CosmoK13: Hello everyone and welcome back to my interview with the Death Note cast. It seems quite a few people liked the interview I had with Light Yagami, so now I'm here with the other iconic Death Note star. You all know this loveable detective that has a sweet tooth. Please give it up for L!
L: Thank you for having me on set, Miss Cosmo.
CosmoK13: Well thank you for agreeing to be part of this. You're my favorite character in Death Note and it's so exciting to have you here. I certainly hope you are alright with taking time out of your day for this.
L: Well, I had nothing better to do today.
CosmoK13: I'm not complaining. Alright, let's get into some questions. First, let's ask you about the series itself. Tell us about your character in Death Note.
L: Well, I'm sure everyone who is a Death Note fan knows about my character at this point. I'm the best detective in the world, though I mostly do my work in the shadows. My goal in the series is to solve the Kira case by finding out who is Kira, or at least prove that Light Yagami, my number one suspect, is Kira. My character has an interesting ecstatic. A lot of people - one of the many debates of Death Note is which side is labeled as good or the bad side. Most of the fans have argued whether I'm the good guy or if Light is the good guy, that kind of debate. But the one thing about Death Note is that it's hard to actually justify the side when you get to know more about the character.
CosmoK13: *Nods.* And that's why I love Death Note. It's more than just the whole "Hey, Light's killing these people, so he's a bad guy because he's killing." Or, "Hey, L is sacrificing his life to bring him in, so he's a good guy." I think the reason why Death Note is so powerful, a very inspiring anime, is that, it's hard to classify what is wrong and right, especially when you get to adulthood. When we're kids, we have this concept ideal of good and bad, but as we grow older, and become more involved in the world, we start to see the world isn't as black and white, there are gray areas as well. And there are times when people will do bad things to do something good and vise versa. It's that mental philosophy about how you can't defy evil and good with just one action alone. And Death Note executes that action really well. Especially with the characters you have in the show. We have Light, he wants to create a world without crime, but he does that by murdering criminals. And then we have your character, who is trying to bring Kira in and will do whatever it takes, even if that means illegal activities, and we see you may have a darker side.
L: That's a very well thought-out comment.
CosmoK13: *Blushes.*
L: The anime itself can be grotesques, and scary, and kind of reminiscent of other works such as Spirited Away. The series takes many turns to the unexpected, and with those turns, the characters follow.
CosmoK13: What do you think of the show itself?
L: It's very imaginative, very well thought out. Provocative. The concept is original and it stimulates with tension based on the cat and mouse game. There's been lots of stories told between the detective and the criminal, and this type of genre has been popular throughout the ages. So this series is very resonating and while it touches on the common interest of the public. Just the whole notion of taking justice into your own hands could be a alluring ideal for a lot of people. Particularly when you see the ineptitude with which some particular crusades have been handled in the world these days. It's a darker show, but like you mentioned before it really shows the fact that their is no simple fact of good vs. evil.
CosmoK13: Light's intentions are good, in the beginning. But one can see as the story goes on that he starts to lose himself and he slips between the line of black and white. And your character has a shadowy and dark past that we somewhat get to know better, but not too much.
L: My character in the show is pretty hard to encapsulate. L is basically an enigma and would be the guy where if he got on the subway with you, you'd probably move to the other end of the car. *Snickers.* I mean, obviously my character is a genius. And is full of surprise as the series goes on. To me, it's a great marriage where all the elements of a show line up and are in sync. And this show is definitely one of those cases.
CosmoK13: I'm surprised you're comparing an anime with a marriage. *Laughs.* Okay, so let's talk about your death in the series. A lot of people, especially the fan-base, say that the series wasn't really the same after your death. But how do you, in particular, feel about that episode.
