Can't believe this video has got over 10k views in a mere few weeks, massive thank you to everyone who has given it a watch, especially all the enjoyers of the color red! 👀 ❤ Edit: Well ok.... 6 days later and it's over 20k... Thank you x100 once again! :)
Video idea because no one has done it: What if and how could L win in-story? **Edit: Who doesn't want a what if explanation of this magnitude of a video and such quality! This anime could have had a very different ending and end slightly earlier with maybe 30 episodes or have a longer cat and mouse chase with more seasons depending on the actions of course! Though I could see it going for 50 episodes max or 2 full 25 episode seasons! ** I'll kinda give some brainstorm ideas here if it helps: * Light is reluctant to kill L because they became friends *Neverending cat and mouse chase until a clue slips L tries to take them in custody *Rem chooses to write Lights name instead killing him, Misa freaks out and L doesn't know who Kira really is. He gets more depressed or even suicidal * Rem tells L that Light is Kira and a fight ensues. L wins due to being a martial arts fighter *Misa's notebook gets discovered by L who uses it on Light by this point in story near his death. *assuming light is caught not killed, a trial is held and Kira's identity is revealed to the world. Misa would likely follow suit as well or cover up for Light *L foresees his death and asks lights father to kill light if he dies by Kira because he knows its him. This is a victory for l but a costly one. Misa kills lights father in return and runs into hiding. *Lastly its possible that light's deathnote is found and when L sees it and compares handwriting to determine its light responsible. Light may run in this case or literally try to kill L. Misa may try to help but are unsuccessful as the butler shows up to stop them. The trial occurs and lights response on death row is '' You bastards! I was just trying to take the filth out of this world! I am doing the right thing, I have the power of God in my hands, I was chosen!... '' Immediately executed mid sentence and L wins. Misa freaks out and joins him soon after with a look of helplessness. **L is promoted and lives his days at the mansion raising and teaching near and mello to be his successors. He smiles. The end** RED
opportunity is a great way of the 3 and a good one in progress 96401 the process process for me to get back into work to work in and around my knees in my own way in my heart of joy when I'm in a good position with my family who will enjoy a bit with my head around my heart 69the process and
One thing the creator confirmed that I really like: Light did feel guilt for killing those two men at the start. But he's such a perfectionist with a high opinion of himself, that rather than just throw the book away and move on, his ego forced him to go through mental gymnastics to trick himself into feeling no guilt. Light would rather keep killing people than ever admit he did wrong.
Well...it's either be an egotistical prick or admit to yourself you're a murderer and live with that guilt and impunity for the rest of your life. I would pick egotistical prick every time.
I've never ever rooted for Light. While I admired his intelligence, I completely despised him, and I think the author intended the character this way, he really has no redeeming qualities, while L, on the other hand, is plenty relatable. Sure, if I were a woman I would have simped for him and this maybe would have influenced my judgement a bit, after all I never managed to hate Misa (although I ultimately think that she deserved what she got in the end).
I like the idea that ray pembers wife was equally as smart or as much of a challenge to Light that L was, but the only reason she died was because of pure luck and her being too trusting. But like, she was lowkey a genius. Also shes drawn blue like how l is drawn blue. Cool shit.
@@Vinc34U exactly! If they hadn't run into eachother, he probably would've been caught immediately by the investigation team. If Light had made the eye deal, his already short life would've been waaaay shorter. Either way she would've doomed him to like 1 year left
@@clivehandforth3531 His original life span did not intend for him to die at 23. He died then because Ryuk wrote his name. I think that is a common misconception about how the life span and its shortening works.
I love that you realize light's first two kills broke his mind. It very clearly showed the break that caused our light in the show. When he loses his memory he has such heel turn because his mind in a way repaired itself and gave us the light who never had the notebook.
I think that having Light lose his memory was a great subversion of a stereotypical plot where a person gets a supernatural power/weapon. It usually starts with their backstories and showing us how the character would act without the supernatural power , and developing that character with the supernatural power either in a positive or negative light. But Death Note reverses that and portrays us a Light without the Notebook AFTER he had the notebook
Another thing: in the scene where Light kills Lind L Tailor, I absolutely love the fact that when he yells "I am justice!" there is no music. It's terrifying watching that while he straight up murders who he thinks is a detective just because he tried to get in his way and called him evil, especially because this is so early in the show.
46:55 This isn't the fans rewriting the story to avoid plot holes though. The "Near cheated" theory only exists because the manga has Matsuda theorize exactly this in the epilogue, that takes place sometime after Light's death. The anime cut the epilogue out entirely, though, and ended it with a much more dramatized version of Light's death. The manga thrived off that type of ambiguity. The "Light reincarnates into a Shinigami" theory is entirely fan speculation, though. The manga also does a better job at fleshing out the second half of the series with Near and Mello--it's about as long as the conflict with L. The anime shortened and rushed through parts of it--which is why some of Near's deductions feel like they come out of nowhere. The manga has him explain his thought process more often.
the relight movie is where the light becomes a shinigami theory originated. just like the matsuda theory about near there is actual content in the series depicting it. its definitely up for debate, but so are the matsuda theories. neither are speculation and both have evidence both for and against. which is part of what makes them so intriguing.
@@iamlordapollo Yep! I saw the ReLight movies and I agree. I was just saying the theory that “Light is the shinigami from that movie” is entirely fan-made, but the theory that “Near cheated” wasn’t. The video said it was, but really Matsuda was the one who made the theory for fans to speculate about in the first place. Either way though, you’re right that both theories are really interesting and fun to talk about.
@@komarunaegi7460 you don't think character design is as valid a form of evidence as dialogue? I mean he's wearing his tie and bag. Not to mention the way its edited is to guide the viewer in that direction when ryuk basically directly addresses him as light and he already left in the middle of the story. I think it's fair to say that's equally valid evidence as matsuda speculating. The part that is mostly speculation is the larger impact the concept of becoming shinigami has on the universe. But tye movie itself pretty much holds your hand to bring you to that conclusion. Id say the shinigami theory has more direct evidence than the matsuda one on the pure fact of it being disproven in the same dialogue it was brought up.
@@iamlordapollo Fair enough! I guess it’s because I’ve seen a few anime and games now (like Pokémon and Dragon Ball) that have some design choices, dialogue, gameplay elements, stats, and scenes that allowed fans to make a ton of different theories that they were SURE were VERY plausible… … only to be told by staff that it was just coincidence and they didn’t think of that at all. And some of those theories were about as plausible as that shinigami intentionally being designed to resemble Light. The difference between the “Light shinigami” theory and the “Matsuda says Near may have cheated in the manga” theory is that the makers of the movie leave it unclear what their intention was with the shinigami, while Matsuda making the theory directly is very clearly the author’s intent to *make* people speculate. Ryuk doesn’t exactly call the shinigami “Light” either. The entire movie leaves that very ambiguous. The line is structured in a way that could make you theorize that he’s either calling the shinigami Light after he leaves, or he does that thing that’s VERY common in anime where a character reminisces on another person that isn’t there and calls them by name. Whether all that was deliberate is unclear to me because of the other series I’ve seen where stuff like this felt plausible only for it to be debunked with the creators saying they didn’t think of that at all. That’s why I’m not sure. The thing with Matsuda outright tells you the author *wanted* to leave that last tidbit there for people to speculate.
@@komarunaegi7460 absolutely. And I think the author being very quiet about most of it leads to alot of the confusion as well. The ambiguous nature of that entire movie is I think a big part of the intrigue to begin with. And lets not forget the matsuda theory is in the canon manga while the movie is not canon. So even if you believe the theory you have to assume its a seperate continuity. Even though it definitely fits with the themes and lore in the universe
I'm so glad they made Ryuk look how he did. Hot take: I think the Death Note movie did a horrible job at adapting Ryuk's character. Ryuk is a very detailed and complicated character. He's a god of death. He dresses in black and he looks like a decaying monster. But he's also kind of silly and lighthearted. In the end, the whole reason he came to Earth was for fun. He asks Light to play video games, and gets upset when Light ignores him, but in the end, he's the one who kills him.
One thing I loved about Ryuk was at the very end when Light is shown to be defeated and Near points out he’s seen Ryuk in the warehouse the entire time, Ryuk starts chatting with Near and answering his questions honestly, like he respects Near for defeating Light because he’s seen everything play out.
Yeah…that’s not a hot take, everyone unanimously agrees Ryuk was done horribly in the movie and just in general the movie is hot garbage, not really breaking any new grounds there
Also a fun fact about L's theme: Ever thought why for some its hard to follow the rhythm? Its because the piano part switches between 7/8, (3+2+2) a very quirky and unusual time signature, to 6/8, (a standard faster waltz) and then back to 7/8 for the last two bars of the musical sentance. Throu music this smart and simple premice speaks volumes of both L Lawliets weirdness and raw intelect
This!! To add on, Light's theme is in 4/4, but the guitar part splits the feel of the rhythm into 3+3+2 (in eighth notes), which I think is a sort of mirror of the rhythm in L's theme
@@absolv9259 I wholeheartedly believe you're correct The themes are suggesting that L and Light aren't very different aside from a few key characteristics Lights theme being in 4/4 reinforces his rigid perfectionism, whereas the polyrhythmic sections imply a connection to L The polyrhythms in Ls theme signifies his strange yet always in-sync thought patterns
Quick note: Light would have actually likely lived a lot longer if he had taken the eye deal. He wouldn’t have died between the halfway point from when he made the deal to his death, because that wasn’t the natural end of his life - Ryuk killed him. So ironically, the deal to shorten his remaining life would have made him much more difficult to kill, and he probably would have succeeded in everything he wanted to do.
@@ortizworld3551 what are you talking about, do you have any point to make or are you trying to be condescending without actually saying anything? At no point in the video is this brought up.
@@ortizworld3551 in the show, it says that when shinigami write down someone’s name, they take the rest of their life, which means when ryuk writes down lights name, it probably isnt the natural end of his life. so following that logic, if he did take the eyes and because of the eyes he got to go longer without getting caught, he could technically could have lived longer than he ended up living in canon.
Lights lifespan wasn’t over at the end of the show. Ryun specifically says that if he doesn’t write down lights notebook he’d be stuck there for a while longer until he does die. Lights lifespan is cut short by the death note at the end of the series. Meaning that he might have lived longer with the eyes as he would have been able to see nears name at the end
One more thing, Near and the rest of the SPK said they’ll never real Kira’s identity, although they caught him. Light could continue living but still living in his shadow.
@@LONNESYRUPBITCH probably exactly what would happen. No one knew that misa was arrested for suspicion of being the second Kira and held in prison for 50 days.
Although they would probably inform people Kira had been dealt with to remove panic from those who did not support him. I’m sure they wouldn’t reveal who it was however
Final thoughts. I actually like Near. Not a whole lot. But I like how he was an angrier, more vengeful L. It's subtle, but it's there. You can tell that unlike L who was growing more fearful of Light overtime... Near was getting legitimately pissed. And the idea that he cheated is just cool. As for the idea of Light becoming a shinigami... I kinda hate it. The rules of Death Note are straight forward. Once you're dead. You're dead. Light is no chosen one He is no one special. His fate is like that of all humans. He reaches an end. Him becoming a shinigami kinda hints that he actually was special and had some cosmic purpose. The only way I'd be okay with it, would be if it turned out that any person that ever used it turned into a shinigami, and that's where they come from. But that only brings up more questions.
Although i do like the idea of light becoming a shinigami, your comments on this video are spot on for me. I also like the idea of light not being as important as he thinks he is
The idea behind the Light becoming a Shinigami theory is that users of the Death Note go to neither heaven nor hell, so it's just "Where do they go then? Maybe they become a Shinigami, yeah that could be it"
@@woollypar353 The lore states they just die, there is no afterlife in the Death Note universe. If you use the dn, you can't go to heaven or hell because there is none. If you don't use the notebook you won't go to heaven or hell either. Everybody is equal in death. The whole reason that is brought up in the beginning is foreshadowing for the end. The rule is talked about quite a lot.
Yes, actually, the point of Near having L's quirks WAS to remind you of L. It was also to show that he was only HALF of L, because he had half of his quirks, those being the way he sits and his fascination of toys. Mello, on the other hand, had the obsession with sweets. Together, they made L.
Unpopular opinion, but Nears my personal favorite next to L. The way he got revenge for L was so bad ass for just a child. Lol I love how he smiled every time something was revealed or his deductions were validated. 😀 "A shinigami's there right now!?" He knew Kira was in that room, meaning L would soon be avenged and he's so happy about it lol. I get why people don't like him, though.
29:34 no, light died not due to his lifespan running out, but because Ryuk wrote his name in his death note. Ryuk states that he does not want to wait for light to die of old age in prison, so he kills him in that moment. This demonstrates that Ryuk knew light's lifespan to continue far into the future. If he took the shinigami eye deal, it would be possible for him to live much longer than he did without the eyes.
@@Luksed12 That would make sense, but because of what Ryuk says, we know this to be impossible. For whatever reason, Light would serve a life sentence for his crimes instead of being executed. Though, it could also be that Light dies in prison awaiting trial or his actual execution date.
@@riverchebar The second. Many people severely overestimate how quickly a death penalty sentence is carried out. It is usually years, and in some extreme cases DECADES after sentencing that you are executed.
