Ohba: Mello Should Have Beaten Kira in Death Note

Tsugumi Ohba: Mello Should Have Beaten Light! Original Death Note Ending Revealed

27/2/2014

I've long since heard of an old interview with Death Note creator Tsugumi Ohba, in which he (or she) described the original ending of the story.

Mello would have won.

Today I actually found said interview. Which shocked me. I secretly thought a Mello fan had made it up!

Here is the transcript of the relevant section:

Were Mello’s actions at the end already decided from the start?

No, it was not. I was still pondering about what to do with Mello when the story reached the stage where Shidoh returned to Death Gods’ world. I had intended that Mello would be the one to defeat Light. Being number 2 at Wammy’s house, Mello was the dark horse whom I wanted to see the winner.

Why was this not the ending that was told?

Mello knew too much about Death Note. If he had won, it would be too easy a win. Hence, I made him attempt to physically capture Light one on one, resulting in his death, which was meant to be very dramatic.

Original interview with Tsugumi Ohba by The Star Online, but no cyber version exists. English translation by ScarredinSilence

So what do you make of that? Anyone wishing that was the extant ending, or did Ohba make the right decision in penning the one that we got?

29 Comments

MelMat

26/2/2014 17:14:20

If Mello's death was suppose to be so dramatic, what happened? Ugh!! I mean, he had the most anti-climatic death of them all!

Matti

26/2/2014 17:17:35

With my most cynical grey matter engaged, I'd say that Ohba realised the story could be dragged out much further than it was. He said it was 'too easy', but that was fine.

It just showed that Light was watching Near too much, thus was blind-sided by the second. Like looking out for velociraptors really.

Mello soooo had it in the bag. Ohba had to simply ignore Mello's presence in order to stop him winning.

MelMatt

26/2/2014 17:25:50

Being a Mello fan, it just upsets me. He lost to a little twit who could not even get on a plane by himself. I mean come on! To be honest I would've rather Light had won in the end, than Near.

I had to giggle at the dinosaur reference- At 36 I still love them.

Matti

26/2/2014 17:34:24

(There's no button to reply directly to you in that thread. I'll have to look at the coding to see where I messed up when I'm more awake.)

Near's grown on me over the years. I think he's a wonderfully sarcastic individual, and I can live with that.

As for the story, I think sometimes they take on a life of their own. Mello's such a strong character, that he most certainly did. Ohba should have run with how it was going. Because the ending that he did come up with owed a lot to Near's almost preternatural skill at merely guessing things that were true.

MelMat

26/2/2014 17:53:59

I can say with 100% certainty, Near will never grow on me. But I can see what you are saying. I just wanted Mello to win, he worked hard for it and wanted it so badly.

There are so many unanswered questions I would love to ask the creators, but I know that will never happen. *haha*

Matti

26/2/2014 17:56:26

You KNOW that I'd have loved to have seen Mello win too. I'm biased, but I think it would also have led to the better story.

Mind you, wouldn't that have made Near kind of superfluousness?

MelMat

26/2/2014 18:09:41

(I didn't have a reply button to your recent comment)

No not really, Near was one of the driving forces behind Mello's ambitions. Mello wanted to prove he was the best even if he was still second to Near at Wammy's. He had the determination to make it real for himself. Thus leaving and starting on his own. I think in a way Near was Mello's catalyst.

Matti

27/2/2014 04:02:32

Near was definitely Mello's catalyst. I can see that.

Getting them to work together with the interview would also give Near a role big enough to justify his presence. We just needed Mello to run with those answers.

Mind you, if we're keeping Near in the loop, there would probably never have been a need for Matt to be there.

orangepunch

27/2/2014 12:49:20

Eh hem.

Bullshit.

I do wish Mello had won. But! Would he be so exalted if he hadn't died?

Matti

27/2/2014 17:34:59

There's a point! We wouldn't have Mello as the tragic hero, if he'd survived and won. We'd probably all be rooting for Near at this point.

Miyamashi

28/2/2014 10:25:19

This whole thing makes me sad. :( I would love to have seen this ending. Mello was such an underdog.

I had decided Mello was my favorite character long before the ending came around. I don't think my opinion would have changed at all.

