 | A regular column looking at Death Note through the symbolic medium of tarot cards,and their actual usage in canon by Tarot Mikami Exploring the Royal Road - or Fool's Journey - as told in the Death Note story. Though not, as you may expect, featuring Light Yagami. He lost at the penultimate hurdle. |
| From the mouths of babes and fools comes great wisdom. ~ Old adage (fool sage variants dating from the 12th century) | "Matsuda! Don't be silly! We're not fooling around here!" |
Today we'll be looking at one of the greatest examples of the Fool in manga storytelling - Death Note's Touta Matsuda, NPA agent and one of the courageous few in Japan's Anti-Kira Task Force.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Touta Matsuda is the most archetypal Fool in Death Note - not Ryuk, Light, nor any of the Wammy cohort, as would otherwise be the most obvious choices, though all are the Fools in their own story-lines and some take the role through other avenues. In the most common iteration of tarot storytelling, the Fool needs to begin the tale in ignorance; commit to the quest; learn incrementally; then finish with their overview of the world complete and often unparalleled, ergo in possession of said World.
Throughout Death Note's epic story, the World is up for grabs. The opening theme tune check-lists it. L is introduced against the background of a globe. Light famously declares himself 'God of this new world'. But ultimately Light loses his grip upon said world, and his life too. L and Mello equally slip from this world to the next. Near can be said to both understand and articulate the Finis Death Note world, but he wasn't there at the beginning, nor did he start in all innocence of the facts. Ryuk is fabulously Foolish; however, he fulfils the characterisation in the Jester/Joker sense - a Wise Fool indeed. Only one character can be seen to fully embrace the tenets of the Royal Road protagonist tarot Fool and that is Touta Matsuda.
Which makes Death Note fundamentally the story of Matsuda's Fool's Journey.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Touta Matsuda is the most archetypal Fool in Death Note - not Ryuk, Light, nor any of the Wammy cohort, as would otherwise be the most obvious choices, though all are the Fools in their own story-lines and some take the role through other avenues. In the most common iteration of tarot storytelling, the Fool needs to begin the tale in ignorance; commit to the quest; learn incrementally; then finish with their overview of the world complete and often unparalleled, ergo in possession of said World.
Throughout Death Note's epic story, the World is up for grabs. The opening theme tune check-lists it. L is introduced against the background of a globe. Light famously declares himself 'God of this new world'. But ultimately Light loses his grip upon said world, and his life too. L and Mello equally slip from this world to the next. Near can be said to both understand and articulate the Finis Death Note world, but he wasn't there at the beginning, nor did he start in all innocence of the facts. Ryuk is fabulously Foolish; however, he fulfils the characterisation in the Jester/Joker sense - a Wise Fool indeed. Only one character can be seen to fully embrace the tenets of the Royal Road protagonist tarot Fool and that is Touta Matsuda.
Which makes Death Note fundamentally the story of Matsuda's Fool's Journey.
Three Faces of Matsuda, as seen in the anime; played by Maeda Goki in the tv drama; and the manga
Regardless of whether you concur with such a emphasis on the young police officer - placing him above even Light Yagami and his main protagonist L in terms of importance to the storyline - Matsuda's brave journey is arguably the thing that binds both arcs (and sub-arcs) together, creating a coherent whole of Death Note's overall narrative, while encapsulating most of its themes.
Moreover, he takes us - the reader/viewer - with him, delivering us back to the beginning with our world utterly changed, ready to strike out again into the unknown. Our outlook wiser; ourselves more accomplished; experience discerning so much now in what we survey; and our skill-sets honed to perfection within this narrow realm.
No more the Fool, but the Master of this now known domain. Which always makes us much more stupid. Poised to become the Fool again, or else stagnate without stimulus within an overly familiar terrain.
Moreover, he takes us - the reader/viewer - with him, delivering us back to the beginning with our world utterly changed, ready to strike out again into the unknown. Our outlook wiser; ourselves more accomplished; experience discerning so much now in what we survey; and our skill-sets honed to perfection within this narrow realm.
No more the Fool, but the Master of this now known domain. Which always makes us much more stupid. Poised to become the Fool again, or else stagnate without stimulus within an overly familiar terrain.
What is the Fool's Journey Through the Tarot?
The Royal Road, or Fool's Journey is one of the oldest, most commonly told tales of all. You don't have to be a tarot card reader, or know a thing about them, in order to find highly familiar this sequence of events surrounding a certain kind of individual.
