When novice anime fans ask grizzled veterans where to start, the answer is usually: Full metal alchemist or Death note. And for good reason: they are short, sweet animes with great stories. While their stories couldn’t be further apart, they share resonant tales of wondering how the supernatural would influence global politics in the early aughts. Although people tend to just remember Death note‘S good-natured live-action Netflix showthey often forget that the series pushed the American political story into today’s world with a sequel in which then-President Donald Trump tried to buy the supernatural notebook.
As you might guess from the title, Death note is about a black notebook that brings to life anyone whose name is in it (although many rules and caveats restrict its use). Written and illustrated by manga duo Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, the series follows a student named Light Yagami who—after receiving the Death Note on a whim from a lanky death god named Ryuk—tried to use the book to rid the world of criminals. redeem. he considers rehabilitation unworthy. From then on, he and a genius detective named L Lawliet engaged in a cat-and-mouse game to prevent Light (under the pseudonym Kira) from committing supernatural murders.
But we’re not here to talk about Kira, the terrorist. We’re here to talk about the much more extraordinary (and socialist-oriented) protagonist of the 2020 special one-shot and how his Marxist mind cheated Donald Trump out of a slick $10,000,000,000,000.
Unlike Light Yagami, Death Note: Special one-shot sees protagonist Minoru Tanaka come into possession of the Death Note and refuse to use it. Instead, he’s biding his time until 2019 to publicly and anonymously announce he’s selling it to the highest bidder. Moreover, he does this on Twitter via the hashtag #PowerofKira. Minoru’s plan not only keeps him from technically using the notebook (so previous detectives can’t pursue him), but it also allows him to weaponize the Internet’s (pre-Elon Musk) town square into the highest bidder to follow. Inevitably, things escalated, and the unnamed President of the United States – although from the draft alone it is clear that Ohba and Obata were writing about the then president of the time, Trump – made a televised announcement in which he the aforementioned unholy amount bid for the Death Note with US funds.
© Tsugumi Ohba / Takeshi Obata / Shonen Jump / Viz Media
Only things don’t go as the fictionalized Trump planned. Immediately after his winning bid, Ryuk revealed that there would be no refunds and that his money would be evenly deposited into the bank accounts of everyone with a Yotsuba Bank of Japan savings account. Furthermore, before the book was given to Trump in the Oval Office – after declaring that he would use it for “world peace” – Ryuk revealed a newly implemented rule: anyone who sells or buys the obituary will die.
“Yes, I know. It’s a brand new rule. So you paid all that money just to die,” Ryuk says nonchalantly to an alarmed Trump.
What follows is a hilarious conversation between Trump and Ryuk, in which the death god guides him through his options. Should Trump accept the book, he’ll… you know. But someone “High and mighty in this land” gets the Death Note. Ergo, the US would own the Death Note, but it would not be in the hands of the current president. It is not surprising that manga does not accept Trump.
‘I got it. You value your life above your country,” Ryuk replies. Rather than accept defeat, Trump reveals that he will announce that he has acquired Kira’s power after all, adding that his refusal to use it (because he doesn’t have it) will make him “look like a saint.” ” It’s a move that, in retrospect, feels very Trumpian after he couched his 2020 election defeat in confusion and denial (and has continued to do so throughout). his 2024 campaign). And it’s one that even impresses Ryuk!
© Tsugumi Ohba / Takeshi Obata / Shonen Jump / Viz Media
That’s the meat of it Death Note Special One Shota chapter released on February 3, 2020 on Viz Media and Shonen Jump. A day in the US, mind you, where live-action Trump was on trial for impeachment, at the start of the COVID pandemic.
The Death Note Special One Shot This isn’t the first time anime and manga have used real American politicians to tell their stories. Series like Baki Hanma have used President Trump, Joe Biden and Barack Obama as a backdrop to sell the seriousness of the ensuing drama. Even the recently released ones Dan Da Dan anime changed from its manga, swapping Obama references with Trump to keep up with American politics, and Chainsaw man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto has interwoven his best-selling manga with commentary on American politics and our deification of weapons. We are the main character (derogatory)!
All this to say that whether we like it or not, the world is watching American politics and using them for scathing commentary. If this is any indication, go vote today if you can so you don’t join the trend of America being the muse for manga or anime that people are recommending in a few years.
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