be used to achieve the ideal of the treasure that will never be discovered, but to gamble with the unruly teenager; obviously in the game, it is not to solve the opponent with one knife, but to play with it, and try to win the absolute trust of the other party; the rules are clearly written there, and they will start to use it without reading it (what if there is a rule that "if you don't write once within 12 hours after writing, the holder will die"? ）。 In addition to a large number of twists and turns in the plot, the story arrangement, there are two heirs after the unruly teenager. The story can't be long.
(And then you guys get scared)
As outsiders, in the process of watching this work, we should think: if we are the protagonists, we will make more wise and rational choices. Therefore, many settings including the above content will also become the object of our complaints. However, do not forget: bystanders are clear, authorities are confused. What the protagonist who is really in the environment of the play feels and will do, we cannot predict, so it is not appropriate to expect anything. "Plot needs" may be a master key to explaining or satirizing the unscientific phenomenon of literary works, and it can be used to say that the problem is too perfunctory. Let's explore together what "plot needs" refers to in "dn".
The story should be wonderful, and contradictions and conflicts are indispensable. In fairy tales, the contradictions may be too small to be perceived, and in suspense films like "dn" (if you don't agree, please use it as a hypothesis), the greater the contradictions, the more conflicts, the more exciting the story. Of course, there is also a limit to contradictions. Beyond the limit, the story will only become a brainless destruction film. That's why it's hard to find masterpieces that literally destroy the planet at every turn. There is no overrun problem in dn, so I won't say much. In order to make the contradictions large enough, we saw the contacts between the two sides in the first battle. I also felt the desire of both sides to completely eliminate their opponents. In that case, what they seek is no longer victory, but the pleasure that this wrestling brings to them. If it were not for the original author Oba Tsutomu who believes that the story should continue to develop, the two are expected to continue to fight. In the struggle, a variety of schemes gradually surfaced: black and white character switching, stand-in attacks, vertical and horizontal, etc., so that the whole story contains more and more elements, and the plot is more and more abundant. The complicated plot avoids the situation where one party crushes the opponent with strength, and truly realizes mutual prediction and mutual set-up, which in turn satisfies the needs of the plot for contradictions and conflicts.
A good story can't be without round characters. The so-called round characters refer to literary and artistic works with diverse personalities, rich feelings, and overall more in line with the actual human situation. If there is no complicated plot, the protagonist of this work is only a principled young man who wants to implement his ideals and beliefs, at this time, if the ending remains unchanged, I believe that the audience who believes that "good people have no good rewards" will account for the majority - the author estimates that he will have to collect blades. With a complex plot, the protagonist's personality changes, the audience's view of him can continue to change, and admiration is no longer the only emotion. At this time, the audience saw the ending, and many people may think of a sentence - "The heavens are good reincarnation, and the heavens have spared whom." The complication also satisfies the needs of the plot for round characters.
Another manifestation of the "dn" plot mode is the undulating. This is better understood. The protagonist group constantly struggles in the cycle of "triumph-frustration-pride", and the supporting characters also float in various emotions. In addition, the events never stop – there is always someone dying, someone enforcing the ruling, and the opponent is never absent: one exits, two joins reflect the ups and downs of the main storyline. In general, complex stories are full of ups and downs. But after all, "responsible" and "undulating" refer to the characteristics of different aspects of the story – the former refers to the specific content, while the latter refers to the process of advancement – so it is better to discuss them separately.
Although the plot of "dn" is complex, the main line is very clear (the original author never forgot the type of work of the work). Obviously, the identity of the protagonist and some activity environments determine that this film can be filmed in the direction of the youth campus, and the encounter between the male and female protagonists determines that the film can be performed in the direction of love. However, unlike some works that date while playing, eating on the street, and then making up for the magic, the magic, and the magic, "dn" cruelly rejects these possibilities, single-mindedly, and soars on the road of suspense. This fully guarantees the ideological nature of the work that is easy to understand, and thus improves its quality. In the words of the answers to the primary and secondary school reading questions, it is "the main idea is clear". However, it is really a pity to lack emotional drama. And the audience's perception of the protagonist will also change because of this gap.