Ninety percent of all Hollywood blockbusters and best-selling novels are telling - and retelling in the sequel, then again for the third in the trilogy - the story of a Fool, who embarks upon a great adventure, which changes them and their world(view) forever. A great many of them also do so by touching upon a series of meetings or circumstances, each relayed in a precise order, which matches that of the Major Arcana in tarot.
It's not that the movie or literary worlds are swamped with secret tarot readers inserting some vast and dodgy agenda. It's that the Fool's tale mirrors the span of human life itself, therefore has a commonality across all cultures, globally or historically.
Everyone can relate to a plot with such basic building blocks as 'the hero knew nothing, learned some stuff, grew up (physically/mentally/spiritually/whatever fits best), put such learning to the test and/or applied it practically, then the hero knew everything'. Or at least 'something', often with a reward - if only survival - when retold via celluloid or the printed page. We all like a happy ending, or failing that, some satisfaction at witnessing just desserts occur.
Those markers set out along the path of the Major Arcana tend to be used by writers and directors for no particularly mystical reason either. It's because they also represent the most intuitively efficient plot devices to get the Fool from the beginning to the end.
Ninety percent of all Hollywood blockbusters and best-selling novels are telling - and retelling in the sequel, then again for the third in the trilogy - the story of a Fool, who embarks upon a great adventure, which changes them and their world(view) forever. A great many of them also do so by touching upon a series of meetings or circumstances, each relayed in a precise order, which matches that of the Major Arcana in tarot.
It's not that the movie or literary worlds are swamped with secret tarot readers inserting some vast and dodgy agenda. It's that the Fool's tale mirrors the span of human life itself, therefore has a commonality across all cultures, globally or historically.
Everyone can relate to a plot with such basic building blocks as 'the hero knew nothing, learned some stuff, grew up (physically/mentally/spiritually/whatever fits best), put such learning to the test and/or applied it practically, then the hero knew everything'. Or at least 'something', often with a reward - if only survival - when retold via celluloid or the printed page. We all like a happy ending, or failing that, some satisfaction at witnessing just desserts occur.
Those markers set out along the path of the Major Arcana tend to be used by writers and directors for no particularly mystical reason either. It's because they also represent the most intuitively efficient plot devices to get the Fool from the beginning to the end.
Touta Matsuda on the Royal Road - Death Note's Fool's Journey
The hero who knows nothing meets someone who opens up their world-view to possibilities (Magician); something/someone occurs to make the hero emotionally connect with what the Magician showed him/her (High Priestess), thus they commit to the journey/quest (Empress). In order to set out, or survive the trip, they must take on provisions and see to their physical needs (still Empress). They also need information about the delineation of the quest's boundaries, limits, rules, what it will take to succeed (Emperor), which usually involves finding or inviting in an expert (Yoda... I mean Hierophant).
See what I mean about intuitive, commonplace and common sense storytelling? That's effectively the end of the first arc in the Major Arcana.
See what I mean about intuitive, commonplace and common sense storytelling? That's effectively the end of the first arc in the Major Arcana.
 0 - The Fool Matsuda begins never even having heard of L. Plus only just hearing that serial killing of global proportions going on - his introduction to the concept of Kira. |  I - The Magician Broadening Matsuda's awareness occurs in a combination of Soichiro, Watari and L. But it's Watari who opens up a gateway into the eventual quest. |  II - The High Priestess Until Kira started killing FBI and police officers, the hunt for him was just part of the job. Afterwards, it became personal; a matter of life and death. Matsuda would be forced to consider it on an emotional level, with all due regard to family feeling and other ethereal/spiritual/sentimental concerns, as well as the physical. |
 III - The Empress Matsuda is one of only five men willing to put their lives on the line to combat Kira. He's committed to the quest. |  IV - The Emperor Perched upon his armchair like a throne, L spells out the details in the search for Kira, and what it will take to catch him. L even has Matsuda et al to meet him at his residence - The Imperial Hotel. Imperial means belonging/ pertaining to/of the emperor or empire. |  V - The Hierophant Naomi Misora used to be a brilliant FBI agent, but has been hiding away at home for no good reason since becoming engaged. Her return and subsequent disappearance provides key clues to the NPA Kira Task Force. Though L, by his very nature, also doubles in this informative role. |
The next tranche of cards deal with the learning process. In movies, books and manga, this is often learning by adversary, as that adds more dramatic tension than watching the hero sitting in a library and/or writing essays. Unless it's the movie Karate Kid, wherein the 'wax on, wax off' part gloriously shows us how the Fool learns through practice, revision and sheer hard work. But back to the Major Arcana.