I love how the character sketch has been done. A 17 year old charming boy whose name is Light but ironically he is dark whereas another person who has unkempt hair, droopy eyes, disheveled clothes but actually super intelligent... This actually shows that look is deceptive. One more thing I feel about Light is that he started all these when he was just 17 years old. At that age we are driven by ideology.. we think that we can change everything..but later we understand we can't even change ourselves.. I want to say the writer had even thought of the right age ... otherwise he didn't have any driven force to do all such things
Honestly, I think the problem with the second part of “death note” is the first part of “death note”. Now, before you come screaming at me in the replies, what I mean is that the second part is still good, but the first part is such a masterpiece that anything would seem disappointing when compared to it. I think that many people dislike the second part because L was a suuuper beloved character among fans. I am one of those L simps, so maybe I’m looking for excuses with this, but I think that, beyond simply him being a likeable character, the show felt less exciting without him. The tension was lower as Light seemed to be close to winning, and low tension towards the end is not something that viewers typically enjoy. I think that after L’s indisputable brilliance, no one could really measure up and be as threatening. It feels like Light is not really met with a major obstacle, even when there are multiple points which give him serious trouble, because the substitution of a character is INCREDIBLY hard to do right. The idea always stays in our minds of the new characters’ predecessors, and we always compare them and we are always more attached to the older characters than the new ones. Hence, my opening statement: the problem with the second part of “death note” is the first part of “death note”.
@@exshadowkick5564 I’ve been wanting to revisit “death note” in manga form since forever, I’ll definitely do it eventually and this makes me wanna do it even more! Good to know that I won’t encounter the same disappointment I did with the anime for the second part, thank you :)
I was also disappointed when L died because it seemed like he was being set up to be the main obstacle for Light with the opposites imagery. Like with the red and blue and how light uses a notebook but L uses a computer.
Bruh you right though. I mean the light vs l arc might well be one of my all time favorite anime sagas. I didn't mind Mello at all but near just didn't do it for me compared to l, it's always been my issue(anime and manga).
Idk why people are so bothered by the 2nd half. I found it very original and entertaining and the only problem I've noticed was it being way more rushed than the first half. We don't even get to see Mello thinking too much, even when he's a genius; I had doubts about how the hell he found out he needed to kidnap Takada and also had to deduct how Near got to Mikami because it's not explained like everything is in the show. Put that aside, I was really interested in every single episode rewatching it because I had forgotten some details due to several years having passed since I first watched it. The last 3 episodes seems like 1, I've watched it with my wife and both of us were eager to finish it even way later than the time we usually go to sleep. L was an amazing character, but since "Kira was captured", he had nothing to do anymore with the story The only thing he could do was finding out about the fake rules and he did, but the rest of the team was dumb enough to ignore what he was doing, that wasn't his fault; he had Light cornered and died because of a fucking sentimental Shinigami. That was disappointing. Near and Mello were refreshing for me specially because Mello didn't follow any "ethical rules" and that made things waaaaay easier for Near to get to Light. Also, Near had a WAY better team then L did, apart from Aiber and Wedy, the rest of the force was useless and Light was Kira, that made things more interesting and also the unpredictability of Mello had its charm over the usually only logical actions by L. Idk, I think the key part is not to keep comparing and only watching it for what it is. And it is very good and for me sometimes better than parts of the first half, that isn't so perfect as so many people claim it to be. In the first half we have 2 of the best ever written anime characters fighting each other; in the 2nd we have Light's downfall, which is not so interesting as his duel with L. Nevertheless, I think it ended in a high note and a good pace, sometimes rushed, but better rushed than extremely slow IMHO.
Near winning makes sense imo. He wasn’t held back emotionally as L was. Near is straight up more like a machine, and doesn’t care about sitting back and let others do the work rather than get directly involved like L or Mello would. Near was just the perfect match for Light who was indeed more arrogant and emotional, which someone like Near could capitalize on. He just needed to make for Light to make one mistake, and it paid off
The "theory" of Near using the death note on Mikami is literally taken straight out of the manga,where Matsuda basically theorizes the same exact thing in the last chapter.
But it's also deconfirmed by the rule in the manga that says anyone with the shinigami eyes can't be controlled by the deathnote. It's in the 20s or 30s if you want to check yourself
@@daringiconoclast6547 In the manga the mafia guy who gets ownership of the death note takes the eyes from Sidoh and he's later controlled by Light to send him the location of the mafia hideout so it is possible for the death note to control someone with the eyes.
@@thearmada6248 People with shinigami eyes are unable to see the lifespans of people who own a death note, and when Mikami peeks into the warehouse he clearly sees Near's name and lifespan. If Near owned a notebook then Mikami wouldn't have seen his lifespan, so I don't think he used the notebook
@@shanester549 You don't have to own a notebook to use it. He already had Mikami's notebook in his possession so he could have used it if he wanted to.
I love how they wanted to make Light the most attractive. As people we are more inclined to favor things we find beautiful or attractive. It makes you want to support Light and root for him even though we don't completely agree with him. I, myself have definitely experienced this. Even though I don't want to I subconsciously lean more towards "pretty things." Even now I hold bias towards Light. I definitely don't see him as a hero, but I still like him.
That’s how it was with Ted Bundy. Many women were attracted to him, even after his actions were revealed to the public. Some even found him so attractive to the point where they excused everything he’d done. Maybe this was an inspiration for how Light is portrayed.
I would like to comment that the amount of views you get doesn’t matter. The people here enjoy your content and I can tell making these videos makes you fulfilled and allows you to be creative. No matter what, you are winning
I will say that though it's fun to theorise that Light may have become a shinigami, in the Manga it's revealed late in that when Ryuk told him about the no heaven or hell rule, Light guessed that in that case there must be no heaven or hell, and Ryuk actually confirmed that instead, all humans go to nothing when they die, so it's unlikely Light did anything Red from beyond the grave.
I think Mello and Near had SO much potential. It was set up so well that they were both close to L but never quite reached his level independently, but together they surpassed him. Near’s analytical traits and childishness and Mello’s emotional and harsh side are absolutely perfect. Separating L’s two main aspects like that is perfect since L having BOTH of them within himself is what kept him from initially making bold moves, had him scared of even the idea of a shinigami, and wanted Light to be his friend. But separating them would have allowed Mello and Near to keep each other in check and rise each other up. It could have been brilliant. Imagine Mello’s strong emotions and rash actions leading the way for Near to make bold but brilliant moves. In a way it would be like dividing Light from Kira- the thoughtful detective from the emotional killer. I fully believe Near would have (and should have) cheated, too. But imagine having that conversation with Mello, that argument. Or would it have been Mello who brings it up first? He’s obviously willing to do unconventional and immoral things to get what he wants, such as kidnap a woman to hold as a hostage in exchange for the death note. Man, their dynamic could have been so much better and I have to wonder if their INABILITY to work together is showing how the two sides of L conflicted enough to hinder his progress on the case. Was the conflict within him this strong as well? Or is the separation what forces the conflict, since Near and Mello cannot share thoughts freely because they are two different people. It’s interesting. The lack of those long, complex thoughts L had during his time alive makes me think that Near and Mello being basically estranged kept them from ever reaching that intensity. Can you imagine either Near or Mello having that scene of L asking Light, “think of this and tell me what you think.” L goes on to explain his theory that ownership of Kira’s power could be transferred and memories lost afterwards. He’s spot on. But the scene has that initial question, then L’s overlapping and chaotic inner monologue repeating it over and over and over while the music gets louder. It shows his mind amazingly. I can’t imagine Mello or Near having that, but I CAN imagine a conversation between them that could reach that height. Also, Red
Light was caught in the end because Near and Mellow worked as separate entities and as polar opposites. N and M were basically the two parts of L's personality split apart. Near the cold calculating and passive part, and Mellow the daring emotional and wild part. Mellow kept Light on his toes while Near kept Light in check. In the end, Mellow did the craziest most unpredictable thing he could, something that Light and Mikami hadn't accounted for. Mikami broke his routine and wrote in the notebook, which was witnessed by N and his team, and Light had no idea Mikami even acted on his own. Mellow dies, but he wasn't alone and when Light fumbled Near was there to finish what L had started. I think the ending is great because Near is so detached from sentimentality, and I believe that he is even more emotionally detached than Light, while Mellow was overly emotional and L was just a bit more emotional than Light. The emotional ones died, but the "game of pride" got too intense for Light to prevail even with his nulled emotions. He still shows hesitance when thinking of killing his sister but Near doesn't flinch when L and Mellow die. Light was not a God, and even though Near got lucky at the end, he was still all it took to beat Kira.
Near got lucky in the end but Light got lucky several times throughout the show. The luckiest part was Rem not killing him when she decided to sacrifice for Misa by killing L and Watari. She was taking care of Misa for her not to be arrested or executed; and she knew Light was the worst possible thing for Misa; it'd be only logical for her to kill him as well, and even make him do something like a note despising Misa, saying he cheated on her or whatever, before dying. THAT would've been a way to truly protect her, but no... She does straight as Light had planned, even knowing his plan. That is pure luck. Also L was really dumb to say his plan about testing the 13 days out loud close to Light when he was so sure he was Kira. And L wasn't dumb, so, another lucky shot in the same situation.
I think Light's biggest mistake was using Misa as a tool to further his own agenda. If he would've teamed up with her, "together we will rule the world" kinda thing, they might've had a chance. Misa was the queen on a chess board, and Light used her like a pawn.
Misa was too dumb to survive as an equal partner. After all, she got arrested due to physical evidence, which is stupid considering she possesses a weapon that doesn't leave any. Moreover, she herself said that she's not interested in the world, only Light, so their "goals" do not align. She herself is more than happy to consider herself a tool in Light's hands. So, overall, she is not a queen, but a very annoying pawn
@@j_smith92 yeah like an actual queen that would be useful is someone with a personality and intelligence to Naomi Misora and wouldn’t view light as a god like his other partners.
Misa could've been more powerful than Light with her infinite life span and her eyes but she isn't interested in changing the world like Light she also doesn't possess the same intelligence she had the opportunity to be a queen but she isn't interested in it, therefore, she becomes a pawn who can only be used by Light since she's so devoted to him you can't use Misa like a queen a true queen would've been someone with equal intelligence to Light and have the same or even greater power than him
Great Video, one addition to the ending scene, I LOVE the fact that Matsuda was the one to shoot Light, because it is such a great completion to his character. Also he was always so loyal and good at heart that he supported Light despite the red flags and him getting his own little revenge and doing something "meaningful" for the investigations is just great. Such an underrated character. I think in general people should talk more about the investigation team
the best character in death note is ryuk because he knew that the best apples were always the red ones. that shit's great. i'm making myself want some just thinking about it~
Again most of Near and Mello is much better in the manga, just to play numbers game, the anime gutted their plot line. L's "half of the story" is 58 chapters in the manga which is adapted into 25 episodes so a bit over 2 chapters an episode which is solid adaptation rate followed by other shows like MHA. The second half of Near and Mello covers only 12 episodes in the anime, but in the manga it was covered over a span of 50 chapters, pretty much 4 chapters per episode which is ridiculous. To do that they had to cut pretty much half of the scenes. Most of these were scenes where we see Near interacting with the SPK, AIzawa, Mogi, and Mello, also they cut most of the plot lines that Mello participate in, like how he blackmails the US President. To be honest individually I can see why they cut most of the scenes as the story can flow without it them individually, but the cumulative effect is that Mello seems like a crazy person who we are told is smart but not really shown, same with Near who just knows the answer and not figure them, the SPK and Task force being interchangeable action figures. And finally Light and Mikami seeming pretty dumb. I know I have been just saying things have been rushed and give vague examples, so what about a practical example: The finale, this section was cut very short (and I did and do still enjoy it). In there we finally see how the personalities of Light and Near bounce off of each other and it is different than L and Light, because Near isn't as egotistical as either of them, but that is not to say it is not fun. Near humiliates Light, and it is a lengthy process where we see Matsuda loss his cool ending with him shooting Light when he tries to write the name, and then shooting him again when he tries to use his blood to kill Near. Similarly the desperation of Light as he pretty much goes through the stages of grief right in front of our eyes from denial, beginning with denial that it was all trap, moving to anger as he screams and yell when Aizawa tries to cuff him, then bargaining trying to convince the others that he is Justice and finally depression when he realizes all is lost and Mikami calling him scum then he begs for Misa, Takada, Mikami Ryuuk, anyone to kill everyone and cries like b*tch. The contrast between how composed he always been and the clobbering mess begging Ryuuk is too powerful, the anime cuts that part of it, shortening Near's explanation and making Matsuda pretty much immediately shoot him before he runs out using Mikami's suicide as a distraction and Ryuuk giving him the same speech before he kills him but to himself before returning to the human world. The theory of Near using the notebook isn't a fan theory, but a theory proposed by Matsuda in the final chapter (which was also cut). the story leaves it ambiguous, but also raises counterpoints through Ide and leaves it up to us to decide, I personally think that Near didn't cheat because it is out of character and Matsuda's proposed motivation is that Near would be embarrassed to admit his failure. And the what happens to Light is told to us right before he dies, death is equal and everyone goes to MIU, NOTHINGNESS, the anime too doesn't sit on this point as much as the manga as it was the final think we are brought attention to before Light's demise. And we see that due to the Kira incident, Ryuuk becomes an icon, where other Shinigami try to mimic what he did which they failed at, and this incident was shown fully in the manga as he bribes the king with Apples to get extra Death Notes which he then gave to other Shinigami, for apples of course. I like how you can feel the story was rushed without being exposed to the manga, because honestly it was. And it is funny how you don't like the live-action adaptations, which manga fans harp on the anime to be a bad adaptation (which I disagree for the most part with but I can see why they say so). Death Note is one of the best anime and manga, with the manga being better but the anime being a classic on it own right.
A bit of a late reply, but I disagree on the Near cheated part, simply because I think it is in character. In chapter 109 Near recalls a Q&A with L at the orphanage where L talks about justice as defined by the law. He says that if you define what is good by what is legal, then he would be evil, as he "is a cheater and will do anything to win." Near then recalls how many kids at the orphanage lost respect for L after that statement, but his own respect for L grew. I think Near would absolutely cheat.
