Death Note managed to cram quite a lot of symbolism and imagery, religious and otherwise, into its twelve short manga volumes. We have a lot more for Light Yagami in lieu of his 30th birthday celebrations (or 27th, as reckoned by the anime). Examining destiny's data may even explain why the plot-line for Kira played out that way.
Feature writer Orangepunch takes on the omens, follows the signs and explores the stars.
Feature writer Orangepunch takes on the omens, follows the signs and explores the stars.
Astrology plays a highly significant role culturally in Japan, so much so that it has even been shown to affect birth-rates in years wherein the zodiacal associations are less desirable than others.
We explored the extent to which astrological systems around the world played a role in the development of Death Note's main character.
Was Kira's Fate written in the stars? We'll see by starting with Light Yagami in Western astrology, then moving on to explore what the next zodiac has to say about him for future articles in this series.
We explored the extent to which astrological systems around the world played a role in the development of Death Note's main character.
Was Kira's Fate written in the stars? We'll see by starting with Light Yagami in Western astrology, then moving on to explore what the next zodiac has to say about him for future articles in this series.
Our Lord and Saviour Represented by Fish: Piscean Light Yagami
| Light's birthday remains unchanged in Death Note manga and anime alike - February 28th -making Kira a Pisces, as his sun-sign in Western Astrology. That's all we really have to go on here. In order to map the rest of his chart with any kind of accuracy, a time and place of birth would be required. Due to the location given for the teenage Kira in Death Note, we might guess that the erstwhile God of the New World's nativity occurred in a hospital somewhere in the Kanto region of Japan. There's a strong likelihood that it might be true, as nowhere in the narrative are we told that the Yagami family lived anywhere else. At the very least, it's practically certain that Light was born in Japan - which isn't big enough to mess too much with the precision of his birth location data. However, Tsugumi Ohba never mentioned a time of birth for Light Yagami. This is a far greater blow, as it constricts the accurate placement of Kira within the houses, ascension and moon configuration of Western Zodiac. A mean would have to suffice - placing his birth at noon or midnight on the basis that the worse that could happen is that the calculations for him are a mere twelve hours out. His parents DID label their newborn cherub with the kanji for Moon Night God - which seems a trifle strange if the future mass murdering megalomaniac arrived into this rotten world in the middle of the day. So perhaps we might be forgiven for opting for midnight as our mean for Kira's birth-time, but it hardly seems worth the hassle for a fictional persona. |  The Zodiac Symbol for Pisces |
Someone should just threaten Ohba with a quill - in whatever way seems appropriate - until he publicly announces his character's full zodiacal data. Then we'll play.
In the interim, we'll just stick with what we do know. Death Note Kira's star-sign is Pisces the Fish. This is was the constellation wherein our ruling star - the sun - appeared lodged when viewed from the Earth, at the time of Light Yagami's birth.
To Western astrologers, our star - or sun - sign, dictates how we are outwardly perceived to be. For Light, Pisces would govern the conscious self; his creativity and initiative; his ego's external expression; leadership qualities, ambition and pride; personal power and authority; and the projection of his everyday personality. For 'fish' then, read 'sodding big shark'. Though Kira's kill count surpassed even the most Great White ridden Hollywood movie beach massacre. In his case, reading Pisces as 'algae' is probably closer to the mark; the greatest mass murder in natural history.
So how does Kira's Piscean nature propel him on?
In the interim, we'll just stick with what we do know. Death Note Kira's star-sign is Pisces the Fish. This is was the constellation wherein our ruling star - the sun - appeared lodged when viewed from the Earth, at the time of Light Yagami's birth.
To Western astrologers, our star - or sun - sign, dictates how we are outwardly perceived to be. For Light, Pisces would govern the conscious self; his creativity and initiative; his ego's external expression; leadership qualities, ambition and pride; personal power and authority; and the projection of his everyday personality. For 'fish' then, read 'sodding big shark'. Though Kira's kill count surpassed even the most Great White ridden Hollywood movie beach massacre. In his case, reading Pisces as 'algae' is probably closer to the mark; the greatest mass murder in natural history.
So how does Kira's Piscean nature propel him on?
Something Fishy about the God of the New World in Death Note
In the Death Note manga volume 13: How to Read, Light is depicted as brilliant, and hard working. He was described as having good intentions and a pure heart behind his determination and commitment toward realising his high ideals.
This aligns with the archetype of Pisceans as gentle, honest, devoted, and highly knowledgeable.
Light's life was ruined the moment he touched the Death Note, again according to Ohba in the How to Read volume of the manga. It is also suggested that it was actually the otherwise positive Piscean traits which ultimately, and a tad ironically, led to the destruction of Light in favor of Kira. As Light's pre-death-note idealism for reducing crime and fighting for justice was born of purity, almost in a sense, innocence. Combined with the unrelenting, determined aspects of his personality, Light ends up consumed by his evil tendencies.
Perhaps worse is that after losing all memory of the Death Note, the corruption disappeared with the memories, and for a short period we see the person Light could have been had he never decided to just see if the Death Note was real.
In all likelihood, L saw his purity as well, which explains the sadness he feels knowing that Kira had existed. The bells were unusually loud that night, as they tolled for the fading, dying Age 0f Pisces, as overseen by Light Yagami in Death Note.
This aligns with the archetype of Pisceans as gentle, honest, devoted, and highly knowledgeable.
Light's life was ruined the moment he touched the Death Note, again according to Ohba in the How to Read volume of the manga. It is also suggested that it was actually the otherwise positive Piscean traits which ultimately, and a tad ironically, led to the destruction of Light in favor of Kira. As Light's pre-death-note idealism for reducing crime and fighting for justice was born of purity, almost in a sense, innocence. Combined with the unrelenting, determined aspects of his personality, Light ends up consumed by his evil tendencies.
Perhaps worse is that after losing all memory of the Death Note, the corruption disappeared with the memories, and for a short period we see the person Light could have been had he never decided to just see if the Death Note was real.
In all likelihood, L saw his purity as well, which explains the sadness he feels knowing that Kira had existed. The bells were unusually loud that night, as they tolled for the fading, dying Age 0f Pisces, as overseen by Light Yagami in Death Note.
