Summary
Matsuda is recognized as the most vocal member of the investigation team and plays a pivotal role in probing the Yotsuba Group. He infiltrates the company’s building without the team’s knowledge, adopting the alias Taro Matsui for his undercover work. Under L’s guidance, Matsuda earns the trust of the board members, fakes his own death to prevent Yotsuba members from killing him, and acts as a temporary decoy to draw the suspect into the Sakura television studio during the second Sakura TV incident. Despite his excitable and naive nature, he survives numerous dangerous situations. He views Soichiro as his mentor. While the team largely regards Kira as an evil criminal, Matsuda frequently questions this view, wondering if Kira is performing good deeds, especially as public opinion seems to shift in his favor. He is frightened by Mikami’s intense loyalty to Kira upon hearing his public announcement on Sakura TV, yet Matsuda remains somewhat supportive and sympathetic toward Kira’s followers.
