Where is the Justice

General

English title

Japanese title

Where is the Justice (正義はどこに, Seigi wa Doko ni)

Composer

Frank Wildhorn

Lyricist

Jack Murphy (English)
Ako Takahashi (Japanese)
Hee Joon Lee (Korean)

Characters

Light Yagami
High school teacher
High school students
Reprise 1:
Light Yagami
L
Ensemble
Reprises 2 & 3:
Ensemble

Act

1 (main and first reprise)
2 (reprises 2 and 3)

Length

2:38 (NY Demo)
3:26 (Japanese and Korean)

Song Navigation
← Previous	Next →
Overture	They're Only Human

Where is the Justice Reprise
← Previous	Next →
Change the World (Reprise)	Where is the Justice Reprise 2

Where is the Justice Reprise 2
← Previous	Next →
Where is the Justice Reprise	Mortals and Fools

Pedestrian Scramble (Reprise 3)
← Previous	Next →
The Way Things Are	Mortals and Fools (Reprise)

"Where is the Justice" is a song in Death Note: The Musical. The song is reprised three times, making it the most prominent song in the production.

Overview[]

The musical opens to a dark stage and the Overture, but "Where is the Justice?" is the first main song of the musical.

Musical Korean promo Light — Light in class during the song (Seongnam, 2015)

Light Yagami is in a high school classroom where his teacher is discussing the nature of justice. Light stands up with objections to his teacher's views, and he begins this song when the teacher asks him what he has to say on the matter. His classmates get involved in the song/discussion, bringing in different viewpoints about the problems with the justice system.

The song is reprised three times. In addition to beginning Act 1, it also ends Act 1 and begins Act 2. It reprises again after the second Kira appears. The reprises address the question "Where is the Justice?" with the first reprise answering that Light (Kira) and L are justice, according to each one's point of view. In the final reprise, civilians proclaim that Kira and the second Kira are justice.

English version[]

The song was originally written in English. The English demo was recorded in December 2014 and released April 23, 2015 in a video previewing the Korean production.^[1] The English demo that was released was shorter than the original version from the script, although a longer, complete version was recorded.

On June 22, 2017, Ivan Menchell released the first scene of his script on Twitter to celebrate the beginning of the 2017 Asian Tour. The four pages include the full English lyrics of the song, including the additional lyrics not in the demo song.^[2] On November 2, 2017, and November 10, 2017, Menchell released the English Reprise lyrics.^[3]^[4]

English lyrics[]

NY demo lyrics

[Light]
Where is the justice
When the guilty all go free?
Why don't we lock them up
And throw away the key?

[Teacher]
I see a young man's anger burning in your eyes

[Light]
What you see is my impatience
With your noble compromise

Show me what's right about
The wrongs that we allow
Real people need to feel
Protected here and now

This whole damn system’s broken way beyond repair
It's just law not law and order
Not much good and seldom fair

[Student #1]
Laws are made for everyone
We're treated all the same

[Light]
Till a lawyer's tricks can fix the blame

Let the corporations
Make the regulations
And hold no one accountable
When everything goes wrong

Let the rich and famous
Get away with murder
Every time a high-priced
Mouth-piece starts to talk
His client gets to walk

Tell me, where is the justice?
If there’s any justice

[Students]
Where's the justice?
Tell me where!

[Light]
Where is the justice

[Students]
Tell me where!

[Light]
For all the victims?

[Students]
Tell me where!

[Light]
Where is the justice?
What good is law that can’t
Punish those who break it?

[Student #2]
Politicians
Make their speeches all day long
While judges pushing pencils
Mostly get it wrong
(Mostly get it wrong!)

[Student #3]
Instead of loopholes
For the laws to fall between
Let some good old-fashioned pay-back
Grease the wheels of a machine
(Grease the wheels of the machine)

[Light]
Isn't everybody sick to death of all this stuff?
Can't we all stand up and say enough?
(We've had enough)

(Justice, justice, justice, now's the time for)

[Light]
Listen to the families
Hiding in their houses (justice, justice)
All of them afraid to walk the streets at night
With all their doors locked tight
We must give them their justice

[Students]
Where is the justice?

