That Time Donald Trump Got the Death Note

Whenever newbie anime fans inquire grizzled veterans wherever they should get their start, the reply is usually Fullmetal Alchemist oregon Death Note. And for bully reason: they’re short, saccharine anime with tremendous stories. While their narratives couldn’t beryllium further apart, they stock resonating tales questioning however the supernatural would impact planetary authorities successful the aboriginal aughts. Although folks thin lone to callback Death Note‘s benign live-action Netflix show, they often hide that the bid pushed its U.S. governmental communicative into today’s satellite with a sequel that saw then-President Donald Trump attempting to bargain the supernatural notebook.

As 1 mightiness stitchery from the title, Death Note is astir a achromatic notebook that volition unalive anyone whose sanction is written successful it (though galore rules and caveats bounds its usage case). The series, written and illustrated by mangaka duo Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, follows a pupil named Light Yagami who—after receiving the Death Note connected a whim from a gangly decease deity named Ryuk—sought to usage the publication to escaped the satellite of criminals helium deems unworthy of rehabilitation. From determination on, helium and a genius detective named L Lawliet engaged successful a crippled of feline and rodent to forestall Light (under the pseudonym Kira) from committing supernatural murders.

But we’re not present to speech astir Kira, the terrorist. We’re present to speech astir the overmuch much bonzer (and socialist-leaning) protagonist successful its 2020 peculiar one-shot and however his Marxist caput schemed Donald Trump retired of a creaseless $10,000,000,000,000.

Unlike Light Yagami, Death Note: Special One-Shot sees protagonist Minoru Tanaka travel into possession of the Death Note and garbage to usage it. Instead, helium bides his clip until 2019 to publically and anonymously denote that he’s selling it to the highest bidder. Moreover, he’s doing truthful connected Twitter done the hashtag #PowerofKira. Minoru’s program not lone makes it truthful he’s technically not utilizing the notebook (so erstwhile detectives can’t hound him), but it besides allows him to weaponize the internet’s municipality quadrate (pre-Elon Musk) to way the highest bidder. Inevitably, things escalated, and the unnamed President of the United States–although from plan unsocial it’s wide to spot that Ohba and Obata were penning astir the then-contemporary President, Trump–made a televised announcement bidding the aforementioned unholy magnitude of wealth for the Death Note utilizing U.S. funds.

© Tsugumi Ohba / Takeshi Obata / Shonen Jump / Viz Media

Only things don’t spell arsenic fictionalized Trump planned. Immediately pursuing his winning bid, Ryuk revealed that determination would beryllium nary refunds, and that his wealth would beryllium evenly deposited into the slope accounts of each idiosyncratic with a Yotsuba Bank of Japan savings account. What’s more, earlier the publication was fixed to Trump successful the Oval Office–after declaring he’d usage it for “world peace”–Ryuk revealed a newly-minted rule: Anyone who sells oregon purchases the decease enactment volition die.

“Yeah, I know. It’s a brand-new rule. So you paid each that wealth conscionable to die,” Ryuk nonchalantly tells a perturbed Trump.

What follows is simply a hilarious speech betwixt Trump and Ryuk, during which the decease deity walks him done his options. Should Trump judge the book, he’ll… y’know. But someone “high and mighty successful this country” volition get the Death Note. Ergo, the U.S. would ain the Death Note, but it would not beryllium successful the hands of the existent President. Unsurprisingly, manga Trump doesn’t accept.

“Got it. You worth your beingness implicit your country,” Ryuk retorts. Rather than judge defeat, Trump reveals that helium volition denote that he’s gained the powerfulness of Kira anyway, adding that his refusal to usage it (because helium doesn’t person it) volition marque him “look similar a saint.” It’s a determination that, successful hindsight, feels precise Trumpian aft helium couched his 2020 predetermination decision successful obfuscation and denialism (and has continued to bash truthful passim his 2024 campaign). And it’s 1 Ryuk is impressed by, even!

© Tsugumi Ohba / Takeshi Obata / Shonen Jump / Viz Media

That’s the nutrient of Death Note Special One Shot, a section released connected Viz Media and Shonen Jump connected February 3, 2020. A time successful the U.S., caput you, wherever live-action Trump was connected proceedings for impeachment, astatine the onset of the COVID pandemic.

The Death Note Special One Shot isn’t the archetypal clip anime and manga person utilized real-life American politicians to archer their stories. Series similar Baki Hanma person utilized President Trump, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama arsenic acceptable dressing to merchantability the severity of its ensuing drama. Even the precocious released Dan Da Dan anime changed from its manga, swapping retired references from Obama with Trump to support up with American politics, and Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto has interwoven his best-selling manga with commentary connected American authorities and our deification of guns. We’re the main quality (derogatory)!

All this to say, whether we similar it oregon not, the satellite is watching U.S. authorities and utilizing it for scathing commentary. If this is immoderate indication, spell retired and ballot contiguous if you can, lest you provender into the inclination of America being the muse for manga oregon anime folks urge a fewer years from now.

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