Having learned all they can about what the journey is, why they should undertake it, committing to it, getting in supplies and information, then perusing the full game-plan, our hero has a choice to make. Do or do not, there is no try. Take the quest on, or go home now, there is no time for dithering (The Lovers).
Alternatively, it can mean what it says on the packet. The introduction of a love interest and/or partner is beloved of film-makers and book authors both. The inherent dualism usually strengthens or otherwise propels the plot forward, while the will of the individual to stay the course is generally now a foregone conclusion (The Lovers).
Any one of the below could feature as The Lovers moment in the Fool's Journey of Matsuda, and they all happen in quick succession.
Having learned all they can about what the journey is, why they should undertake it, committing to it, getting in supplies and information, then perusing the full game-plan, our hero has a choice to make. Do or do not, there is no try. Take the quest on, or go home now, there is no time for dithering (The Lovers).
Alternatively, it can mean what it says on the packet. The introduction of a love interest and/or partner is beloved of film-makers and book authors both. The inherent dualism usually strengthens or otherwise propels the plot forward, while the will of the individual to stay the course is generally now a foregone conclusion (The Lovers).
Any one of the below could feature as The Lovers moment in the Fool's Journey of Matsuda, and they all happen in quick succession.
 VI - The Lovers Everyone protests L's unorthodox (and later shady) tactics in the Kira case, but their compliance indicates their decision to accept anything to win the Kira case. Matsuda is among those continuing his Fool's Journey at the cost of his moral integrity and sense of right or wrong. |  VI - The Lovers The meeting between L and Light, escalating their duel of wits and ultimately bringing Light onto the Kira Task Force all have profound effects for Matsuda's position. Not least because it deepens everyone's involvement and makes events much more dangerous. |  VI - The Lovers The emergence of Second Kira, with Misa and Light quite literally becoming lovers, complicates the case immensely and causes the Fool's Journey to become yet more perilous. More moral dilemmas occur to Matsuda, as L breaks Japanese (and international) law to torture Misa and Light. |
The hero then needs to set out their own personal strategy for success (The Chariot), before putting it into action and applying stamina, trust, skill or sheer brute force to see it through (Strength).
Afterwards, there must be a period for reflection, evaluation of the tactics employed, tinkering with them etc, or recovery, depending on what the strategy actually cost in its application (The Hermit). Otherwise it's time to bring in another expert, usually - again for dramatic tension - the one who won't come out to play for anyone else, but who the Fool charmed with their earnestness and/or passion for the quest (also The Hermit).
End of part two in the Major Arcana's basic story-telling plot touchstones.
Afterwards, there must be a period for reflection, evaluation of the tactics employed, tinkering with them etc, or recovery, depending on what the strategy actually cost in its application (The Hermit). Otherwise it's time to bring in another expert, usually - again for dramatic tension - the one who won't come out to play for anyone else, but who the Fool charmed with their earnestness and/or passion for the quest (also The Hermit).
End of part two in the Major Arcana's basic story-telling plot touchstones.
 VII The Chariot Despite feeling unsettled by L's methodology in a dangerous, potentially deadly investigation, Matsuda makes the personal decision to throw in his lot with the Wammy detective. It seems like the quickest way to catch Kira. |  VIII Strength Matsuda's stamina in loyalty and compliance is soon put to the test, when Misa and Light are incarcerated indefinitely without charge. L doesn't balk from torture in an attempt to force a confession, with Matsuda in uneasy witness. |  IX The Hermit Along with the rest of the dwindling Task Force members, Matsuda quits his job at the NPA. Fundamentally putting his career on the line, and devoting his life to the Kira case. |
Part three in the Fool's journey begins with our hero discovering that you can learn it all and become as skilled and experienced as may be. But luck will always play its part, for good or ill. No-one can predict every move nor aspect of their lives. (Wheel of Fortune) Either that or our hero gets a kick which momentarily puts them out of the game, or the converse, a boost which raises them in it. (All still the Wheel of Fortune.)
However, all being well, everyone should get their just desserts. The hard worker should bring home a decent pay. The victimised should see recompense in whatever way is most appropriate. The baddie should get their comeuppance. Real life doesn't work like that, but neither is it totally devoid of the same. Just as with fortune and luck, justice is more often served than the cynical could admit. (Justice.) (NB Some modern, and all earlier, tarot decks placed Justice after The Chariot. The Golden Dawn switched it around in the 1920s, and most decks since have copied them.)
