Touta Matsuda

Touta Matsuda (松田 桃太, Matsuda Tōta) (romanized as “Tota Matsuda” in the Japanese manga) is a young member of the NPA, as well as the Japanese Task Force.

Appearance
Matsuda has black hair and brown eyes. His hair goes down to just above his shoulders, with bangs that hang primarily above his right eye. After the time skip his hair is shorter, though there is more hair covering his forehead. He has fair skin and a standard height.

Character
As described in Death Note: How to Read 13, his policing skills are lacking in experience, hence he somewhat impedes the investigation process. His brash attitude can get him into tricky situations at times (like when he infiltrated Yotsuba and had to fake his own death to get out), much to the irritation of his peers. Members of the task force such as L and Aizawa seem to view him as a reckless, naive young detective lacking seriousness for his work.

Despite not having much experience in the NPA, Matsuda has proven to be useful or even crucial to the success of a mission, bringing down the mafia members who were holding the Death Note they were after. Showing great proficiency in his almost instant responsive reactions to tight situations, Matsuda has demonstrated skill in the field of infiltration both as Misa Amane's manager Taro Matsui, (松井 太郎 Matsui Tarō), and in the face of Yotsuba.

Matsuda appears to stay up to date with what is popular in the media, and often watches television. Remarkably, his television habit can be a resourceful asset to the investigation team-- though its importance is rather insignificant.

Despite his child-like, naive personality, Matsuda manages to stay through quite a few dangerous situations, committing to the NPA after the Kira case is solved. He is also totally devoted to Light's father, who appears to have taken young Matsuda under his wing.

Matsuda has sympathy towards Kira's followers and thinks Kira had good intentions at heart but simply went about them the wrong way. His positive relationship with Light, however, seems all but forgotten at the end, when Matsuda shoots Light four times at the warehouse when Light didn't seem to care about his father's death.

Films
In the films, Matsuda is played by Sota Aoyama. Matsuda's role and personality are more or less the same as they are in the manga and anime. When Light is cornered at the end of Death Note: The Last Name, Matsuda shoots Light while he is trying to use a piece of the Death Note that he keeps hidden in his watch.

Conception
Obata described Matsuda as "hard to predict and thus hard to draw." Obata said that Matsuda's character concept consisted of an "average young detective" and that Matsuda's character had "nothing unique about his features and his actions weren't consistent, so I didn't like him. [laughs]" Obata added that he was a "Matsuda-type" person and therefore did not like seeing "my own inconsistency" in Matsuda. Obata described Matsuda as the sole character who "looks younger" during the Near and Mello arc.

Relationships
Light Yagami: Matsuda's relationship with Light Yagami is rather complex and less professional in comparison to the other task force members (excluding Soichiro Yagami). At the start of the series Matsuda knew very little of Light and even though he had met both of the Yagami children in the past, he merely knew him as Chief Soichiro Yagami's son, however when Light joined the task force he grew close to him and somewhat saw him as a friend. His attitude around Light is playful when comes to issues involving women (Misa or Takada). However, at the warehouse before Light's death, Matsuda shoots Light (but not fatal enough to kill him) five times.

Soichiro Yagami: He rather views Soichiro as some sort of a father figure or mentor and before Soichiro's death, Matsuda would frequently come to him for advice or consult his doubts. Matsuda was the task force member who showed the chief the most sympathy during his voluntary imprisonment. At the end of the series, Matsuda was especially enraged that Light Yagami would insult his own father after he died.

L: L viewed Matsuda as a reckless dimwitted idiot who impeded the Kira investigation. However at times he noticed Matsuda's unique skills and appreciated his efforts and skills occasionally. During Misa's "lamest date ever", L says, "Matsuda's acting stupid again." Matsuda hears him, thanks to the cameras, and says, "I can hear you, ya know."

Task Force: His personality is especially contrasting to that of Aizawa's; often resulting in humorous upsets where Aizawa will yell at him for 'not taking his job seriously', and Matsuda apologizing. Despite Aizawa's frequent criticism, Matsuda seems to look up to him as a superior and consider him a friend. However some such as Mogi have yet to make a comment on his actions and personality.

Shinigami Eyes
Although Light's father, Soichiro Yagami, made the eye deal with Ryuk, that was not what Light had planned. In the manga, Light sends the notebook, knowing Matsuda would suggest that he make the deal, and lose half of his life span. Light was correct about this, and Matsuda did volunteer, though Soichiro insisted that he should make the eye deal instead.

Trivia

 * When Mikami uses his Shinigami eyes and sees everyone's life spans in chapter 101 (manga) Matsuda's life span is 548792.
 * After the Kira case, Matsuda works for Near and Roger Ruvie (the current L and Watari), and also jokes around with the new rookie on the Task Force.
 * The term "Matsuda, you idiot" became a recurring phrase throughout the Death Note series. Multiple members of the Task Force have said it, including L, who has said it on numerous occasions. Light even manages to say this phrase before his death by Ryuk (or escaping from the warehouse in the anime version, due to Mikami's suicide).
 * Matuda's ability to be unpredictable and take risks to obtain information is a trait also shared with Mello.

Quotes

 * “You guys hit at the same time. Just call this one a draw.” (Crazy)
 * “Why are you looking at me? It’s not me.” (Number Two)
 * “W-what? Is this the matter of winning or losing?” (Prediction)
 * To Light (in the anime): "What was it all for then!? What about your father, what the hell did he die for!?"
 * To Light: "You drove your own father to his death...now you're trying to turn it the other way around, saying they are the fools who got tricked?" (Intent to Kill)
 * To Light (in the anime): "You drove your own father to his death...and now you're saying they all fools!?" 

Tota Matsuda