Live action TV
Description
Daisuke Matoba is a central figure in the story of L change the WorLd, serving as a secondary antagonist. He is introduced as an individual who appears to be a dedicated environmental activist but is ultimately driven by self-interest rather than ideology.
Matoba is a Japanese man of average height. His most immediately recognizable feature is a blind left eye, which has a pale blue appearance. The skin surrounding this eye shows signs of being burnt, giving him a distinctive and somewhat menacing look. He typically dresses in a business suit, which reflects his professional background and his role as the director of the Blue Ship organization.
On the surface, Matoba holds the title of director of Blue Ship, an organization that publicly presents itself as a non-profit group. In reality, Blue Ship is a bio-terrorist organization whose stated goal is to use a devastating weaponized virus to drastically reduce the human population, believing this will restore the planet's natural balance. While other members, such as his colleague Kimiko Kujo, are seemingly sincere in their environmental motivations, Matoba’s commitment to the cause is a complete facade.
Matoba's true personality is defined by cold pragmatism and overwhelming greed. He is not interested in saving the environment; he sees the virus solely as a commodity. His primary motivation is to sell the virus to the highest bidder, potentially earning millions of dollars in the process. This greed makes him a notably selfish villain, as he is willing to cause a global catastrophe purely for financial gain, with no ideological conviction behind his actions. He is a manipulator who feigns concern for Blue Ship's mission to control its followers and achieve his own financial goals.
Throughout the story, Matoba acts as a key obstacle for the protagonist, L. He is ruthless in protecting his plans, willing to murder anyone who discovers his true intentions or becomes a liability. When a fellow member of Blue Ship, Professor Kagami, confronts him about his secret attempts to find buyers for the virus, Matoba has him killed without hesitation, demonstrating that no one is safe from his ambition. He oversees brutal field operations, including an attack on a village in Thailand to test the virus and subsequently bombing the same village to destroy the evidence.
Matoba's role in the plot remains that of an antagonistic force pursuing L and the other protagonists, who are trying to stop the virus from being released. He maintains a key relationship with Kimiko Kujo, working alongside her as a co-leader of Blue Ship. While Kujo is the scientific genius behind the virus, Matoba is the one focused on its monetization and the logistical aspects of their conspiracy. This partnership is based on mutual use rather than trust, and when the plan collapses, Matoba’s selfish nature becomes fully exposed.
His character shows little in the way of positive development or redemption. Instead, his true nature is simply unveiled as the story reaches its climax. When the situation turns dire and he himself becomes infected with the virus, his cold demeanor shatters. He reveals his greed openly, screaming that he intended to sell the virus for millions. He then displays a desperate, cowardly fear of death, begging for help and crying that he does not want to die, which is a stark contrast to the controlled image he maintained earlier.
In terms of abilities, Matoba does not possess any superhuman skills. His strengths lie in his scientific knowledge, his ability to make connections with powerful and corrupt buyers, and his utter lack of morality, which allows him to make decisions that others would find unthinkable. He is able to lead a terrorist organization through manipulation and fear. Ultimately, he is given the antidote to the virus, which saves his life but does not save him from justice; he is promptly arrested following the collapse of Blue Ship's plan.
Matoba is a Japanese man of average height. His most immediately recognizable feature is a blind left eye, which has a pale blue appearance. The skin surrounding this eye shows signs of being burnt, giving him a distinctive and somewhat menacing look. He typically dresses in a business suit, which reflects his professional background and his role as the director of the Blue Ship organization.
On the surface, Matoba holds the title of director of Blue Ship, an organization that publicly presents itself as a non-profit group. In reality, Blue Ship is a bio-terrorist organization whose stated goal is to use a devastating weaponized virus to drastically reduce the human population, believing this will restore the planet's natural balance. While other members, such as his colleague Kimiko Kujo, are seemingly sincere in their environmental motivations, Matoba’s commitment to the cause is a complete facade.
Matoba's true personality is defined by cold pragmatism and overwhelming greed. He is not interested in saving the environment; he sees the virus solely as a commodity. His primary motivation is to sell the virus to the highest bidder, potentially earning millions of dollars in the process. This greed makes him a notably selfish villain, as he is willing to cause a global catastrophe purely for financial gain, with no ideological conviction behind his actions. He is a manipulator who feigns concern for Blue Ship's mission to control its followers and achieve his own financial goals.
Throughout the story, Matoba acts as a key obstacle for the protagonist, L. He is ruthless in protecting his plans, willing to murder anyone who discovers his true intentions or becomes a liability. When a fellow member of Blue Ship, Professor Kagami, confronts him about his secret attempts to find buyers for the virus, Matoba has him killed without hesitation, demonstrating that no one is safe from his ambition. He oversees brutal field operations, including an attack on a village in Thailand to test the virus and subsequently bombing the same village to destroy the evidence.
Matoba's role in the plot remains that of an antagonistic force pursuing L and the other protagonists, who are trying to stop the virus from being released. He maintains a key relationship with Kimiko Kujo, working alongside her as a co-leader of Blue Ship. While Kujo is the scientific genius behind the virus, Matoba is the one focused on its monetization and the logistical aspects of their conspiracy. This partnership is based on mutual use rather than trust, and when the plan collapses, Matoba’s selfish nature becomes fully exposed.
His character shows little in the way of positive development or redemption. Instead, his true nature is simply unveiled as the story reaches its climax. When the situation turns dire and he himself becomes infected with the virus, his cold demeanor shatters. He reveals his greed openly, screaming that he intended to sell the virus for millions. He then displays a desperate, cowardly fear of death, begging for help and crying that he does not want to die, which is a stark contrast to the controlled image he maintained earlier.
In terms of abilities, Matoba does not possess any superhuman skills. His strengths lie in his scientific knowledge, his ability to make connections with powerful and corrupt buyers, and his utter lack of morality, which allows him to make decisions that others would find unthinkable. He is able to lead a terrorist organization through manipulation and fear. Ultimately, he is given the antidote to the virus, which saves his life but does not save him from justice; he is promptly arrested following the collapse of Blue Ship's plan.