Similar Choices: Matt x Misa (Death Note)
Title: Similar Choices
Author: Morinoe
Fandom: Death Note
Pairing: Matt x Misa Amane
Spoilers: Entire Series, and Matt's real name.
Notes: This took me far longer than it should have, oh well. This is my first time writing a fandom essay, so this is nowhere close to perfect, and...yeah. This essay is not very long, around 1,700 words long. Not image heavy, but images are contained.
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Similar Choices
Matt x Misa Amane
Ship Manifesto
The following is a manifesto for the pairing of Matt x Misa, from the Manga and Anime series of Death Note. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea and loved the pairing. The aim of this manifesto is to explain my reasons and view of the pairing. Please note that my ship is all fanon, and that I also made plenty of assumptions, theories and personal views, that might seems a little odd or out of context to some people (Though, nobody in specific). Graphics were made by me, and the information is all based on the manga, with big spoilers for the entire series, real names among them.
Characters
Misa Amane
Misa is introduced in volume 4 of the manga, as the “Second Kira”, and imitator of Kira of sorts, whose goal in sending fake tapes was to catch the attention of the original Kira, towards whom she is grateful towards for killing the man that killed her parents. While L, who originally theorizes about a “Second Kira”, refers to the actions as “Stupid”, however, that doesn’t speak true for Misa- she manages to lure Light into a trap of sorts, and discovers Kira’s real identity. She later develops an obsessive love for him, which grows and grows as the series progresses.
Misa is a complicated character whose depth can’t be summed up in a few paragraphs, for that, the community dedicated to her does a better job at it. She is intelligent, though not as much as either Light or L, and can be sneaky and resourceful when time calls for it, but is also careless and not very bright at times.
Matt (Mail Jeevas)
Matt is a minor character who appeared in more or less 20 panels of the manga, whose role is small- he is Mello’s helper, in the latter’s race against Near to catch and win over Kira. Matt, while there is very little we know about him, also comes from Wammy’s Orphanage, the orphanage where L, Mello and Near all came from. Similarly to Near’s love for Toys, Mello’s for Chocolate and L’s for any sweets, he has a love for Video Games. Matt, from the little that we seen of him, is not a social person and similarly to both L and Near, is a person who stays in the dark and comes out once in a while, for the sake of doing actual deeds. Matt is intelligent and implied to be skilled in the technological area- the author described him as the third most talented member of Wammy’s, after Mello and Near.
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So, we have two characters, and basic, almost shallow information about them. Why and how do they work?
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The Pairing
My reasons and Interpretation
Misa’s love for Light is a canon fact, and has been demonstrated more than once- her feelings for him surpass the limits of “He avenged my parents”, as Misa herself stated during the time when she lost her memory of Light’s being Kira, stating that she is grateful to Kira, but loves Light and would choose Light over Kira any time- in fact, she even says “I am grateful to Kira, but this is not love”. By the time the series ends, they are living together, in the same house- who knows, if they’re sleeping in the same bed, maybe it went a little farther? Misa’s love for Light is also unrequited- but to go into depth of their relationship, we have the wonderful manifesto itself.
It’s a fact that there is a form of an established relationship between them, and I also believe, like many, that Misa is aware that Light is using her but wants for it to be that way- in fact, she asked Light to be her boyfriend because she just wants to be used by him. They’re certainly a very twisted, very interesting relationship- why not ship them? Personally, I’m rather fond of the pairing but more one-sided than anything due to my own personal beliefs, but does that mean I’m not allowed to ship Misa with anyone else? Then again, why should I ship her with just another minor character when she is an established relationship? Why Not? Why do I have this manifesto anyway?
The thing about Misa is that she is a very complicated character- her love for Light is selfless on one hand, but there is a possibility that she’ll find herself, one day, desiring someone who truly loves her- because we all, well, almost all, want a love like that.
So why should it be Matt, of all people?
Because off Matt’s relationship with Mello. Because, somewhere, somehow, in some odd twisted way, Matt and Misa are similar- not in personality, but in what they chose to do.
