Death Note = Breaking Bad, but with death instead of meth

[DudeistBelieve]

You leave out the massive difference between the two. Death Note features a magical notebook that kills and a magical invisible god of death. Breaking Bad (haven't watched it, but I haven't that it does) does not feature anything magical.

The magical element, really is pretty modular isn't it? I mean you could turn the death note book into any object that can kill individual people that way, and it really wouldn't matter to the story THAT much... I know at certain points the Shinigami are Deus Ex Machina to keep the story going but, really it just feels to me like extra world building.

I don't see a connection between the two at all.

You got a guy being a meth dealer in one, and even if he's trying to evade the law I think thats radically different situation that Death Note which at it's core is a cat and mouse thriller between a Serial Killer and The Worlds Greatest Detective outside of Batman. Death Note has more in common with the movie Se7en than Breaking Bad

I wouldn't call the magic stuff modular, the supernatural way he was able to kill people was a big part of what fed into his god complex, Light would never have turned to murder through normal means (in fact we see that without the corrupting influence of the Note he would have been on the side of justice). L's whole point was to prove that despite possessing the powers of a god, the killer was no more than a common murderer at heart.

I mean I think the whole thing had to do with the murder being from a distance. If instead he had nanomachines or whatnot that could give the heart attack, things probably would of played out relatively the same. But that is a good point that it does fit the God theme pretty well.

 

[CrystalShadow]

I haven't seen Breaking Bad, but some things in Death Note - to my opinion - get a bit bullshit ridiculous.

Yeah, it does. But it was alright until they killed off the main uhh... Antagonist? Opponent? 'bad guy'? Not really sure how to put that.

Then it all just turned into a farce as they tried to keep going anyway...

 

[Bobular]

The main theme of both is a decent into darkness for the main character, how small, understandable, steps can gradually change a persons whole character.

But its only the main theme I would say that are the same, they take that theme in completely different directions (before ending in the same place).

 

[balladbird]

Hmm... I can kinda see the similarities... especially with season 4 of breaking bad.

Main character sets off an intensely elaborate plot that only succeeds thanks to copious amounts of dumb luck and plot contrivance, to defeat an opponent who is more clever than they are.

hmm... that would make Gus Fring the US TV equivalent of L. I'm okay with that.


Nah, but seriously. I can see some similar character themes between the two... both feature characters whose defining flaw is their Greek tragedy levels of pride, a lot of focus is placed onto their double lives... but on the whole they aren't really all that similar.

Light is a sociopath with a god complex who, from the moment he gets the death note until the end, never once doubts that he is a force of absolute good. To the point that he even rationalizes his targeting of people who were otherwise good with "they stand opposed to me, which means they are evil."

Walt was amoral, and a terrible human being, but he was also aware of the terrible things he was doing, and his attempts to rationalize away the mounting guilt and remorse he felt was a running theme of the series.