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 Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:46 pm
I wrote a rather lengthy journal entry on my Deviantart a few days ago, after a few discussions with some friends about gender roles in books and such...
It might help to know before you read it, my friend Janet (darkhelmetj, you should read her fanfiction) on DA has a whole theory about Mello being transsexual, based mostly on what she sees in his body language and manner of dress. Keep in mind that transsexuality does not define a person's sexual orientation or behavior. It's entirely possible (though probably unlikely) to have a completely butch-acting, heterosexual guy who is a transsexual.
For further info, go here.
Just as a warning, too, this post contains spoilers for events at or near to the end of the Death Note series.
domokun
Anywho.
*COPY/PASTE OF HUGENESS*
All but four (or six, if you count Wedy and Mrs. Yagami, which for the sake of this post, I'm not) of the characters in Death Note are men. It's men that hold the majority of the power, if not all of it- Light, L, Mello, Near, Teru, and to some extent, the police force and the SPK. The women are not only minor characters (Kiyomi doesn't have much time as a character, period, and Misa fades to the background of the story as the series winds down), but all the strength they have is undermined by men at one point or another.
I don't have to go into detail with Misa, I don't think. Any DN fan knows what she's like with Light. The one good thing I can say for her is- I don't think she's QUITE as stupid as people make her out to be. I think that one, she's mostly blinded by her feelings, and two, all the characters in DN that are of average intelligence, or even a bit higher than average, seem rather stupid in the face of superpowers like L and Light, don't they?
Kiyomi has her strength, a woman of power as she is, being Kira's spokesperson. She's definitely got some willpower and is at least mostly independent, yet as Near says, it's only her grades they saw that made her seem smart, while really she's a bit of a prima-donna... She meets her downfall in the face of two men in the series; Light (read that as "THAT ******** MANIPULATIVE b*****d!" ), and Mello. However, I'll go into her situation with Mello a bit later.
Halle is, in my opinion, the most powerful woman portrayed in the Death Note series. No matter how much of a minor character she may be, she is by no means the airhead that Misa is, and she has more strength of will than Kiyomi. Her compliance with Mello is her one bit of weakness, aside from being used as what is probably the only bit of fanservice male DN readers get in the whole series. But she did that for the sake of survival, and because she liked Mello, at least to some extent.
And then comes Sayu... We don't see much of her, but from what I can tell, she must feel like she falls short in the eyes of her parents, caught in the shadow of her hyper-intelligent, handsome, and popular older brother. Early on in the series, her parents ask her how she's doing in school right after they ask Light the same; she seems surprised they even want to know. Also, they seem rather disappointed to hear Light had helped her with her homework again.
The men in Death Note, on the other hand, are the ones with power. Light is Kira, nothing more to be said. Teru is not only a madman, but a lawyer, and he has the power of his "god" in his hands. L is just himself, again, nothing more to be said, and Mello and Near hold power due to their own intelligence and positions, as well as being the heirs of L.
Yet, here we come to gender roles being reversed... Well, not quite. More like gender-specific behaviors being reversed.
Light... I get it mostly from his body language. The way he sits, for one, especially earlier on in the series... He sits with his legs crossed like a woman would, and often the way he holds his weight while standing seems rather effeminate. But maybe that's just me...
Teru, I get it from his obsession. I think it's just that I'm reminded constantly of the "rabid fangirl" stereotype when I see him... That, and his subordination to Light doesn't really fit with how the main male characters have the power throughout the series. Then again, he is submitting to a male character stronger than himself... hm...
With Near, it's in his appearance as well as his body language. In comparison with the stereotype of men being tall, strong, etc., Near does fall short rather literally. At five feet tall exactly, and 88 pounds (I really don't think he eats. Ever.), he's not really the most imposing figure in the world. That, combined with his hair all over his face and his clothes which are probably 2 sizes too big, at least, gives him something other than an air of masculinity.
I really don't think you could call it effeminate, however. It's more like the appearance of a child, but this also defies the idea Death Note gives on the surface, of men having the power- children are innocent and vulnerable. Aside from that, children are also relatively androgynous. Not saying they have no set sex, but being prepubescent, they really have no incredibly defining features of a set sex. After all, we dress babies in certain colors so people can be sure of what sex they are, ne? Think cherubs. Angels have no set gender, could appear of either, yet are most often portrayed as women, or thought of as such.
