In the twenty-seventh episode of Death Note, well, there’s no going back now. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Death Note.
WELL, THIS IS HOW THERE ARE MORE EPISODES OF THIS SHOW. THE DEATH NOTE IS INTERNATIONAL NOW, AND LIGHT IS GONNA GETÂ FUCKED UP.
Let’s discuss.
Roger
Perhaps this is more of a translation issue than anything else, but I thought the use of the word “institute” seemed significant. Not “orphanage,” but institute. What is Roger doing there??? Did he specifically raise Mello and Near to become successors to L? Are all the other kids there “normal”? Why is Roger even involved in this? I NEED SO MUCH MORE INFORMATION.
I assume, then, that these two kids showed some sort of promise. Near feels a lot like the L we knew, but Mello is drastically different. While there’s always been a bit of drama to the protagonists and antagonists on this show, Mello is overtly emotional and unafraid to display that emotion. Unfortunately, that’s what makes him feel discouraged, too, and he ultimately chooses a different path.
I really hope we learn more about this place.
Near / N
From the obsession with sweets to the stacking of objects to the way they sit, Near initially felt like a copy of L. Indeed, in many ways, the two men are similar. (Which made me realize what a dude-fest this show is. Do we not get one awesome woman who isn’t a pawn or dead in the story?) But over the course of “Abduction,”  there’s a hint of a divergence. Is Near trying to be like L, or are they a lot more willing to do what’s necessary to catch Kira?
Like L, Near allies himself with a law enforcement agency, though surprisingly, Near heads to the United States to do so. How obvious was it that the Japanese forces were unable to catch Kira? Well, given that Kira had roamed free from like SIX YEARS, I’m sure Near wanted to seek out allies who would benefit him most. So he just casually befriends the President of the United States and the director of the FBI. NO BIG DEAL WHATSOEVER. In assembling a task form (the SPK), he sets himself up as a fairly familiar adversary of Light. As I said, there are a ton of visual and narrative hints to their similarities. But I found Near so much more interesting than I might have because of his foster brother, Mello.
Mello
I’m not sure who those people are that surround him. Just random criminals? I’m fascinated regardless because I didn’t expect anyone to take this route to get to Light. Mello straight up wants to steal the Death Note for his own uses. How did he end up on this path? What led him here? Was he so resentful of Near that he pursued the criminal option? Again, I have MANY, MANY QUESTIONS.
Light
So what’s Light been up to for five years? Killing off as many criminals as possible, pushing towards his “perfect” world, and then KILLING THE DIRECTOR OF THE NPA TO PROTECT HIMSELF. Mello’s plan to get the Death Note is through kidnapping and extortion, which backfires as soon as Light uses the Death Note to kill the Director. Why? Well, because he might reveal too much information about the investigation. It’s that easy for Light to kill after doing so for so long, and it doesn’t even affect his conscious. He doesn’t even hesitate!
There are hints in this episode about some sort of plan that Light has, but I wonder if the introduction of Near will delay that. I really felt that Near’s confrontation with Light was the best part of this episode because it was the renewal we were promised. Light no longer has a free and clear path in front of him. He’s got Mello, who will break any law in ordeer to get his hands on the Death Note. And now he’s got Near, known as N, who was supposed to be L’s successor, calling him out on this and announcing the new cat-and-mouse game that’s about to begin.
AND THEN EVERYTHING GETS EVEN WORSE BECAUSE MELLO KIDNAPS LIGHT’S SISTER, SAYU. Oh, shit, y’all. I can’t even fathom what Light is like when he’s threatened and angry, and Mello truly feels like the first character to violently challenge Light. How is he going to deal with two people out to get him without revealing who he is in the process? He’s already messed up once by killing the director. That showed Near that Kira had to be involved with the police. What’s next?
I’m excited to find out.
The video for “Abduction” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
– IÂ will be at numerous conventions in 2016! Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be Death Note and Neon Genesis Evangelion. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