Let’s look at Matt’s relationship with Mello. I see it as a relationship of “accomplices”- Matt helps Mello when the other asks, both aware that what they are doing (trying to catch Kira befor Near) might get them killed- and yet, they do it anyway. Mello’s motivation is rather clear and has been stated out loud in the series itself- but then, what about Matt? Why follow Mello, of all people? I, personally, have come to a conclusion:
On one hand, Matt seems to be a person who seeks excitement and thrill, and while chasing after Kira isn’t exactly the definition of ‘fun’, it certainly risky and dangerous- and certainly not boring, and besides, isn’t it better to sit around all day playing video games? He play his video games quite a lot- it’s what we mostly see him do if he’s not outside-, But chasing after a psychopathic murderer bent on becoming god with loyal supporters can get someone killed- and it does, indeed get Matt killed.
On the other hand, there is the fact that Matt cared enough to pick Mello, cared enough to work for Mello when Mello was the one deciding, when they were doing what they were doing because Mello decided that he wants to catch Kira first, and cared enough to choose Mello over all the things in the world- maybe it’s because it’s the only thing he has, really. He cared for Mello enough to risk his life for him- and that is saying a lot, considering the place he is coming from, and Whammy’s Orphans were never known for selflessness or kindness.
So I concluded that maybe, possibly, Matt has a twisted for of devotion to Mello- which is probably nothing compared to Misa’s to Light, but whatever Matt’s feeling for Mello are, they could be both platonic and romantic- picking and choosing is a part of shipping after all- it all depends how you see it, but I see it as a relationship that could be of any nature, with a form of devotion from Matt’s part and Mello, possibly, not thinking of Matt very high- but Mello and his own thoughts on Matt are best left to the imagination.
And this is where I see a few strange similarities between both of them. Matt and Misa are different yet similar- in a sense that both chose to risk their lives for the people they care for. Both know that it’s dangerous, that (In Misa’s case: Again, with Matt, it’s up to your interpretation…) the feeling is unrequited, but both are ready to die for those people (Mello & Light).
Matt and Misa, I believe, can understand each other because of that. It’s what I love about the pairing- both made choices that are uncommon and both might need someone who will know what it’s like to care for someone enough to sacrifice your life for them.
Another thing that I like about them is that both Matt and Misa might receive from the relationship something they require- Matt needs someone to bring him out of his shell, someone different yet similar to him. Misa, meanwhile, as mentioned, requires a mutually loving relationship, something more “normal”- and while I cannot call the relationship “Healthy” considering many obstacles, it’s not as twisted as pairings like Light/Misa and Light/L.
And there is also the fact that they won’t form the romantic or any form relationship immediately- it will require development, and with good fan fiction writing, you’ll get to watch the relationship develop slowly- how they’ll become close enough to share their feelings and care for the people they risk their lives for, how they’ll realize the similarity between the relationships, how they will begin to understand each other, how it will become something romantic, and so and so on… development is always enjoyable to watch, as much as romance itself.
The way I see the relationship happening is Matt approaching Misa in an attempt to form some sort of relationship with her during the time he is ordered by Mello to look after her (Or in other words, stalk her…) , and things working out between them, and then, in an alternate universe in which Matt lives through the incident where he and Mello decide to kidnap Kiyomi Takada (Which gets him killed in the series) , and after the series’ end where Light dies and Misa remains alone, I see them continuing the relationship because of their rather similar situations- and Misa, considering her obsessive love for Light, will have a hard time moving on- and likely enough, so will Matt. Misa will, and was according to the author in interviews, fall in complete despair- and will need the company of someone during that time, and Matt will need company as well- and these two will be, almost, almost perfect for each other.
On another note, the pairing can also be written and done is a fluffier, cuter tone, which, in my experience, is more common in fan fiction- which I have nothing against, because we all want a cute side to our Serious! Pairing, no? :)
Overall, it’s a pairing about two people who are similar and depend mostly on other people that they care for. Two people who share a similar life and later, similar pain, two people who need each other and understand each other, and at the same time, the relationship can be cute- it all depends on how you write it. It has the potential, and the fan’s job is to explore it.
Fandom
Matt x Misa, while a rather rare pairing, has a small fanbase. I have made a small list of fanfiction which I have stumbled upon over the time I spent in fandom.
Five Times Matt Met Misa By Accident
Cute
Can't Help But Try
Realism
Substitute
Pigtails and Cigarettes
If I Lay Here
Dependance - Shameless self promotion is shameless.