Aside from the story, in terms of mise en scene the anime is a visual masterpiece, and the animation itself is top notch. People really have no reason to complain.
very late reply, just wanted to comment on the part where you talked about the "Near cheated" theory. I personally feel like that could have had a much greater chance at being canon if Mello and Near worked together directly. even though they don't exchange information all the time, we know for a fact that Halle is working as somewhat of a double agent and therefore Mello has at least an idea of what Near is planning at all times. that being said, that in itself isn't enough for- whatever they have going on- to be called cooporation, so it's a given that if Near did consider using the notebook on Mikami, there wouldn't have been a second opinion on the idea for him to hear. now, let's ignore the fact that Mello is too proud to even consider giving up the rivalry that he'd proclaimed upon Near and himself years ago, and pretend that perhaps he would've decided that Kira's defeat is way more important than the title of L's succesor earlier on in the series. so, now that they're actually working together, it's probable that they would be more forward about their thoughts, plans, suggestions of what should be done next, etc. with each other. let's say that Near is in fact the one who comes up with the idea of manipulating Mikamis actions to insure victory, and he merely mentions it to Mello who, being observant as he is (which he absolutely doesn't get enough recognition for), jumps onto the idea. even though they are working towards the same goal and for similar reasons, I definitely see Mello as far more passionate about this entire situation, so I like to think that he would do his best to convince Near to pursue this idea to be certain that there literally isn't a way for them to lose. and, Near being well avare that together they can stand as, and even surpass L, as he said so himself, would eventually give in.
I much prefer the Light loses version of events, namely for how it recontextualizes Ryuk. In the anime Ryuk seems sad that he has to kill Light, but the way he does it in the manga is much more cruel, which I prefer. Ryuk sees Light begging him to give his life for him, and he just laughs at how pathetic he is, before writing his name in and making him look at the page while waiting for his heart attack. Light ultimately dies because of a lack of loyalty towards him, he casts aside Misa, kills Takada, and fails Mikami, and when all he has left in Ryuk his last mistake is thinking Ryuk would actually be willing to give his life to save Light, which, duh, of course he doesn't.
Death note has the most interesting premise in manga. When I watched it for the first time I was 15 and I was on Light's side. I rewatched it now that Im 25 and I cant stand this bitch lol Light's such an inmature kid. I feel like I went through character development lol
I remember hearing that Mello was supposed to be called near because he was near the action and Near is mello just because of his personality, but some how they where mixed up
Oba not divulging any info about himself was probably genius. Bunch of other artists got plenty of death threats, and a LOT of people were mad when L died and Near took over and defeated Light. Great video overall, cheers.
In volume 13, during an interview Ohba says that he liked writing L the most because he was similar to him in a lot of ways, including the secretive traits~
OMG the Death Eraser, I forgot about that. Imagine if that was still a thing. Mikami would have written everyone's name, including Light's, everyone drops dead, then erase the name and revive Light. Even if he was tricked with a fake Death Note, Near wouldn't be able to explain why Mikami would have written Light's name as well if he never knew the eraser existed.
I like that the op ed Light has RED eyes, and L have blue. Not just for contrast, but somewhat presents Light doesn't need Shinigami eyes, cuz he already is one
I don't think Light died at his natural lifespan end point since Ryuk wrote his name in the Death Note, so Ryuk got his remaining years. Light could have lived longer if he took the eye deal.
I really like that Near won just because the themes n stuff. Near doesnt have Light, L, and Mello’s vice: Pride. Red. Also I really like the theory that he cheated, it fits really well with how Near uses every person and thing that he can.
Even L himself admitted :"It`s not about justice at all.(Note that almost every time L brings up "justice" as a concept he`s either echoing Light or trying to motivate his task force to chase down Kira)Much like many of you play video games, I solve mysteries.For me too, it is a hobby.That is why I only take cases that pique my interest.And when it comes to closing a case I do not play fair. I am a childish,dishonest,cheating human being who hates to lose."
In the manga even the “you can neither go to heaven or hell” part was amusing to light who just smiled and said “you mean there’s no such thing right?” 😂
I actually like Near as a character overall, but the only thing that makes me see red with how he was implemented was how he seemed to completely come up with his theories out of nowhere and ignored any evidence to the contrary, making him seem more psychic than anything.
I mean canonically Near`s a mathematical genius and the best Wammy kid at problem-solving, logical thinking and pattern recognition.(Because of the puzzle games L would play with him before L`s death).
Yeah that had a lot to do with the fact that the anime cuts out all of Near’s thoughts and explanations making him seem psychic. I have a similar problem bc I also like Mello but the anime cuts out all the plots he’s involved in the shows his intelligence and strategy which leaves him just looking coo coo for coco puffs
Yeah. Apparently the anime removes a lot of the internal monologue that characterizes the first half’s strategies and deductions. The manga is apparently a lot more thorough with it so I’m hoping to read it
I’m not a huge anime person I’ve only watched two in entirety deathnote being one. The dub is AMAZING it captures all of the emotions and hold the tension of some scenes so perfectly
Light dying before his natural end because Ryuk wrote his name down (after musing about how long it might take for him to die in prison) is an argument for why Light could have potentially lived longer if he'd had the eyes, due to us not knowing exactly how much longer he _could_ have lived, but you do raise a fantastic point that if he actually had that power himself he certainly would have gotten overly confident which makes it just as likely he gets caught sooner. It's a funny dichotomy because the eyes would have been a huge help to him, but depending on what he'd do with the knowledge he gets from them, or worse, what he'd do acting under the knowledge that he has that power, the amount of opportunities for him to ruin himself with reckless moves would skyrocket. He's absolutely the type who'd make a risky move to get a look at someone's face if he thought that was the most important or only thing he needed to secure his "wincon", we saw that with Ray and the bus-jacking plan. Add to that how (if the story played out mostly as seen) he'd lose the eyes if he took them before the imprisonment gambit & Yotsuba arc like how Misa did (where it'd be most useful with Naomi), he's potentially paying either 3/4 of his lifespan to keep the eyes, or he's paying half his lifespan for temporary eyes.
Personally I don't believe Near cheated to beat Light, just like Light most of the opinions I've heard are of people calling Near a weaker L clone or something along those lines but in my opinion it's BECAUSE Light thought of Near as inferior which led to his defeat, after L died Light though he was an untouchable god which led to him not taking Near or the rest of the Task Force seriously. Even Near admits he's not on L's level but unlike L Near didn't see Light as a rival who he could have competition with, he simply saw Light as a criminal who got his hands on one of the most powerful weapons in human history. Just hearing the argument alone of Near cheating makes it sound like the people who wanted Light to win are being sore losers about his defeat. Even so hypothetically even IF Near did cheat, would it matter? Light has had the power of death gods available to him since episode 1 while L and everyone else had to use human means to see through Light's BS. If Light didn't have magical powers aside from the Death Note to cheat, I personally believe he would have been caught long ago.
To be fair, Light only lost to Near because Mikami failed to follow instructions. Light outplayed Near, and would have killed him if it weren't for Mikami going against his explicit orders.
@@AP0PT0SIS That's the thing Light became too complacent after L's death and in the end he failed, it was inevitable all things considered. Light is a smart person however just like Near said, he's not special especially not how Light saw himself. Even before Misa showed up, L and the Task Force were already on his ass, and there is no way Light could have kept evading L's watch forever. If anything I imagine without the help of shinigamis he wouldn't have came as far as he did, for example the surveillance in Light's room. Even if Light figured out on his own that his room was most likely bugged, on his own he wouldn't have known how bugged it was and with the fear of the unknown he would have to do one of 2 things: 1. Not spend as much time in his room and do his activities somewhere else, the down side being that Light seemed to spend a lot of time in his room normally so a sudden change in routine wouldn't escape L. 2. Try to play it cool and still use his room like normal and have a constant pressure of not knowing from where he's being watched from which would lead to an inevitable slip up.
@@HectorCotto97 None of that refutes the fact that the only reason why Light didn't kill Near in that warehouse was because Mikami went against his explicit orders and in doing so leaked Light's plan to team Near.
@@AP0PT0SIS The point I wanted to make was that since Light became too arrogant he stopped caring as much after L died which contributed to his defeat. If you look back it wasn't the first time Light depended on others to do his dirty work, I don't remember if it was Light who picked Mikami himself out but if he did I think Light trusted Mikami BECAUSE he shared similar ideals to Light which if you think about it he did exactly what Light himself thought of doing without being told to so, in a way he was WAY too similar to Light and ended taking action before Light did but I think it was a minute difference between? When they tried to kill the same person I mean. The fact that Light was so far gone that he forgot that the people he was using weren't mindless puppets, they were human beings with their own thoughts and feelings so of course they weren't just going to sit around until it was convenient for Light to use them, the fact he didn't learn his lesson from Misa is totally on him.
@@HectorCotto97 I understand your argument but Mikami was under explicit orders to not touch the notebook under any circumstances until warehouse day. Light should have just told Mikami that he had a piece of the notebook. Or better yet, he should have told Mikami to rip out 5 or so pages to keep as spares.
N is only one part like L... The other part is Mellow. Passive and active, together they are like L. Do not forget L had risk taking actions which are basically Mellows actions. This "split" personalities are interesting for the sole reason, they lack a thing the other has to actually outsmart Light, which happens in the end finally. After rewatching this more and more, I like the end parts more tbh
Gonna be honest: never got around to watching Death Note. I watched Monster back then, but I think I just accidentally skipped Death Note. But you're fantastic analysis of it gave me the push and reminder to watch it, so I'll get to it! Though right after I finish making this red velvet cake for my brother.
Personally think that the appearance of death notes negates actual "life spans", light's visual lifespan was probably irrelevant and dependent on him. Which is why ryuk wrote his name. He knew he would live for a lot longer and he didn't want to wait
@@Lorens4444 it was explained, whenever a shinigami writes a person’s name in the Deathnote, the shinigami gets the remainder of their predetermined lifespan, it’s how the shinigami are functionally immortal
@@annaaquitaine4225 So lifespan and Death Note aren't related. It can be written that you have 40 years to live and Death Note can kill you when you are born.
I recently watched Deathnote and was really impressed. But, the quality went down a bit after L died. I didn’t care about N or M at all and just wanted L to come back somehow. But the finale was good overall. Light was an arrogant, narcissistic psychopath and I’m glad he finally died. Great video to. It deserves way more views.
One thing I wanna point, its a minor point but I don't think the show is ever framed as "you should be rooting for Light" but as more "lets follow this villain and get into his psyche"
Near using the Death Note against Mikami is kind of my favorite theory. It lines up super well with the facts of the situation and, as you pointed out, is a very stark way to make N not just be diet L.
Every time I watch one of your videos, I am surprised by how criminally underrated your channel is. You deserve so many more subs, so many more views, and I hope you'll one day get them. It's been so long since I've watched Death Note, this video honestly had me tempted to go for a rewatch. For now though, I'm catching up on some of the previous season's stuff. A friend of mine said good things about Mars RED.
I feel like light's eyes become that much more red after the time skip. Either that, or his whole vibes is just so much more different that it truly makes it feel like he's lost light yagami and has fully embraced Kira
29:29 The author said Light Yagami would never take the shinigami eyes. I am sure this was meant for the continuity of the manga (and the anime as well but definitely the manga). Spoilers for the ending of the TV Show Continuity: Light as he was dying from the fire was telling Ryuk to do whatever he could to keep him alive, he would take the shinigami eyes if he had to. Light died in there and the Kira case was solved by L and executed by Near a few minutes earlier.
The parallels between Light and Riuk are so interesting, I want more! Though you encapsulated everything when you highlighted the 'clenched fist and zoom in on the red eyes' part.
Koroto, the music take is absolutely brilliant. I love the connections that you made - they make total sense to me. I really loved this analysis and the connections you make to the themes. 10/10, subscribed.
It is just as you said: Years ago I watched Death Note for the first time, not my very first anime, but among the first 5 to 10 I would say. Years later, after rewatching it a few times, I am still awed by how exceptional this story is from start to finish. If I absolutely had to name my favorite thing about Death Note it would be the character dynamics (mainly Light and L). I will be forever gratful that this show did actually take the time to focus on the characters and their development because, for me, these two and the great plot make Death Note so special. This anime really made me think as well as question some of the points you mentioned in the video yourself. Death Note will for sure remain one of my favorites! And of course we all fell in love with Ryuk and his RED apples ;)
Amazing video. I love how you go into such deep and detailed rants about particular things. One thing that keeps popping up for me every time I watch Death Note is the fact that the place that Light would go if he didn't turn into a Shinigami (the place between heaven and hell) would also be the place his father would go, since he also used the death note. So in the end his father would find out since they were headed to the same place. It's just something I think about every time. Also ryuk loves RED apples
i honestly wish i could watch death note for the first time again because i will never get to feel such a rush of emotion again. The anime is such a piece of art I would marry it if i could.
Haha, for sure! But I absolutely share the same sentiment, I wish I could watch the series for the first time again - very few stories have ever been as gripping as Death Note for me, that experience was really something.
I always found it interesting how the inner monologues of some of the more impactful characters froze the frame and gave them a distinct colour of eye and hair to match their personalities (red for light, blue for L, etc.)
It's not neccecary for light to die sooner if he had the shinigami eyes because a death note can influence the lifetime a person has directly or indirectly. That also makes sense because if the death note influence was already subtracted from the life span of a person, shinigamis wouldn't gain anything from killing a person. So Rem killed L, in response Lights life got shorter because if L had lived a little longer, Light may have done something to find out about L's successor and the entire near- mellow-thing wouldn't have happened. So even with the shinigami eyes he could have outlived his time now. Also, It was Ryuk who killed light in the end so if he hadn't done that, maybe light would have fled and survived for another one or two years if he got lucky. Ah yes also *R E D*
Well since Ryuk at end states that if light is caught & jailed he(Ryuk) would have to wait a long time for him to die, which is why Ryuk kills him (collecting Light’s remaining years). I believe this is why it’s most like possible that if Light had made the Eye Deal he would have won and lived for a while after. Being in possession of or using the death note doesn’t inherently alter your lifespan. The 2 ways that we know of that the death note alters lifespans are: the Eye Deal which cuts the remaking years in half and the person writing their own name down causing instant death unless otherwise stated or no affect bc it occurs after their predetermined death. Oh & 3: I forgot also you can possibly extend it by killing someone else who would cause your death
I think the thing that you touched on was that Near was really meant to be a budget L. Near and Mello represent two distinct things about L and Near himself even states that neither he nor Mello could surpass L on their own. They had to work together. Mello being a reflection of L’s impulsive nature and Near reflecting L’s analytical mind. These two are meant to highlight just how exceptional L was.