[Light]
We owe them some justice

[Students]
Where is the justice?

[All]
Where is the justice?

Script lyrics

[Light]
Where is the justice
When the guilty all go free
Why don't we lock them up
And throw away the key

[Teacher]
I see a young man's anger burning in your eyes

[Light]
What you see is my impatience
With your noble compromise

Show me what's right about
The wrongs that we allow
Real people need to feel
Protected here and now

This whole damn system's broken way beyond repair
It's just law not law and order
Not much good and seldom fair

[Teacher]
Laws are made for everyone
We're treated all the same

[Light]
Till a lawyer's tricks can fix the blame

What about the victims
Waiting for some justice
How can we turn away and say
That's just the way things are

[Students]
What about the fam'lies
Hiding in their houses
All of them afraid to walk the streets at night
With all their doors locked tight

[Light]
Tell me where is the justice
If there's any justice

[Teacher]
Your simple arguments
Have all been made before
The world's not black and white
The choice not "either-or"

[Light]
Perhaps it's time
We drain the color from it then
Till we're back to seeing black and white
And wrong and right again

[Teacher]
Overwrought pronouncements
Won't improve the paradigm

[Light]
Till lawyers cutting deals becomes a crime

[Students]
Let the corporations
Make the regulations

[Light]
And hold no one accountable
When everything goes wrong

[Students]
Let the rich and famous
Get away with murder

[Light/All]
Every time a high-priced
Mouth-piece starts to talk
His client gets to walk

[Light]
Tell me where is the justice
If there's any justice

[Students]
Tell me where

[Light]
Where is the justice

[Students]
Tell me where

[Light]
For all the victims

[Students]
Tell me where

[Light]
Where is the justice
What good is law that can't
Punish those who break it

[Students]
The politicians
Make their speeches all day long
While judges pushing pencils
Mostly get it wrong

Instead of loopholes
For the laws to fall between
Let some good old-fashioned pay-back
Grease the wheels of the machine

[Light]
Isn't everybody sick to death of all this stuff
Can't we all stand up and say enough

[Teacher]
Have I taught you nothing
Have you lost perspective
You'd bend the law until it breaks
And tell yourself it's right

[Light]
Listen to the fam'lies
Hiding in their houses
All of them afraid to walk the streets at night
With all their doors locked tight
We must give them their justice

[All]
Where is the justice

[Light]
We owe them some justice

[All]
Where is the justice
Where is the justice

English Reprise 1 lyrics[]

[Crowd]
Kira is all the justice
We will ever need
Now it's the criminals
Who tremble, beg, and plead

No lawyers' tricks
Will be of any use to them
Kira is the judge and jury
Who will punish and condemn

Laws are for protecting us
At least, they oughtta be
But instead, they set the bad guys free

Talk about the victims
Fin'ly there's some justice
It's Kira who can give them hope
And change the way things are

[Light]
Kira's for the people
The forgotten victims
All the ones the system simply turns away
A little more each day

[Crowd]
Kira gives back our justice
Yes, he is our justice

[L]
Kira is narcissistic
It's his fatal flaw
He's sure his actions
Somehow supercede the law

His overconfidence
Will help distort his view
I'll out think him 'til I win
If it's the last thing that I do

[Crowd]
Kira knows

[Light]
I am their justice

[Crowd]
Striking blows

[Light]
For all the victims

[Crowd]
He's our law
Kira is justice

[L/Light/Crowd]
What good is law that can't
Punish those who break it?
We deserve some justice

[L]
I am the justice

[Light]
I am the justice

[All]
I am the justice

English Reprise 2 lyrics[]

Kira knows
He is our justice
Striking blows
For all the victims
He's our law
Kira is justice

