“Listen to me. The reason my shows get the ratings is because I do stories the other networks won't touch!” |
Hitoshi Demegawa (出目川 仁, Demegawa Hitōshi) is a publicity hound and director of Sakura TV.
Appearance
Demegawa is a rather short and heavy-set man with black hair and glasses. He is initially seen wearing casual clothing with a letterman jacket that sports a large 'H' on the left side. He later wears a white robe once the show Kira's Kingdom begins to air.
Character
Demegawa is greedy and uses the emotions of the public to his advantage, sometimes even risking the lives of others to get high ratings for Sakura TV. For example, when Soichiro Yagami arrives at the TV station to retrieve the tapes sent by the Second Kira, Demegawa initially refuses to hand them over. When he tells Soichiro that Kira would kill him if he didn't air the tapes, Soichiro responds by saying that there are more lives at risks than just his. Demegawa still refuses to give them up, causing Soichiro to resort to holding him at gunpoint in order to finally receive the tapes from him. After the time skip, Demegawa goes as far as to rally a crowd of "Kira worshipers" (who are more of a violent mob, rather than actual worshipers) to attack the SPK's headquarters in the name of Kira. The initial goal is lost, however, when Near has money thrown out of the upper stories of the building, causing Demegawa and the crowd to abandon their original mission in their haste to collect the falling bills. Demegawa later begins construction of a large temple-like building (supposedly in the name of Kira), and asks for viewers of Kira's Kingdom to show their support by sending monetary donations for its creation, though, as viewer and Task Force member Matsuda notes, this is likely little more than a scam.
Plot
Demegawa initially appears when Misa Amane sends four videotapes to Sakura TV in order to gain the attention of Kira. He approves of broadcasting the tapes on live TV but is forced to hand the tapes over to Soichiro, who crashes a police van into the studio and threatens him at gunpoint.
Demegawa dies by a heart attack
Demegawa appears again during the Near/Mello arc, serving as Kira's spokesman and even creating new programs in "honor" of Kira. Demegawa leads the raid on the SPK's headquarters with many more of Kira's supporters, but like all the other rioters, he is distracted by the money that Near throws down. Later, when his greed causes his goals to deviate from those of Kira, he is killed by Teru Mikami. He is replaced in his position as Kira's spokesperson by Kiyomi Takada.
In other media
Death Note: The Last Name
Demegawa's character is present in the second live-action film, but he is portrayed in a fashion quite different from the manga and anime. Namely, in his appearance and the fact that he does not die as he does in the other versions. However, he is still greedy, as seen when he sleeps with a coworker who wanted a better position.