MATTI: Hey Asuka! For those people who have been living under a rock, would you like to tell us a little about yourself and your band?
ASUKA: Hey guys! I’m Asuka, vocalist for No Need To Stay, a five-man Post-Hardcore army.
We’re from Rudolstadt, Germany, and love nothing more than going crazy on stage and rocking out with the crowd like there’s no tomorrow. Our sound is a mixture of modern Metalcore and elements of Pop, Dubstep, RnB, Rap and Electronica. Our current line-up has been active since 2013 - we and our awesome fan base have been growing ever since!
I’m 22 years old and a big fan of anime and all things alike.
MATTI: That pretty much covers it. Thank you very much for agreeing to an interview for us, and welcome to Death Note News!
ASUKA: Hey guys! I’m Asuka, vocalist for No Need To Stay, a five-man Post-Hardcore army.
We’re from Rudolstadt, Germany, and love nothing more than going crazy on stage and rocking out with the crowd like there’s no tomorrow. Our sound is a mixture of modern Metalcore and elements of Pop, Dubstep, RnB, Rap and Electronica. Our current line-up has been active since 2013 - we and our awesome fan base have been growing ever since!
I’m 22 years old and a big fan of anime and all things alike.
MATTI: That pretty much covers it. Thank you very much for agreeing to an interview for us, and welcome to Death Note News!
Asuka is the scary looking one with sunglasses
in the middle. And by 'scary', I mean cute as a button.
in the middle. And by 'scary', I mean cute as a button.
Asuka Talks Death Note
MATTI: You've written a song about Death Note, so there must be a fan in No Need to Stay. Who is it and how did you come across the manga/anime?
ASUKA: As you may already have guessed, I’m the Death Note fan in the band. Dave, a very good friend of mine, told me about the anime in like 2007. There was no dub out at the time, so I watched it in Japanese with German subtitles. I’ve never read the manga though.
MATTI: Bit of an error there. I thoroughly recommend the manga. What was it about Death Note that appealed so much to you?
ASUKA: I absolutely loved it from the first episode. Death Note is such a well-written, suspense-packed thrill of a series that it totally blew me away with its perfectly thought out mind games. A Death Note is probably one of the most interesting concepts of a murder weapon – being able to silently kill from a distance without a trace. So powerful, yet it was Light’s complete demise.
There are three things that excited me the most:
MATTI: When you put it like that, yes, it is! And no, I'd not considered it in those terms.
ASUKA: As you may already have guessed, I’m the Death Note fan in the band. Dave, a very good friend of mine, told me about the anime in like 2007. There was no dub out at the time, so I watched it in Japanese with German subtitles. I’ve never read the manga though.
MATTI: Bit of an error there. I thoroughly recommend the manga. What was it about Death Note that appealed so much to you?
ASUKA: I absolutely loved it from the first episode. Death Note is such a well-written, suspense-packed thrill of a series that it totally blew me away with its perfectly thought out mind games. A Death Note is probably one of the most interesting concepts of a murder weapon – being able to silently kill from a distance without a trace. So powerful, yet it was Light’s complete demise.
There are three things that excited me the most:
- The only purely fictional element of the anime is the existence of the notebooks/Shinigami. Other than that, everything else seems mostly realistic (except for the many “coincidental” circumstances that eventually lead to the outcome of the story as we know it, like the region for the broadcast of the Lind L. Tailor stunt; L having a successor; Mello intuitively doing the exact right thing by kidnapping Takada), so you’re almost kind of watching a “what would happen if the Death Notes were real” scenario. So...
- ... this makes you think about the moral aspects of the story, and eventually about your very own moral integrity. If you could do it without a trace, would you kill somebody who has done wrong to someone else? If yes, would that bring vengeance for the hurt and justice for the world?
