I remember some time after I completed watching the Death Note anime, I came across this online, fan-made, Death Note poll. The question was "Who's your favorite Death Note character? The answers were mostly the usual suspects: Light, L, Ryuk, Misa, Rem, Mello, Near. Stuff like that. But at the bottom of the list was a name I didn't recognize: Matt. Keep in mind that this was AFTER I watched the WHOLE anime.
So, who is this Matt guy? I didn't remember him at all. While I didn't want to re-watch the whole anime, I had to find out. So, I did the next best thing. I read the manga.
After completing several volumes of the manga with no sign of Matt, I decided to take a break. It was around that time that I talked to a guy who had either seen or read the whole Death Note series (or maybe he both saw AND read the whole thing). We were discussing the genius detective characters when the guy brought up Matt. Of course I was like, "Who the eff is Matt?"
He gave me a weird answer. Matt's a bit-part character who only appears in somewhere between 11 and 13 panels in the manga. So what's the big deal about a very minor character?
"There's tons of dojinshi (spelling, please?) about him and Mello," the guy told me.
He then promptly began to fantasize about the two of them.
So, that's it? That's all Matt is? That can't be! I had to see for myself.
I finally found Matt in the 10th volume of the manga (out of 12 volumes) taking orders from Mello or something. I counted how many panels he appeared in. There were maybe seven or eight. That was the majority of the panels in which Matt appeared, according to the guy I talked to. Still, I learned nothing about the character besides the fact that he's Mello's underling of sorts.
When I got to the 11th volume, I checked the cast of characters that appears in the front of the book. There was no picture of Matt. He wasn't a major character. He wasn't even a supporting character. He was an afterthought as far as the creators of the Death Note manga were concerned.
Turns out, Matt didn't make an appearance until the VERY END of the 11th volume. His last appearance in the manga is in the very beginning of the 12th and final volume. (SPOILER!) Then, he is promptly killed. That's it. No background. No development. No reason for him to be someone's favorite character.
Then I decided to check out the bonus volume of Death Note which includes (but isn't limited to) creator interviews and character bios. I looked up Matt, who's bio, by the way, wasn't anywhere near those of the main and supporting cast. Turns out, he's supposed to be from the Wammy House where L, Mello, and Near were raised. In fact he's supposedly the fourth-smartest Wammy boy after L, Near, and Mello.
If it weren't for that bonus volume, most Death Note fans might not have given Matt a second thought. So, I guess that explains some of his popularity. That, and he's considered kind of hot to some, hence the Mello x Matt shipping. Still, that doesn't justify him to be a favorite character.
I'll try to put things in perspective. Let's talk Star Wars. Saying Matt's your favorite character is like saying that your favorite Star Wars character is Oola. Who the heck is Oola, anyway?
Well, according to the Star Wars no longer Essential Guide to Characters due to the fact that the prequels contradict it Oola is that dancer in Episode VI with green skin and two wormy things coming out of her head. Shortly after her screen time begins, she protests being a slave to Jabba the Hutt (in an alien language, of course). Jabba the Hutt then feeds her to a large monster.
But then, the Star Wars no longer Essential Guide to Characters due to the fact that the prequels contradict it gives her a whole freakin' back story about how before she meets Jabba, she thinks she's going to be a dancer in a prince's palace. Then, Luke Skywalker tries to rescue her from becoming Jabba's slave. She refuses, thinking that Jabba is a handsome prince. Turns out, he's a giant slug. The rest is history.
I'm sorry I couldn't elaborate on that back story. I sold the Star Wars no longer Essential Guide to Characters due to the fact that the prequels contradict it some years ago. Besides, it's not a back story worth elaborating. It's totally pointless. Kind of like the character of Oola, herself. But I'm sure that in spite of her green skin and wormy things coming out of her head, some people found her hot. And if Star Wars was an anime, I'm sure she'd be shipped with one of the main characters. Maybe she already is, even though Star Wars isn't an anime.
To me, Matt is no different. Sure he doesn't talk in an alien language (unless you count Japanese, but that's what subtitles are for), and his name is actually mentioned in the Death Note series itself, but that's about it.
Matt fans, I'm not trying to bash you, so try not to take my rant personally. Matt's just a fictional character, anyway. Still, I'm not quite sure why you like him so much. Here's your chance to defend yourselves, if you wish. Besides the whole "he's hot" or "he's #4 behind L, Near, and Mello" or the Mello x Matt shipping thing, I'd really like to know what your reasons for liking him are. Please discuss.
