Hello everyone,
Today, I’m excited to present a LEGO build inspired by the legendary manga Death Note. Since I have a strong attachment to the anime adaptation, this project is specifically a tribute to that version, especially in terms of color choices.
I chose a book nook format for this build because I loved the idea of stacking the worlds of the Shinigami and the living to pay homage to the first episode, where a parallel is drawn between Ryuk and Light Yagami, both trapped in the boredom of their respective worlds.
The Lower Section – The Human World
Here, we find Light Yagami in his student uniform, walking home from school. I designed this urban environment using several elements:
- The background buildings are built in microscale to create an illusion of depth within a limited space. A small diagonal bridge connects the foreground and background, further reinforcing this perspective.
- The railway crossing on the right references a specific shot from the first episode. It also adds a pop of color to the scene.
- The sidewalk and railing create the illusion that Light is walking across a bridge. This not only makes the background feel more coherent but also follows the anime’s sequence, as this shot comes right after the railway crossing. The LEGO scene chronologically recreates Light’s walk home from right to left, moments after picking up the Death Note.
- The utility pole is the only element not directly taken from the anime. I added it to enrich the scene visually and to blur the boundary between the two worlds by having it extend beyond its environment. This asymmetry makes the composition feel more dynamic.
The Upper Section – The Shinigami Realm
The Shinigami world is gray, dark, sterile, and filled with jagged rocks and bones. I tried to capture this eerie, uneven terrain using slopes and varying elevations. A twisting staircase descends toward the boundary between the two worlds, ending on a rocky outcrop where Ryuk perches, watching Light. This mirrors the scene where Ryuk crosses into the human world, pretending to retrieve his Death Note.
The Hidden Section – L’s Domain
A Death Note set wouldn’t be complete without the third iconic character: L.
I didn’t want to disrupt the duality of the main scene, so I chose to hide L behind a corner in his own separate space. He is depicted in darkness, sitting on the floor in front of his computer, just as he is introduced in the early episodes of the anime.
Additional Details
- The Death Note and an apple are placed between two roots. These iconic accessories are within reach of the characters but also serve as decorative elements. Their placement at the bottom of the Shinigami world acts as a symbolic bridge between realms.
- Miniature screens are added to the background buildings. These make for a more detailed scene while also including Easter eggs:
- The left screen features an advertisement starring Misa Amane.
- The right screens display L’s signature "L" logo and Lind L. Taylor. This references L’s first encounter with Kira, where he uses a decoy during a televised broadcast.
Character Designs
- Light and L use simple minifigures with existing LEGO molds and prints from Studio, which I found to be a perfect fit.
- Ryuk, however, required a different approach. Instead of using a traditional minifigure, I opted for alternative body parts to match his unique anatomy. This also gave me the opportunity to incorporate alien limbs from the nostalgic "LEGO Life on Mars" theme.
The biggest challenge was attaching a minifigure head to a clip-based body. I achieved this using piece 5264 (plate round with clip and hollow stud). I don’t think this piece exists in white, but let’s consider this my way of advocating for more frequent production in varied colors. It’s an incredibly useful yet underutilized part—let me know in the comments if you agree!
For Ryuk’s face, I naturally had to create a custom print.
I hope you enjoy this build—I had an amazing time designing it!
Thank you in advance!
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Purple Frog
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