Community:
mattxmisa
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Author: Morinoe
Fandom: Death Note
Pairing: Matt x Misa Amane
Spoilers: Entire Series, and Matt's real name.
Notes: This took me far longer than it should have, oh well. This is my first time writing a fandom essay, so this is nowhere close to perfect, and...yeah. This essay is not very long, around 1,700 words long. Not image heavy, but images are contained.
-
Similar Choices
Matt x Misa Amane
Ship Manifesto
The following is a manifesto for the pairing of Matt x Misa, from the Manga and Anime series of Death Note. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea and loved the pairing. The aim of this manifesto is to explain my reasons and view of the pairing. Please note that my ship is all fanon, and that I also made plenty of assumptions, theories and personal views, that might seems a little odd or out of context to some people (Though, nobody in specific). Graphics were made by me, and the information is all based on the manga, with big spoilers for the entire series, real names among them.
Characters
Misa Amane
Misa is introduced in volume 4 of the manga, as the “Second Kira”, and imitator of Kira of sorts, whose goal in sending fake tapes was to catch the attention of the original Kira, towards whom she is grateful towards for killing the man that killed her parents. While L, who originally theorizes about a “Second Kira”, refers to the actions as “Stupid”, however, that doesn’t speak true for Misa- she manages to lure Light into a trap of sorts, and discovers Kira’s real identity. She later develops an obsessive love for him, which grows and grows as the series progresses.
Misa is a complicated character whose depth can’t be summed up in a few paragraphs, for that, the community dedicated to her does a better job at it. She is intelligent, though not as much as either Light or L, and can be sneaky and resourceful when time calls for it, but is also careless and not very bright at times.
Matt (Mail Jeevas)
Matt is a minor character who appeared in more or less 20 panels of the manga, whose role is small- he is Mello’s helper, in the latter’s race against Near to catch and win over Kira. Matt, while there is very little we know about him, also comes from Wammy’s Orphanage, the orphanage where L, Mello and Near all came from. Similarly to Near’s love for Toys, Mello’s for Chocolate and L’s for any sweets, he has a love for Video Games. Matt, from the little that we seen of him, is not a social person and similarly to both L and Near, is a person who stays in the dark and comes out once in a while, for the sake of doing actual deeds. Matt is intelligent and implied to be skilled in the technological area- the author described him as the third most talented member of Wammy’s, after Mello and Near.
-
So, we have two characters, and basic, almost shallow information about them. Why and how do they work?
-
The Pairing
My reasons and Interpretation
Misa’s love for Light is a canon fact, and has been demonstrated more than once- her feelings for him surpass the limits of “He avenged my parents”, as Misa herself stated during the time when she lost her memory of Light’s being Kira, stating that she is grateful to Kira, but loves Light and would choose Light over Kira any time- in fact, she even says “I am grateful to Kira, but this is not love”. By the time the series ends, they are living together, in the same house- who knows, if they’re sleeping in the same bed, maybe it went a little farther? Misa’s love for Light is also unrequited- but to go into depth of their relationship, we have the wonderful manifesto itself.
It’s a fact that there is a form of an established relationship between them, and I also believe, like many, that Misa is aware that Light is using her but wants for it to be that way- in fact, she asked Light to be her boyfriend because she just wants to be used by him. They’re certainly a very twisted, very interesting relationship- why not ship them? Personally, I’m rather fond of the pairing but more one-sided than anything due to my own personal beliefs, but does that mean I’m not allowed to ship Misa with anyone else? Then again, why should I ship her with just another minor character when she is an established relationship? Why Not? Why do I have this manifesto anyway?
The thing about Misa is that she is a very complicated character- her love for Light is selfless on one hand, but there is a possibility that she’ll find herself, one day, desiring someone who truly loves her- because we all, well, almost all, want a love like that.
So why should it be Matt, of all people?
Because off Matt’s relationship with Mello. Because, somewhere, somehow, in some odd twisted way, Matt and Misa are similar- not in personality, but in what they chose to do.