- I wonder if anyone else has felt this way: L and Light don’t know what the respective other has in mind, only you, the viewer, knows what both are planning to do. So at first, I thought: “Well, of course it shows how intelligent L is when he is able to predict Light’s plans and can tell what he is thinking. But it’s not as exciting for us as viewers, because we know it anyway, because we’re watching what both of them are doing.” Yet, the first time you’re watching it, unpredictable things happen that totally catch you off-guard and blow your mind, even though you thought you knew what was going to happen because you’ve watched and heard L’s and Light’s actions and thoughts. Crazy, isn’t it?
MATTI: When you put it like that, yes, it is! And no, I'd not considered it in those terms.
No Need to Stay's The Chosen One
MATTI: So on to The Chosen One - what made you decide to write a song about Death Note?
ASUKA: I write songs about everything that gets strong emotions out of me. Death Note has fascinated me from start to end and is probably one of the best series I’ve ever watched, besides SteinsGate. When I rewatched it for the third time after two years of Death Note abstinence, the lyrics just poured out of me.
Animes like this get me into my emotional self every time. I am one of those people who experience an extremely high level of immersion, identifying with the characters and sucking in all of the impressions that the anime has given me. I had been writing the instrumentals for a new song anyway, so with that new-found inspiration, I turned it into a Death Note song.
MATTI: We'd better hear it again then.
ASUKA: I write songs about everything that gets strong emotions out of me. Death Note has fascinated me from start to end and is probably one of the best series I’ve ever watched, besides SteinsGate. When I rewatched it for the third time after two years of Death Note abstinence, the lyrics just poured out of me.
Animes like this get me into my emotional self every time. I am one of those people who experience an extremely high level of immersion, identifying with the characters and sucking in all of the impressions that the anime has given me. I had been writing the instrumentals for a new song anyway, so with that new-found inspiration, I turned it into a Death Note song.
MATTI: We'd better hear it again then.
Asuka wants you to follow him into the insanity. Any takers? Misa?
MATTI: Has The Chosen One been well-received by your fans?
ASUKA: I guess and hope so! First of all, it brought us new fans and media attention. I’m glad there were some otakus who recognized it being a Death Note song. Some people couldn’t tell even with the video, but in retrospect I admit we could’ve done a better job with that, haha.
MATTI: Bah! It looks fine to me. Really good in fact. Though I do wonder that you haven't permanently got a sore throat with all that yelling and screaming. Great from our side of the mic though!
ASUKA: I guess and hope so! First of all, it brought us new fans and media attention. I’m glad there were some otakus who recognized it being a Death Note song. Some people couldn’t tell even with the video, but in retrospect I admit we could’ve done a better job with that, haha.
MATTI: Bah! It looks fine to me. Really good in fact. Though I do wonder that you haven't permanently got a sore throat with all that yelling and screaming. Great from our side of the mic though!
Asuka on Kira
MATTI: The lyrics of The Chosen One seem to be from Light Yagami's point of view. Is he a favourite character? And if so, what drew you to him?
ASUKA: He definitely is! His ambivalent personality made me sympathetic to him right from the first few episodes. He’s good-looking, intelligent and successful, yet has this cruel, dark persona inside of him that grows bigger and bigger after obtaining the notebook.
I am a big fan of antagonism and contrast, and Light is a prime example for that - which doesn’t mean that I think all of his actions were right, but I just happen to like that type of character. Other characters of that type are Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass and Toa Tokuchi from One Outs, both of whom can’t hold a candle to Yagami-kun of course, haha.
MATTI: Of course. *grin* So what are your views on the moral ambiguity of Light? I mean, were you still on side all the way to the Yellow Box?
ASUKA: On the surface, Light Yagami is a man with a great sense of justice, but he suffered from tunnel vision during the story. He made way too many sacrifices to reach his goal, which was becoming the God of his Utopia without anyone questioning and stopping him. Like, let’s say, the death of his father that he caused. Soichiro surely was a good person, seeking justice in the world, just like his son, but he thought that Kira’s way of justice seeking was wrong, so he got killed – like thousands of other non-criminal people who may not even have disagreed with Kira’s/Light’s fundamental goal.