What good is law that can't
Punish those who break it?
We deserve some justice
Kira is justice

Kira is justice

Japanese version[]

Japanese lyrics[]

Japanese

[Light]
こんな議論が何になるのか
正義など無駄な概念だ

[Teacher]
正義は社会の基準だ

[Light]
だけどそれはいつもご都合主義だ
たとえば戦争はどうだ？
正義の旗を掲げあい
互いに命を賭けるが
実はただの大量殺人だ

[Teacher]
ではこの国での正義とは？

[Light]
権力の道具だ
正義はいつも力のある
指導者が決めた基準なのさ

[Student 1]
真の正義を求めるなら

[Students]
正しき指導者を見つけ
出さなけりゃ

[Light]
それこそマジで
不可能だろ

[Teacher]
人は正義を守るため
法律で規制してきた

[Light]
法など抜け穴ばかりで
悪は野放し周知の事実だ

[Teacher]
自分の正義を探せばいい

[Light]
それにどんな意味がある

[Students]
目立たぬように空気を読み

[Light]
流れに任せて生きてるんだ

[Students]
自分の正義主張すれば

[Light]
笑われ無視されるだけそう永遠に
それが僕らの正義なのさ

（正義は）どこにある
（正義は）どこにある
（正義は）正義とは
儚すぎる夢のようだ

[Student 2]
金もうけば正義なのか

[Student 3]
正直すぎるのはどうだ
（ばか正直は？）

[Student 4]
恨み晴らすのは正義か

[Student 5]
世界平和を願えばいいのか
（世界平和を）

[Light]
あふれかえる退屈の中で
正義は遠すぎる（正義は遠すぎる）

[Teacher]
広い視野で世界を見ろ
自分の正義を探しながら

[Light]
この心を満たす何かを
きっと正義と呼ぶのだ
それが答えだ

僕の正義は（正義はどこだ）
正義はどこだ（正義はどこだ）

[Light & Students]
正義はどこだ

Romaji

[Light]
Konna giron ga nani naru no ka?
Seigi nado muda na gainen da.

[Teacher]
Seigi wa shakai no kijun da.

[Light]
Dakedo sore wa itsumo gotusgoushugi da.
Tatoeba sensou wa dou da?
Seigi no hata wo kakageai,
tagai ni inochi wo kakeru ga
jitsu wa tada no tairyou satsujin da.

[Teacher]
Dewa kono kuni de no seigi to wa?

[Light]
Kenryoku no dougu da.
Seigi wa itsumo chikara no aru
shidousha ga kimeta kijun na no sa.

[Student 1]
Shin no seigi wo motomeru nara

[Students]
tadashiki shidousha wo mitsuke
dasanakerya!

[Light]
Sore koso maji de?
Fukanou darou?

[Teacher]
Hito wa seigi wo mamoru tame,
houritsu de kisei shitekita.

[Light]
Hou nado nukeana bakari de,
aku wa nobanashi shuuchi no jijitsu da.

[Teacher]
Jibun no seigi wo sagaseba ii.

[Light]
Sore ni donna imi ga aru?

[Students]
Me wo tatanu you ni! Kuuki wo yomi!

[Light]
Nagare ni makasete ikiteiru'n da.

[Students]
Jibun no seigi shuchou sureba…

[Light]
Waraware mushi sareru dake, sou, eien ni.
Sore ga bokura no seigi na no sa.

(Seigi wa…) Doko ni aru?
(Seigi wa…) Doko ni aru?
(Seigi wa…) Seigi to wa
hakana sugiru yume no you da.

[Student 2]
Kane moukeba seigi na no ka?

[Student 3]
Shoujiki sugiru no wa dou da?
(Baka shoujiki wa?)

[Student 4]
Urami harasu no wa seigi ka?

[Student 5]
Sekai heiwa wo negaeba ii no ka?
(Sekai heiwa wo…)

[Light]
Afurekaeru taikutsu no naka de
seigi wa toosugiru. (Seigi wa toosugiru!)