Let’s look at Matt’s relationship with Mello. I see it as a relationship of “accomplices”- Matt helps Mello when the other asks, both aware that what they are doing (trying to catch Kira befor Near) might get them killed- and yet, they do it anyway. Mello’s motivation is rather clear and has been stated out loud in the series itself- but then, what about Matt? Why follow Mello, of all people? I, personally, have come to a conclusion:
On one hand, Matt seems to be a person who seeks excitement and thrill, and while chasing after Kira isn’t exactly the definition of ‘fun’, it certainly risky and dangerous- and certainly not boring, and besides, isn’t it better to sit around all day playing video games? He play his video games quite a lot- it’s what we mostly see him do if he’s not outside-, But chasing after a psychopathic murderer bent on becoming god with loyal supporters can get someone killed- and it does, indeed get Matt killed.
On the other hand, there is the fact that Matt cared enough to pick Mello, cared enough to work for Mello when Mello was the one deciding, when they were doing what they were doing because Mello decided that he wants to catch Kira first, and cared enough to choose Mello over all the things in the world- maybe it’s because it’s the only thing he has, really. He cared for Mello enough to risk his life for him- and that is saying a lot, considering the place he is coming from, and Whammy’s Orphans were never known for selflessness or kindness.
So I concluded that maybe, possibly, Matt has a twisted for of devotion to Mello- which is probably nothing compared to Misa’s to Light, but whatever Matt’s feeling for Mello are, they could be both platonic and romantic- picking and choosing is a part of shipping after all- it all depends how you see it, but I see it as a relationship that could be of any nature, with a form of devotion from Matt’s part and Mello, possibly, not thinking of Matt very high- but Mello and his own thoughts on Matt are best left to the imagination.
And this is where I see a few strange similarities between both of them. Matt and Misa are different yet similar- in a sense that both chose to risk their lives for the people they care for. Both know that it’s dangerous, that (In Misa’s case: Again, with Matt, it’s up to your interpretation…) the feeling is unrequited, but both are ready to die for those people (Mello & Light).
Matt and Misa, I believe, can understand each other because of that. It’s what I love about the pairing- both made choices that are uncommon and both might need someone who will know what it’s like to care for someone enough to sacrifice your life for them.
Another thing that I like about them is that both Matt and Misa might receive from the relationship something they require- Matt needs someone to bring him out of his shell, someone different yet similar to him. Misa, meanwhile, as mentioned, requires a mutually loving relationship, something more “normal”- and while I cannot call the relationship “Healthy” considering many obstacles, it’s not as twisted as pairings like Light/Misa and Light/L.
And there is also the fact that they won’t form the romantic or any form relationship immediately- it will require development, and with good fan fiction writing, you’ll get to watch the relationship develop slowly- how they’ll become close enough to share their feelings and care for the people they risk their lives for, how they’ll realize the similarity between the relationships, how they will begin to understand each other, how it will become something romantic, and so and so on… development is always enjoyable to watch, as much as romance itself.
The way I see the relationship happening is Matt approaching Misa in an attempt to form some sort of relationship with her during the time he is ordered by Mello to look after her (Or in other words, stalk her…) , and things working out between them, and then, in an alternate universe in which Matt lives through the incident where he and Mello decide to kidnap Kiyomi Takada (Which gets him killed in the series) , and after the series’ end where Light dies and Misa remains alone, I see them continuing the relationship because of their rather similar situations- and Misa, considering her obsessive love for Light, will have a hard time moving on- and likely enough, so will Matt. Misa will, and was according to the author in interviews, fall in complete despair- and will need the company of someone during that time, and Matt will need company as well- and these two will be, almost, almost perfect for each other.
On another note, the pairing can also be written and done is a fluffier, cuter tone, which, in my experience, is more common in fan fiction- which I have nothing against, because we all want a cute side to our Serious! Pairing, no? :)
Overall, it’s a pairing about two people who are similar and depend mostly on other people that they care for. Two people who share a similar life and later, similar pain, two people who need each other and understand each other, and at the same time, the relationship can be cute- it all depends on how you write it. It has the potential, and the fan’s job is to explore it.
Fandom
Matt x Misa, while a rather rare pairing, has a small fanbase. I have made a small list of fanfiction which I have stumbled upon over the time I spent in fandom.
Five Times Matt Met Misa By Accident
Cute
Can't Help But Try
Realism
Substitute
Pigtails and Cigarettes
If I Lay Here
Dependance - Shameless self promotion is shameless.
Community:
mattxmisa
-