Also, I feel Takada’s death was uncalled for. The events just got out of hand, but I’d even say it’s hard to blame Light for his actions, because most of what he did was the only solution. You even kind of feel sorry for him when you see him lying on the floor of the Yellow Box bleeding, asking where Misa and Takada are, completely helpless. But of course, you reap what you sow.
MATTI: I'm sorry to say that I'm more of a Mello girl. I smirked when I saw Light squirming there! Though, of course, I didn't have much else to smile about by that point.
ASUKA: He definitely is! His ambivalent personality made me sympathetic to him right from the first few episodes. He’s good-looking, intelligent and successful, yet has this cruel, dark persona inside of him that grows bigger and bigger after obtaining the notebook.
I am a big fan of antagonism and contrast, and Light is a prime example for that - which doesn’t mean that I think all of his actions were right, but I just happen to like that type of character. Other characters of that type are Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass and Toa Tokuchi from One Outs, both of whom can’t hold a candle to Yagami-kun of course, haha.
MATTI: Of course. *grin* So what are your views on the moral ambiguity of Light? I mean, were you still on side all the way to the Yellow Box?
ASUKA: On the surface, Light Yagami is a man with a great sense of justice, but he suffered from tunnel vision during the story. He made way too many sacrifices to reach his goal, which was becoming the God of his Utopia without anyone questioning and stopping him. Like, let’s say, the death of his father that he caused. Soichiro surely was a good person, seeking justice in the world, just like his son, but he thought that Kira’s way of justice seeking was wrong, so he got killed – like thousands of other non-criminal people who may not even have disagreed with Kira’s/Light’s fundamental goal.
Also, I feel Takada’s death was uncalled for. The events just got out of hand, but I’d even say it’s hard to blame Light for his actions, because most of what he did was the only solution. You even kind of feel sorry for him when you see him lying on the floor of the Yellow Box bleeding, asking where Misa and Takada are, completely helpless. But of course, you reap what you sow.
MATTI: I'm sorry to say that I'm more of a Mello girl. I smirked when I saw Light squirming there! Though, of course, I didn't have much else to smile about by that point.
No Need to Stay perform The Chosen One live in Germany (fan-filmed footage)
Dark Themes Explored in No Need to Stay's The Chosen One
MATTI: The Chosen One tells the story of Light's mental disintegration/developing God complex. You start with a fairly simple, albeit dark as Mu, romance - boy meets girl, boy and girl head for world domination. Then you move on to Light usurping the Shinigami Himself, then finally I AM THE CHOSEN ONE! There are many ways to read Death Note, why did you opt for the psychological one?
ASUKA: Psychology is a big field of interest for me, so of course that’s what I was focusing on the most.
As I mentioned before, L and Light’s feud was almost purely fought out by mind games. It was all about out-thinking your enemy, reading his thoughts and being one step ahead. Light’s insanity just grew bigger during that and his megalomania ate him alive. I wanted to put that into the lyrics, while maintaining a trace of his positive face, the one that he puts on in front of Misa.
MATTI: Were you exploring any other themes here too? For example, there's a long German cultural tradition of Gothic literature/art/imagery, aka Schauerroman. (I'm looking at you Goethe and Faust.) As musicians from Germany, were you drawing upon any of your own heritage here?
ASUKA: While I wasn’t exactly drawing inspiration from that for The Chosen One, I’m a fan of Gothic imagery and Goethe’s work, yes! I’m currently digging into those things to draw inspiration for the concept of our album we’re currently writing, though.
MATTI: Ooh! No, let's come back to that in a moment. First let me see if I can prod you into a little confession time.
The Chosen One is a dark love story, or Gothic romance. You're asking the lady to 'follow your insanity', while also warning 'I can't promise I'm going to love you someday, but I give my word your sacrifice won't be in vain'. Did you have Misa and/or Takada in mind here? Or some lady in real life? Or merely a general female in your dark romance? In short, who is The Chosen One addressing?!