L: For me, when I found out that was going to be my final episode. I-I was shocked because… we still had 50 more chapters after that and I didn't know what was going to happen to the series because, throughout the show it was the cat and mouse game between Light and L, two pillars that held the show together. And now you took one of those pillars away, it really affects the show as a whole. I think in terms of my last episode, they did a really good job portraying it. Especially more in the anime than the manga. Cause we still had 12 episodes after my death. The episode itself, when you saw that flashback in the beginning and you saw me and Light in the rain, everybody who watched pretty much could speculate what was going to happen to me. At that point, it was just unavoidable but the episode of my death was memorable. If you ever kill off a character, especially one we've known for so long you have to make their death memorable, and they did that! A lot of people though are still upset that even after that, they didn't have any idea about my back story but I feel like that episode alone was made to have everyone see me as this vulnerable human for about a good ten minutes.
CosmoK13: So, were you okay with your character dying?
L: I was shocked, but there weren't that many episodes left and I could still be on set to see everything unfold. All in all, the series was alright. People either hated it because I wasn't there or loved it because they knew it was only a matter of time before Light got what he deserved.
CosmoK13: Well, as long as the fandom is alive, none of the characters from Death Note will truly die! Except for when they write fanfictions and draw fanart of that stuff, but that's a different topic! Let's talk about a few other things. So, after your death, your two successors took over to try and catch Kira. Out of curiosity, who were you planning to pick as your rightful heir? Mello or Near?
L: I didn't have a specific person in mind yet since they were both quite young, especially during that time. It would have come down to testing and the grades they would have gotten.
CosmoK13: So, it would have been Near?
L: Well, both are smart in many subjects. While Near doesn't make as many mistakes as Mello, I didn't think he alone could have been my successor. Actually, my original intention was to try and get them to work together. Near lacks the motivation to move forward and take action while Mello lacks that of seeing things through intellectual perspectives. Even at the end of the series, Near even admits that only he and Mello could surpass me.
CosmoK13: Yeah, he did say that. At least he can be honest. Actually, I'm surprised you didn't just pick Near due to some bias. I mean, he looks a lot like you.
L: Actually, in the original draft of Death Note, Near and Mello were supposed to have been my sons.
CosmoK13: …...you're kidding…..
L: Nope, Ohba thought about it but discarded that idea due to multiple reasons. Mostly because of the age difference in me and the successors.
CosmoK13: And the fact that no one, not even your creators themselves, could see you dying non-virgin?
L: ….Yes.
CosmoK13: Alright, moving on. What kind of songs do you like to listen to?
L: I don't really listen to music most of the time, especially when I'm working. But when I do, I suppose I would prefer classical music. Requiem by Mozart would be something I'd listen to.
CosmoK13: So you're a classical guy… now I wanna see you in a suit!
L: I only did that once with Life Note. Never again.
CosmoK13: There's always fanart.
L: How do I always forget that stuff?
CosmoK13: Trust me, every franchise wants to forget certain parts of the fandom. By the way, I noticed you are sitting the same style you sit in the series.
L: Well, yeah. This is my natural sitting position.
CosmoK13: Can I ask how you sit like that? I've tried so many times, but never succeed.
L: Alright. So, there are three different ways I sit, all three are acceptable and it's recommended you switch between the three. The first is the standard L position. Your heels are not on the chair, so you have to balance on the balls of your feet and the key with this position is balance. Leane forward to put the weight on your thighs. But that can get tiring in the arch of your foot. When that happens, flatten your feet and you sit with your rear end lifted off the chair and all of your weight now is focused forward. When you get tired of this position, since it strains your inner calves, simply put your rear end on the chair. This is actually the one I consider the most comfortable position. Especially since most chairs aren't really wide enough to do the other two. Now, in this position, more of your weight is leaning towards your middle, hence why it's more comfortable. If you get tense in this position, just go back to formation one.
CosmoK13: Did it take you a long time to get those formations down?
L: If I'm being honest, yes.
CosmoK13: I can imagine. Now, this is a question a lot of fans have been debating about, mostly questions relating to Beyond Birthday. So, in your opinion, which crime spree was more evil? Beyond Birthday or Kira?
