In the thirty-fourth episode of Death Note, Near gets all the evidence he needs to prove the identities of Kira and Second Kira. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Death Note.
AHHHHH IT’S HAPPENING, HOLY SHIT. Oh lord, where do I even start with this episode? There’s a lot at work here, and “Vigilance” is suitably complex because it’s got so much ground to cover before the show heads into its final three episodes. Yet for a story that’s setting up a showdown, it’s still exciting as hell. THAT IS A GOOD THING. It’s fun to be on the edge of my seat because I never quite know which way the story will tip. Who will gain the advantage this time? How much further will this go?
At the opening of “Vigilance,” we’re still not told how it is that Mikami killed that man harassing a young woman on the train. In fact, that’s still the case at the end of the episode, isn’t it? If Mikami is using a fake Death Note, how was he able to kill? Is the notebook that Gevanni touched real or fake? I DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW. But even if it’s not, Near and the SPK team have all the evidence they need that Mikami is Second Kira. Credit for that goes to Gevanni, who was given one of the most difficult tasks on the whole team. Surveilling Mikami had been bad enough, but he’s asked to break into the man’s locker at the gym and touch the Death Note. IT’S SO TERRIFYINGLY RISKY, ISN’T IT. Yes, it’ll give him the power to see a shinigami, but Ryuk could be RIGHT THERE. Watching him. READY TO WARN MIKAMI ABOUT HOW CLOSE THE SPK ARE.
Bless that man’s heart. That whole sequence was terrifying.
Aizawa also deserves a great deal of credit for providing Near with the final piece that he needed to go after Light. (Sort of. I’ll get to that later.) Like Gevanni, his situation is delicate and frightening. His suspicion that Light is Kira overwhelms him at times, but he still pursues his instinct. I’m glad that someone on the investigative team realized how coincidental it was that Light demanded that no video cameras be used whenever he met with Takada. Unfortunately, it seems that Mogi and Aizawa are really the only ones left who don’t believe L anymore. Matsuda is… well, he’s resigned himself to being entertained by the unfolding soap opera drama between Light and the women in his life. That’s a strange turn of events, isn’t it? He used to be the team member most interested in helping out and proving his own worth, and now? He’s just given up. All he cares about is Light’s relationships.
And speaking of those, WHAT A DISASTER. I was not surprised at all to hear that Light’s internal monologue matched up exactly with my previous view of him. The guy views everyone in his life as a pawn. (Which makes all the toy imagery around Near so goddamn fascinating. Is that meant as a direct commentary on Light? Or a chance for us to consider whether or not Near feels something similar?) Thus, even Takada, who he is attracted to and appreciates, is annoying to him. There’s that misogynist line he drops about how much problem women cause him, and that’s… that is very rich coming from someone who is literally the cause of problems around the word. But he can’t possibly criticize himself, nor can he see how gross that comment is. He’s never said that about all the men who have caused him problems, you know?
Again, I’m still convinced that Takada and Misa will be disposed of before this is all over. If Light is going to go down – and I really think that’s the endgame here – I think he’s going to take everyone with him.
The video for “Vigilance” 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!