That's such a great thing that u made a 50min + video about death note and I'm a big fan of this show, I haven't watched this video but after looking at the time , my soul just wants to appreciate ur efforts and I'm gonna watch it as a fellow writer I will tell rest of things after watching the video ;')
Tbh when I was a kid I think Ryuk was the reason I started in on Death Note because his appearance was so striking. Im glad they went with the right version 😂
Honestly the creator is so based for not revealing their identity. Like they just get to chill knowing they made one of the most influential series of time
9:10 Important note for the setting is that this takes place in japan, where the conviction rate is something like 90%, believed to be made up of a lot of false convictions
I would’ve liked if they had an ending when they find out that light is Kira by complete coincidence because of the smallest detail, something light yagami would definitely overlook. ⚠️ warning the next part of my comment has spoilers in it for the show “breaking bad”. Same as in breaking bad, where hank discovers that Walter white is Heisinberg while taking a dump and reaching for a book with a signature from the old lab helper on it, afterwards he just put 2 and 2 together.
Yeah, I think something like that could have worked extremely well. As I said in the video, I'll never understand why people jump on Mikami straight away - just feels like a cop-out answer as to what got Light killed, when in reality it was just his ignorance. Thought on the other hand, I feel like him losing by something he couldn't control at all could also clash with the overall cat and mouse game like story, as there wouldn't really be a victor in the "game" - it would simply be a roll of the dice type resolution. tl;dr - even hindsight doesn't really help in predicting how people would react to a different ending to the story 😅 Appreciate the comment :)
Red! Love long form over analysis over complex stories. Shows how smart the authors really are and how to properly write. Shows nowadays suck with all tell and not show.
The efforts u put into this video were really praise worthy and I liked the pace of the video and how u slowly covered many things layer by layer , it was entertaining for me, also red if u were wondering.. I mean Keep it up buddy! Lots of love and support
This video was great and I wish I could add more to the discussion, but I’m afraid I only have two points: 🔴1.) I love the way you say “chef’s kiss~” 🔴2.) I agree that it would’ve been better if Light’s sister died instead of his dad. It would’ve given the character more meaning, would’ve shown Light that his actions can bite him in ways he didn’t plan for (possibly making Light sloppier,) and it would’ve kept his dad around. I really wanted a moment where, after so strongly FIGHTING the idea that Light could be Kira, Light’s dad just stares in horror and awe at the realization that his son was the killer they’d been tracking all this time. Also, that his son was ultimately responsible for killing the greatest detective, that his son was responsible for his daughter’s death, and that by creating Light and allowing him to help with the case _he_ was responsible for arguably making one of the worst monsters in history. I just feel like it would’ve been a tragically beautiful piece of writing (though that scene where Light cries over his dad is heart wrenching.)
*29:38* I don’t know if light not taking the eye deal was smarter or not because honestly he had no idea how much was his life span so it was very risky. But when light died in the last episode that was definitely not his life span instead ryuk killed him writing light’s name on his own death note, thinking that light, any which way is going to get caught by the police and has to spend the rest of his life in prison and eventually die but that wouldn’t be FUN for ryuk so he killed him to cut it short. And ryuk knows how much light’s life span is, which is definitely longer than that. He must have had few more years to his life. So IMO if light had taken the eyes deal he wouldn’t have ended up how he did. It’s just a theory tho.
I genuinely believe the anime would of been better off had it ended around when L finally died. Maybe having the task force finally realizing once L dies etc. but the second half with near and mell just feels so..weird to me. Its like they just threw them in because “oh shit, L’s dead but we cant have light win so...L 2.0!” Near and mell just aren’t as interesting as L was and the mental gymnastics they do to figure everything out seems just given to them a lot of the times or because of other characters influencing. I will admit they do keep up the artistic flow of tension but, the whole of it all really should of just ended after L died.
As much as I like Near as a character in the Death Note series, I do agree with you about the fact that the ending was rushed, i definitely felt like they wanted to quickly end the series, but without L it was impossible. So, they use the character, Near to take the place of L.
Something related to light's lifespan and shinigami eyes. The date you see above someone's head is his normal death day. The death note is the only thing capable of changing someone's death scene. Light died by having his name written in the death note by ryuk so he was supposed to die later (perhaps even tens of years later). By having the shinigami eyes he might have beaten near and survived far longer.
It’s also cool how in the first opening Kira is *red* and L is blue, also standing on towers facing eachother, creating a parallel between them. While in the second opening, which you already addressed, the colors and everything in general is all over the place.
Red. I think the manga fixes a lot of your issues with the second half as the theme of countries reacting to Kira is a lot more fleshed out by having 2 presidents of the USA who both react very different to being threatened by Kira. M and N are a lot more fleshed out especially Near who is given more time on his detective work and mindset towards the world and Kira. The Confrontation in the warehouse plays out a little different as Mikami who in my opinion represents the core of Kira following starts to realize that Light is no good rejecting his ideals in anger and panic. Near completely beats down Light as when he cries for the help of all the ones he has treated like dirt (his father, Takada and Misa) by telling what he did to these people that he will not be saved by any of these. Near rips Kira's ideals apart as he is a open minded person not simply only accepting one ideal elevating him from L , Mello and Kira. There is this theory that N and M are really L but two different parts of him as Mello represents the actions L did and the risk that came from them and Near the overthinking and lack of action that happens. Your critique of both of these would actually be intended for the audience as both M and N are very much underestimated by not only Light but also the audience that rejects these two players. Near seemingly has been designed for provocation as he is a L that has the thinking skills and the quirks but not the call to action as he just waits. Even his first warehouse plan is centered around waiting and gives Light enough time to counter him. Mello on the other hand is way faster and unpredictable than Near but because of this fast pace is the most likely to kill and die. In the endgame Mello and Near become one by working together surpassing L and Kira by balancing out their weaknesses with their strenghts. After the warehouse incident Near is even seen eating chocolate just as Mello did becoming the new L in process. For Light's fate it is very much more possible for him to just be gone. He dies in the warehouse like a cowardly rat begging Ryuk to kill the others not wanting to die. The manga aims for him to go to the Mu (Nothingness) just as all humans reavealing that Light's and Ryuk's first conversation about hell and heaven was a lie to begin with that Light already realized when Ryuk told him this rule. He is not a shinigami or reincarnated he is simply gone just as much as all the people he made vanish for nothing as after just one year after his dissapearance the world went back to normal.
40:28 yes, we do not know how many, but people at the wammy's house had names and I am sure some of them used Letters for those already aliases, not all of them though because Matt did not have one (and Matt was an alias for Mail Jeevas, his real name), but if he stayed longer maybe he would of gone by a letter(s). In Death Note: Another Note We hear of A, B, BB. In the alternate continuity of Death Note their is someone who goes by F and H. The wammy's house mission, especially after L solved the manchester bombings that would of caused World War III in 1987/1988 when he was 8 years old. I wont spoil what happens but I will say that some come close, and some don't. (One thing to note though is that L was the first of the letters, unlike everyone else who had letters to block their identity, L was named L Lawliet (L. Lawliet) so that is truly why he goes by L.
Even the German dub of Death note was incredible. Like every voice fits the characther so well and sadly some jokes from L arent reproduced the same way but still incredible work and dedication from the VA´s
Just a random question here, but does anyone else ever wonder what Misa’s lifespan literally would have been? It was halved twice by making the Shinigami eye deal with both Rem and Ryuk, but it was also extended twice by receiving the remaining lifespans of both Gelus and Rem after each gave their life to save hers, but I don’t believe we ever really learn what those hard numbers are in any version/medium right? Does anyone know if there’s any possible way to actually figure this out?
According to the timeline, she dies a few years after Light's capture, so I'm guessing the remaining lifespans of Gelus and Rem weren't very long, and were essentially cancelled out by her taking the eyes multiple times. *Obligatory plug* - I've recently made a video delving into the timeline in much more depth if you care to give it a look ;)
A great read is the 13th book in the Death Note manga called the "How to Read". One thing I likes a lot is it showed that while L had a lot of Intelligence and Initiative, Near was smarter than L and Mello had more Initiative than L. Nears biggest flaw is that he wasn't willing to put initiative into bending the law like L did (installing wiretaps and cameras, having criminals test the notebook etc). But Mello while not as smart did push boundaries and do things Near would never do like kidnap Takada. It was the mix of these two huge traits that ultimately helped them to expose Light as Kira. The Manga progresses a bit slower and Nears deduction isn't just pulled out of left field as much but he still very much felt like a discount L, even to a person who read the Manga before watching the Anime.
It's a mistranslation from the Japanese, it's meant to say knowledge, not intelligence - I mean, it puts MIKAMI at L's level!: If you look online at the actual speculated intelligence scores, it has Near and Light at 9/10 and L at 11/10, which makes much more sense. Narratively, it makes no sense for L to not be by far the smartest - he's introduced as and written as the most rawly intelligent person in the world. L was by far the most gifted, Near really doesn't come close in that regard. The aspects that Near has on L is the fact that Near didn't lie to others (and so was much more trusted by those around him), is very very emotionally calm, and isn't arrogant at all, whereas L was the complete opposite. Near wouldn't have minded using many many other people at his disposal, but L wanted to fight a smart guy with 2 death notes, a Girl who could kill him by looking at him, and 2 Gods all on his own - of course he would die - L's hubris is very commonly overlooked.
There are actually 2 Japanese live actions, the one not mentioned on this video is the one where L is played by Kento Yamazaki and Light is played by the same actor who played Kaneki in the Tokyo Ghoul live action.
29:39 Hole here; he did not die of natural causes, he died of Ryuk writing his name in the death note, which bypasses lifespan- thus that may not have been when his lifespan would have run out.
Can't believe this video has got over 10k views in a mere few weeks, massive thank you to everyone who has given it a watch, especially all the enjoyers of the color red! 👀 ❤
Edit: Well ok.... 6 days later and it's over 20k... Thank you x100 once again! :)
First..
i dont know why this channel aint popular
Video idea because no one has done it: What if and how could L win in-story? **Edit: Who doesn't want a what if explanation of this magnitude of a video and such quality! This anime could have had a very different ending and end slightly earlier with maybe 30 episodes or have a longer cat and mouse chase with more seasons depending on the actions of course! Though I could see it going for 50 episodes max or 2 full 25 episode seasons! ** I'll kinda give some brainstorm ideas here if it helps:
* Light is reluctant to kill L because they became friends
*Neverending cat and mouse chase until a clue slips L tries to take them in custody
*Rem chooses to write Lights name instead killing him, Misa freaks out and L doesn't know who Kira really is. He gets more depressed or even suicidal
* Rem tells L that Light is Kira and a fight ensues. L wins due to being a martial arts fighter
*Misa's notebook gets discovered by L who uses it on Light by this point in story near his death.
*assuming light is caught not killed, a trial is held and Kira's identity is revealed to the world. Misa would likely follow suit as well or cover up for Light
*L foresees his death and asks lights father to kill light if he dies by Kira because he knows its him. This is a victory for l but a costly one. Misa kills lights father in return and runs into hiding.
*Lastly its possible that light's deathnote is found and when L sees it and compares handwriting to determine its light responsible. Light may run in this case or literally try to kill L. Misa may try to help but are unsuccessful as the butler shows up to stop them. The trial occurs and lights response on death row is '' You bastards! I was just trying to take the filth out of this world! I am doing the right thing, I have the power of God in my hands, I was chosen!... '' Immediately executed mid sentence and L wins. Misa freaks out and joins him soon after with a look of helplessness.
**L is promoted and lives his days at the mansion raising and teaching near and mello to be his successors. He smiles. The end**
RED
@@gamewriteeye769 hey hey hey!!!!
opportunity is a great way of the 3 and a good one in progress 96401 the process process for me to get back into work to work in and around my knees in my own way in my heart of joy when I'm in a good position with my family who will enjoy a bit with my head around my heart 69the process and
One thing the creator confirmed that I really like: Light did feel guilt for killing those two men at the start. But he's such a perfectionist with a high opinion of himself, that rather than just throw the book away and move on, his ego forced him to go through mental gymnastics to trick himself into feeling no guilt. Light would rather keep killing people than ever admit he did wrong.
So basically, egotistical prick is being egotistical
Well...it's either be an egotistical prick or admit to yourself you're a murderer and live with that guilt and impunity for the rest of your life. I would pick egotistical prick every time.
That’s deep
@@strokeguy4835 shut
@@kat8559 so you'd pick no guilt about killing thousands, than guilt about killing two people?
“Protagonist” and “Hero” are not synonyms. Light is the Protagonist, but not the Hero. Conversely, L is the Antagonist, but not the Villain.
Right right
L is the good guy
Villain Protagonist and Hero Antagonist.
@@turtleanton6539 well whats good or bad is supposed to be subjective
I've never ever rooted for Light. While I admired his intelligence, I completely despised him, and I think the author intended the character this way, he really has no redeeming qualities, while L, on the other hand, is plenty relatable.
Sure, if I were a woman I would have simped for him and this maybe would have influenced my judgement a bit, after all I never managed to hate Misa (although I ultimately think that she deserved what she got in the end).