Does this boast think this film is too perfect? In fact, if you look carefully and think about it carefully, you will still find bugs in the play. First, the notes affect people all over the world, which means that users have the ability to access information about small countries and inhospitable areas – something that cannot be done by hacking the computers of the Japanese police. Second, a large number of detainees have died mysteriously, shouldn't the guards and escorts be investigated first? From the beginning, it was thought that there were outsiders who used strange methods to kill people, almost as if the existence of a supernatural treasure was known. If the suspicion of the caretaker and the escort has been ruled out, at least one sentence should be mentioned. Third, the rules of death are vague. "If death kills people with notes in order to prolong someone's life, the god of death will die." This sentence sounds reasonable, but if the god of death kills people for the purpose of prolonging his life. How can this be judged that this act inadvertently saved the life of another person? The notebook is not smart enough to detect the motives of death.
Compared to the advantages, there are still very few bugs in the plot. And when it comes to the human design side, there is no bug at all. The only thing that may make the audience uncomfortable is the heroine's changeable face. Calm down and think about it, this should be her transition between happiness, blackening and despair, but the audience who likes her may not look at her heart.
It can be said that except for the male protagonist, almost everyone in the film is a special character (a certain characteristic has developed to the extreme, and there is only one characteristic of the character). Either it is pure to the extreme, or it is emotional to the extreme. This does not mean that the author ignores the portrayal of characters outside the male protagonist, on the contrary, he attaches great importance to the depiction of each important supporting role. To this end, he designed a story for almost everyone, making the work quite impactful. It is common in anime that in order to enhance the presence of supporting characters, the producer will assign the words that one person can say to multiple people, and the result reflects their near-zero sense of existence. The audience was also embarrassed to see it. Although the portrayal of the characters in "dn" also has obvious traces of rich character images, at least the author is careful. Judging from the results, if the time of the character story can be shortened, or the backstory can be more creative (such as a police officer who lost his girlfriend due to law enforcement), the effect should be better.
Looking at the appearance alone, the characters are decent, and how to say it is also a serious anime. Except for a certain white-haired strange thing, the characters are more comfortable to look at. (Make a fuss!) (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Not only is it a single person, but the picture of "dn" is also very good. The characters in the play are almost always in dark tones, and the world seems to be shrouded in smog all the time. This is really in line with the theme and plot of the work. Mystery, death and despair should be born in this dark environment. But if there is only a gray and dark world, the audience will have to judge the "dark" fatigue sooner or later. Therefore, "dn" also appears from time to time in the strange colored lights common in Japanese comics. This kind of lighting is often used to express the strong contrast between the prosperity of the world in the bright places and the horrors in the dark places of the city. Another common sight in this work is the brilliant sunset – it's all an image. Usually, the setting sun represents beauty, memories, and the coming end. In addition to the above meaning, the sunset in "dn" also has a beginning and end echo: the same sunset conveys different messages. As for what the message is, it is up to the kings themselves to understand it.
Leaving aside the big picture, let's look at a noteworthy detail in dn – the rules of note-taking. The design of inserting rules during the main film's midmission is great, avoiding boring the audience (you know, anime can't be fast-forwarded when it's broadcast on TV). Knowing the rules also enables the viewer to understand what has already happened and predict what is coming (though not every time). This is very helpful in improving the ratings of a more difficult work like "dn". (English explanation is too bad Milan will not complain)
Unfortunately, I don't know if it was the negligence of the production team, and the rules have inconsistencies: in the first half, there are "If someone's death will lead to the death of other people whose names are not recorded, the recorded person will die of heart anesthesia", and in the second half, "If someone's death method will lead to the death of other people whose names are not recorded, they will all die of heart anesthesia". That's big news.
In addition, some of the rules that are very useful, such as "four times to avoid death", have not been put into practice. Isn't that a shame?
The music of "dn" is generally average. The two main interludes are the highlights: one like a hymn and the other like a march. They are used to cooperate with the male protagonist to imagine a new world and enforce the ruling, and the fit can be described as max. Both op animations are dedicated to showing killing, confrontation and advancement. The animation also neta a handful of oil painting "Genesis", the look and feel is not bad. Ed is to show the horror of the arbiter, and the male protagonist in it seems to be arrogantly saying: "I am the Great Demon King!" ”
(The proud male protagonist in ed)
The game has a solid cv cast, with Mamo, Katsuhira, the regimental leader, Cha Fumibashi (Officer Nippori's cv) and Akira Watanabe all participating in the dubbing.
My New World.......................................
Artwork Information: Death Note (Small Black Book)
Production: Madhouse