Editorials
‘Death Note’ Continues to Deliver Intrigue and Commentary in Its New One-Shot [Anime Horrors]
Welcome to a new installment of Anime Horrors! For this month, I’m going to review the new one-shot Death Note story. It probably goes without saying, but this article will be full of spoilers concerning the one-shot and that of the original series. I’ll also be speaking about Death Note assuming everyone is caught up to date. If you somehow have yet to read the manga or watch the anime, I cannot stress how incredible Death Note is and how much it is worth your time.
With the manga’s release back in 2003, Death Note took the world by storm. Its story and characters elevated the thriller genre, cementing Death Note as one of the most compelling works of our time. Along with all its twists and turns, the series stands as a fascinating work of philosophy – what would any of us do with a notebook that could kill someone by simply by writing their name? What would a country do if they owned such a weapon? And funny I should mention the latter, because that has quite a bit to do with the new Death Note one-shot.
Excluding the cover, this one-shot manga is 87 pages long and free to read via the Viz website. Set in 2019 and taking place 12 years after the events of Death Note, the manga follows our favorite Shinigami (death god) Ryuk and a new human protagonist named Minoru Tanaka. The manga opens with Ryuk bored and itching for more apples; he decides to return to the human world, looking to drop a notebook onto someone and nourish his hunger. When he comes across Minoru, he taps him on the head with said notebook. Memories flash through Minoru’s mind, and once the shock settles, he is not surprised by seeing Ryuk.
The manga then flashes back two years earlier. As a middle schooler, Minoru sits on a swing set when Ryuk appears and touches him with the notebook (this time he’s quite shocked by the Shinigami’s appearance). Ryuk approaches Minoru in the hopes that he is as intellectually interesting as Light; while Minoru expresses some sense of intellect for his age, he is more reserved and nowhere near as narcissistic as Light. What is really intriguing about this meeting is that when Ryuk tells Minoru that the notebook belonged to the original Kira, Minoru displays excitement – given that Kira is now studied in school. Appearing in textbooks throughout Ethics and History classes, Minoru says that Kira is not only responsible for ending war and helping to drastically drop the crime rate, but has also been labeled a mass murderer and evil.
Ryuk attempts to hand off the notebook to Minoru, but the latter has two questions – who else can see Ryuk and how far away can the two be from one another (since the Shinigami has to be near the human obtaining the notebook). After thinking for sometime, Minoru says he will deny ownership of the notebook for now, but wants Ryuk to return in two years, in which time he will then take ownership. Coming out of the flashback and returning to the present time, Minoru states to Ryuk that his goal is to sell the notebook.
Considering that this is not a series and just a short story, the one-shot does a solid job in setting up its main focus. Since Ryuk is invisible to those who have not touched the notebook, Minoru asks him to hold up a piece of paper on live TV that reads how the power of Kira will be auctioned off. It’s worth noting that the paper states that anyone who is interested should go on Twitter and mention their bid with the hashtag #POWEROFKIRA. I thought the story acknowledging modern technology was smart; the original series was careful in how it handled Light working around the police and utilizing the internet and TV to perform his killings. In Minoru’s time, however, the world is a much different place. Like our current 2020, surveillance is on a different scale; it’s easier to track information through the internet, and some of the tactics Light used in the past would not be as effective today. With this in mind, it’s brilliant when Minoru tells Ryuk to travel to the TV station by moving underground. Given that some of the police officers have touched the notebook in the past, moving underground stops them from tracking Ryuk’s movements.
In comparison to Light, Minoru is a more likeable character – when it comes to morality. Now of course one of the great appeals to Death Note was whether you sided with the philosophical approach of Light or L, but Minoru has none of the maniacal god complex issues that Light displayed. But even though he may have more chill than Light, Minoru is still quite the smarty; his plan to auction the notebook displays careful depth, keeping in mind the ways his actions could be traced. As the story progresses, so too does the bidding; what starts out in the millions eventually climbs to that of the quadrillions. With this amount, the main dilemma that comes to mind is how Minoru will be able to get his money without being caught – and his strategy is super neat (more on that in a bit).
Other than Minoru’s point-of-view, the reader also experiences the story through the eyes of L – otherwise known as Near. Other familiar characters from Death Note are also present, but don’t make much of an appearance. While keeping an eye on the bidding, L displays somewhat of an indifference when it comes to Minoru’s actions; he can sense that this “A-Kira” is not like the old one and not looking to murder. Instead of making a great effort to track the seller, L is more interested in pursuing the buyer. But while it’s cool to see someone like Near again and get a sense of his methodical thinking, he’s not as interesting or deep as he was when the manga and anime were around. And that pretty much goes for the cast as a whole. Minoru shows some promise as a potential character in a long running series, but in 87 pages, there isn’t a lot to grasp onto personality-wise.
