Great Quotes of Death Note in Japanese!
Death Note became a big hit when it was released in 2003.
Not only here in Japan but in overseas as well.
I remember I was asked about Death Note from some girls when I traveled in Italy.
Just writing down the names of criminals you want to kill in the note, it really happens.
I felt like this is like the dispute of approval and disapproval of death penalty.
Here I introduce you some famous quotes from Death Note.
Light Yagami(八神月)(やがみらいと)
I will be the god of this new world!
僕は新世界の神となる
新世界(しんせかい)(Shinsekai) means “New world”.
神(かみ)(Kami) is “God”.
なる means “Become”.
This is the scene Light declared to become god by dominating the world in front of Shinigami Ryuk.
New world he imagined was the world in which no criminals exist.
I Am Justice!
僕が（L） 私が（月） 正義だ!!」
僕(ぼく)(Boku) means “I”.
私(わたし)(Watashi) also means “I”.
Japanese has several words to express I and the each nuance is a bit different.
I feel gentle, polite and soft impression on those adults who keep using 僕.
Only men use 僕 (except for 僕っこ), especially when they are little kids.
But many of them including me start using 俺 instead of 僕 over time.
私 is more polite and gentle expression than 僕.
You need to use 私 especially in a business situation and that’s the manner.
正義(せいぎ)(Seigi) means “Justice”.
This is the moment L and Light knew each other’s existence.
Light believes creating a world without criminals is justice.
L believes a world created by killing people even if they are heinous criminals is injustice.
Both sides had their own justice.
I’ll Take A Potato Chip… And Eat It!
ポテチを取り食べる
ポテチ is “Potato chip”.
Actually, ポテトチップス is the standard name.
But it’s a bit long name that people, especially young generation, call ポテトチップス as ポテチ sometimes.
It sounds a kind cute.
取り(とり)(Tori) means “Take”.
食べる(たべる)(Taberu) is “Eat”.
This is the famous scene in Death Note.
Light was being watched as L suspected him of being Kira.
He needed to set up an alibi by killing criminals without anyone noticing while being watched.
And then he came up with an idea using a package of potato chips as a camouflage.
No one notices he is checking the information of criminals through a small TV hidden inside a package of potato chips.
He could check the faces and names of the criminals from the TV and write them down on Death Note.
L (エル)
Now, try to kill me!!
さぁ！私を殺してみろ‼︎
さぁ is “Now”.
さぁ is used to ask or encourage people something.
殺してみろ(ころしてみろ)(Koroshitemiro) is made up of two words, 殺す and してみろ(やってみろ).
殺す means “Kill” and してみろ is “Try to”
So 殺してみろ is translated into “Try to kill me”.
This was the declaration by L against Kira.
Both of them acknowledged the existence of each other although it was through broadcast live.
Let’s show him, those of us who are risking our lives… that the good guys always win
ここに集まった命懸けの人間で見せてやりましょうよ。正義は必ず勝つという事を
命懸け(いのちがけ)(Inochigake) means “Risking life”.
命懸け is a combination of “Life(命)(いのち)(Inochi) and “Risk”(懸ける)(かける)(Kakeru).
見せてやりましょう is “Let’s show”.
Here they are going to show their attitude against Light so it becomes Let’s show him.
正義(せいぎ)(Seigi) means “Justice”.
必ず(かならず)(Kanarazu) means “Definitely, Absolutely, Surely”.
勝つ(かつ)(Katsu) is “Win”.
Direct translation of 正義は必ず勝つ is Justice always wins.
Instead of Justice, Good guys are used in comic.
L hid himself even to the police who were cooperating with him.
It was risky to present himself even to the police.
Members of the police started to doubt L and many of them left as the mission was risky to them as well.
The, L finally showed up and told them his determination.
I knew it… I wasn’t wrong…
やはり・・・私は・・・間違って・・・なかった・・・が・・・ま・・・
やはり means “As I expected”.
Here I knew it is used instead of As I expected.
間違ってなかった(まちがってなかった)(Machigattenakatta) is “I wasn’t wrong”.
が・・・ま・・・ is not translated into English.
It is not a perfect Japanese and we can see he was going to say some words using が and ま.
This was the last moment of L.
L found he was right but it was too late.
Ryuk(リューク)
It’s just as I thought, Humans Are So… Interesting!!
やっぱり 人間って… 面白‼︎…
やっぱり or やはり is “As I thought(As I expected)”.
人間(にんげん)(Ningen) is “Humans”.
面白い(おもしろい)(Omoshiroi) means “Interesting”.
