In many ways, this is the basis of the Faustian archetype. A man desires to become God only to find himself destroyed by the story's end. If you think back to all the characters from all the media you've consumed who have had god complexes, you'll find that few, if any, turn out to have a happy ending. I'm reminded in particular of Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus" -- the story of a brilliant man who sold his soul to become god on earth only to find himself dragged to hell at the story's end. The Faustian archetype is not an antiquated one, however. I like to think that Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" is, in many ways, a Faustian tale. I also like to think that "Death Note" follows a similar Faustian vein.
Now after walking the horse around the barn about five times, I arrive at "Death Note" -- one of the most popular works of anime ever made (according to myanimelist right now, actually, the *most* popular anime ever made). Spanning 37 episodes, "Death Note" tells the story of Light Yagami, an exceptionally intelligent Japanese high school student who one day stumbles across a notebook that claims to possess the power to kill anyone whose name is written in its pages. Light takes up this newfound power with tremendous gusto, swearing to eliminate the wicked, build a better world, and proclaim himself the god of this new world. With countless soon dead, an urban legend soon crops up around the unknown perpetrator as authorities and civilians alike bequeath him the title "Kira."
Now, I've never been a big fan of magical realism. The premise is rather fantastical, to say the least, and the megalomaniacal Light doesn't seem like the sort of guy you'd sympathize with -- though as the story progressed I did grow to pity him. Despite this, however, "Death Note" succeeds by way of its meticulous, masterful plotting and the staggering battle of wits between its two main characters -- Light, who I've already mentioned, and L, a genius detective working to catch Kira. Seeing the two of them duke it out as they consider, reconsider, devise, revise, and enact their schemes is a thrill to watch. A solid cast of supporting characters accompanies them, but the real ticket in town is this battle of two cerebral gods. Without them, this story falls apart, and they're both so masterfully crafted that they make sure this never happens.
And as much as I hate to admit it, Light is by far one of the most brilliantly conceived characters I've ever encountered. I loathe him, despise him, sympathize with him, and pity him in equal measure. His boundless intelligence and astonishing charisma would elicit the support of many, but the power of the Death Note brings upon a descent into sociopathy that is by turns tragic and infuriating. For a man who aspires to be God, he really seems to encompass only one side of the essence of God. How does that old verse go? "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away?" If God exists, He is, in many ways, both creator and destroyer -- the one who gave birth to this world and so will take it to death. Indeed, God often seems like a rather contradictory figure -- creator and destroyer, an arbiter of both justice and mercy, light and dark, kind and cruel. Light, however, captures only one side of that dichotomy: he never creates, he rarely shows mercy, his very name belies his true nature, and he develops so little regard for human life that the mere suggestion of kindness from him is laughable. And yet, one can't help but wonder what he would have been like without the Death Note's corrosive influence. Hence my introduction with the Faustian stuff. A man who wants to become god slowly corrupted by his own ambition. His tragedy is a compelling one, and it's a tremendous testament to the writing that I can't call him outright "evil" -- merely misguided and so corrupted.
Overall, it's a tremendous work that has earned its popularity. I can't go into any further detail regarding Light's character and my thoughts on "Death Note" without spoiling anything, so I'll refrain from writing anything further. That being said, if you haven't seen "Death Note," I would advise that you do so immediately. Chances are, you'll enjoy it; even if you don't, it's one of those things that just shouldn't be missed given its notoriety. You'll more likely fall under the former than the latter, though.
