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The Optimistic Nihilism of a Shinigami by gothman_mothman
Fandoms: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
24 Sep 2025
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Summary
Ryuk seems like an unusually enthusiastic and well-versed shinigami. As though his whole mode of existence is a strange hobby of his. A lot of what Light had assumed to be shinigami things, he came to learn from Rem are really just Ryuk things.
He has an unsettling amount in common with someone whose default stance on everything seems to be not caring that much about it, as someone who spends way too much time bothering himself with how strongly he feels about things. But when the time actually comes for his arch nemesis, who is also the best friend he's ever had, to die, Light realizes Ryuk the self-proclaimed Death Note expert really was wrong about one major detail:
There are a lot more than two differences between a human who has a Death Note and a shinigami.