ASUKA: Well spotted! When writing those lines, my intention was to compose them in a way it could fit to all of those possibilities you’ve named.
But to be clear, I’ve had Misa in mind. She sacrificed her lifespan twice for the eyes, and has gone through so much trouble and pain because she loves Yagami-kun to death, just to be left alone in the end. Of course Takada even died for him in some way, but I didn’t like her too much. Misa’s situation at the end of the story is probably the saddest.
MATTI: So no major gossip then? I do agree with your take on the ladies at the end though. Not great situations for either of them to be.
ASUKA: Psychology is a big field of interest for me, so of course that’s what I was focusing on the most.
As I mentioned before, L and Light’s feud was almost purely fought out by mind games. It was all about out-thinking your enemy, reading his thoughts and being one step ahead. Light’s insanity just grew bigger during that and his megalomania ate him alive. I wanted to put that into the lyrics, while maintaining a trace of his positive face, the one that he puts on in front of Misa.
MATTI: Were you exploring any other themes here too? For example, there's a long German cultural tradition of Gothic literature/art/imagery, aka Schauerroman. (I'm looking at you Goethe and Faust.) As musicians from Germany, were you drawing upon any of your own heritage here?
ASUKA: While I wasn’t exactly drawing inspiration from that for The Chosen One, I’m a fan of Gothic imagery and Goethe’s work, yes! I’m currently digging into those things to draw inspiration for the concept of our album we’re currently writing, though.
MATTI: Ooh! No, let's come back to that in a moment. First let me see if I can prod you into a little confession time.
The Chosen One is a dark love story, or Gothic romance. You're asking the lady to 'follow your insanity', while also warning 'I can't promise I'm going to love you someday, but I give my word your sacrifice won't be in vain'. Did you have Misa and/or Takada in mind here? Or some lady in real life? Or merely a general female in your dark romance? In short, who is The Chosen One addressing?!
ASUKA: Well spotted! When writing those lines, my intention was to compose them in a way it could fit to all of those possibilities you’ve named.
But to be clear, I’ve had Misa in mind. She sacrificed her lifespan twice for the eyes, and has gone through so much trouble and pain because she loves Yagami-kun to death, just to be left alone in the end. Of course Takada even died for him in some way, but I didn’t like her too much. Misa’s situation at the end of the story is probably the saddest.
MATTI: So no major gossip then? I do agree with your take on the ladies at the end though. Not great situations for either of them to be.
Exciting Times for No Need to Stay
MATTI: I've heard there are exciting things happening for No Need to Stay. What's coming up?
ASUKA: There’s not too much I’m allowed to say right now...
MATTI: Awwww!!!
ASUKA: ..but there are definitely some really big things coming up, I can tell you that!
We’ve finished our debut EP for a while now and can’t wait to show you what we have in store for you guys! There are brand new songs on it that will blow you away, showing a new side of us. If you want to know what’s coming up, like our page at Facebook.
MATTI: Any final words while you've got us?
ASUKA: Please spread the word about us to your friends, it helps us coming to your area soon! Thank you guys for the support! Much love. :D
MATTI: Much love to you too, and thanks again for the interview. Good luck with all that No Need to Stay has in store for the future, even if you can't tell us what that is!
ASUKA: There’s not too much I’m allowed to say right now...
MATTI: Awwww!!!
ASUKA: ..but there are definitely some really big things coming up, I can tell you that!
We’ve finished our debut EP for a while now and can’t wait to show you what we have in store for you guys! There are brand new songs on it that will blow you away, showing a new side of us. If you want to know what’s coming up, like our page at Facebook.
MATTI: Any final words while you've got us?
ASUKA: Please spread the word about us to your friends, it helps us coming to your area soon! Thank you guys for the support! Much love. :D
MATTI: Much love to you too, and thanks again for the interview. Good luck with all that No Need to Stay has in store for the future, even if you can't tell us what that is!
