Death Note 27 Abduction
In the last episode we saw two teens contacted about the death of L. In this episode, we discover that they are Mello (Nozomu Sasaki) and Near (Noriko Hidaka). One of them must succeed L and both agree that it should be the younger, more reserved and clinically cold Near. Mello concedes he is too hot-headed and storms off on his own. Near gathers evidence for 3 years on Kira and goes to the FBI. In a lot of ways, Near is a younger version of L.
One indication of the passage of time is that Sayu Yagami (Haruka Kudo), Light’s sister, is now a young adult. Matsuda makes a comment and then everyone starts making awkward statements about how Matsuda shouldn’t try to date her. Awkward. Anyway, all this nervous tension gets broken by the police director getting kidnapped by the Yakuza. They demanded that the Death Note be traded for the director’s life. Turns out Mellow is working with the Yakuza. Light kills the director with the second Death Note. In response, the Yakuza kidnaps Sayu. It’s then that Light is contacted by Near under the guise of N. Near reveals he knows Light is the second L.
I’m not sure how I feel about this new setup. It seems like we might have too many players on the field. There’s now a three way battle between L/Light/Kira, Near/N and Mello. I do like that the story is hitting Light closer to home. Having his Dad investigate Kira in the past did a good job, but it feels like this arc is going to shove itself even more into Light’s personal life.
28 Impatience
Turns out the Yakuza have Sayu in LA, so everyone is going to LA...even Misa. Mr. Yagami gets intercepted by the Yakuza and put on a different flight that the badguys have hijacked. They drop him off in the middle of the desert. He’s put in a position where he has to trade the book or Sayu will die. Light considers killing his sister, but can’t go through with it. It’s a line he’s not willing to cross. Are there lines that Kira won’t cross to reach his new world?
The exchange is made and then the book is sent via an untraceable missile. Realy? Death Note can get over the top and the book itself is supernatural, but sending the book via missile seems a bit too much even for this show. Once Mello gets his hands on the book, he kills off most of N’s agents. N believes Mellow is racing him for Kira. Also, a Shinigami named Sidoh comes to earth because he wants to get his book back from Ryuk, the book the Yakuza.
29 Father
Shinigami Sidoh drops in on the mafia since it’s his Death Note and it’s quite funny to see their reactions. Light decides he’s gonna give up ownership of his Death Note again. Kira is going to kill a bunch of mafia people, give up the hideout, but Mr. Yagami wants to make the eye deal to make sure they won’t get set up and use the moment when Kira kills them all to move into the hideout. Mr. Yagami threatens Mello since he can see his name, but he hesitates to write his name. Mello blows up the building.
Once Mr. Yagami is in the hospital recovering, we discover that Light gave up the book so his dad could see his lifespan and clear him as Kira. Mr. Yagami dies before he can write Mello’s name in the book. Mr. Yagami’s death is the only time Light has shown any true humanity. Light gives Sidoh the book. Ryuk saying Mr. Yagami must have died happy knowing his son wasn’t Kira. Damn, that’s cold.
30 Justice
N believes new L and Kira are the same person. As Kira’s world moves forward, people begin posting names of the evil online so Kira will kill them, some become afraid to give names to the police. Also, a cult called Kira’s Kingdom emerges. Now the United States says it will not stand in the way of Kira. Matsuda says he doesn’t believe Kira is pure evil, but that through good intentions, though bad means, he has made the world safer, even if its out of fear.
Mello shows up at Near’s place to get his photo. Mello tells Near that the notebook is a Shinigami notebook. Both are competing to get Kira. Near approaches L about the rule, Ryuk says the 13 day rule is legit. N realizes that Kira must be there and making the Shinigami lie about the fake rule. N says he’ll write Mello’s name in the book and take the 13 day risk. When the task force rejects using the book, N says he believes the new L and Kira are the same person. Light uses the President to begin hunting for Near. People begin to gather in mobs around the building Near is at and try to break in.
This is the first episode in a long time that’s looks at the larger implications of how Kira is shaping the world. It also once again contemplates some of the morality behind Kira’s methods. However, this episode also follows the death of Mr. Yagami and it doesn’t make much of an impression on any of the characters. It’s a fatal flaw of the show that death seems to have very little impact on the story.
31 Transfer
N is under siege by a mob. His solution: dump money on the mob. While N is fighting for good, he’s not above preying on the greed of people to save his skin. Police show up to riot gear and N and his crew walk out as swat officers. N tells the crew that the new L has to be Kira. Aizawa calls N but won’t give up Light and Misa. N figures out it’s Light anyway.
After this episode, I think I have to say that Death Note might be a better show post L. I know that seems like a crazy thought, it’s clear that the conflict isn’t as elegant as the first two thirds of the show, but so far these episodes have done a better job of encompassing the wider world and the implications of Kira. You have Kira’s Kingdom claiming to be the voice of Kira, building a temple to welcome Kira when it’s simply lead by an opportunist. In light of this, Light has Misa send her book to Teru Mikami (Masaya Matsukaze), a Kira fanatic, who kills the Kira’s Kingdom leaders.
32 Selection
This episode opens by exploring the psyche that leads to Kira complex by looking at Mikami’s past. He Splits the world into a simplistic good vs. evil dichotomy, he has a heavy sense of justice and offers no mercy to evil-doers. Mikami believes he must delete evil, that it can’t be reformed from people once they are adults. By day, he’s a prosecutor. Kira is his god. One of Light’s old girlfriends, Kiyomi Takada (Maaya Sakamoto), becomes the new voice of Kira, a more professional voice. Light says they should investigate her to find Kira.
Light begins leading Kiyomi on, seems quite cruel. She gets a call from “Kira.” when he talks to Mikami reveals in code that he’s Kira. Rips out the wires set up by the cops in order to try to gain Kiyomi’s trust, but actually reveals that he’s Kira. She’s into it. Oh great, another woman that is into psychopaths. Kira says she will be his goddess of the new world.