On purpose, Ryuk cut last word “い” and that gives us his strong feeling.
When Ryuk sees the battle between Light and L, he felt that humans are interesting.
Both of them are going to kill each other by finding out their identities.
It’s under their own justice.
It might have seemed ridiculous to Ryuk.
Don’t worry. Even without all that, you are already a fine God of Death
安心しろ。そんなことしなくても、月。お前はもう、立派な死神だ
安心(あんしん)(Anshin) means “Peace of mind, relief”.
しろ is “Do” and that’s an instruction.
So 安心しろ means “No worries, Don’t worry, Rest assured”.
そんなこと means “Such a thing”.
しなくても is “Without doing”.
Here it is translated into Even without all that.
もう is “Already”.
立派な means “Fine”.
死神 is “God of Death”.
So お前はもう、立派な死神だ becomes You are already a fine God of Death.
Ryuk asked if Light wanted eyes of God of Death.
It was a deal but Light declined it saying if he keeps bargaining for eyes and wings, whatever else, next thing he’s gonna end up in a real God of Death.
Then Ryuk replied you are already God of Death.
That was really true.
Don’t think that any human who’s used the death note can go to heaven or to hell
デスノートを使った人間が天国や地獄に行けると思うな
使った(つかった)(Tsukatta) is past tense of 使う(つかう)(Tsukau) which means “Used”.
天国(てんごく)(Tengoku) is “Heaven”.
地獄(じごく)(Jigoku) is “Hell”.
思う(おもう)(Omou) is “Think”.
思うな is negative form, so that means “Don’t think”.
Ryuk told Light that those who used Death Note can not go to heaven or hell first.
Death Note was such a thing beyond humans’ imagination.
There is no heaven or hell. No matter what you do while you’re alive, everybody goes to the same place once you die, All humans are equal in death
天国も地獄もない。生前何をしようが死んだ奴のいくところは同じ。死は平等だ。
生前(せいぜん)(Seizen) means “While one is alive”.
何をしようが(なにをしようが)(Nani wo shiyouga) is “No matter what you do”.
死んだ(しんだ)(Shinda) means “Dead”.
奴(やつ)(Yatsu) means “Guy” and this is not a good or polite expression to call someone.
死(し)(Shi) is “Death” and the verb 死ぬ(しぬ)(Shinu) means “Die”.
平等(びょうどう)(Byodo) means “Equal”.
This is the rule of Death Note.
No heaven or hell and death comes equally to anyone.
Ryuk told Light this rule.
Near(ニア)
No. You… are just a murderer. And this notebook here is the worst murder weapon in the history of mankind
あなたはただの人殺しです。そしてこのノートは史上最悪の殺人兵器です
ただ is “Just”.
人殺し(ひとごろし)(Hitogoroshi) means “Murderer”.
史上最悪(しじょうさいあく)(Shijosaiaku) is “The worst”.
殺人兵器(さつじんへいき)(Satsujinheiki) is “Murder weapon”.
When Light told Near he was the god of this new world, Near replied you are just a murderer.
He also added that Death Note is the worst murder weapon.
It was really true.
Neither of us would be able to obtain our goal. But together we can stand with L, together we can surpass L
互いが互いの目標とする者を越せなくとも、２人ならＬと並べる。Ｌを追い越せる
互い(たがい)(Tagai) means “Each other”.
目標(もくひょう)(Mokuhyo) is “Target”.
越す(こす)(Kosu) means “Overtake, Surpass, Beyond”.
Negative form is used here so it becomes “越せなくとも”.
並べる(ならべる)(Naraberu) means “Stand with”.
追い越せる(おいこせる)(Oikoseru) is made up of 追い越す(おいこす)(Oikosu) and できる.
追い越す means “Overtake, Surpass, Beyond” and it is almost same meaning as 越す.
できる means “Can”
Neither of Near and Mello could surpass L.
Near had no get up and go but stays calm while Mello can take quick action but lacks calm.
Combination of two could surpass L and defeat Light.
Summary
Death Note was very interesting comic.
Light and L said “I Am Justice!”
They fought under their own justice.
Seeing them, Ryuk thought “Humans Are So… Interesting!!”
And he tells Light “You are already a fine Shinigami”
Ryuk must have thought humans are much more scary than Shinigami
L was such a genius that no one could catch Light after his death, they thought.
Then Near and Mello appeared.
Neither of them would be able to obtain their goal but they could surpass L by join forces, Near said.
You can find great lines and essence of humans through Death Note.