I like the idea that ray pembers wife was equally as smart or as much of a challenge to Light that L was, but the only reason she died was because of pure luck and her being too trusting. But like, she was lowkey a genius. Also shes drawn blue like how l is drawn blue. Cool shit.
yes people don't realise but light was seconds from accepting the eye deal
@@Vinc34U exactly! If they hadn't run into eachother, he probably would've been caught immediately by the investigation team. If Light had made the eye deal, his already short life would've been waaaay shorter. Either way she would've doomed him to like 1 year left
@@clivehandforth3531 no his life would’ve been shorten to 40 years
@@clivehandforth3531 His original life span did not intend for him to die at 23. He died then because Ryuk wrote his name. I think that is a common misconception about how the life span and its shortening works.
@@Jayjay_07 hm yeah i just assumed his true lifespan was change and hidden after he used the death note, i didnt know about the 40 thing
I love that you realize light's first two kills broke his mind. It very clearly showed the break that caused our light in the show. When he loses his memory he has such heel turn because his mind in a way repaired itself and gave us the light who never had the notebook.
I think that having Light lose his memory was a great subversion of a stereotypical plot where a person gets a supernatural power/weapon.
It usually starts with their backstories and showing us how the character would act without the supernatural power , and developing that character with the supernatural power either in a positive or negative light.
But Death Note reverses that and portrays us a Light without the Notebook AFTER he had the notebook
“Ryuks appearance is the stuff of nightmares”
Ryuk: sad apple noises
I don't think he experiences sadness. Only emotions he has are boredom, excitement and lust (for juicy apples)
@@ilikevideos4868 um. People can have their fun without you being technical.
@@RelicQuadrangle You could have just ignored my comment like everybody else
@@ilikevideos4868 it needs to be said.
@@ilikevideos4868he shows disappointment (and sadness if you count the four panel comics set between the timeskip)
Another thing: in the scene where Light kills Lind L Tailor, I absolutely love the fact that when he yells "I am justice!" there is no music. It's terrifying watching that while he straight up murders who he thinks is a detective just because he tried to get in his way and called him evil, especially because this is so early in the show.
46:55
This isn't the fans rewriting the story to avoid plot holes though. The "Near cheated" theory only exists because the manga has Matsuda theorize exactly this in the epilogue, that takes place sometime after Light's death. The anime cut the epilogue out entirely, though, and ended it with a much more dramatized version of Light's death. The manga thrived off that type of ambiguity.
The "Light reincarnates into a Shinigami" theory is entirely fan speculation, though. The manga also does a better job at fleshing out the second half of the series with Near and Mello--it's about as long as the conflict with L. The anime shortened and rushed through parts of it--which is why some of Near's deductions feel like they come out of nowhere. The manga has him explain his thought process more often.
the relight movie is where the light becomes a shinigami theory originated. just like the matsuda theory about near there is actual content in the series depicting it. its definitely up for debate, but so are the matsuda theories. neither are speculation and both have evidence both for and against. which is part of what makes them so intriguing.
@@iamlordapollo Yep! I saw the ReLight movies and I agree. I was just saying the theory that “Light is the shinigami from that movie” is entirely fan-made, but the theory that “Near cheated” wasn’t. The video said it was, but really Matsuda was the one who made the theory for fans to speculate about in the first place.
Either way though, you’re right that both theories are really interesting and fun to talk about.
@@komarunaegi7460 you don't think character design is as valid a form of evidence as dialogue? I mean he's wearing his tie and bag. Not to mention the way its edited is to guide the viewer in that direction when ryuk basically directly addresses him as light and he already left in the middle of the story. I think it's fair to say that's equally valid evidence as matsuda speculating. The part that is mostly speculation is the larger impact the concept of becoming shinigami has on the universe. But tye movie itself pretty much holds your hand to bring you to that conclusion. Id say the shinigami theory has more direct evidence than the matsuda one on the pure fact of it being disproven in the same dialogue it was brought up.
@@iamlordapollo Fair enough! I guess it’s because I’ve seen a few anime and games now (like Pokémon and Dragon Ball) that have some design choices, dialogue, gameplay elements, stats, and scenes that allowed fans to make a ton of different theories that they were SURE were VERY plausible…
… only to be told by staff that it was just coincidence and they didn’t think of that at all. And some of those theories were about as plausible as that shinigami intentionally being designed to resemble Light.
The difference between the “Light shinigami” theory and the “Matsuda says Near may have cheated in the manga” theory is that the makers of the movie leave it unclear what their intention was with the shinigami, while Matsuda making the theory directly is very clearly the author’s intent to *make* people speculate.
Ryuk doesn’t exactly call the shinigami “Light” either. The entire movie leaves that very ambiguous. The line is structured in a way that could make you theorize that he’s either calling the shinigami Light after he leaves, or he does that thing that’s VERY common in anime where a character reminisces on another person that isn’t there and calls them by name.
Whether all that was deliberate is unclear to me because of the other series I’ve seen where stuff like this felt plausible only for it to be debunked with the creators saying they didn’t think of that at all. That’s why I’m not sure. The thing with Matsuda outright tells you the author *wanted* to leave that last tidbit there for people to speculate.
@@komarunaegi7460 absolutely. And I think the author being very quiet about most of it leads to alot of the confusion as well. The ambiguous nature of that entire movie is I think a big part of the intrigue to begin with.
And lets not forget the matsuda theory is in the canon manga while the movie is not canon. So even if you believe the theory you have to assume its a seperate continuity. Even though it definitely fits with the themes and lore in the universe
I'm so glad they made Ryuk look how he did. Hot take: I think the Death Note movie did a horrible job at adapting Ryuk's character. Ryuk is a very detailed and complicated character. He's a god of death. He dresses in black and he looks like a decaying monster. But he's also kind of silly and lighthearted. In the end, the whole reason he came to Earth was for fun. He asks Light to play video games, and gets upset when Light ignores him, but in the end, he's the one who kills him.
One thing I loved about Ryuk was at the very end when Light is shown to be defeated and Near points out he’s seen Ryuk in the warehouse the entire time, Ryuk starts chatting with Near and answering his questions honestly, like he respects Near for defeating Light because he’s seen everything play out.
Yeah…that’s not a hot take, everyone unanimously agrees Ryuk was done horribly in the movie and just in general the movie is hot garbage, not really breaking any new grounds there
Every Netflix adaptation is garbage
Also a fun fact about L's theme: Ever thought why for some its hard to follow the rhythm? Its because the piano part switches between 7/8, (3+2+2) a very quirky and unusual time signature, to 6/8, (a standard faster waltz) and then back to 7/8 for the last two bars of the musical sentance.
Throu music this smart and simple premice speaks volumes of both L Lawliets weirdness and raw intelect
This!! To add on, Light's theme is in 4/4, but the guitar part splits the feel of the rhythm into 3+3+2 (in eighth notes), which I think is a sort of mirror of the rhythm in L's theme
No i never thought why for some reason it’s hard to follow the rhythm but thanks for informing
@@absolv9259
I wholeheartedly believe you're correct
The themes are suggesting that L and Light aren't very different aside from a few key characteristics
Lights theme being in 4/4 reinforces his rigid perfectionism, whereas the polyrhythmic sections imply a connection to L
The polyrhythms in Ls theme signifies his strange yet always in-sync thought patterns
I honestly thought it was likely inspired off Tubular Bells which does the same thing
I never had a problem following the rhythm though.
Quick note: Light would have actually likely lived a lot longer if he had taken the eye deal. He wouldn’t have died between the halfway point from when he made the deal to his death, because that wasn’t the natural end of his life - Ryuk killed him. So ironically, the deal to shorten his remaining life would have made him much more difficult to kill, and he probably would have succeeded in everything he wanted to do.
You didn’t actually listen to this video i see
@@ortizworld3551 what are you talking about, do you have any point to make or are you trying to be condescending without actually saying anything? At no point in the video is this brought up.
@@ortizworld3551 in the show, it says that when shinigami write down someone’s name, they take the rest of their life, which means when ryuk writes down lights name, it probably isnt the natural end of his life. so following that logic, if he did take the eyes and because of the eyes he got to go longer without getting caught, he could technically could have lived longer than he ended up living in canon.
people have natural death dates entirely separate of when their name may be written down in a death note basically
Even if light did indeed took it, his plan wouldn't work since you have a short life taking the deal
Lights lifespan wasn’t over at the end of the show. Ryun specifically says that if he doesn’t write down lights notebook he’d be stuck there for a while longer until he does die. Lights lifespan is cut short by the death note at the end of the series. Meaning that he might have lived longer with the eyes as he would have been able to see nears name at the end
he did this because he didn’t know if light would be taken to jail and didn’t want to wait around
One more thing, Near and the rest of the SPK said they’ll never real Kira’s identity, although they caught him. Light could continue living but still living in his shadow.
This means he couldn’t be taken to jail since no one knows he’s Kira, unless he gets imprisoned in a way Lind L. Taylor was
@@LONNESYRUPBITCH probably exactly what would happen. No one knew that misa was arrested for suspicion of being the second Kira and held in prison for 50 days.
Although they would probably inform people Kira had been dealt with to remove panic from those who did not support him. I’m sure they wouldn’t reveal who it was however
L, did you know Gods of death who love apples have Red hands?
Sheeeesh, you watched this? I absolutely love your content, keep up the good work! 😄
Here L had indirectly meant that I have caught you red handed light.
Final thoughts. I actually like Near. Not a whole lot. But I like how he was an angrier, more vengeful L. It's subtle, but it's there. You can tell that unlike L who was growing more fearful of Light overtime... Near was getting legitimately pissed. And the idea that he cheated is just cool.
As for the idea of Light becoming a shinigami... I kinda hate it. The rules of Death Note are straight forward. Once you're dead. You're dead. Light is no chosen one
He is no one special. His fate is like that of all humans. He reaches an end. Him becoming a shinigami kinda hints that he actually was special and had some cosmic purpose.
The only way I'd be okay with it, would be if it turned out that any person that ever used it turned into a shinigami, and that's where they come from. But that only brings up more questions.
Although i do like the idea of light becoming a shinigami, your comments on this video are spot on for me. I also like the idea of light not being as important as he thinks he is
@@kat8559 him becoming a shinigami is actually a more depressing ending for him. Living in a wasteland called the shinigami realm sounds boring.
The idea behind the Light becoming a Shinigami theory is that users of the Death Note go to neither heaven nor hell, so it's just "Where do they go then? Maybe they become a Shinigami, yeah that could be it"
Light is Justice⚖️💯
@@woollypar353 The lore states they just die, there is no afterlife in the Death Note universe. If you use the dn, you can't go to heaven or hell because there is none. If you don't use the notebook you won't go to heaven or hell either. Everybody is equal in death. The whole reason that is brought up in the beginning is foreshadowing for the end. The rule is talked about quite a lot.
Yes, actually, the point of Near having L's quirks WAS to remind you of L. It was also to show that he was only HALF of L, because he had half of his quirks, those being the way he sits and his fascination of toys. Mello, on the other hand, had the obsession with sweets. Together, they made L.
Mello also had L`s androgynous hairstyle, willingness to take action and work outside the law to stop Kira where necessary.
@AspieMediaBobby
Near also used his connections like L used his when needed.
Yeah but I'd rather have a complete character than two half of a character. Just my opinion I completely understand liking Mello and Near
Unpopular opinion, but Nears my personal favorite next to L. The way he got revenge for L was so bad ass for just a child. Lol I love how he smiled every time something was revealed or his deductions were validated. 😀 "A shinigami's there right now!?" He knew Kira was in that room, meaning L would soon be avenged and he's so happy about it lol. I get why people don't like him, though.
That is made as clear as possible in the manga
29:34 no, light died not due to his lifespan running out, but because Ryuk wrote his name in his death note. Ryuk states that he does not want to wait for light to die of old age in prison, so he kills him in that moment. This demonstrates that Ryuk knew light's lifespan to continue far into the future. If he took the shinigami eye deal, it would be possible for him to live much longer than he did without the eyes.
That just proved lights arrogance
wouldn't he be executed tho?
@@Luksed12 That would make sense, but because of what Ryuk says, we know this to be impossible. For whatever reason, Light would serve a life sentence for his crimes instead of being executed.
Though, it could also be that Light dies in prison awaiting trial or his actual execution date.
@@riverchebar The second. Many people severely overestimate how quickly a death penalty sentence is carried out. It is usually years, and in some extreme cases DECADES after sentencing that you are executed.
@@riverchebar i think id sort of be ironic if they executed Kira, whom was a killer that ONLY killed criminals
I love how the character sketch has been done. A 17 year old charming boy whose name is Light but ironically he is dark whereas another person who has unkempt hair, droopy eyes, disheveled clothes but actually super intelligent... This actually shows that look is deceptive. One more thing I feel about Light is that he started all these when he was just 17 years old. At that age we are driven by ideology.. we think that we can change everything..but later we understand we can't even change ourselves.. I want to say the writer had even thought of the right age ... otherwise he didn't have any driven force to do all such things
Honestly, I think the problem with the second part of “death note” is the first part of “death note”. Now, before you come screaming at me in the replies, what I mean is that the second part is still good, but the first part is such a masterpiece that anything would seem disappointing when compared to it. I think that many people dislike the second part because L was a suuuper beloved character among fans. I am one of those L simps, so maybe I’m looking for excuses with this, but I think that, beyond simply him being a likeable character, the show felt less exciting without him. The tension was lower as Light seemed to be close to winning, and low tension towards the end is not something that viewers typically enjoy. I think that after L’s indisputable brilliance, no one could really measure up and be as threatening. It feels like Light is not really met with a major obstacle, even when there are multiple points which give him serious trouble, because the substitution of a character is INCREDIBLY hard to do right. The idea always stays in our minds of the new characters’ predecessors, and we always compare them and we are always more attached to the older characters than the new ones. Hence, my opening statement: the problem with the second part of “death note” is the first part of “death note”.