With all of the elements known and/or in place, the Foolish hero enters a formative stage in their lives. A time of willing sacrifice for the greater good and/or in exchange for greater insight - Odin in Yggdrasil or Christ on the cross; Light submitting to tortuous detention under the auspices of L; the average student sitting down to write their dissertation. (The Hanged Man.) Which, all being well, results in a transformation in being; a sudden escalation of understanding; or something else which sees our Fool shed all past ignorance and grow in whichever way is relevant to their journey. (Death)
However, all being well, everyone should get their just desserts. The hard worker should bring home a decent pay. The victimised should see recompense in whatever way is most appropriate. The baddie should get their comeuppance. Real life doesn't work like that, but neither is it totally devoid of the same. Just as with fortune and luck, justice is more often served than the cynical could admit. (Justice.) (NB Some modern, and all earlier, tarot decks placed Justice after The Chariot. The Golden Dawn switched it around in the 1920s, and most decks since have copied them.)
With all of the elements known and/or in place, the Foolish hero enters a formative stage in their lives. A time of willing sacrifice for the greater good and/or in exchange for greater insight - Odin in Yggdrasil or Christ on the cross; Light submitting to tortuous detention under the auspices of L; the average student sitting down to write their dissertation. (The Hanged Man.) Which, all being well, results in a transformation in being; a sudden escalation of understanding; or something else which sees our Fool shed all past ignorance and grow in whichever way is relevant to their journey. (Death)
 X The Wheel of Fortune In an attempt to prove his value within the Kira Task Force, Matsuda tries his luck with infiltrating the Yotsuba Group headquarters in search of a lead on possible Death Note usage. |  XI Justice Matsuda's daring is rewarded with overhearing a snippet of information linking the Yotsuba Group with Kira. |  XII The Hanged Man With his life already on the line - in immediate danger of execution by the unscrupulous executives - Matsuda undertakes a terrifying and foolhardy escape from a hotel balcony, free-falling onto on a mattress held into the air below. |
 |  |  |
| XIII Death It's not so much the physical deaths per se of Rem, Watari and L, which makes this a transformative period for Matsuda. It's the changes wrought upon his life caused by their demise. Including the impact of their loss on the investigation, with dire implications for Matsuda's own continued well-being. |
Beyond that, all stabilizes again into a steady work-a-day rhythm. All fine-tuned skills need time to be applied; all heavy graft requires a period of relaxation to follow. After all that excitement comes the novelty of boredom, or else an uncoiling to still all jangling sensibilities in a quieter life (Temperance). Which is nice at first, but soon becomes a tad too hum-drum, familiar and finally downright soul-destroying.
Our hero looks for diversion - any diversion - something to break up the day and/or a life. Temptation hums everywhere (The Devil). And not every diversion is entirely sensible. After all that hard work building up to whatever the quest required of its Foolish hero, frustration or the sheer monotony of being did its steady job of erosion. A mistake which can see the whole edifice falling down (The Tower). It's time for our hero to learn the lessons of destruction, and how to accept it as the necessary (and often welcome) flip side of creation. Or, as Kipling put it in the poem If, 'meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same'.
Our hero looks for diversion - any diversion - something to break up the day and/or a life. Temptation hums everywhere (The Devil). And not every diversion is entirely sensible. After all that hard work building up to whatever the quest required of its Foolish hero, frustration or the sheer monotony of being did its steady job of erosion. A mistake which can see the whole edifice falling down (The Tower). It's time for our hero to learn the lessons of destruction, and how to accept it as the necessary (and often welcome) flip side of creation. Or, as Kipling put it in the poem If, 'meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same'.
 XIV Temperance Once L is dead, the group are nominally leaderless, though Light as Second L fills the void. For Matsuda, this is a time of waiting to see what will happen without the genius detective guiding things. |  XV The Devil When the Kira case moves forward its with a shocking suddenness, dynamic in its action. Matsuda always prefers that to steady, routine work and waiting, but not when it involves the abduction of Sayu, and her father in danger. Mello brings temptation, while upping the stakes considerably. |  XVI The Tower Matsuda's whole world collapses in on itself with the death of his mentor Soichiro Yagami. |
XVII The Star
But for most of us, it would take the grace of the Dalai Lama to put such sentiments into actuality, when disappointment, panic and stress abound. So, being human, we rely upon the second best boon afforded us - hope (The Star) - and enter a necessary time of sifting through the ruins of a life, shattered dreams or fatally disrupted plans. A moment of reflection as to what went wrong and what can make it all right again. Giving ourselves time to mourn, regroup and go on (The Moon).