Matti

28/2/2014 11:43:36

Me too. In fact the ending disappointed me.

It was the sheer energy with which Mello burst onto the scene.

Death Note had become so quiet at that point. It was all intellectual discourse and back-and-forth conversations. That was fascinating, but until Mello exploded into the story (often literally), you didn't realise quite how little action had occurred of late.

He brought the whole story to life, and it was exciting. He should have won.

MelMat

28/2/2014 12:35:20

My thoughts exactly :)

Miyamashi

28/2/2014 13:26:40

I think the thing that bothers me most is that there was no real closure to Mello's story arc. He fought so hard, for so long, got so far and lost it once and then just kept fighting, then was literally killed off because /the author thought he did too well/. What?

I think the most satisfying end--and the most fitting--would have been for Mello to have to bite back his pride and work alongside Near. Maybe he got set back again, and couldn't quite finish the job on his own. It would have been the one case of redemption in the story, for him to finally make it, but to have to give up his rivalry to do it. It would have given Mello his place in the limelight, without shunting Near. Hal and Matt perhaps could have acted as bridges. It also would have better accomplished what Ohba originally intended by having two leading heirs: Light being beaten by two when one wasn't enough.

As it was, Mello's end was not only pointless (The reason given for his heroism was full of holes, since it was literally forced last-minute.) but left the story kind of unsatisfying emotionally. You have Light completely losing it and dying, Takada dying, Mikami dying, Mello and Matt dead in an anticlimactic way, and the only ones left standing being the group that were the least involved. And I LIKE Near. I really do, but his story arc until then was...well, a lot like L's "I'm confident, strange, and spoiled, and I always win." Then he won. Might as well just have had L win and leave out Mello and Near altogether. -.-'

Matti

1/3/2014 05:09:40

I've just read your entire alternative ending nodding like an idiot. That is perfect! That is precisely how Death Note should have ended. It's satisfying and rounded.

And now your second point, yes! Absolutely! Sorry, me cheer-leading all you say isn't leading to scintillating conversation, but you have completely nailed it.

Now to get Ohba to retrospectively rewrite the whole ending, and have THAT as the 10th Anniversary surprise. :)

Miyamashi

1/3/2014 14:49:38

I just looked to make sure I wasn't crazy, but...erm, you do realize that's just a different translation of the same interview that's in HtR: 13? Or at least a very, very similar one. Strangely, though, the reasoning and tactic seem kind of opposite in the version I have. "Dramatic", my ass. XD

This explains why I felt like I'd typed out most of what I said in my last post before. I believe we'd talked about this on the GnG forums, years ago, and I'd expressed this interview as part of why I think Ohba is a shitty writer, hahaha. I also believe this is the same interview referenced in that convo you and I had, Matti, where I told you DO NOT KILL OFF AN OC TO KEEP MM IN THE SPOTLIGHT. DO NOT DO WHAT OHBA DID.

The version in HtR 13 reads:

Had you always planned on Mello's heroics at the end?: I didn't decide on that until the last second. After Sidoh returned to the Shinigami realm, there was a period over which I struggled over what to do with Mello. After L's death, the idea that Mello would be the character to defeat Light was really strong in my mind. I figured that since Near was the best at Wammy's House, it would be more interesting if Mello were the final victor instead.

Why did you decide against it?: He learned too much about the notebook early on, so I had to fade him out to sustain the intensity of the story... Because of this, I wasn't able to give him a large role at the end and instead switched it to him hurting Light indirectly. That's why his end was very plain, depicted in only one panel. I thought that if he died too dramatically, the truth behind his death would be revealed.

(What does that even mean, Ohba? Guh. -.-' )

Matti

3/3/2014 03:29:11

Oh my Death God! I knew that the sentiments were familiar, but thought that was merely due to spending years in the MxM fandom.

I feel like a bit of an idiot for not checking HtR13, but enjoying the fact that you did. This really does underline why you and I identified with the characters as we did. You go Mello on stuff. LOL

I've just re-read Ohba's explanation from HtR 13 and you're right. It makes no sense at all. It actually is gabbling just to fill the page, and make us feel like we learned something. I wonder if that's due to the translation, as presumably he answered those questions in Japanese.

