In the eleventh episode of Death Note, I CAN’T! Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Death Note.
Oh my god, what an incredible episode, y’all. It’s so relentless from beginning to end! That’s part of the reason it’s so entertaining, but I can’t ignore that the plot twist at the end opens Death Note up to an entirely new kind of story.
AND I LOVE IT.
The Tapes
Now, my initial guess was that the tapes were fake, created by a copycat just to ride on Kira’s coattails. I also thought that meant that the threats were empty, and Light would easily prove that this was the case. However, I had to revise that theory once Tape #1 contained two prediction deaths that came true. Okay, so maybe Light did this. But when? We’d never seen him record those tapes, and every scene with him watching the events unfold on the television didn’t suggest that he knew this was going to happen.
However, the context of Tape #2 convinced me that Light had to have made those tapes. They were too spot-on; his philosophy of justice and evil was explicitly referenced on them, and Light had never told anyone else about his intentions. Plus, the tapes contained his signature moral arrogance. It had to be him, right? Who else spoke of justice while damning entire groups of people to death? Who else acted as if they were an agent of morality while threatening to kill perfectly innocently people who simply disagreed with him. Kira killed two anchors for opposing him! THAT’S IT. There was no other reason for that!
Oh god, I was so wrong.
The News Station
Ukita’s death is horrifying. The man chose to risk his life to stop the broadcast of that tape. But his death signified a new twist: Somehow, Kira had killed Ukita without knowing his real name. Understandably, EVERYONE FREAKS OUT. THAT INCLUDED ME. How? How had Light been able to do this while standing in his bedroom? He couldn’t have possibly known who would show up to the police station. But let’s say he did. “Assault” takes things a step further when Light’s father drives a bus into the station. Will Light risk killing him if he discovers who drove the bus? Oh, but let’s take this a step further: two random cops who show up to deal with the police bus that sits in the lobby ARE KILLED. There is a 0% chance that Light knew their names, so how? HOW???
A copycat killer exists, but it’s not at all what I expected.
A Second Kira
Holy shit, there’s another shinigami on Earth. THERE’S ANOTHER HUMAN USING A DEATH. THERE’S ANOTHER PERSON WHO BELIEVES IN LIGHT’S SADISTIC AND TERRIFYING PLAN TO ERADICATE EVIL THROUGH THE MURDER OF PEOPLE WHO COMMITTED (OR ARE SUSPECTED!!!) OF CRIMES. We don’t know her name. We don’t know anything about her. We just know that she admires Light’s work as Kira, and she wanted to get his attention. Well, SHE CERTAINLY DID. Obviously, this poses a risk for Light. Odds are that she’s not as careful as Light is about covering her tracks. Hell, her first public act as one in possession of a Death Note is over-the-top, ridiculous, and panic-causing. The police literally run to her. Granted, she has an advantage over Light: she took the shinigami eyes deal. But because she’s aware of this, she’s gonna get sloppy. She doesn’t seem careful at all!
Oh my god, what does this mean for the story??? L has already figured out that the tapes didn’t fit in to the normal behavioral pattern of Kira, so the cops will at least pursue two different suspects instead of thinking they’re both the same person. And what of L inviting Light to contribute to the case??? He might be able to help, but he’s got to get to that woman first because he can’t let people know how he kills. THERE ARE SO MANY FACTORS NOW. Are they still going to investigate Naomi’s disappearance or will that come around later?
MY BRAIN HURTS AFTER THAT EPISODE.
The video for “Assault” 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!