@@exshadowkick5564 I’ve been wanting to revisit “death note” in manga form since forever, I’ll definitely do it eventually and this makes me wanna do it even more! Good to know that I won’t encounter the same disappointment I did with the anime for the second part, thank you :)
Honestly even Light is bored as hell after L dies so not surprised the viewers also feel it... Like I always thought it was meant to be this way.
I was also disappointed when L died because it seemed like he was being set up to be the main obstacle for Light with the opposites imagery.
Like with the red and blue and how light uses a notebook but L uses a computer.
Bruh you right though. I mean the light vs l arc might well be one of my all time favorite anime sagas. I didn't mind Mello at all but near just didn't do it for me compared to l, it's always been my issue(anime and manga).
Idk why people are so bothered by the 2nd half. I found it very original and entertaining and the only problem I've noticed was it being way more rushed than the first half. We don't even get to see Mello thinking too much, even when he's a genius; I had doubts about how the hell he found out he needed to kidnap Takada and also had to deduct how Near got to Mikami because it's not explained like everything is in the show.
Put that aside, I was really interested in every single episode rewatching it because I had forgotten some details due to several years having passed since I first watched it. The last 3 episodes seems like 1, I've watched it with my wife and both of us were eager to finish it even way later than the time we usually go to sleep.
L was an amazing character, but since "Kira was captured", he had nothing to do anymore with the story
The only thing he could do was finding out about the fake rules and he did, but the rest of the team was dumb enough to ignore what he was doing, that wasn't his fault; he had Light cornered and died because of a fucking sentimental Shinigami. That was disappointing. Near and Mello were refreshing for me specially because Mello didn't follow any "ethical rules" and that made things waaaaay easier for Near to get to Light. Also, Near had a WAY better team then L did, apart from Aiber and Wedy, the rest of the force was useless and Light was Kira, that made things more interesting and also the unpredictability of Mello had its charm over the usually only logical actions by L.
Idk, I think the key part is not to keep comparing and only watching it for what it is. And it is very good and for me sometimes better than parts of the first half, that isn't so perfect as so many people claim it to be. In the first half we have 2 of the best ever written anime characters fighting each other; in the 2nd we have Light's downfall, which is not so interesting as his duel with L. Nevertheless, I think it ended in a high note and a good pace, sometimes rushed, but better rushed than extremely slow IMHO.
Near winning makes sense imo. He wasn’t held back emotionally as L was. Near is straight up more like a machine, and doesn’t care about sitting back and let others do the work rather than get directly involved like L or Mello would. Near was just the perfect match for Light who was indeed more arrogant and emotional, which someone like Near could capitalize on. He just needed to make for Light to make one mistake, and it paid off
The "theory" of Near using the death note on Mikami is literally taken straight out of the manga,where Matsuda basically theorizes the same exact thing in the last chapter.
But it's also deconfirmed by the rule in the manga that says anyone with the shinigami eyes can't be controlled by the deathnote. It's in the 20s or 30s if you want to check yourself
@@daringiconoclast6547 In the manga the mafia guy who gets ownership of the death note takes the eyes from Sidoh and he's later controlled by Light to send him the location of the mafia hideout so it is possible for the death note to control someone with the eyes.
@@thearmada6248 oh yeah..I wonder what the rule means then. Can't believe I forgot that.
@@thearmada6248 People with shinigami eyes are unable to see the lifespans of people who own a death note, and when Mikami peeks into the warehouse he clearly sees Near's name and lifespan. If Near owned a notebook then Mikami wouldn't have seen his lifespan, so I don't think he used the notebook
@@shanester549 You don't have to own a notebook to use it. He already had Mikami's notebook in his possession so he could have used it if he wanted to.
I love how they wanted to make Light the most attractive. As people we are more inclined to favor things we find beautiful or attractive. It makes you want to support Light and root for him even though we don't completely agree with him. I, myself have definitely experienced this. Even though I don't want to I subconsciously lean more towards "pretty things." Even now I hold bias towards Light. I definitely don't see him as a hero, but I still like him.
That’s how it was with Ted Bundy. Many women were attracted to him, even after his actions were revealed to the public. Some even found him so attractive to the point where they excused everything he’d done. Maybe this was an inspiration for how Light is portrayed.
I would like to comment that the amount of views you get doesn’t matter. The people here enjoy your content and I can tell making these videos makes you fulfilled and allows you to be creative. No matter what, you are winning
Right? These are very well done videos!
One day I’ll have a subscriber like you lol
Fuck creative outlets, give the man some money, hes earned it
@@lizerlothdlb2389 I agree on that as well
I will say that though it's fun to theorise that Light may have become a shinigami, in the Manga it's revealed late in that when Ryuk told him about the no heaven or hell rule, Light guessed that in that case there must be no heaven or hell, and Ryuk actually confirmed that instead, all humans go to nothing when they die, so it's unlikely Light did anything Red from beyond the grave.
I always really liked how Light’s inner monologues had him highlighted in RED while L’s were blue.
Be straight
@@trolledfrog678 No, I don’t think I will.
@@trolledfrog678one day you'll realise how poisoned your mind is and you'll stop hating others for such normal things as sexuality
@@akechispancakeprincess8608get well soon🙏🏻
I liked the part of the video where he said to CAPITALISE a word in your comment and give the game away
I think Mello and Near had SO much potential. It was set up so well that they were both close to L but never quite reached his level independently, but together they surpassed him. Near’s analytical traits and childishness and Mello’s emotional and harsh side are absolutely perfect. Separating L’s two main aspects like that is perfect since L having BOTH of them within himself is what kept him from initially making bold moves, had him scared of even the idea of a shinigami, and wanted Light to be his friend. But separating them would have allowed Mello and Near to keep each other in check and rise each other up. It could have been brilliant.
Imagine Mello’s strong emotions and rash actions leading the way for Near to make bold but brilliant moves. In a way it would be like dividing Light from Kira- the thoughtful detective from the emotional killer.
I fully believe Near would have (and should have) cheated, too. But imagine having that conversation with Mello, that argument. Or would it have been Mello who brings it up first? He’s obviously willing to do unconventional and immoral things to get what he wants, such as kidnap a woman to hold as a hostage in exchange for the death note.
Man, their dynamic could have been so much better and I have to wonder if their INABILITY to work together is showing how the two sides of L conflicted enough to hinder his progress on the case. Was the conflict within him this strong as well? Or is the separation what forces the conflict, since Near and Mello cannot share thoughts freely because they are two different people. It’s interesting. The lack of those long, complex thoughts L had during his time alive makes me think that Near and Mello being basically estranged kept them from ever reaching that intensity.
Can you imagine either Near or Mello having that scene of L asking Light, “think of this and tell me what you think.” L goes on to explain his theory that ownership of Kira’s power could be transferred and memories lost afterwards. He’s spot on. But the scene has that initial question, then L’s overlapping and chaotic inner monologue repeating it over and over and over while the music gets louder. It shows his mind amazingly. I can’t imagine Mello or Near having that, but I CAN imagine a conversation between them that could reach that height.
Also, Red
Light was caught in the end because Near and Mellow worked as separate entities and as polar opposites. N and M were basically the two parts of L's personality split apart. Near the cold calculating and passive part, and Mellow the daring emotional and wild part. Mellow kept Light on his toes while Near kept Light in check. In the end, Mellow did the craziest most unpredictable thing he could, something that Light and Mikami hadn't accounted for. Mikami broke his routine and wrote in the notebook, which was witnessed by N and his team, and Light had no idea Mikami even acted on his own. Mellow dies, but he wasn't alone and when Light fumbled Near was there to finish what L had started. I think the ending is great because Near is so detached from sentimentality, and I believe that he is even more emotionally detached than Light, while Mellow was overly emotional and L was just a bit more emotional than Light. The emotional ones died, but the "game of pride" got too intense for Light to prevail even with his nulled emotions. He still shows hesitance when thinking of killing his sister but Near doesn't flinch when L and Mellow die. Light was not a God, and even though Near got lucky at the end, he was still all it took to beat Kira.
Near got lucky in the end but Light got lucky several times throughout the show. The luckiest part was Rem not killing him when she decided to sacrifice for Misa by killing L and Watari. She was taking care of Misa for her not to be arrested or executed; and she knew Light was the worst possible thing for Misa; it'd be only logical for her to kill him as well, and even make him do something like a note despising Misa, saying he cheated on her or whatever, before dying. THAT would've been a way to truly protect her, but no... She does straight as Light had planned, even knowing his plan. That is pure luck.
Also L was really dumb to say his plan about testing the 13 days out loud close to Light when he was so sure he was Kira. And L wasn't dumb, so, another lucky shot in the same situation.
I love how Light's eyes go from lighter brown to reddish brown, red is one of my favourite colours B)
I think Light's biggest mistake was using Misa as a tool to further his own agenda. If he would've teamed up with her, "together we will rule the world" kinda thing, they might've had a chance. Misa was the queen on a chess board, and Light used her like a pawn.
I don't think he did that because if he used her up completely, she would have ended up dead for sure. He needed her alive above all else.
Misa was too dumb to survive as an equal partner. After all, she got arrested due to physical evidence, which is stupid considering she possesses a weapon that doesn't leave any.
Moreover, she herself said that she's not interested in the world, only Light, so their "goals" do not align. She herself is more than happy to consider herself a tool in Light's hands.
So, overall, she is not a queen, but a very annoying pawn
@@j_smith92 yeah like an actual queen that would be useful is someone with a personality and intelligence to Naomi Misora and wouldn’t view light as a god like his other partners.
Misa was not a queen 💀
Misa could've been more powerful than Light with her infinite life span and her eyes but she isn't interested in changing the world like Light she also doesn't possess the same intelligence she had the opportunity to be a queen but she isn't interested in it, therefore, she becomes a pawn who can only be used by Light since she's so devoted to him you can't use Misa like a queen a true queen would've been someone with equal intelligence to Light and have the same or even greater power than him
Great Video, one addition to the ending scene, I LOVE the fact that Matsuda was the one to shoot Light, because it is such a great completion to his character. Also he was always so loyal and good at heart that he supported Light despite the red flags and him getting his own little revenge and doing something "meaningful" for the investigations is just great. Such an underrated character. I think in general people should talk more about the investigation team
the best character in death note is ryuk because he knew that the best apples were always the red ones. that shit's great. i'm making myself want some just thinking about it~
It'd be neat if Ryuk had a little sub arc trying different kinds of apples, not just the red ones.
Again most of Near and Mello is much better in the manga, just to play numbers game, the anime gutted their plot line.
L's "half of the story" is 58 chapters in the manga which is adapted into 25 episodes so a bit over 2 chapters an episode which is solid adaptation rate followed by other shows like MHA. The second half of Near and Mello covers only 12 episodes in the anime, but in the manga it was covered over a span of 50 chapters, pretty much 4 chapters per episode which is ridiculous.
To do that they had to cut pretty much half of the scenes. Most of these were scenes where we see Near interacting with the SPK, AIzawa, Mogi, and Mello, also they cut most of the plot lines that Mello participate in, like how he blackmails the US President. To be honest individually I can see why they cut most of the scenes as the story can flow without it them individually, but the cumulative effect is that Mello seems like a crazy person who we are told is smart but not really shown, same with Near who just knows the answer and not figure them, the SPK and Task force being interchangeable action figures. And finally Light and Mikami seeming pretty dumb.
I know I have been just saying things have been rushed and give vague examples, so what about a practical example: The finale, this section was cut very short (and I did and do still enjoy it). In there we finally see how the personalities of Light and Near bounce off of each other and it is different than L and Light, because Near isn't as egotistical as either of them, but that is not to say it is not fun. Near humiliates Light, and it is a lengthy process where we see Matsuda loss his cool ending with him shooting Light when he tries to write the name, and then shooting him again when he tries to use his blood to kill Near. Similarly the desperation of Light as he pretty much goes through the stages of grief right in front of our eyes from denial, beginning with denial that it was all trap, moving to anger as he screams and yell when Aizawa tries to cuff him, then bargaining trying to convince the others that he is Justice and finally depression when he realizes all is lost and Mikami calling him scum then he begs for Misa, Takada, Mikami Ryuuk, anyone to kill everyone and cries like b*tch. The contrast between how composed he always been and the clobbering mess begging Ryuuk is too powerful, the anime cuts that part of it, shortening Near's explanation and making Matsuda pretty much immediately shoot him before he runs out using Mikami's suicide as a distraction and Ryuuk giving him the same speech before he kills him but to himself before returning to the human world.
The theory of Near using the notebook isn't a fan theory, but a theory proposed by Matsuda in the final chapter (which was also cut). the story leaves it ambiguous, but also raises counterpoints through Ide and leaves it up to us to decide, I personally think that Near didn't cheat because it is out of character and Matsuda's proposed motivation is that Near would be embarrassed to admit his failure.
And the what happens to Light is told to us right before he dies, death is equal and everyone goes to MIU, NOTHINGNESS, the anime too doesn't sit on this point as much as the manga as it was the final think we are brought attention to before Light's demise. And we see that due to the Kira incident, Ryuuk becomes an icon, where other Shinigami try to mimic what he did which they failed at, and this incident was shown fully in the manga as he bribes the king with Apples to get extra Death Notes which he then gave to other Shinigami, for apples of course.
I like how you can feel the story was rushed without being exposed to the manga, because honestly it was. And it is funny how you don't like the live-action adaptations, which manga fans harp on the anime to be a bad adaptation (which I disagree for the most part with but I can see why they say so). Death Note is one of the best anime and manga, with the manga being better but the anime being a classic on it own right.
A bit of a late reply, but I disagree on the Near cheated part, simply because I think it is in character. In chapter 109 Near recalls a Q&A with L at the orphanage where L talks about justice as defined by the law. He says that if you define what is good by what is legal, then he would be evil, as he "is a cheater and will do anything to win." Near then recalls how many kids at the orphanage lost respect for L after that statement, but his own respect for L grew. I think Near would absolutely cheat.
