Hi! I wanted to talk more about Watari and L's codependent relationship, and figured this was was way too long as a reply to a comment, so I was debating whether to infodump in your messages or in your ask box. I chose the latter, so I hope you don't mind. Firstly I think the way Watari treats L isn't misguided, I think its intentional. As someone who set up an orphanage, he should know a lot about kids, and how you must make sure they are not isolating themselves, or indulging in the harmful self-sabotaging behaviors like how L was solving crime cases at a young age. Another (possibly intentional) part of his isolation was the fact that he had his own room. Privacy may be good, but it is extremely unusual, from the quick research I did, for orphanages to give children there own individual rooms. Usually there would be 2-4 children per a room (separated by gender when they got older). This already sets him apart from the other children. It doesn't help that we see L's room is all white, and completely undecorated, without any bed. So now imagine this: there is this child, who spends almost all there day isolated from others, the only source of human interaction he is getting most of the time is from an old man who legally has all the money because he's the adult, with the bank account, likely gave L his name since he was nameless when he came to the orphanage and is the very few people that know he is L, and his only one who he could fully trust to keep his secret while acting as his proxy. However this raises another question; if L ever wanted to cut ties with Watari, he wouldn't be able too. Now of course, L wouldn't ever want to do this because Watari is very useful and tends to his every needs, but lets think of a hypothetical where he does want too. How would L be able to even do that? Watari is the man he spent 90% of his life interacting with, the only one he can frankly trust to be a proxy and keep the Wammy house a secret and his identity (since arguably Watari is the one who made is identity.) and he likely manages all the money L has even as an adult because if L had his name attached to any bank account, it could be tracked, and no one is going to think some retired billionaire is going to be out and about traveling with a world famous detective. Not only that, hes situated himself to be the only one who can tend to L's eccentric needs, and the only one who can contact L. No matter how powerful L is, there is this power dynamic that has persisted with them since childhood. One could make the argument that the dynamic is evened out since Watari acts like a butler, serving L and getting everything he wants. But that in a way isn't healthy, and still causes co-dependency. It makes him an almost wolf in sheep's clothing, because while he comes across as this sweet old man, fundamentally his intentions are flawed. Except he doesn't even come across as sweet at all. I mean, he was the one who gagged Misa to stop her from killing herself during her confinement while she was deprived of all basic humanity. He was completely unphased by L torturing her. Like they do this often. In fact there is a moment in the show where Watari is putting on these medical gloves in the room where Misa is, next to a tray filled with these strange chemicals, like he was prepared to do worse. I can only assume that torture is a common method of interrogation they use. I wonder who suggested to start torturing it first? Either way the fact that he is completely ok with this doesn't give me the idea that he was good at raising L. You said in one of your comments, that Watari isn't evil, and I don't disagree with this notion entirely, however the more I think about Watari, the shadier he gets. I mean, remember when Watari casually sniped the pistol out of Higuchi's hand? Learning to shoot a gun isn't hard for a billionaire, but learning to snipe is a strange hobby to pick up. But not only that, Watari is very good at it, enough to confidently shoot a small pistol out of a mans hand from a helicopter.
(I have more thoughts but there is no more space. Sorry for the long message)
i forgot watari sniped that pistol. i overlooked the fact that while L ordered misa's torture, watari was the one who executed it (hey side note, did L ever need to tell him what methods to use ? or first time did he just say "go torture (whoever)" and watari was like. oh i got you. i know exactly what to do). i kinda like the idea that watari might be ex-military. idk if that works logistically but im intrigued by it.
anyway, you are sooo right. i dont know what else to say. from the fact that child Ls room doesnt just not have a desk or chair for his fucking computer on the floor, it doesnt have a BED either ? i didnt even think about that !
no matter what anyone says about how stubborn L might be, to me it doesn't diminish the fact that watari seems to actively encourage and enable this behaviour to Ls detriment, and this pattern started when he was a child. im sorry but 25yo L not even being able to dress himself and shower properly (the washing machine) is like. devastating to me. maybe im just soft. the way it's written off as him being lazy or uninterested just doesn't sit right with me. yeah sure you could say that, but why the FUCK is he so uninterested in every. single. thing. that is not case investigation. i find it symptomatic of a dangerous pattern that watari has done nothing to try and change - and worse, has been fostering this entire time.
the fact that L, as a child when he arrived at wammys, was stronger and smarter than any of the other children, does NOT change the fact that he was also a CHILD. he was vulnerable. he had come straight from something that gave him that thousand yard stare and no name, and watari took that child and essentially molded him into a weapon.
also, yeah, the thing about Ls identity and his complete dependence on watari. he has created a situation where there is no way out for L. hypothetically, if he wanted to: where would he go ? how would he take care of himself ? watari literally does EVERYTHING for him including organizing all the shit that hides his identity - it would be so dangerous for L to leave watari at any point. that is an issue for ANY relationship between anyone.
(another side note: ive said this before in a tag, but when people call L a rich millionare i think they're oversimplifying the situation. he was taken in by a rich old man, and that rich old man has money to give him everything he wants, but L DOES NOT have financial independence from watari. he can ask watari for whatever he wants and watari will give it to him, but as far as i recall, L is not shown to have control of a large amount of money himself - even the stuff he earns through his work. that is a problem)
im kind of in this weird place with watari where like -- i want to BELIEVE he has good intentions for L, but every time i look at their dynamic i find something else thats fucked up. like i fully came away from death note the first time believing that watari was a nice old man who loves his son (fool i was) and now. .. God.
im sure ive missed a lot of stuff rn - the more i think on it the more my perspective changes for the worse
anyway, all that being said.. YOU 🫵. are always welcome in my dms. just sayin
stormborns
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