This rather childish air is also shown in his behavior and body language; how he's often sprawled out on the floor, how he plays with his hair (a habit my sister had when she was little, though she chewed on it, too).. And, of course, the toys. That bit speaks for itself, I think. Yet he's also playful, in a way, with his rather arrogant expectations of triumph and how he speaks to and mocks Light over the phone several times.
One great example of his childishness being blatantly shown is in the latest anime episode, the 33rd one, when Near is seen on a flight to Japan with Lester. If, at that moment, Lester didn't look just like every exasperated parent you've ever seen with a kid on a plane, then may I be struck down at this very moment by a Kira-induced heart attack.
Of course, Near's a walking contradiction. He's possibly the most mature character in the series in terms of logic and behavior, yet he's the youngest of them all; he's the one that emerges from it all in one piece (mostly), but he's the smallest and physically, the most frail of them all. He plays with toys and sprawls on the floor like a child, yet he commands those who work for him, gives clear, eloquent explanations and works astounding feats of logic better than any adult the series has.
In this way, I guess this is the point I'm trying to make... The women are women. Simultaneously strong and weak, as women are often portrayed to be in literature, and many other things, if not everything. But the men, also, have qualities to them that make them like the women... It's almost like the series, on the surface, seems gender-biased in the favor of men because of characters like Misa, and the fact that there's a severe lack of female leads. And in reality, the series IS gender-biased... But it's the opposite of what you think. Yes, it's men that have the power, but in a sense it's women, (literally, men with certain qualities and/or behaviors of or like women) that are the most powerful.
And, with this, we finally come to Mello.
To be honest, I'm not quite sure where to start.
In terms of behavior, he's by all means a guy. He's tough, stubborn, quick-tempered, arrogant, and violent. All that, and he's fully capable of puppeteering the leader of a powerful gang, the Japanese police force, and even the president of the United States. He definitely has power, and knows how to use it.
However.
His appearance contradicts this almost entirely. His hair, of course, is probably the first thing most would notice about him, especially before he got the scar. The way he dresses is probably only a step away from a skirt, and I could very easily see him wearing drag without caring much for his masculinity. I think he has a sense of vanity much greater than that of most guys. In the few different outfits we see him in before he blows half his face off, especially that feathery coat, he seems perfectly content to dress in a way that would remind most - particularly the gangsters he hung about with - of a woman's way of dressing, and the stereotype of weakness associated with that. Yet after the scar, he wears one outfit (given, it's still a frigging belly-shirt.. er... vest.. and leather pants), and his jacket almost constantly. He also combs his hair over his scar, though that's probably more for the sake of not being noticed rather than vanity.
I'd like to think it's a bit of both.
In the manga, he wears that (awesomely badass) jacket with the fur lining, ragged and, compared to most of what he wears or wore, masculine. The anime kind of undermined this, though, having him wear that feather-collared black one (which I like most of all his clothing, I think, if only due to this shot)... The ragged red coat in the manga could be to seem more masculine, and therefore powerful, in front of Near. The anime, though, threw this off, and gave the feel of Mello not really caring what anyone thought- even Near.
Then again, the manga comes first in terms of what I see as canon... Besides that, the anime leaves quite a few scenes out, and Mello's character isn't quite the same. Most of the feminine qualities I've pointed out already don't appear as much, if at all, in the anime (especially with his outifts, since he wears one in the anime instead of 3).
He also holds himself rather effeminately when standing- at least once I recall him standing with his hands on his hips, body weight put on one foot. And as was pointed out to me in a previous conversation, he leans over Roger's desk when he's younger, and his center of balance is off from what a young boy's should be. He certainly sits like a guy, though, sprawled on a couch with a chocolate bar in hand...
Of course, this all plays into darkhelmetj's idea of Mello being transsexual, as well. An "executive" transsexual, perhaps, to play off Eddie Izzard.
Keeping that all in mind, Mello probably warps gender roles and behaviors the most of out any DN character. He's definitely got his weaknesses in his emotional imbalances and obsession with winning, and with Near (keep in mind as well that sensitivity to emotion and a deep obsession with a member of the same gender are not oft-accepted things among men), but he also has undeniable power. His ability to manipulate and control those around him is almost that of Light's or L's, if not matching theirs. But in the way he contradicts himself between his behavior and his appearance, he pretty much embodies my previously mentioned idea- Death Note being gender-biased toward men with the characteristics of women.
This could really throw you for a loop in thinking of his situations with the women in the series... He completely infiltrates their privacy, manipulates them or those around them. He has cameras in Misa's apartment and follows her around to gather information, he kidnaps Sayu and uses her to get to her father and the Death Note. He completely invades Halle's privacy and doesn't really care in any way at all, and... Kiyomi.