Aside from the story, in terms of mise en scene the anime is a visual masterpiece, and the animation itself is top notch. People really have no reason to complain.
very late reply, just wanted to comment on the part where you talked about the "Near cheated" theory. I personally feel like that could have had a much greater chance at being canon if Mello and Near worked together directly. even though they don't exchange information all the time, we know for a fact that Halle is working as somewhat of a double agent and therefore Mello has at least an idea of what Near is planning at all times. that being said, that in itself isn't enough for- whatever they have going on- to be called cooporation, so it's a given that if Near did consider using the notebook on Mikami, there wouldn't have been a second opinion on the idea for him to hear. now, let's ignore the fact that Mello is too proud to even consider giving up the rivalry that he'd proclaimed upon Near and himself years ago, and pretend that perhaps he would've decided that Kira's defeat is way more important than the title of L's succesor earlier on in the series. so, now that they're actually working together, it's probable that they would be more forward about their thoughts, plans, suggestions of what should be done next, etc. with each other. let's say that Near is in fact the one who comes up with the idea of manipulating Mikamis actions to insure victory, and he merely mentions it to Mello who, being observant as he is (which he absolutely doesn't get enough recognition for), jumps onto the idea. even though they are working towards the same goal and for similar reasons, I definitely see Mello as far more passionate about this entire situation, so I like to think that he would do his best to convince Near to pursue this idea to be certain that there literally isn't a way for them to lose. and, Near being well avare that together they can stand as, and even surpass L, as he said so himself, would eventually give in.
I much prefer the Light loses version of events, namely for how it recontextualizes Ryuk. In the anime Ryuk seems sad that he has to kill Light, but the way he does it in the manga is much more cruel, which I prefer. Ryuk sees Light begging him to give his life for him, and he just laughs at how pathetic he is, before writing his name in and making him look at the page while waiting for his heart attack. Light ultimately dies because of a lack of loyalty towards him, he casts aside Misa, kills Takada, and fails Mikami, and when all he has left in Ryuk his last mistake is thinking Ryuk would actually be willing to give his life to save Light, which, duh, of course he doesn't.
Death note has the most interesting premise in manga.
When I watched it for the first time I was 15 and I was on Light's side. I rewatched it now that Im 25 and I cant stand this bitch lol Light's such an inmature kid. I feel like I went through character development lol
the reason near is called near is because the end is near.
thats really funny but in actuality his name is nate rivers and near is just a nickname :p
Makes sense
this fking copied comment. i have seen this comment everywhere wtf dude
@@arandomguy2162 it’s the most annoying and unfunny dn meme.
I remember hearing that Mello was supposed to be called near because he was near the action and Near is mello just because of his personality, but some how they where mixed up
Oba not divulging any info about himself was probably genius. Bunch of other artists got plenty of death threats, and a LOT of people were mad when L died and Near took over and defeated Light. Great video overall, cheers.
Tsugumi Ohba having many pen names would be like how L has different aliases. L, Eraldo Coil, and Danuve
YES
@@Koroto also RED (if you know you know)
In volume 13, during an interview Ohba says that he liked writing L the most because he was similar to him in a lot of ways, including the secretive traits~
OMG the Death Eraser, I forgot about that. Imagine if that was still a thing. Mikami would have written everyone's name, including Light's, everyone drops dead, then erase the name and revive Light. Even if he was tricked with a fake Death Note, Near wouldn't be able to explain why Mikami would have written Light's name as well if he never knew the eraser existed.
I like that the op ed Light has RED eyes, and L have blue. Not just for contrast, but somewhat presents Light doesn't need Shinigami eyes, cuz he already is one
Pretty sure its just contrast
red
@@mymemessuck4756 he means that light thinks/acts like a shinigami, not that he really is one
@@mymemessuck4756 actually it's drawing on Japanese theater tradition of the red and blue oni.
grow up
I don't think Light died at his natural lifespan end point since Ryuk wrote his name in the Death Note, so Ryuk got his remaining years. Light could have lived longer if he took the eye deal.
I really like that Near won just because the themes n stuff. Near doesnt have Light, L, and Mello’s vice: Pride. Red. Also I really like the theory that he cheated, it fits really well with how Near uses every person and thing that he can.
Even L himself admitted :"It`s not about justice at all.(Note that almost every time L brings up "justice" as a concept he`s either echoing Light or trying to motivate his task force to chase down Kira)Much like many of you play video games, I solve mysteries.For me too, it is a hobby.That is why I only take cases that pique my interest.And when it comes to closing a case I do not play fair. I am a childish,dishonest,cheating human being who hates to lose."
In the manga even the “you can neither go to heaven or hell” part was amusing to light who just smiled and said “you mean there’s no such thing right?” 😂
I actually like Near as a character overall, but the only thing that makes me see red with how he was implemented was how he seemed to completely come up with his theories out of nowhere and ignored any evidence to the contrary, making him seem more psychic than anything.
I mean canonically Near`s a mathematical genius and the best Wammy kid at problem-solving, logical thinking and pattern recognition.(Because of the puzzle games L would play with him before L`s death).
Yeah that had a lot to do with the fact that the anime cuts out all of Near’s thoughts and explanations making him seem psychic.
I have a similar problem bc I also like Mello but the anime cuts out all the plots he’s involved in the shows his intelligence and strategy which leaves him just looking coo coo for coco puffs
Yeah. Apparently the anime removes a lot of the internal monologue that characterizes the first half’s strategies and deductions. The manga is apparently a lot more thorough with it so I’m hoping to read it
I’m not a huge anime person I’ve only watched two in entirety deathnote being one. The dub is AMAZING it captures all of the emotions and hold the tension of some scenes so perfectly
That explains why you like death note so much lmao
Oh damn! Someone else who thinks the dub is better?! I never thought I'd see the day
The dub is frankly more iconic
To be fair, unless you speak both languages you can't really say which is better. It's just weeb snobbery that insists the subs are always better.
Huh? I think a lot of people like DN dub. Compared to other anime at least.
I also think the same
Light dying before his natural end because Ryuk wrote his name down (after musing about how long it might take for him to die in prison) is an argument for why Light could have potentially lived longer if he'd had the eyes, due to us not knowing exactly how much longer he _could_ have lived, but you do raise a fantastic point that if he actually had that power himself he certainly would have gotten overly confident which makes it just as likely he gets caught sooner.
It's a funny dichotomy because the eyes would have been a huge help to him, but depending on what he'd do with the knowledge he gets from them, or worse, what he'd do acting under the knowledge that he has that power, the amount of opportunities for him to ruin himself with reckless moves would skyrocket. He's absolutely the type who'd make a risky move to get a look at someone's face if he thought that was the most important or only thing he needed to secure his "wincon", we saw that with Ray and the bus-jacking plan.
Add to that how (if the story played out mostly as seen) he'd lose the eyes if he took them before the imprisonment gambit & Yotsuba arc like how Misa did (where it'd be most useful with Naomi), he's potentially paying either 3/4 of his lifespan to keep the eyes, or he's paying half his lifespan for temporary eyes.
Personally I don't believe Near cheated to beat Light, just like Light most of the opinions I've heard are of people calling Near a weaker L clone or something along those lines but in my opinion it's BECAUSE Light thought of Near as inferior which led to his defeat, after L died Light though he was an untouchable god which led to him not taking Near or the rest of the Task Force seriously.
Even Near admits he's not on L's level but unlike L Near didn't see Light as a rival who he could have competition with, he simply saw Light as a criminal who got his hands on one of the most powerful weapons in human history.
Just hearing the argument alone of Near cheating makes it sound like the people who wanted Light to win are being sore losers about his defeat. Even so hypothetically even IF Near did cheat, would it matter? Light has had the power of death gods available to him since episode 1 while L and everyone else had to use human means to see through Light's BS. If Light didn't have magical powers aside from the Death Note to cheat, I personally believe he would have been caught long ago.
To be fair, Light only lost to Near because Mikami failed to follow instructions. Light outplayed Near, and would have killed him if it weren't for Mikami going against his explicit orders.
@@AP0PT0SIS That's the thing Light became too complacent after L's death and in the end he failed, it was inevitable all things considered. Light is a smart person however just like Near said, he's not special especially not how Light saw himself. Even before Misa showed up, L and the Task Force were already on his ass, and there is no way Light could have kept evading L's watch forever. If anything I imagine without the help of shinigamis he wouldn't have came as far as he did, for example the surveillance in Light's room.
Even if Light figured out on his own that his room was most likely bugged, on his own he wouldn't have known how bugged it was and with the fear of the unknown he would have to do one of 2 things:
1. Not spend as much time in his room and do his activities somewhere else, the down side being that Light seemed to spend a lot of time in his room normally so a sudden change in routine wouldn't escape L.
2. Try to play it cool and still use his room like normal and have a constant pressure of not knowing from where he's being watched from which would lead to an inevitable slip up.
@@HectorCotto97 None of that refutes the fact that the only reason why Light didn't kill Near in that warehouse was because Mikami went against his explicit orders and in doing so leaked Light's plan to team Near.
@@AP0PT0SIS The point I wanted to make was that since Light became too arrogant he stopped caring as much after L died which contributed to his defeat.
If you look back it wasn't the first time Light depended on others to do his dirty work, I don't remember if it was Light who picked Mikami himself out but if he did I think Light trusted Mikami BECAUSE he shared similar ideals to Light which if you think about it he did exactly what Light himself thought of doing without being told to so, in a way he was WAY too similar to Light and ended taking action before Light did but I think it was a minute difference between? When they tried to kill the same person I mean.
The fact that Light was so far gone that he forgot that the people he was using weren't mindless puppets, they were human beings with their own thoughts and feelings so of course they weren't just going to sit around until it was convenient for Light to use them, the fact he didn't learn his lesson from Misa is totally on him.
@@HectorCotto97 I understand your argument but Mikami was under explicit orders to not touch the notebook under any circumstances until warehouse day. Light should have just told Mikami that he had a piece of the notebook. Or better yet, he should have told Mikami to rip out 5 or so pages to keep as spares.
N is only one part like L... The other part is Mellow. Passive and active, together they are like L. Do not forget L had risk taking actions which are basically Mellows actions. This "split" personalities are interesting for the sole reason, they lack a thing the other has to actually outsmart Light, which happens in the end finally. After rewatching this more and more, I like the end parts more tbh
Gonna be honest: never got around to watching Death Note. I watched Monster back then, but I think I just accidentally skipped Death Note. But you're fantastic analysis of it gave me the push and reminder to watch it, so I'll get to it!
Though right after I finish making this red velvet cake for my brother.
it's a great anime, one of very few that I actively rewatch and enjoyed doing so. have a good time, grab a snack and enjoy the show
@@CrowCrojoINTJ get a potato chip and eat it
please do watch it though, you will not regret it
Uhhhh- actually it's "yow-rey" 😬😬
The virgin "light becomes a shinigami" Vs the chad "light goes to death parade"
Personally think that the appearance of death notes negates actual "life spans", light's visual lifespan was probably irrelevant and dependent on him. Which is why ryuk wrote his name. He knew he would live for a lot longer and he didn't want to wait
the numbered lifespan would also include Ryuuk writing the name down
It depends on how the written life span works. I'm not sure this part of the show was even explained.
@@Lorens4444 it was explained, whenever a shinigami writes a person’s name in the Deathnote, the shinigami gets the remainder of their predetermined lifespan, it’s how the shinigami are functionally immortal
@@annaaquitaine4225 So lifespan and Death Note aren't related. It can be written that you have 40 years to live and Death Note can kill you when you are born.
@@Lorens4444 You have to be at least 2 years old. The anime literally has that as a rule in their title cards.
I think it's perfectly reasonable the author wants to just be a private person. Not everyone wants to be famous
I recently watched Deathnote and was really impressed. But, the quality went down a bit after L died. I didn’t care about N or M at all and just wanted L to come back somehow. But the finale was good overall. Light was an arrogant, narcissistic psychopath and I’m glad he finally died.
Great video to. It deserves way more views.
One thing I wanna point, its a minor point but I don't think the show is ever framed as "you should be rooting for Light" but as more "lets follow this villain and get into his psyche"
Near using the Death Note against Mikami is kind of my favorite theory. It lines up super well with the facts of the situation and, as you pointed out, is a very stark way to make N not just be diet L.
When Light's dad got the shinigami eyes, that was one of the most badass things ever.
Every time I watch one of your videos, I am surprised by how criminally underrated your channel is. You deserve so many more subs, so many more views, and I hope you'll one day get them. It's been so long since I've watched Death Note, this video honestly had me tempted to go for a rewatch. For now though, I'm catching up on some of the previous season's stuff. A friend of mine said good things about Mars RED.
Thank you very much for the kind words :)
Mars red is really good btw
The thing you said about light’s time vs L’s theme - I literally thought the same and got so excited when I heard you say it!
Red ❤
This is such an incredible breakdown, wow
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
I feel like light's eyes become that much more red after the time skip. Either that, or his whole vibes is just so much more different that it truly makes it feel like he's lost light yagami and has fully embraced Kira
29:29 The author said Light Yagami would never take the shinigami eyes. I am sure this was meant for the continuity of the manga (and the anime as well but definitely the manga).
Spoilers for the ending of the TV Show Continuity:
Light as he was dying from the fire was telling Ryuk to do whatever he could to keep him alive, he would take the shinigami eyes if he had to. Light died in there and the Kira case was solved by L and executed by Near a few minutes earlier.
Light was supposed to live a long life (in prison) but his life was cut short by the death note
The parallels between Light and Riuk are so interesting, I want more! Though you encapsulated everything when you highlighted the 'clenched fist and zoom in on the red eyes' part.
Koroto, the music take is absolutely brilliant. I love the connections that you made - they make total sense to me. I really loved this analysis and the connections you make to the themes. 10/10, subscribed.