L: Oh, that one requires a lot of thinking. I… I think that if we are going by terms of evil it would be Beyond. Because what I really consider evil is the murdering of the innocent. So Beyond wins that one because it was the most senseless. I mean, Kira killed a lot of innocents just as much as criminals. But Kira, he did have a vision in doing what he did. Beyond on the other hand was doing it to just prove a point and selected random targets. Not to mention Beyond murdered a child, while Kira never killed anyone under the age of 18, at least as far as I'm aware of. I know he wanted to kill his younger sister, but he didn't.
CosmoK13: Then, who would have the most sympathy towards? Kira or Beyond?
L: Well, I also have more sympathy for Beyond Birthday. Because, I mostly know about his past and where he came from. I'm able to empathize with him since we both grew up in Wammy's House. Also, I consider him more mentally deranged than Kira, and that mental illness is more so from me and the House, so that's probably why I feel that way towards him.
CosmoK13: Well, since we are on the topic of Beyond, why don't you tell us more about him? Like, are you guys actually related?
L: Okay, I knew this one was coming since a lot of people seem to ask me this related question. We are not related, he doesn't really look anything like me. He uses makeup and styles his hair to look like me. We're not related in any sense, and before you ask, I am in no way sexually attracted to Beyond Birthday.
CosmoK13: But, you have met him right?
L: Once, when we apprehended him. That was the only time I showed him my face and he saw me.
CosmoK13: Did any of the other successors or kids from the Wammy House knew you as L?
L: No, most of the kids only knew me as Ryuzaki. Especially back before I became L. Well, my real name and the name I went by back then was actually L, but for alias sakes it was Ryuzaki. I did show my face and talk to Mello and Near a few times. Mostly for Mello it was to talk about Beyond Birthday.
CosmoK13: I knew you had to have met those two in person! How else could Near have created a mask of you and Mello mention he met you in the LABB murder case novel?!
L: You knew all along?
CosmoK13: Well, it was more of a theory. Which I'm hoping to put up on my Youtube channel soon, if I can figure out a way to record the powerpoint… Anyways, another habit I noticed you had in the show was when you held things with only two of your fingers. Are you a germaphobe?
L: No, that's actually a learned habit I acquired over the years. I'm not really sure how holding objects in that state would have me get less germs.
CosmoK13: And regarding your job, what motivated you to become a detective?
L: I guess it was when I was at Wammy's House and Watari saw that I had a gift for solving difficult cases and eventually L was born.
CosmoK13: So, you're kind of like Sherlock?
L: Well, in a couple of respects and similarities yes. Which reminds me, I really need to start watching that show "Elementary."
CosmoK13: Good show! Alright, uh, let's talk about the franchise such as the spinoffs, the fandom itself and then we can talk about Life Note and we should be done.
L: Alright then.
CosmoK13: So, throughout the years, Death Note has been one of the most iconic animes around the world like Pokemon and Dragon Ball. But your anime, is the only one that has sparked so many spin offs and live actions. How do you feel about that?
L: Well, it's both a good thing and a bad thing. It's a good thing because the franchise is still being marketed towards the new generation and we are still being remembered. However, it's kind of bad mostly because of the adaptations that have been produced. I mean, some of them are actually good. Every adaptation will have it's flaws, but there are a few good things it could have. I know that with the Netflix one that came out awhile ago has stirred up a lot of hate in the Death Note community.
CosmoK13: And I'm not going near that hot water so let's just talk about all the adaptations all the way up to the drama. And not the Light up the new world because I didn't see that either.
L: What did you see?
CosmoK13: I read the LABB murder case, the relight visions of a god and L's successors, the first three live action movies, the drama and I didn't see the musical, but I have heard some of the songs!
L: Well, you pretty much have a knowledge of most of the franchise already.
CosmoK13: Thank you. Alright, so out of all the spin off, which one is your most and least favorite?