If our once Foolish hero is able to rise up again from the collapse of everything, then he/she/it can rebound from anything. Theirs is the confidence come from knowing nothing can hurt nor touch them again, at least nothing from which they can't recover (The Sun). Then comes the hardest moment of all - the ability to look at oneself, and others, as they truly are. Without excuses, prejudice, projection nor bias, and gain the final insights available through comparison, acceptance or rejection. In short, making a judgement call fuelled by all that's been met, learned, experienced and practised on the journey thus far (Judgement).
And if all went according to plan, with no lessons skipped nor learning shirked as irrelevant, the Fool has the wisdom necessary to complete their quest. They have mastery in this universe. They own The World.
If our once Foolish hero is able to rise up again from the collapse of everything, then he/she/it can rebound from anything. Theirs is the confidence come from knowing nothing can hurt nor touch them again, at least nothing from which they can't recover (The Sun). Then comes the hardest moment of all - the ability to look at oneself, and others, as they truly are. Without excuses, prejudice, projection nor bias, and gain the final insights available through comparison, acceptance or rejection. In short, making a judgement call fuelled by all that's been met, learned, experienced and practised on the journey thus far (Judgement).
And if all went according to plan, with no lessons skipped nor learning shirked as irrelevant, the Fool has the wisdom necessary to complete their quest. They have mastery in this universe. They own The World.
 XVIII The Moon In the dark night of the soul, all considerations are on the table. Matsuda seems ready to run with the crowd here, supporting Kira. |  XIX - The Sun A moment of true enlightment for Matsuda, as Light Yagami admits to being Kira. The young police officer no longer has uncertainty in whatever thought or action may come. |
 XX - Judgement No longer a Fool per se, this close to the end of his Journey, Matsuda knows enough to make a judgement call in full understanding of its consequences. |  XXI - The World By the end of Death Note, Matsuda has the widest possible overview of his World. It might not thrill him, but he has insight enough to understand that rejecting L doesn't mean he has to accept Near. |
Death Note's Fool's Journey Tarot Imagery Could Be Deliberate
Given the Death Note creators' propensity to play around with tarot imagery, it's probably no accident that Matsuda's shining moment of heroism, and true enlightenment in grasping the entirety of the story so far, comes in an anime episode called New World. The final card of tarot's major arcana is The World.
In the manga, this chapter is entitled Curtain, as 'black curtain' (which additionally describes the aesthetics of these pages' black frame) suggests someone orchestrating events behind the scenes, in how the words sound in Japanese. This according to Tsugumi Ohba, who revealed his reasoning behind the choice of title in Death Note 13: How to Read. He just skipped the 'black' because there already was a chapter with that in the title, and he didn't want to imply a new character was about to emerge. His Fool (and therefore unwitting focus for his audience) was already there, hidden in plain view, amongst so many other contenders for the role.
One doesn't have to deliberately, or even knowingly, move events along in order to be the force behind their momentum. Fools, in many a popular epic, tend towards being a catalyst rather than an instigator. Right up until their moment of fruition, when they become the best placed individual to confront whatever rocks their world. Thus the journey is brought to a climatic end and the Fool is momentarily a Fool no more. They have gained The World and its secrets have all been revealed.
To which there is no point. Every story ever has been about the quest. The ending is just the precursor to the credits starting to roll.
In the manga, this chapter is entitled Curtain, as 'black curtain' (which additionally describes the aesthetics of these pages' black frame) suggests someone orchestrating events behind the scenes, in how the words sound in Japanese. This according to Tsugumi Ohba, who revealed his reasoning behind the choice of title in Death Note 13: How to Read. He just skipped the 'black' because there already was a chapter with that in the title, and he didn't want to imply a new character was about to emerge. His Fool (and therefore unwitting focus for his audience) was already there, hidden in plain view, amongst so many other contenders for the role.
One doesn't have to deliberately, or even knowingly, move events along in order to be the force behind their momentum. Fools, in many a popular epic, tend towards being a catalyst rather than an instigator. Right up until their moment of fruition, when they become the best placed individual to confront whatever rocks their world. Thus the journey is brought to a climatic end and the Fool is momentarily a Fool no more. They have gained The World and its secrets have all been revealed.
To which there is no point. Every story ever has been about the quest. The ending is just the precursor to the credits starting to roll.
