In the world of anime, there are childhood classics like Pokémon, Dragon Ball, and Naruto, and then there’s Death Note. Ever since the anime premiered in 2006, it solidified its status as a cultural icon, earning itself the honorable Animation of the Year award in 2007. The series stands apart from the other series in the Shonen genre because it does not rely on fast-paced action sequences to keep its audience hooked. Instead, it features a tug-of-war psychological warfare between Light Yagami and L.
Death Note is probably the most renowned work by Tsugumi Ohba, as the manga series was always a step ahead, forcing its reader to give their complete attention, or else they’ll lose the thread that weaves the story together. However, the manga would have never existed if Ohba hadn’t decided to alter their career, purely to survive.
Death Note’s Creator Became a Mangaka Artist Purely For The Need of Survival
Tsugumi Ohba’s Death Note narrates the story of Light Yagami, who differs from the typical anti-heroes featured in the shonen genre. Well, he is extraordinary from the start, equipped with unequaled intelligence, a pragmatic nature, and planning skills that fuel the ‘the ends justify the means’ concept.
Although the series is somewhat controversial, it shows Light Yagami’s need to create a utopia by exterminating the world of all its criminals. The sheer need to create the perfect world develops him into an egomaniacal killer under the alias Kira, with the Death Note in his possession and Ryuk beside him.
During an exclusive interview with VIZ, Tsugumi Ohba was present, where they were asked what made them “interested in becoming a mangaka?” Ohba was honest as they shared that it was purely out of the basic need of survival and how “normal work didn’t appeal to me.” They said,
“When I was a kid, I read a lot of manga and always looked up to the creators. But what made me actually want to create manga was when I became an adult and realized I needed to work to survive, and normal work didn’t appeal to me.”
Tsugumi Ohba shared how growing up, they were immensely inspired by a number of manga artists, who have played a significant role in their development as a mangaka. They said,
“I don’t have a specific mentor, but I was heavily inspired by creators like Shotaro Ishinomori, Fujio Fujiko, and Fujio Akatsuka.”
While the series somewhat dipped in quality towards the end of the series, how some readers would say that it had a lackluster ending in the anime. However, the compelling storyline, featuring complex characters and exploration of complex themes like morality make up for it.
Death Note’s Creator Shares Their Working Experience With Takeshi Obata
In the same interview with VIZ, Tsugumi Ohba was asked how they felt when they partnered up with Takeshi Obata. The manga artist answered,
“My impression of Obata Sensei is that he’s a very serious and sensitive person. I cannot express how lucky I was to have him do the art for my series. I cannot pretend to know so much that I can say he improved and in what way, but I do believe his ability to express himself through art continues to get better and better.”
Ohba further shared their working process with Obata and how they used to rarely meet.
“I do not meet with Obata Sensei. I discuss things with my editor and create the storyboards. They are then given to Obata Sensei who creates his own storyboards and passes them on to our editor and me.”
The manga artist mentioned that the two “never have any disagreements,” and “only minor changes” were made which made insignificant changes to the plot.
Death Note can be streamed on Netflix.
