ABOUT LIGHT, KIRA AND SOICHIRO YAGAMI
You know, Iāve always liked how Madhouse include the moon symbolism to underline the dichotomy between Kira and Light.Ā
I donāt think thereās a neat frontier between Light and Kira, since one created the other. Not to mention one could even go further and distinguish between beginning!Kira, postL!Kira and, of course, cornered!Kira.
Kira is, I believe, the armor Light committed himself to wear when he decided his justification for killing people would be carrying out Justice. Kira is strong, sharp faced, smooth and ruthless. There is a part of LightĀ Ā (even Yotsuba Light)Ā Ā that believes āworking for the greater goodā require to be firm to the point of cruelty. It is shown when he entertains the possibility he might be Kira but also by the fact he doesnāt criticize on Lās veryā¦. unorthodox methods. Lightās and Kiraās alignment is lawful, of course.
But Kiraās and Lightās relationship is wicked from the start. Light needs Kira.Lightās reasoning when he has forgotten everything about the DN is often close to Kira (whom he invented so thatās logic you might say BUT Ā it creeps Light out).
Kira doesnāt believe he needs Light. This is very much underlined when Light!Kira tells Rem she can kill memoryloss!Light if Misa isnāt released within a few years by L (x). Kira!Light doesnāt hesitate to potentially sacrifice his other self if need be (perhaps he thought he would be smart enough to make a last minute plan to save himself from Rem, if L had never released Misa. But how, if heās deprived of his memories ?). Kira is stronger than Light. Light works well in team, doesnāt always speak his mind (during the Aizawagate with L he remains silent even though L is indubitably wrong (x)). Kira is in charge, heās probably everything Light wanted and strived to be even when he was that rather isolated teen depressed about the world.
I digress. Why do I like these screenshots ? Because you donāt only see a light in Lightās eyes when he forfeits his ownership. It doesnāt only represent the fact Light -when he doesnāt remember being a killer- had the potential to be a good person. It shows a moon, which make us think about the meaning behind Lightās name. When Kira is too strong, Light disappear. Itās a strange paradox, being killed by our own creation, especially a creation that was supposed to be a protection.
But who is Light Yagami ?
Light had the potential to become the man his father was. But he chose to become Kira. never forget, HE chose, like Raskolnikov did. Light wasnāt chosen by fate or anything. Did he really want to become like his father, deep inside ? I believe he was quite conflicted on that matter, as it is underlined by Light!Kira coldness (x) or even rudeness (x) towards Soichiro.
I could write a book about Light and his father, but Iāll be as short as I can. Light loved Soichiro as a father, he cared for him. When he begins to act as Kira, he sweats (x) when he thinks Kira (notice how Light still distance himself from Kira here. Later heāll take the habit to say āLightā because his inner self has become more Kira than Light. The mask has become the person. The person has become the mask) might have to kill his family. I wonāt discuss the fact Light loved his family, itās established.
However, Soichiro remained a distant figure in Lightās life. And I believe Soichiroās rigid moral compass and his very complex and conflicted relationship to his father (x) explain a LOT of things about Light/Kira. Let me explain.
Light probably didnāt know or see his father - who is always seen WORKING- much. But he was aware that he was respected and deemed a āgood manā by society and his colleagues (x). After all, everyone, even L, seem to praise Soichiro ? Put yourself in Lightās shoes. If youāre the son of such a great man but you donāt totally adhere to his methodsā¦. what does that make you ? Certainly not the prodigal perfect son who intend to follow in his fatherās footsteps Light aims to be (why does he desperately need to fit society standards ? maybe death note is also a political and societal critique of Japan. I canāt explore that theory here sorry) !
Light never has the courage to disagree frontally with his father. But :
- Notice Lightās provocative behavior. Just after the family dinner during which Soichiro explains heās looking for Kiraā¦. Light goes to his room and kills not less than 23 persons (x).
- Notice how he uses the DN under the pretense of carrying out Justice while Soichiro disagrees totally with Kiraās āideologyā (which is partly an excuse because he finds personal relief in killing and partly true. I will write a meta on Light and death penalty later).
- Notice how he sides with L rather than his own father here (x) (Light dares say his mind because it was Lās idea. Heās not facing his father alone. He hesitates then takes Lās side because he agrees with him)
- Notice the resentment when he talks about his father in front of ever loyal Matsuda in the end. And thatās maybe a key moment. Because it shows that Light resented his father for what he believed to be naivetĆ© (which is funny when you consider Lightās ideology). Light - because under Kiraās madness one can see LIGHT speaking. He finally breaks the mask and tells the world that he believes what Soichiro was doing might be fair but useless.
Maybe, maybe the fact his father was not really present (when Sayu is upset because Soichiro isnāt there, Light says āā¦.ā and turn his back = 1) itās his fault Soichiro isnāt there, since heās the ghost his father is chasing relentlessly 2) Sayu expresses her disapproval of Kira who āruinā their family life 3) Maybe Light is so used to his fatherās absence heād like to say something but fear to break the mask) and often working, applying methods that Light didnāt find effective, losing the time he could spend with his family chasing crime in the rotten world has fueled Lightās resentment. But thatās a maybe here.
ā> And here you see why Light was so provocative when he killed 23 persons after Soichiroās speech in front of his family at the dinner. Because he wanted to make a point. āYou might be right, father, but I am the one carrying out Justice. Iāve rendered you powerlessā. Ah, Lightās arrogance vs Lightās inner doubts. Arrogance is often a facade to deal with oneās inner doubts and conflicts (arrogance =/= self confidence in the sense many self confident persons donāt have a competitive spirit because theyāve got nothing to prove while arrogance may drive a person to take risks and attack and be competitive in order to assert themselves. Soichiro is self confident. Light is arrogant.).
Yes, there is a strong power game between Light and Soichiro and Soichiro isnāt even aware of this. Light!Kira purposely use Soichiroās giftĀ (a mark of love and respectā¦) to carry out his sinister plan of ruling the world.
ā> But Light also desperately want to make his father proud because he DOES admire him too (x). Heās DESPERATE when he realizes his own father might trust Lās over him (x). Also, when Light says in the end he know that āwhat I did what wrongā itās obvious he referring to what his father would have thought. He doesnāt explain himself to the Japanese team.
No. Light is talking to his father in this scene. his father who would have never, ever approved of his actions.
Light is conflicted because heās torn between what he should be -his fatherās son, a nice boy with a strong moral compass- (and what he probably WASā¦.partly) and what HE feels is right and what makes him feel strong, powerful and a better Justice knight than his father.
Light is both the man who craves for his fatherās love and approval but also the man who want to prove him wrong and surpass him, resorting to means Soichiro would never use.
Does he feel worthy of his approval ?
TL;DR : Everything is linked to Soichiro when it comes to the dichotomy between Light and Kira. Ā Kira stems from Lightās struggle between applying and believing in what his father taught him VS what Light believes to be useful and Fair (because what serves Justice is fair in Lightās books).
Who is Light Yagami ?
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