L: Uh… I think to get it out of the way, my least favorite would probably be the relight ones. Mostly because they really didn't serve that much of a purpose. They were just trying to recap the whole series in two movies that were over two hours long with only a few deleted scenes. To me, that was kind of wasteful. Because I think anyone could be able to take the time to just watch a 37 episode anime and know more about what's going on rather than see those two relight visions and miss out on some important parts. I mean, I think the second one was better, because it really had more alternations from the actual series, but again didn't contribute to much. As for my fav spin offs, that would have to be the first live action movies. The first one and the Last Name. I liked those ones because that was how you do a recap and an alternate take on the series correctly. Not only did they do well with following as close to the original plot while taking creative liberties, but I think a lot of the fans of Death Note, especially my fans, can agree they liked it because in The Last Name was the one time in the Death Note series that I was the one that truly outsmarted and defeated Kira with my own hands. Yes, it did require sacrificing myself by writing my name in the Notebook, but that was also the only time that I outlived Light in a Death Note spin off.
CosmoK13: Well, it couldn't have been all bad. You got your own spin off movie after that. L Change the World.
L: Actually, that one was supposed to be based off of the original novel of L Change the World.
CosmoK13: Supposed to be?
L: Well, they did take a lot of inspiration from the novel for the movie. But they also factored the idea that this movie was supposed to be a sort of third movie for the live action series. So of course, you can't have the movie solely based on the book because seeing as how the last two live action spin offs became huge hits, the directors thought that if they could make a third one then that would mean it would give them more money. Like instead of me already knowing Near and not having him in the novel at all, he was by my side and you didn't know it to the very end.
CosmoK13: Well, to be fair, you didn't really state much about the Wammy House in the two movies, so I can see why they would take that approach. And they also kept the villains and the main plot the same.
L: That I actually wished they had changed. I mean, don't get me wrong. Bioterrorism is a pretty big deal, and it was more common at a time than people realize. But after the whole Death Note and Kira and the Shinigami's, a bioterrorist group just seemed like another Tuesday for L. Which is saying a lot.
CosmoK13: Well, yeah but there were still some pretty good parts to it. Like the relationship you had with the kids. The main purpose of the novel and the movie was to try and show off your human side. And personally throughout the movie, I think you really showed it. I can't say the same for the novel because I haven't read it.
L: Oh yeah, because it's normal for a grown man to be riding bikes and having picnics with kids.
CosmoK13: Maybe they assumed you three were related? I mean you stated yourself that Near was supposed to have been your son in the original draft.
L: …..Fair point.
CosmoK13: So, if you've listed your favorite and least favorite spin off, does that mean you thought the others were okay?
L: Well, I was a little skeptical about the musical one, but too be fair the songs were pretty well done in both the sub and the dub. Mostly the dub so I didn't let that bother me. And at least they made me look the same in the american and japan version. For some unknown reason I was blond i the Korean version but I'm not gonna question it. I guess the drama was alright, but I felt more egotistical in that one than in the anime.
CosmoK13: *Thinks back to a scene in the drama where L was shirtless.* And sexier too…
L: What was that?
CosmoK13: Nothing! *Blushes.*
L: I guess I can't blame them too much. Every spinoff will have it's own take. But it feels like the more spinoffs we get, the farther away from the true storyline we get. And I feel like at this pace, especially with the Netflix movie, then Death Note might be ruined not only for the new generation to enjoy, but for the old generation who will lose faith in the fandom.
CosmoK13: Well, you can't expect to see the same story of every movie or special over and over again. Even that will get boring. The purpose of a spin off or an alternate movie is to give the fans an idea of the different parallels a Death Note universe could hold. Like comparing the Last Name with the original series. It gives the audience an ideal ending of what would have happened if you had actually planned out your death if it meant catching Kira. Or maybe with the musical, I believe it was to actually tell the audience the true feelings of the characters and what they were going through during certain events rather than showing. The Drama was… well, it's a drama so one can see where that will lead. But it does show more of the human side towards Light and out of all the Light's in the Death Note universe, that one has to be my favorite. Next to the first live action Light. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that instead of bashing on every single Death Note movie, spinoff or remake you shouldn't see it as just a terrible film that a bunch of directors made because they didn't feel creative enough to make something of their own. But rather you could kind of see each and every single one of the Death Note movies, shows and even books as parallel universes.
L: So what you're saying is, we should think of the franchise and all of its media as a huge multiverse theory where one small change can affect the whole progression of the path every character takes.