That said, the story itself is fascinating, especially when you consider the contemporary angle it takes. As the bidding intensifies, it also becomes much more national. Rather than individuals attempting to buy the notebook, countries begin to bid; both China and America start mentioning insane numbers. Eventually America buys the notebook and Minoru lets go of his ownership and tells Ryuk to hand it to the American President. Before this, Ryuk shares one more message on TV, one stating that the money is to be deposited and divided among everyone who has an account with a certain Japanese bank (specifically accounts belonging to anyone under the age of 60). Because of this, numerous accounts have been given the equivalent of $10,000,000, making it impossible for L to determine just which individual was the original seller.
Regarding the manga’s depiction of our “real world,” there is quite the surprise cameo. You may notice that the American President in the manga shares a striking resemblance to that of Trump – and the one-shot makes sure to throw a couple jabs his way. Just before Ryuk delivers the notebook to the President, he is visited by another Shinigami; this Shinigami informs Ryuk that the Shinigami god is upset that Ryuk allowed the notebook to be sold among the humans. Because of this information, when Ryuk visits the American President, he informs him that he has added some new rules – anyone who sells or buys the notebook will die. There’s also the additional detail that upon picking up their money, the person who sold the notebook will die as well. Because of this detail, the President hesitates taking the notebook. Ryuk says that if he decides to not take it, then he won’t die; but if he does take it, then even though he’ll die, the notebook will belong to his nation. The President then decides that he won’t take it, prompting Ryuk to say, “Got it. You value your life over your country.”
The President then says that even though he won’t take it, he’ll still tell the public he has taken it, but will not use it – allowing him to look like a saint. Ryuk, a god of death mind you, responds with, “Very shrewd, Mr. President.” The exchange between the two is as comical as it is on point with displaying Trump’s moral compass.
It’s interesting to see the manga explore how such a powerful and dangerous weapon could entice countries around the world. The Death Note manga and anime also pondered similar notions, but by setting this one-shot in a more contemporary time, there’s an added element of eeriness to the material. What is initially portrayed as a supernatural weapon, comes across more as just another weapon of mass destruction countries strive to control.
As far as Minoru’s ending, well things don’t pan out so perfectly. Having asked Ryuk to never show up again, Ryuk decides he will not return to tell Minoru about the new rules; so when Minoru goes to finally pick up his portion of the money, he dies (specifically taking place when Ryuk writes Minoru’s name in his notebook). The manga concludes with Ryuk sitting atop a building, noting how short the excitement was and wondering if he can find another human to prolong his entertainment.
At the time of this writing, there is no telling whether there will be more stories to come from the world of Death Note. In my own opinion, Death Note stands as a completed journey. Sometimes when a series does well, a company will try to push more of that story in the hopes of making more money – but this new Death Note manga isn’t like that. This is a self-contained, 87 page short story. While there is certainly the potential to get new fans on board and have them read/watch Death Note, this feels more directed towards folks who have been with the series since its inception. And this one-shot is worthy of Death Note fans.
If you’ve yet to check out the original work, I heavily encourage you to give it a go. Thanks for tuning into Anime Horrors and I’ll see you all next month!
College kids, strippers and vampires—those were Donald P. Borchers’ only requirements when he approached Richard Wenk about writing and directing a movie for New World Pictures. As requested, Wenk cooked up Vamp (1986), a tailor-made blend of the decade’s teen movie craze as well as its horror boom.
Grim and earnest stories were still very much a part of the ’80s horror landscape, yet Vamp is something of a comedy. One difference between it and, say, Saturday the 14th, though, is the former avoids using schtick. Wenk’s movie proves that horror comedies also don’t have to subtract thrills from their recipes. Of course, it takes a minute before reaching that point; college antics and culture shocks preface this one macabre misadventure.
Vamp‘s initial setup is apt for a typical college-set, sex-driven comedy; to bribe their way into a fraternity house, two pledges (Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler) go looking for some adult entertainment. Without wasting time on any further exposition, the characters embark on an all-in-one-night trip that quickly detours into terror.
To procure their elusive MacGuffin—a stripper willing to gyrate for some frat boys—Keith (Makepeace) and AJ (Rusler), plus a third wheel named Duncan (Gedee Watanabe), trade the safety of their remote college campus for the seediness of some unnamed city. The setting is recognizably L.A. by day, but as soon as night falls, downtown, along with the characters, slips into a kind of surreal universe. Director of photography Elliot Davis gave this early entry on his prolific résumé an unusual yet distinctive look; that Mario Bava-esque, magenta-green lighting is omnipresent, so much so that it’s almost its own character.
Chris Makepeace and Robert Rusler in Vamp
The faint comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s After Hours are merited, although not just because of Vamp’s distinguishing nighttime aesthetic. Save for the primary characters, the supporting roles in Wenk’s movie are also quite colorful and transactional in their behavior. The difference here, though, is the additional urge to ruin Keith and his friends at every turn. Some of that harm is humorous and tolerable enough, whereas the moment Vamp dishes out its first fatality, it’s abundantly clear how this movie qualifies as horror.
Vamp falls into that category of horror movie that reveals its genre with a scream rather than a series of whispers. The opening scene can function as a hint of what lies ahead—things are not at all what they appear to be—but otherwise, Wenk is more than happy to hold off on the horror. When that time does come, though, it catches the viewer off guard. In addition to the pure shock value is that sudden decision to upend the movie’s foremost feature. Or so it would seem.