It is just as you said: Years ago I watched Death Note for the first time, not my very first anime, but among the first 5 to 10 I would say. Years later, after rewatching it a few times, I am still awed by how exceptional this story is from start to finish. If I absolutely had to name my favorite thing about Death Note it would be the character dynamics (mainly Light and L). I will be forever gratful that this show did actually take the time to focus on the characters and their development because, for me, these two and the great plot make Death Note so special. This anime really made me think as well as question some of the points you mentioned in the video yourself. Death Note will for sure remain one of my favorites!
And of course we all fell in love with Ryuk and his RED apples ;)
Amazing video. I love how you go into such deep and detailed rants about particular things. One thing that keeps popping up for me every time I watch Death Note is the fact that the place that Light would go if he didn't turn into a Shinigami (the place between heaven and hell) would also be the place his father would go, since he also used the death note. So in the end his father would find out since they were headed to the same place. It's just something I think about every time. Also ryuk loves RED apples
i honestly wish i could watch death note for the first time again because i will never get to feel such a rush of emotion again. The anime is such a piece of art I would marry it if i could.
someone not liking death note having watched it, it’s definitely a RED flag 🚩
Haha, for sure! But I absolutely share the same sentiment, I wish I could watch the series for the first time again - very few stories have ever been as gripping as Death Note for me, that experience was really something.
I always found it interesting how the inner monologues of some of the more impactful characters froze the frame and gave them a distinct colour of eye and hair to match their personalities (red for light, blue for L, etc.)
It's not neccecary for light to die sooner if he had the shinigami eyes because a death note can influence the lifetime a person has directly or indirectly. That also makes sense because if the death note influence was already subtracted from the life span of a person, shinigamis wouldn't gain anything from killing a person. So Rem killed L, in response Lights life got shorter because if L had lived a little longer, Light may have done something to find out about L's successor and the entire near- mellow-thing wouldn't have happened. So even with the shinigami eyes he could have outlived his time now. Also, It was Ryuk who killed light in the end so if he hadn't done that, maybe light would have fled and survived for another one or two years if he got lucky.
Ah yes also *R E D*
Well since Ryuk at end states that if light is caught & jailed he(Ryuk) would have to wait a long time for him to die, which is why Ryuk kills him (collecting Light’s remaining years). I believe this is why it’s most like possible that if Light had made the Eye Deal he would have won and lived for a while after.
Being in possession of or using the death note doesn’t inherently alter your lifespan. The 2 ways that we know of that the death note alters lifespans are: the Eye Deal which cuts the remaking years in half and the person writing their own name down causing instant death unless otherwise stated or no affect bc it occurs after their predetermined death.
Oh & 3: I forgot also you can possibly extend it by killing someone else who would cause your death
I think the thing that you touched on was that Near was really meant to be a budget L. Near and Mello represent two distinct things about L and Near himself even states that neither he nor Mello could surpass L on their own. They had to work together.
Mello being a reflection of L’s impulsive nature and Near reflecting L’s analytical mind. These two are meant to highlight just how exceptional L was.
That's such a great thing that u made a 50min + video about death note and I'm a big fan of this show, I haven't watched this video but after looking at the time , my soul just wants to appreciate ur efforts and I'm gonna watch it as a fellow writer
I will tell rest of things after watching the video ;')
Tbh when I was a kid I think Ryuk was the reason I started in on Death Note because his appearance was so striking. Im glad they went with the right version 😂
Crazy to think that the death eraser could have extended the series by a dozen or two episodes
It didn't need any more episodes. I feel like it could've used less tbh lol
Honestly the creator is so based for not revealing their identity. Like they just get to chill knowing they made one of the most influential series of time
You putting out this video actually inspired me to finally watch Death Note so I could see your opinion on it. Great video man.
9:10
Important note for the setting is that this takes place in japan, where the conviction rate is something like 90%, believed to be made up of a lot of false convictions
I would’ve liked if they had an ending when they find out that light is Kira by complete coincidence because of the smallest detail, something light yagami would definitely overlook.
⚠️ warning the next part of my comment has spoilers in it for the show “breaking bad”.
Same as in breaking bad, where hank discovers that Walter white is Heisinberg while taking a dump and reaching for a book with a signature from the old lab helper on it, afterwards he just put 2 and 2 together.
Yeah, I think something like that could have worked extremely well. As I said in the video, I'll never understand why people jump on Mikami straight away - just feels like a cop-out answer as to what got Light killed, when in reality it was just his ignorance. Thought on the other hand, I feel like him losing by something he couldn't control at all could also clash with the overall cat and mouse game like story, as there wouldn't really be a victor in the "game" - it would simply be a roll of the dice type resolution.
tl;dr - even hindsight doesn't really help in predicting how people would react to a different ending to the story 😅
Appreciate the comment :)
Red! Love long form over analysis over complex stories. Shows how smart the authors really are and how to properly write. Shows nowadays suck with all tell and not show.
The efforts u put into this video were really praise worthy and I liked the pace of the video and how u slowly covered many things layer by layer , it was entertaining for me, also red if u were wondering.. I mean
Keep it up buddy! Lots of love and support
This video was great and I wish I could add more to the discussion, but I’m afraid I only have two points:
🔴1.) I love the way you say “chef’s kiss~”
🔴2.) I agree that it would’ve been better if Light’s sister died instead of his dad. It would’ve given the character more meaning, would’ve shown Light that his actions can bite him in ways he didn’t plan for (possibly making Light sloppier,) and it would’ve kept his dad around. I really wanted a moment where, after so strongly FIGHTING the idea that Light could be Kira, Light’s dad just stares in horror and awe at the realization that his son was the killer they’d been tracking all this time. Also, that his son was ultimately responsible for killing the greatest detective, that his son was responsible for his daughter’s death, and that by creating Light and allowing him to help with the case _he_ was responsible for arguably making one of the worst monsters in history. I just feel like it would’ve been a tragically beautiful piece of writing (though that scene where Light cries over his dad is heart wrenching.)
As somebody who just watched death note for the first time in 2021 I am very happy that you made this video
I am jealous you got to experience the story for the first time! 😄 Glad you enjoyed the video!
no way, me too!! it was my first ever anime (besides pokémon as a child) and i watched it during summer break this year :D
*29:38*
I don’t know if light not taking the eye deal was smarter or not because honestly he had no idea how much was his life span so it was very risky. But when light died in the last episode that was definitely not his life span instead ryuk killed him writing light’s name on his own death note, thinking that light, any which way is going to get caught by the police and has to spend the rest of his life in prison and eventually die but that wouldn’t be FUN for ryuk so he killed him to cut it short. And ryuk knows how much light’s life span is, which is definitely longer than that. He must have had few more years to his life. So IMO if light had taken the eyes deal he wouldn’t have ended up how he did. It’s just a theory tho.
I genuinely believe the anime would of been better off had it ended around when L finally died. Maybe having the task force finally realizing once L dies etc. but the second half with near and mell just feels so..weird to me. Its like they just threw them in because “oh shit, L’s dead but we cant have light win so...L 2.0!” Near and mell just aren’t as interesting as L was and the mental gymnastics they do to figure everything out seems just given to them a lot of the times or because of other characters influencing. I will admit they do keep up the artistic flow of tension but, the whole of it all really should of just ended after L died.
That’s it this my new favorite TH-cam video. This was amazingly well done🥺💓
“L, do you know? Shinigami’s who love apples have RED hands.”
Also light’s eyes when he is light yagami (normal), and when he is Kira his eyes are red, which is a pretty cool little detail in my opinion
As much as I like Near as a character in the Death Note series, I do agree with you about the fact that the ending was rushed, i definitely felt like they wanted to quickly end the series, but without L it was impossible. So, they use the character, Near to take the place of L.
Something related to light's lifespan and shinigami eyes.
The date you see above someone's head is his normal death day. The death note is the only thing capable of changing someone's death scene.
Light died by having his name written in the death note by ryuk so he was supposed to die later (perhaps even tens of years later). By having the shinigami eyes he might have beaten near and survived far longer.
It’s also cool how in the first opening Kira is *red* and L is blue, also standing on towers facing eachother, creating a parallel between them. While in the second opening, which you already addressed, the colors and everything in general is all over the place.
This analysis was very interesting! Thank you for making it :D
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it! :)
As soon as I saw the word brief describing a 50 min video I knew this channel was for me
Red.
I think the manga fixes a lot of your issues with the second half as the theme of countries reacting to Kira is a lot more fleshed out by having 2 presidents of the USA who both react very different to being threatened
by Kira.
M and N are a lot more fleshed out especially Near who is given more time on his detective work and mindset towards the world and Kira.
The Confrontation in the warehouse plays out a little different as Mikami who in my opinion represents the core of Kira following starts to realize that Light is no good rejecting his ideals in anger and panic.
Near completely beats down Light as when he cries for the help of all the ones he has treated like dirt (his father, Takada and Misa) by telling what he did to these people that he will not be saved by any of these.
Near rips Kira's ideals apart as he is a open minded person not simply only accepting one ideal elevating him from L , Mello and Kira.
There is this theory that N and M are really L but two different parts of him as Mello represents the actions L did and the risk that came from them and Near the overthinking and lack of action that happens.
Your critique of both of these would actually be intended for the audience as both M and N are very much underestimated by not only Light but also the audience that rejects these two players.
Near seemingly has been designed for provocation as he is a L that has the thinking skills and the quirks but not the call to action as he just waits.
Even his first warehouse plan is centered around waiting and gives Light enough time to counter him.
Mello on the other hand is way faster and unpredictable than Near but because of this fast pace is the most likely to kill and die.
In the endgame Mello and Near become one by working together surpassing L and Kira by balancing out their weaknesses with their strenghts.
After the warehouse incident Near is even seen eating chocolate just as Mello did becoming the new L in process.
For Light's fate it is very much more possible for him to just be gone.
He dies in the warehouse like a cowardly rat begging Ryuk to kill the others not wanting to die.
The manga aims for him to go to the Mu (Nothingness) just as all humans reavealing that Light's and Ryuk's first conversation about hell and heaven was a lie to begin with that Light already realized when Ryuk told him this rule.
He is not a shinigami or reincarnated he is simply gone just as much as all the people he made vanish for nothing as after just one year after his dissapearance the world went back to normal.
I like the contrast between the shinigami apple's and the *red* apples in the human world that Ryuk loves. My favourite touch.
40:28 yes, we do not know how many, but people at the wammy's house had names and I am sure some of them used Letters for those already aliases, not all of them though because Matt did not have one (and Matt was an alias for Mail Jeevas, his real name), but if he stayed longer maybe he would of gone by a letter(s). In Death Note: Another Note We hear of A, B, BB. In the alternate continuity of Death Note their is someone who goes by F and H. The wammy's house mission, especially after L solved the manchester bombings that would of caused World War III in 1987/1988 when he was 8 years old. I wont spoil what happens but I will say that some come close, and some don't.
(One thing to note though is that L was the first of the letters, unlike everyone else who had letters to block their identity, L was named L Lawliet (L. Lawliet) so that is truly why he goes by L.
10:10 This gives me Chrollo vibes & Ryuk being a death god/Chrollo being Chrollo, it fits
HxH forever
Even the German dub of Death note was incredible. Like every voice fits the characther so well and sadly some jokes from L arent reproduced the same way but still incredible work and dedication from the VA´s
Just a random question here, but does anyone else ever wonder what Misa’s lifespan literally would have been? It was halved twice by making the Shinigami eye deal with both Rem and Ryuk, but it was also extended twice by receiving the remaining lifespans of both Gelus and Rem after each gave their life to save hers, but I don’t believe we ever really learn what those hard numbers are in any version/medium right? Does anyone know if there’s any possible way to actually figure this out?
According to the timeline, she dies a few years after Light's capture, so I'm guessing the remaining lifespans of Gelus and Rem weren't very long, and were essentially cancelled out by her taking the eyes multiple times. *Obligatory plug* - I've recently made a video delving into the timeline in much more depth if you care to give it a look ;)
A great read is the 13th book in the Death Note manga called the "How to Read".
One thing I likes a lot is it showed that while L had a lot of Intelligence and Initiative, Near was smarter than L and Mello had more Initiative than L. Nears biggest flaw is that he wasn't willing to put initiative into bending the law like L did (installing wiretaps and cameras, having criminals test the notebook etc). But Mello while not as smart did push boundaries and do things Near would never do like kidnap Takada.
It was the mix of these two huge traits that ultimately helped them to expose Light as Kira.
The Manga progresses a bit slower and Nears deduction isn't just pulled out of left field as much but he still very much felt like a discount L, even to a person who read the Manga before watching the Anime.
It's a mistranslation from the Japanese, it's meant to say knowledge, not intelligence - I mean, it puts MIKAMI at L's level!: If you look online at the actual speculated intelligence scores, it has Near and Light at 9/10 and L at 11/10, which makes much more sense. Narratively, it makes no sense for L to not be by far the smartest - he's introduced as and written as the most rawly intelligent person in the world. L was by far the most gifted, Near really doesn't come close in that regard. The aspects that Near has on L is the fact that Near didn't lie to others (and so was much more trusted by those around him), is very very emotionally calm, and isn't arrogant at all, whereas L was the complete opposite. Near wouldn't have minded using many many other people at his disposal, but L wanted to fight a smart guy with 2 death notes, a Girl who could kill him by looking at him, and 2 Gods all on his own - of course he would die - L's hubris is very commonly overlooked.
There are actually 2 Japanese live actions, the one not mentioned on this video is the one where L is played by Kento Yamazaki and Light is played by the same actor who played Kaneki in the Tokyo Ghoul live action.
I was rooting for L from the beginning. Light is flippin' evil and I always thought so.
29:39 Hole here; he did not die of natural causes, he died of Ryuk writing his name in the death note, which bypasses lifespan- thus that may not have been when his lifespan would have run out.
LMAO Its so fitting that the Good part takes almost three quarters of the video and there's only like 10 mins of Bad stuff xD