Kiyomi's situation, I'll wait with.
Even though he's a guy, Halle isn't bothered by the fact that she walks right past Mello while naked and dripping wet, and he doesn't seem put off or turned on at all. This could be some incredible self-confidence on Halle's part, or a means of acting to survive, or just the fact that she knew or thought that Mello liked guys.
In my opinion, Mello being gay is an unspoken fact in Death Note, not simply the opinion of a select group of yaoi-crazed fangirls spawned from something that could be possible, as it is with most fandoms. Mello dresses in a way that no straight man in his right mind ever would, and focuses on Near, a member of the same sex, to the point where it's almost obsession. Note that I'm not saying he's in love with Near. I'd like for that to be true, but it's all a matter of perception. Their relationship does, however, have some Freudian quality to it, and like with Near's apperance hinting at albinism and L's quirks being like to those of someone with Asperger's... nothing in Death Note is done without reason.
Anyway...
It could just be one of those things. But it could also be that, subconsciously, be it because of his appearance or the fact that he could be transsexual, Mello registered to Halle as a woman.
Misa's situation doesn't count because she never knows of it... Though I could say something about her captivity by L and again, later, by Near. But let's save that for another time, shall we?
Sayu... I feel like she'd have gotten along with Mello rather well, and maybe she even did, in spite of her awful circumstances in meeting him. After all, they both know quite well the disappointment and aggravation of constantly coming in second, particularly in the eyes of those you love and respect; with Mello, it would be L, and with Sayu, her parents. I feel like they could have related to each other, at least in that... I also don't think Mello would have allowed anything to happen to her (so what's up, wheelchair), since his intentions are good no matter what, and his whole with gender confusion thing. He's probably more partial to being kind to girls. I dunno, I get that from his behavior with Halle, and just how commanding and violent he is with guys in the series. With Halle he's never outright angry, just agitated, and that was right after thinking of Near. And she did say she didn't mind having him around.
Ah... And now we come to Kiyomi.
This is really the only time in the series we see Mello in actually masculine clothing. (it's not as flattering, I must say) Aside from acting as a disguise, it could also be to seem as more of a threat to Kiyomi, if only acting as a literary tool rather than a conscious action of the character. I mean, who would you feel more threatened by? A guy (albeit scar-faced) in leather pants and a vest falling just short of his belly button, or a guy who actually dressed like a guy (albeit in a tacky striped uniform with an ugly baseball cap)?
In a way, I think her situation with Mello almost parallels that Light and Teru. Teru submits to Light because Light is a stronger man, a god to him. I could see it going either way with Mello and Kiyomi, with Kiyomi submitting to Mello because he's stronger, and a threat, or seeing Mello's death as submission to Kiyomi, because she turned out to be stronger.
Though, in a way, I guess they end up on equal terms, since I do believe Kiyomi would have killed herself or gone crazy anyway, Death Note-controlled or not.
It seems that Mello controls women in the series much more easily than he does men. Yes, he controls all the members of Rod's gang, but they do hesitate to follow his orders almost always, until Rod reinforces them with threats of violence (a sort of reassurance and masculine balance for Mello's feminine image).
This better control over women could just be a factor playing into the male-based gender bias the series has, or it could be that since he's more effeminate appearance-wise than any other male character, the men tend to be wary of him while the women feel somewhat safer.
Mello and Near also balance each other out, as is mentioned in the series and by the fandom itself. But it's not just in their intelligence and means of thinking and acting. Mello's looks match Near's behavior, and vice versa, just in the fact that while Near acts more effeminately while looking more boyish, while Mello does just the opposite.
I could also go into how Mello is, or seems to be to the majority of the fandom, very sexual, compared to Near's stoicism and distance from those around him, both the physical and emotional. I suppose it has a bit to do with their situations and personalities... Mello is a controlling and arrogant social butterfly, while Near is cold and introverted... And though he's arrogant as well, it's in a very different way than Mello is.
On a completely different note, I think that L is the only one exempt from all this. He's a guy. I don't see any remote signs of anything girlish in him. At all.
...Aside from the handcuffs. sweatdrop
Feel free to voice any thoughts/opinions/objections etc. biggrin
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:13 am
Right. How do you expect me to argue with that? gonk
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:35 pm
Covered-Up Boxers Right. How do you expect me to argue with that? gonk
You could just.. I dunno... Give your opinion on it? I was wondering if other fans would agree with me... on... any part of it...
sweatdrop
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 2:13 pm
•___•;; Well I don't think you should say Males have their own traits and women do too, since anyone has different traits, but it doesn't necessarily mean it has to be catogorized in a different section?
