The identification of human death in the form of a certain physical entity is inherent in the mythologies of all peoples. However, Shinigami deserve special attention - the gods of death found in fantastic works of Japanese art, such as anime or manga. And it is Ryuk, one of the main characters of the popular work "Death Note", who is the brightest representative of Shinigami in modern Japanese art.
Who are Shinigami: Shinigami in Death Note
According to some reports, the concept of "shinigami" has been actively used in Japanese art since the 19th century. There is still debate about where the personified image of death came from in Japanese culture: was it borrowed from Europeans or adopted from Chinese civilization, where death was presented in the form of various deities.
"Death Note" is perhaps the most famous anime in which there are Shinigami. According to the plot, there are many such gods who live in their own separate world and watch the world of people. They take away human lives with the help of a special notebook, in which it is enough to enter the name of a person in order to kill him. Using these artifacts, you must strictly follow a number of rules. However, not only gods can make entries in it, but alsosimple people. The plot of the anime is based on the fact that one of these notebooks ends up with the best student in Japan, and he begins to actively use it, trying to create an ideal society consisting only of respectable and responsible people.
Death God Ryuk Character
It is Ryuk, the Japanese god of death, languishing in his world from boredom, who throws one of the notebooks into the world of people. And despite the fact that Ryuk is the personification of the dark side, he cannot but arouse sympathy for himself. A key feature of his character is the love of entertainment. Due to the fact that the Shinigami world has turned into a desert in which its inhabitants while away the time playing cards or simple idleness, Ryuk came up with an idea for himself - he threw another Shinigami's notebook into the human world.
Although Ryuk was always neutral, neither helped nor interfered with Yagami Light, a teenager who fell into the hands of the Death Note, he liked to watch him. From time to time, Ryuk provoked Yagami into certain actions, at the last moment telling him important information about the Death Note, and watched with interest how he would get out.
Ryuk's appearance
Although Ryuk is far from being handsome by human standards, in his world he is considered quite attractive. The mouth looks like Ryuk is always smiling. It has large bulging eyes with large red pupils, black hair and wings. He uses the latter to constantly be near the person in whose hands he felldeadly artifact, and move between the worlds of gods and people.
You can see that Ryuk loves massive jewelry: large rings and bracelets, an earring in his left ear, a jewelry with skulls on his belt so that the Death Note is always with him. Dressed in all black. However, not everyone can see Ryuk.
Ryuk's Addictions
Apples are what the god of death Ryuk loves more than anything. And earthly apples. As he himself says: "Apples for me are like drugs or alcohol for people." And for the sake of his favorite delicacy, he even makes some concessions and renders services to Yagami. So, he helped find all the security cameras installed in Light's house. As the writer of the Death Note manga noted, the apples go well with Ryuk's huge mouth, and their red color is perfect for the death god's black outfit.
Besides apples, Ryuk is always looking for fun. It was for this purpose that he tricked the notebook into possession of one of the Shinigami and dropped it into the human world.
In one of the volumes of the manga, the authors created a kind of Shinigami rating according to various criteria (intelligence, empathy, murder, and others), according to which the Japanese god of death Ryuk turned out to be the most curious. Yes, and when watching anime, from the first episodes it becomes clear that the most interesting and important for him are apples and games.
How to summon the god of death Ryuk
To see the god of death Ryuk, like any other Shinigami, you need to follow a few tips. As stated inrules for using the death note, the person who owns the notebook will get acquainted with the god of death within three days after entering the first name in the notebook. In addition, the god of death will constantly follow whoever has the notebook. Any person who touches it, or a piece of paper torn from it, will be able to see the God of Death in possession of this notebook.