If afraid of major spoilage, those new to Vamp would be wise to stop reading here. There’s just no skirting around the fact that the central fellowship in this buddy movie hits a serious snag when AJ is killed. That development causes the story to become more of a “long, bad night” journey for Keith and his romantic interest. So while Wenk scores points for subverting expectations, there is also a touch of sadness in his decision. Because if Vamp does anything well, it’s making the characters likable.
Something that comes easily to Vamp—and other teen horror movies from this same era—is its ability to invent young characters worth caring about, or at the very least, are interesting and not so immediately off-putting. More impressive is how Wenk did all this without actually fleshing out those characters. Still and all, Keith and his kind are a grade above cookie-cutter, and in some cases, aren’t completely devoid of growth.
Grace Jones in Vamp
Vamp appeals with an assorted cast of characters. No two are the same, nor are they operating on the same wavelength. The cinematically extroverted AJ, whose actor conveyed charm and vulnerability in near equal amounts, comes alive when he’s at his most undead. Makepeace then makes the chronically cautious Keith a sympathetic fellow, even as he’s more and more affected by the night’s bizarre events. Meanwhile, Duncan is indeed the designated loser of the whole bunch, but Watanabe still manages to humanize him. As a bonus, the role didn’t require him to pull a Long Duk Dong.
As for Dedee Pfeiffer, she is plain adorable as the mysterious After Dark server nicknamed “Amaretto”. She spends all night fixing her dress strap while at the same time trying to get Keith to remember how he knows her. As their offbeat romance grows, it becomes another highlight of this movie. Whether or not Pfeiffer’s character is really a vampire also creates some welcome tension in the story.
Like a lot of its contemporaries, Vamp went on to become a bit of a cult classic. That current status is determined by several factors, but without a doubt, the casting of Grace Jones is the most considerable. The image of her writhing on that unique-looking chair, a Keith Haring original, springs to mind whenever this movie is brought up.
Chris Makepeace, Billy Drago and Paunita Nichols in Vamp
Prior to that first display of unequivocal horror, local vampire queen Katrina (Jones) took to the stage and delivered a strip show like no other. One would expect nothing less from that renowned model and performance artist. By now reports of Jones’ tardiness on set are no secret, yet it’s also hard to deny her commitment to the part of Katrina. It was, in fact, Jones who took charge of her character’s appearance—on top of Haring painting her body and that now-iconic chair, she had Andy Warhol handle her costuming. And not too many actors could seize a room’s attention without saying a single line of dialogue.
In 2022, Vamp received a retrospective novelization from Encyclopocalypse. This literary union of preexisting source material—Wenk’s original screenplay—and new ideas from author Christian Francis amounts to a more comprehensive visit to the After Dark Club. The basic story there is no different than what’s shown on screen; however, Francis gets creative with the characters’ origins and designs, and he enhances a number of key scenes.
The novelization expands on the urban and social decay of the main setting, and supplies a background for the After Dark Club. Sandy Baron’s character, Katrina’s emcee and familiar, is given ample motivation for sticking around; up until the fiery end, he is loyal to his friend and former business partner “Squeak”, who looks like he was “fed through a combine harvester, and left as nothing more than a heap of mangled remains”. Then there is Billy Drago’s character Snow, the leader of a street gang called The Dragons. His reason for menacing Keith and AJ is more altruistic than in the movie; he and his peers act tough to scare off any potential food for the vampires.
Lisa Lyon in Vamp
If not for all the backstories, Francis’ Vamp would be a hell of a lot shorter. Instead, this tie-in read dives into how AJ met Keith—the orphaned Anthony Joseph hailed from a broken home back in Brooklyn—and how their friendship flourished over the years. Keith’s archership is no longer just an assumed part of his entire being; it’s a confidence-building extracurricular for a boy who got picked on before coming into the protection of the new kid in town. These supplemental, in-depth looks at the protagonists, plus their close connection, are maybe unnecessary. The movie already did a fair and concise job of addressing their platonic intimacy without the need for flashbacks and insights, specifically in that scene where AJ lays it all out as he sacrifices himself.
Where the novelization gets off course is its approach to the minor characters. Intermittently backstorying the likes of Katrina’s indentured servants, Seko (Leila Hee Olsen) and Vlad (Brad Logan), ends up disturbing the flow of the writing. Was it absolutely essential that readers know Vlad was the Grand Duke of the House of Romanov, or how Snow’s accomplice Maven (Paunita Nichols) became so dentally challenged? No, not really. However, one’s mileage with these random biographies may vary.
The novelization is a more substantial experience, but for a movie like Vamp, less is more. And as plentiful as they are, it never simply coasts on its campy charms, either. The character work sits comfortably in that realm between cursory and meticulous, the script is sharper than first realized, and Greg Cannom’s vampire makeup is straightforward yet effective. Most of all, the movie didn’t squander its out-of-the-box concept. Richard Wenk made his vision of a “comic nightmare in which just about anything that can go wrong does” come true, and it is very enjoyable.
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