[Teacher]
Hiroi shiya de sekai wo miro,
jibun no seigi wo sagashi nagara.

[Light]
Kono kokoro wo mitasu nanika wo.
Kitto seigi to youbu no da,
sore ga kotae da!

Boku no seigi wa… (Seigi wa doko da?)
Seigi wa doko da? (Seigi wa doko da?)

[Light & Students]
Seigi wa doko da?

Translation^[5]

[Light]
Is this discussion taking us anywhere?
Justice and the like, they're all just empty ideals

[Teacher]
Justice is the foundation of society.

[Light]
But that's always subject to the doctrine of convenience.
For example, how about we take war?
Each side flies high the flag of justice,
and they each put their lives on the line for it, but…
The truth of it is plain and simple: it's mass murder.

[Teacher]
Then what is justice here within our nation?

[Light]
It's a political tool.
Justice has always been for the strong,
just a standard defined by the leaders in command.

[Student 1]
If it is true justice that you seek…

[Students]
then we have no choice but to seek out appropriate leaders!

[Light]
Let me ask, are you serious?
That's impossible, isn't it?

[Teacher]
Man has, in order to preserve justice,
come to regulate himself under systems of law.

[Light]
The laws and such are filled with loopholes,
and evil remains a threat, a fact we take as common sense.

[Teacher]
One must seek their own forms of justice.

[Light]
What does that even mean to do?

[Students]
Not to dare to stand out! To read the atmosphere!

[Light]
To live by letting things go according to the flow.

[Students]
If you put forth your own ideals of justice…

[Light]
You'll just be laughed at and ignored. Yes, that's how it'll always be.
That's our "justice" for you.

(Justice is…) Where is it?
(Justice is…) Where is it?
(Justice is…) Justice seems like an all too fleeting dream to me.

[Student 2]
Is earning money what justice is?

[Student 3]
Or how about being honest to a fault? (Or is that just naive?)

[Student 4]
Is avenging one's self what justice is?

[Student 5]
Or is it better to wish for world peace? (For world peace…)

[Light]
Overwrought with this boredom and ennui,
justice is too far away. (Justice is too far away!)

[Teacher]
Don a broad perspective in looking upon the world,
as you seek your own meaning of justice within!

[Light]
What I seek is something to satisfy this heart of mine!
Surely that which could be called justice is the answer to its thirst!

My own justice! (Where is the justice?)
Where is the justice? (Where is the justice?)

[Light & Students]
Where is the justice?

Japanese Reprise 1 lyrics[]

Japanese

[Ensemble]
キラキラキラ

キラこそ求め続けた正義
震え上がれ犯罪者達
今更隠れても無駄だ
真の裁きをキラが下す時

人を守るべき法律が
正義に背くなら

被害者達救うものは
新世界の神の存在だけだ

[Light & Ensemble]
弱き者のキラは味方
渇いた心を満たすそう熱い夢

[Ensemble]
キラこそ正義

[Light]
間違いない

[L]
邪魔者は皆殺しとは
遂に本性を出したな
キラお前は正義じゃない
ただのクレイジーな人殺しだ

[Light]
（我らのキラは）新世界の
（キラは）神なのだ

[All]
（キラは）見せてやる
真の正義とは何かを

[Ensemble]
キラこそ正義

[L]
我こそ正義

[Ensemble & Light (Kakizawa)]
キラこそ正義

[All]
我こそ正義

Romaji

[Ensemble]
Kira, Kira, Kira

Kira koso motome tsuzuketa seigi.
Furueagare hanzaisha-tachi.
Imasara kakurete mo muda da.
Shin no sabaki wo Kira ga kudasu toki.

Hito wo mamoru beki houritsu ga
seigi ni somuku nara…

Higaishatachi sukuu mono wa
shinsekai no kami no sonzai dake no.

[Light & Ensemble]
Yowakimono no Kira wa mikata.
Kawaita korkoro wo mitasu, sou, atsui yume.

