The Death Note anime was impressive. The voice acting, frame rate, and music were all spot-on. Everything clicked.
The animation style stayed faithful to the manga. Dark, gloomy, realistic.
Judging by the opening theme alone, Studio Pierrot had nailed the essence of both characters. L and Light Yagami. One handsome, one eccentric. Opposites in every way, yet somehow cut from the same cloth. The sense of destiny between them came through naturally.
Kai watched without blinking. For the full twenty minutes, only his eyes moved. The rest of him was a statue.
The TV Tokyo executive wore a quiet smile, occasionally leaning over to exchange a few words with Abe. He was clearly satisfied.
Watanabe relaxed. They'd cleared the hurdle.
...
A bored Light Yagami and a bored Shinigami, Ryuk, connected by coincidence. Possessing the notebook, they were about to upend this boring world.
Light's ambition to become a god delighted Ryuk. This was exactly the kind of human he'd been looking for. Someone who would never settle for a quiet life.
The anime's content followed the manga closely, with one addition: the shift in Light's mindset as he wrestled with his conscience after his first kills.
When sunlight broke through the clouds, he convinced himself that he was the only one capable of using the Death Note to save the world.
He believed he was the savior.
Stirring music erupted from that moment. Light wrote furiously, life after life fading away. He felt no exhaustion. Only overflowing satisfaction.
The transition was smooth and pushed the audience's emotions to a peak. A very capable improvement.
"I am about to become... the god of the new world!"
At the end of the episode, Light's ambition was laid bare, and the ending theme rolled.
Kai nodded silently.
...
The lights came on, and pleasantries filled the room.
"That was brilliant."
"TV Tokyo will absolutely air Death Note during prime time!"
Kai stayed in his seat, his mind still running through the episode.
He went over it one more time and still couldn't find any major issues.
He let out a long breath and smiled.
"Does Kanzaki-sensei have any suggestions?" Watanabe asked.
"Hmm..." Kai rubbed his chin, putting on a show of deep thought. Watching Watanabe's expression grow increasingly nervous, he finally grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
"It's excellent. I'm very satisfied. Keep it up."
"Yes!"
...
Walking out of the studio, Kai wasn't in a rush to leave. He stopped to chat with Hasegawa.
"The animation came out really well. I saw your name in the ending credits."
Hasegawa raised both hands in surrender. "Please don't write my name in the Death Note."
"Haha." Kai laughed.
Their reunion after so long was surprisingly low-key. They weren't on the same path anymore.
Kai walked over to Heishi.
In Japan, group dinners followed every occasion. There was always someone ready to grab a drink, especially after something as big as an anime screening.
Kai was planning to join them.
As they headed toward the entrance, Heishi leaned over and whispered.
"Sasaki-san had planned to come too, but he lives far out. Couldn't make it in time."
Kai nodded.
But when they reached the entrance, there was Sasaki. Hair damp. Snow dusting his shoulders.
"Did I miss it?" Sasaki asked.
"Deputy Editor-in-Chief Sasaki!" The TV Tokyo executive was startled. "What are you doing here?"
"I still wanted to see Death Note." Sasaki stood tall, his glasses fogging over. "I'm sorry for being late."
"It's no trouble at all," Watanabe said quickly. "I'll have someone run the screening again."
"Thank you."
The others offered to wait so they could all dine together afterward, but Sasaki declined politely.
He didn't want to hold everyone up.
Kai stayed behind too.
Watching Death Note a second time with Sasaki sounded better than clinking glasses with a room full of strangers.
The executive looked a little disappointed, but got into his car and left.
In the screening room, the opening theme played again. The episode ran from the top.
When the lights came back on, Sasaki rose to his feet and applauded.
"Kanzaki-sensei, I believe Death Note is capable of cracking the American market!"
The applause stopped. He turned to Kai, eyes bright with excitement.
"Thank you for bringing such a brilliant manga to Jump."
Kai nodded and accepted the words.
Death Note had that kind of potential.
Bringing brilliant works into this world. Maybe that really was his purpose.
In that moment, his thoughts aligned with Light Yagami's.
With countless masterpieces stored in his mind, he could become the god of manga in the new world.
...
"Big brother? You're back!"
"Call me the God of Manga!" Back at home, Kai couldn't help himself.
"Big brother, is your chuunibyou acting up again?"
"Haha, just kidding." He handed the coffee jelly he'd bought on the way home to Rika, then took off his scarf and coat, soaking in the warmth of the room.
"Coffee jelly!" Rika's eyes lit up. She loved treats that were impossible to find back home.
By the time Kai turned around, she was already sprawled on the heater, feet kicking back and forth as she ripped open the packaging.
"Mmm..." A sound like a revving engine rumbled out of her, and her eyes sparkled. "It's so good!"
Kai shook his head with a small smile. He'd picked the right thing.
Rika had always been able to make him feel a quiet kind of satisfaction. Having a sweet, easygoing sister was something he never took for granted.
"Rika." Kai sat down across from her. "Have you thought about what you want to do going forward?"
Spoon between her teeth, Rika looked at him blankly.
"Nothing heavy," Kai said with a smile, smoothing a wrinkle on his sweater. "I just wanted to ask. Do you want to come to Tokyo for school?"
Rika lit up instantly.
"Of course! There's nothing in the countryside! Tokyo has everything!"
No autograph events. No giant pandas. No new fashion. The countryside was two eras behind.
That was why over thirty million people crammed into the Tokyo metro area and refused to leave.
Kai was one of them.
Rika felt the same way.
"Then you'll attend Kanda Junior High." Kai made the call.
"But..." Rika poked at the air with her index finger, head lowered in embarrassment. "My grades..."
Her academics weren't great. What could you really learn at an elementary school with a dozen students?
"It doesn't matter." Kai picked up an orange from the plate, peeled it, stripped away the pith, pulled off a segment, and popped it into Rika's mouth. "You just need to show up at Kanda Junior High on January 17th for the entrance exam. Leave the rest to me."
Kanda Junior High was a private school run by a major corporation. The teaching quality was excellent, the facilities were top-notch, and the standards were strict.
But Kai wasn't the same Kai he used to be. He had the means to get his sister into a good school.
"So sweet!" Rika said, chewing the orange, before she realized she was talking about more than just the fruit.
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Bonus chapter at 500 Power stones
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