To begin with, a note I'd like to make regarding Death Note as a whole is the use of simple words to title it's chapters. It gives a clear and concise expectation for the chapter, and as the manga goes on it creates, surprisingly, further insight to characters, relations and more. I will be making small comments at the beginning of each post if I believe it to be relevant enough to bring up.
Boredom specifically is a perfect way to begin. That's all there needs to be said, especially when the first panel opens us up to the Shinigami realm, barren and dull. There is nothing around them and the body language of the characters in the panel show just that.
They're lounging around, barely even conversing with one another.
Ryuk's first thought: Same old thing day after day... what a bore, is spoken through such too.
Then, the following panel being the human world is symbolic from a reader's perspective, particularly to someone who has read the manga before. But even then, this can be missed: the Shinigami realm is above the human's, as it literally is situated in a place where gods of death can look down on it. I'm glazing Obata and Ohba here for panel positioning and story-telling already.
I enjoy how his classmates are chatting, living in the moment of school-life while Light looks out, bored. Already we have an understanding that Light does not feel a desire to mingle with others, followed with: This world is a rotten mess...
We get our first introduction to Light Yagami's misanthropic view.
Returning back to the Shinigami realm, the Shinigami are attempting to entertain themselves. I am not sure if this is intentional but it is worth a note. The symbolism of skulls cover many things, such as recognizing inner power, letting go of the old to invite in the new and emerging stronger. This can foreshadow how Kira's mindset engulfs Light's as a more dominant one. He does literally become stronger, wielding the power of a supernatural murder weapon.
Light's boredom is shown by how he debates on picking up the notebook, he wasn't about to, yet curiosity got the better of him. Plus it literally fell from the sky.
Returning back to Light, his smarts are immediately revealed without it having to be spelt out for the reader. He picks up the Death Note, which is written entirely in English. He doesn't bat an eye, just laughs thinking it is some estranged joke and yet begins to read it perfectly.
This might not be apparent from an English read through.
Again, Light's curiosity gets the better of him. He talks against the premise of the book, just like he was going to walk away without investigating it on the ground. Though, the next panel is him reading the rules of the Death Note and once again debating the extremity of the 'joke.'
The next few panels reveal Light's mental back and forth, displayed by his shifty eyes as his inner thoughts repeat, "So you let people die peacefully, or make them suffer..." From what he has just read. He looks towards the Death Note upon his desk.
I like to imagine at this point, he is considering what he would do with the Death Note, struggling to hold on to the morals he forces himself to confine to for society. After all, he is a respected boy, so to expect him to be polite is only natural. It doesn't matter whether or not he has had the book for merely an hour, he still considers it. Boredom. He wants to latch onto the concept of it being real.
This point is now explicitly stated as he's then introduced as the top-preforming student nationwide. In fact, Sachiko, his mother, says, "You placed first again." He has done this multiple times. Light Yagami is extremely smart.
Another thing to add is how sweet his mother looks, standing expectantly but proudly at the door awaiting her son. She knows his capabilities. She offers her aid if requested, the characteristics of a typical nurturing mother. At this time, the status of his family life is unknown but it is not difficult to come to the conclusion it is normal. Proud parents, hard-working son.
It is then the first panel of Light's face being shadowed, expression not shown as he casually walks past his mother, the tone has shifted.
Ultimately, this leads on to the reveal that Light Yagami has been using the Death Note for presumably the full five days it has been in his possession.
Already, he has hidden it, knowing that if someone were to find out he would be in a lot of trouble. Light chuckles in disbelief as he holds it like it were gold, the television on in the background as he had planned to kill criminals, the station is on the news. He is one track minded, basking in the entertainment of ridding injustice from the world, turning to the notebook as soon as he arrives home.
When startled by Ryuk, he is quick to regain his composure. This highlights his ability to stay level-headed, something that is detrimental to his character at a later stage.
In fact, Light snickers. His ego doesn't even need to be spoken aloud. He thinks he has been chosen by the Shinigami individually, picked from a vast crowd. Light thinks he has the qualities to be chosen by God, to have the power of death bestowed upon him. He entertains his own thoughts of being selected. The fact he has accepted this, saying, "Gee, a personal visit from a Shinigami," and "Why did you choose me?" indicates a sense of self-importance, not asking if he deserves the power but why him?
To add onto this, Light was ready to give up his soul for the usage of the Death Note, reflecting his ambitions not yet revealed to the reader. Though from that alone and the disregard of his placement in the afterlife, it's enough to recognize he must have a motive.
There is a lot to dissect regarding the flashback of his first kill.
Here, he is still considering his moral boundaries, understanding the weight of his actions and the taking of a life. This is furthering the internal conflict mentioned prior in the analysis, it's a gentle introduction to the moral slip of his character. This questioning shifts from 'Am I a murderer?' to 'I am God,' from this point on.
The consideration to kill someone who is rather 'wrong' than 'right' begins to show his perspective on criminal justice. Though, right now, it is acceptable for one to believe a murderer of six people who is currently holding children hostage is deserving of death.
When the death is successful, Light considers killing a school bully yet deems it 'too obvious' and then kills a rapist. This is done as a way to test the notebook further, sticking to his guidelines of it being someone who is, I quote, "okay to kill." Now, he realizes the notebook can control the way someone is killed. He does this in a way it looks natural, too: a motorbike accident.
But, it further shows his opinions as he holds the school bully on the same grounds as the attacker, as people worthy to die, that they would go 'unnoticed.'
Despite realizing he has killed two people, Light is once again quick to regain himself and finally come to a moral conclusion.
Light abandons the idea that killing people is wrong and instead moves to accept that killing is necessary. Referring to it as 'cleaning up' belittles the lives of others to nothing but rubbish, that the loss of criminal activity would lead to a flourishing world. He appoints himself as the only person to be able to do it, placing himself high and mighty.
The next exchange with Ryuk he does with a smile on his face.
How I interpret the smiling here is that of control. He keeps collected as he recites his ideologies and expectations of the world once it meets his judgement. He's rather expressive, if it was anything but, it would be as clear as it was here:
He is also ecstatic that he has the ability to do something like this. Light Yagami has full confidence he will be able to pull something like this off and not get caught.
He labels his actions as 'righteous judgement,' which relays both religious and criminological concepts. That of a criminal judge and the teachings of God. They're both very prominent themes throughout Death Note.
Biblically, righteous judgement is that one should judge another as righteous as God created them that way, treating them the way God would want them to be treated. If someone does not follow the teachings of God or rebel then they will adhere the consequences. This mirrors Light's mentality later in the manga.
It's important to note Ryuk doubts him, yet does not speak him out of it. He wants entertainment and that is what he will get, already proving that dropping the notebook was satisfactory. He is impressed by what Light has done.
Finally, finishing chapter one is the first panel of L, faceless with a design so obviously not settled on yet.
'This is one case where I'm going to need some help from the police,' the character of L is already welcomed as a prodigy, implying he's managed cases without the help of police prior.
It leaves us off on a good cliffhanger.
Overall, chapter one is a phenomenal start of the manga. It jumps right into action whilst giving a brief launch of Light's character, setting up the foundations to ultimately let him crumble in ego and self-righteousness. I think a key take away from this chapter is that Light has a developing hubris, quick to justify the killings of two individuals into something he can understand and accept. He does have a past already of helping the police with cases and he is only seventeen.
Light Yagami can do anything if he puts his mind to it.