Anyone read the original and can report back?

And yes, you and Melissa - with that timely conversation - really did save Fenian's life.

MihaelJKeehl

2/3/2014 22:06:37

As far as I'm concerned Mello won...period. Near basically admits that without Mello kidnapping Takada and causing Mikami to act out of sorts the ending never would have played out the way out did and Light would have won. I firmly believe Mello would not have ever taken his helmet off to Takada...that was just stupid and I thought a poor cop-out of the story.

Matti

3/3/2014 03:33:01

Hello! Long time no see! <3

Yes, you raise a great point with what Near told Light in the Yellow Box. Near and Mello DID ultimately work together, though it would have been a much better story, if that had been explicit.

I love the mental image of Mello suddenly stepping out of the shadows (or through the doorway) of the Yellow Box, and Light looking on aghast as Near and Mello stand alongside each other grinning at him.

L's heirs united in taking him down.

I also agree that it was OOC for Mello to have taken off his helmet. He knew damn well about the need to hide his face. He'd been swanning around LA in the world's hugest pair of sunglasses.

MihaelJkeehl

3/3/2014 23:58:55

I would have loved to see Mello just push the sheep out of the way and shoot Light in the face....but that's just me. I hate Near...always have and always will. LOL

Matti

4/3/2014 01:12:20

I think that Near is a really under-estimated character. He suffers from not being L - thus upsetting the L fans - and not being Mello - thus it all looking like he won under false pretences.

I only really 'got' him on about the fifth or sixth reading, then delighted in him thereon.

Yoshie Michaelis

18/2/2015 12:14:09

There's no internet version of the interview? Ha! Don't believe it. Mello did beat Kira....but so did Near and L. They all did. L just needed proof, but died before he could get any proof that Light was Kira. Near almost had the case closed, as well did Mello. Mello did his part in the investigation as did Near. Without Mello, Near wouldn't have gotten some of the needed evidence to solve the case.

Matti

3/4/2015 04:45:14

Have you found an on-line version of the interview? That would be great to link. And yes, they all did play their part in the capture of Kira.

18/9/2016 23:05:57

Even with no internet link, it's stlil totally valid, because the autor says the same exact things in Death Note 13: How to Read. It's in print friend. The only reason it didn't happen is because they didn't know how to execute it while keeping the suspense up. That's also why his death was "depicted so plainly", because the author feared that if his death was dramatic, the truth as to why he actually died would become obvious to everyone.

Lonelyloner

13/3/2016 06:46:34

"What if Mello had won in the end?" is an intriguing question.
But I guess I could not accept him as the winner.
Mello is a mass murderer already, he's a mini-Kira already.
He's a bad guy.
A dark-hero / black knight, but still a bad guy.

Even if he wins in the end, he should also die soon afterwards.
Otherwise the story is just too dark.

Miyamashi

13/3/2016 08:35:32

How does a death--any death--make something less dark? And isn't "he's a bad guy and thus he has to die" Kira's logic? I can understand not wanting a criminal character who directly or indirectly caused multiple deaths to be the victor, but I find the idea that his living would be darker than his death kind of unsettling.

Matti (Death Note News)

14/4/2016 17:56:03

You know my anti-death penalty sentiments are cheering you along on this line of thought.

Matti (Death Note News) link

14/4/2016 17:53:16

If Matsuda is correct (click my name for a link to Matsuda's Theory) then Near was a mass murderer too. Plus L is hinted at being so in 'Another Note'. My guess is that they were all as bad/guilty as each other and that was part of the point of Death Note.

A very dark story regardless.

10/9/2016 02:41:50

Hi! I am a huge newb at deathnote and just finished reading the manga series. My very first manga series too! Loved it and couldn't put it down.

I'm sorry if this is super obvious but could someone explain a bit more about Mello's "heroic death?" I take that Mello sacrificed himself so that Kira could get caught, but did he know about both fake note books, etc? I lent my books to someone so I can't reread it or anything...

i loved L, Mello, and Near, they were my litto babies ❤️❤️❤️ But I also believe that Mello and Near should have just teamed up in the end 😭

Thanks!

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Tsugumi Ohba: Mello Should Have Beaten Light! Original Death Note Ending Revealed

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