;A; I'm not in a mood to argue, so I dunno what I just said. <---Drowsy, but I will come back to this...eventually...after watching Haruhi lol.
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Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:32 pm
_xXBook Of MagesXx_ •___•;; Well I don't think you should say Males have their own traits and women do too, since anyone has different traits, but it doesn't necessarily mean it has to be catogorized in a different section?
;A; I'm not in a mood to argue, so I dunno what I just said. <---Drowsy, but I will come back to this...eventually...after watching Haruhi lol.
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:52 am
I always noticed how females were portrayed as weaker in Death Note. Like how Naomi Misora just sits back and does what her husband says, even though she's one of the few stronger women in the series. :/
That was very well written, and I have to say, before you'd said it I had never actually considered Mello's clothes to be undeniably gay, but now every time I look at him I'm like '... x: I wonder...' xD
I can think of no other input at present. I actually read this the other day and can't remember exactly what it said, and can't be bothered to read it again at the moment. I'm so tired. Dx
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:58 pm
caffeine add!ction I always noticed how females were portrayed as weaker in Death Note. Like how Naomi Misora just sits back and does what her husband says, even though she's one of the few stronger women in the series. :/
That was very well written, and I have to say, before you'd said it I had never actually considered Mello's clothes to be undeniably gay, but now every time I look at him I'm like '... x: I wonder...' xD
I can think of no other input at present. I actually read this the other day and can't remember exactly what it said, and can't be bothered to read it again at the moment. I'm so tired. Dx
It isn't my theory that Mello's transsexual. I do sort of like the idea, but I don't actually support it 100%, since I rather enjoy the idea of Mello being gay, and, in the words of Eddie Izzard, transsexuals are "male lesbians". In other words, most of them are straight.
He could be both, though. Transsexual and gay. I dunno, though... I just couldn't really understand why he'd WANT to seem like a woman or identify as such when he's so obsessed with power and winning.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 9:04 am
That was really long. gonk
Anyways, I disagree with a lot of things you wrote; I think maybe they're based on your own interpretation of the characters (like body language, maybe some people think he's standing in a masculine way) rather than concrete fact.
I sort of shared Book Of Mages' sentiment, too, but you addressed that.
I think the idea of Mello being transsexual is plausable, based on your explanation, but I personally don't pick up a 'gay vibe' from him. I think the reason that he wasn't turned on when he saw Halle, was because he was focused on whatever it was he wanted to get accomplished (which I can't recall at this moment) I mean, is it so hard to think that men don't always think with their pen0rs? D;
But I find, and did find especially in Deathnote, that gender roles are really annoying. Even if some characters have traits that some may consider "feminine", it doesn't change the fact that the female characters are no where near as strong or as focused on as the male characters. Even if the male characters have traits which are not considered masculine, it still doesn't change the fact that they're males and that they're still featured in the series. Catch mah drift? ;D
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 8:23 pm
hydroponic infatuation That was really long. gonk
Anyways, I disagree with a lot of things you wrote; I think maybe they're based on your own interpretation of the characters (like body language, maybe some people think he's standing in a masculine way) rather than concrete fact.
I sort of shared Book Of Mages' sentiment, too, but you addressed that.
I think the idea of Mello being transsexual is plausable, based on your explanation, but I personally don't pick up a 'gay vibe' from him. I think the reason that he wasn't turned on when he saw Halle, was because he was focused on whatever it was he wanted to get accomplished (which I can't recall at this moment) I mean, is it so hard to think that men don't always think with their pen0rs? D;
But I find, and did find especially in Deathnote, that gender roles are really annoying. Even if some characters have traits that some may consider "feminine", it doesn't change the fact that the female characters are no where near as strong or as focused on as the male characters. Even if the male characters have traits which are not considered masculine, it still doesn't change the fact that they're males and that they're still featured in the series. Catch mah drift? ;D
Not that I'm complaining. sweatdrop
I never said any of it was fact... It really is based on my interpretations, I suppose I should have clarified that a bit. And a lot of it, too, was my musing over other's ideas, not mine.
I think my biggest annoyance with the series, other than the complete lack of real character backgrounds or feelings outside the stupid Kira case, is the gender bias.
Now that I think of it, maybe it has to do with women being oft-portrayed as the less intelligent of the two, and the series being so maddeningly logical.
gonk If that was the reason... That would suck.
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