CosmoK13: That is what I just said. So, side question, can you tell us a bit of the fighting style you used?
L: That style was called Capoeira, and to give you some background information on it; It's a Brazilian art form which combines fight, dance, rhythm and movement. Capoeira is a dialog between players - a conversation through movement which can take on many shades of meaning. African slaves helped develop the artform in a crucial manner. Many historians claim that the slaves would use capoeira for combat and self defense, but they were able to disguise it due to the fact that the style was like a dance. Many slave owners assumed it was part of their culture. If you read the LABB murder case novel, I actually took up the artform because Naomi Misora recommended it for me. Took me about a year to master it, but it came it handy. Especially against Light during the Kira case.
CosmoK13: Yeah, I think we all saw that. Okay, let's talk about the fandom a bit. What are your thoughts on the fans of Death Note?
L: Well, I will say that a lot of people do take the fandom to… dark places shall we say. Such as fanfictions… fanart… doujinshi… *Shudders.* But, I will say that it is pleasing to see so many people who love the franchise so much, they would want to do whatever it takes to keep it going so that newcomers can join in. And as long as we have the fandom, we'll never truly die.
CosmoK13: Well, glad to see you have a positive outlook on the fandom. But, are there any people you do ship in the series that you could see being together?
L: If I ship anyone?
CosmoK13: Yeah.
L: Uh… if I really had to choose… I'd say I could probably see Matsuda and Sayu being together. Matsuda may be dim-witted at times but he does have a promising career and he also has a very kind heart. He really does seem like the type of guy to always look out for you and do whatever it takes to make you happy. And, especially after the end of Death Note with the death of her father and brother, Sayu would probably need someone to lean on and I feel like Matsuda would be a good candidate for that because he himself actually has a history with both Yagami's and felt the same pain that the family is going through. Also, in episode 29 he does seem to have a crush on Sayu and after everything that happened in the series, I could see that relationship escalating.
CosmoK13: Do you have a fav and a least fav ship?
L: Well, like I just stated my favorite shipping would be the one I just mentioned, Sayu and Matsuda. Because I can actually see that ship be canon. You probably already know this, but my least favorite ship is pretty much me paired up with anyone.
CosmoK13: Really? Anyone? I mean I can understand why you would hate the L and Light parisings. But, surely there must be some that aren't that bad. What about you and Misa? I mean, don't you have any affection towards her?
L: Actually I don't have any attraction towards her. The whole butt thing was just to get her cellphone and the kiss scene was the first time I ever really had a girl kiss me. Anyone including myself would be very flabbergasted at that moment. I think Misa is a nice girl, but I don't think we could be together. Light can barely handle her, I mean he only used her for his goals most of the time and tossed her aside towards the end. If we ever were in a relationship, it wouldn't go well because of our jobs and Misa wanting to spend time with me. That and she isn't intelligent enough to be my partner.
CosmoK13: What about Naomi? A lot of people pair you up with her and too be fair, I can kind of see it.
L: Well, yes, I suppose that pairing does have some canon relations and could work out. But she was already engaged so even if I did like her like that, it wouldn't have worked out.
CosmoK13: Hey, you'd probably treat her a lot better than Raye who thought she should just stay home with the kids!
L: Too be fair, I think Raye was under the impression that it was the early 20's not the early 2000's.
CosmoK13: I don't know what he was thinking. Okay, well what about Weddy? You obviously knew her for a while and you could have convinced her to join your side more often so she didn't have to live a life of crime.
L: Weddy pretty much did her own thing. She didn't want to be tied down to a man. Ironic enough, she had the only woman that had the least amount of screen time and yet she was the most independent of them all. Well, Next to Misora, but we all know how that went down.
CosmoK13: And I'm guessing Sayu Yagami is out of the question at this point.
L: On more than one reason. Mostly due to the age difference, not to mention her father wouldn't approve no matter what and that would most likely give Light even more reason to kill me.
