![[EARLY ACCESS] Death Note Finale Reaction & Discussion](https://img5.xaiju.com/storage/10/rx/jo/d38796-019e7ddf-2794-747a-b57a-fdf7aa196dc0.jpg)
[EARLY ACCESS] Death Note Finale Reaction & Discussion
Added 2022-11-23 14:58:07 +0000 UTC
Comments
Someone said somewhere that one should watch(/read) their favourite media at multiple points in their life, to see it from a different perspective. Certainly for me, this rewatch has renewed my appreciation for the series, specifically how we can look at the show on multiple levels. There is a video essay on youtube where Death Note is described as a Socratic dialogue about justice. In this sense, Matsuda is transformed from a comic relief character to the one asking (meta-narrative) questions and being led on. This is why it feels appropriate for him to be stopping Kira at the conclusion. With regards to L, while many like him over Light if some careful analysis is applied, one can argue that he's equally prideful and hates-to-lose-y. (Even the series author is said to view him as "slightly evil.") I'm not familiar with the manga, but my interpretation is what Mello and Near are seemingly one dimensional specifically because they are L but split in two characters. Near has his analytical ability, and Mello his judgementality and hate of losing. This allows for "Mello" part to die and Kira be defeated. I can also offer an alternate interpretation of "luck" in the series. The narrative certainly present us with incredible twists but do the various parties truly get a miraculous stroke of luck, or is it determination of these geniuses, making use of the tiniest opportunity (and off screen planning). I would certainly fail with these cards.... Mikami going to the bank twice? Must be getting a mortage, and he wanted to read the contract overnight idk. Naomi trying to meet with L's task force? Must be some angry Kira fangirl shm. Overall nice series, I rate it 1/10 uminekos XD.
Soulflayar
2022-11-25 23:32:48 +0000 UTCGlad you enjoyed it. I think most people, like you, think that the first half is a lot better. It doesn't help that the anime adaptation actually cut a big chunk out that explains Near's reasoning at various points in a lot more detail and so it doesn't seem as though he pulled it out of nowhere. The ending is also slightly different, e.g. Mikami doesn't kill himself. Re: your wonderings what happened after this, the anime also cuts the final chapter of the manga (108 I think) which actually answers quite a few of your specific questions, if you want to read that. I actually thought that's what you were going to say at the end instead of the American version thing!
Alex
2022-11-23 20:34:55 +0000 UTCDang, good point about Gevani being able to acquire and perfectly replicate the original Death Note-I had that thought too that and forgot to bring it up in my discussion part!
Rose Matter
2022-11-23 20:26:30 +0000 UTCThis was a great react series, definitely a lot of fun a great opportunity to revisit this classic! With that out of the way, the thought that the first half is the "best" part is actually such a common take that some people, either from having rewatched the whole thing and come around to the second half, or simply have had enough of seeing people argue online that the second half is bad, have started to come around and begun defending the second half. Not that I think anyone would (or should) have any issue with you bringing it up, since your take is fresh out of the oven, I just thought it was funny that you instinctively brought up perhaps one of the oldest discussion topics in western anime forums :D Personally I totally agree though, L was a much more charismatic character than either N or M. They seem more one-dimensional compared to L, and it feels like they were just given their quirks so we'd find similarity to L in them. And perhaps one of my bigger gripes (you mentioned this as well) is that Near makes several logical leaps seemingly out of nowhere, whereas L actually had a thought proces that could be explained. I recently acquired the full manga, and am really curious to see if this is an anime only issue, because of the adaptation. I also believe that the cat and mouse setting doesn't work as well in the second half, because the setting itself is changed (with Yagami becoming L, being the face of the task force). Finally, while I think nearly everything about the ending is perfect, and I love the concept of M essentially sacrificing himself to give Near a fighting chance, and their combined efforts (and Mikami's autonomy) is the only thing that could beat Light, I find myself disliking the idea that Gevani was able to perfectly replicate the death note (that was locked away inside a BANK) including all of the names written within, just in one night. That's just way too convenient in such a grounded thriller (sans all the fantasy elements, obviously). However, all that being said, I still think the second half, as well as the overall series, is absolutely phenomenal, and it deserves all of the praise that it gets. I also find myself liking the second half more on a rewatch than opposed to the first watch. Also lmao @ watching the netflix adaptation. I haven't watched it myself, so I'm looking forward to the supposed trainwreck :D
Asbjørn Kennedy
2022-11-23 20:08:05 +0000 UTC