[Ensemble]
Kira koso seigi!

[Light]
Machigainai.

[L]
Jamamono wa minagoroshi to wa
tsui ni honshou wo dashita na.
Kira omae wa seigi ja nai.
Tada no kurejii na hitogoroshi da.

[Light]
(Warera no Kira wa…) Shinsekai no…
(Kira wa) … kami na no da!

[All]
(Kira wa) Miseteyaru!
Shin no seigi to wa nanika wo!

[Ensemble]
Kira koso seigi!

[L]
Ware koso seigi!

[Ensemble & Light (Kakizawa)]
Kira koso seigi!

[All]
Ware koso seigi!

Translation^[5]

[Ensemble]
Kira, Kira, Kira

It is Kira who has continued to pursue justice.
Tremble in fear, criminals everywhere!
It's no use trying to hide now.
Not when the time comes for Kira to deliver true justice!

The laws are meant to protect the people, but when they themselves go against justice…

Those who suffer find their salvation
in only the existence of the god of the new world!

[Light & Ensemble]
Those who were weak and helpless have Kira on their side!
Quenching parched hearts, yes, with a passionate dream.

[Ensemble]
It is Kira who is justice!

[Light]
You got that right.

[L]
In slaughtering everyone in your way
you've gone and shown your true nature.
Kira, you are not justice.
You're nothing more than another crazy murderer.

[Light]
(Our Kira is…) The god… (Kira is) … of the new world!

[All]
(Kira is) I'll show you just what true justice is!

[Ensemble]
It is Kira who is justice!

[L]
It is I who am justice!

[Ensemble & Light (Kakizawa)]
It is Kira who is justice!

[All]
It is I who am justice!

Note that on the second to last line, Kakizawa joins the ensemble to sing "Kira koso seigi" ("It is Kira who is justice") in his version, but Urai does not. Instead, Urai is still holding the last note from several lines above (from "I'll show you just what true justice is").

Japanese Reprise 2 lyrics[]

Japanese

(キラは) 新世界の
(キラは) 神なのだ
(キラは) キラこそは
待ち望んだ最後の希望

キラこそ正義
キラこそ正義
キラこそ正義

キラこそ正義

Romaji

(Kira wa) shinsekai no
(Kira wa) kami na no da
(Kira wa) kira koso wa
machi nozonda saigo no kibou

Kira koso seigi
Kira koso seigi
Kira koso seigi

Kira koso seigi

Translation^[5]

(Kira is) The God
(Kira is) of the new world
(Kira is) It is Kira who is
our long awaited final hope

It is Kira who is justice
It is Kira who is justice
It is Kira who is justice

It is Kira who is justice

Pedestrian Scramble (reprise 3) lyrics[]

Japanese

(キラ) 第二のキラが現れた
(キラ) 犯罪者に逃げ場は無い
(キラ) 二人のキラが手を組んで
追いつめる奴らを地の果てまで

(第二のキラは) 新たなる
(キラは) 戦力だ
(キラは) 見せるだろう
正義の為熱い力

Romaji

(Kira) dai-ni no Kira ga arawareta
(Kira) hanzaisha ni nigeba wa nai
(Kira) futari no Kira ga te wo kunde
oitsumeru yatsura wo chi no hate made

(dai-ni no Kira wa) aratanaru
(Kira wa) senryoku da
(Kira wa) miseru darou
seigi no tame atsui chikara

Translation^[5]

A second Kira has appeared!
There is no place for criminals to hide.
The two Kiras will join hands
to hunt them down to the ends of the Earth!

(The second Kira is) A whole new
(Kira is) fighting force.
(Kira is) We will soon see it,
the burning power in the name of justice!

Russian version[]

The Russian version of the song is titled "Themis" (Фемида, Femïda).^[6] Themis is the name of an ancient Greek Titaness who is the personification of divine order, fairness, and law.^[7]