CosmoK13: Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'd kill the person that I hated if they started dating my siblings. Especially if they got married and had littler versions of themselves… I wouldn't blame him. Well, we're just about done here. Before we head off, how about we talk a bit about the Life Note series that is going on right now? We're really far along into the series since we last interviews Light and since you and him are part of the series now, I wanted to get an insight from you about what you think is going on.
L: I will say that it was a pretty big surprise when I found out I was going to be part of this. I assumed it would kind of be more like a Death Note spin off just with a new concept with the Life Note and new characters. But it really is a sequel and you can tell because you see the old characters from Death Note and a lot of the new characters are clearly inspired from the original casts. Like Lamore is suppose to be Light and Laura is suppose to be me.
CosmoK13: Are you surprised that you ended up being a girl in this version?
L: Well, considering we had a serial killer, an albino and a black version of me at this point, a female one didn't seem to far off. I'm more surprised that the female one didn't occur sooner. Then again I'm sure a Death Note spin off with the main characters being mostly female can't be far off at this point.
CosmoK13: So, in your opinion, what do you think of the idea of the story?
L: Well, like Death Note it still has that imaginative side. A lot of people have made their own fanfictions of Life Note, but it's how they really portray the story that shows how much effort and creativity they devoted this project to. And clearly from what I've seen, you've done a lot of that. I think this is actually the first time I've seen a Life Note fanfiction where they follow a pretty close plotline to that of the original Death Note, but they do take a lot of differences such as the characters and the influences they have on each other. This is also a rare occasion where a Life Note story takes place after the events of Death Note. Most of the Death Note spin off have always or usually been alternate takes on the series as you stated a while ago. And this series, Life Note, this is the first time in a long while we've ever really done a sequel to a Death Note franchise. Especially the anime, which we never really got too much information on. The only time we ever gotten a sequel to any Death Note series was that Death Note manga one shot about three years after Light was defeated. And I'm not really sure what you would call the three live action movies and the Light up the New world. It's taking a different approach but it's going well. I see that a lot of people really seem to like it, even though it is still in development.
CosmoK13: So, what do you think of the characters such as Lamore and Laura?
L: Well, those two I feel are pretty good characters that really balance each other out. In the beginning, you saw they were supposed to have been enemies and that was what the story was trying to get you to believe. But when you start seeing Lamore's kind and sympathetic nature towards people and Laura's misunderstood past it becomes clear that there might be more development between these two characters when they are together rather than apart. And this shows basically focuses on the idea that those two influence each other the most out of others in the series. Mostly, Lamore trying to help Laura be a bit more human and open towards people and Laura reminding Lamore that the world isn't always going to be this happy go lucky place she always thinks it is. And I like how these two work off each other kind of like how L and Light worked off each other. But it's more of a friendship based one than an enemy based one. Uh, Lamore is a really brilliant girl, very kind to people. When you first meet her, you first think of her as this perfect figure, an ideal female anyone would want to have. Kind of like how Light was supposed to have been this ideal character who had looks, smarts and even a promising future. But as the series starts to progress, you start to see her valuable side. Especially in episode one where you learn she lost her parents and in the Christmas episode where we see that she has a lonely exterior because of her dead parents, her grandparents that are always away and is an only child. Laura is also a character where you think she is a stone-cold character and acts more like a robot. But you learn more about her backstory and her relationship with the Wammy kids such as myself and Near, Mello and Matt and you see why she is the way she is now. I think what really makes her stand out is that she is one of the few Wammy kids that we get to see her backstory so it really helps us understand what she went through and why she became this way.
CosmoK13: So, my final question to you, where do you see this story heading with you in it?
L: Uh… it's hard to tell which direction this story will go now. And how I myself will be affected. I know there will probably be more development between me and Laura and I know there are some more episodes coming out soon. I don't know when the story will be finished, but so far the plot is getting thicker with each chapter as old and new characters are appearing and we're seeing the two-faced personalities of some of these characters. I myself am wondering how I will react with what will be in stored, but we can only wait and find out.
CosmoK13: Well thank you for your time L. I hope you all enjoyed the interview and be sure to see more of L in Life Note. Join us next time when I interview Misa Amane!
