Your thoughts on Death Note on AS

[tanahome]

i just watched Death Note episode 1 on AS last night. i thought it was a bit interesting. i haven't watched it in japanese dubs yet, or read the manga.

what are your thoughts on it? for those who have watched it in japanese dubs, what's your comparison between the two?

though i have all the manga, is the recommendation to read the manga first, watch all the anime first, or do them both in parallel and keeping to the same pacing? also, what are the "Death Note: How to Read Vol. 13" and "Death Note: Another Note Novel"?

and out of curiosity, i have a wallscroll of Misa and just realized this morning that the lettering on "Death Note" is a bit unusual. for example, the "E" in "death" is a mirror-image. if you look at the Death Note manga, you'll know what i mean. but the "Death Note" notebook did not spell it this way. is this just a marketing gimmick?

[Shsway]

I came into the show with only one volume or so of the manga under my belt, but I was fairly sure I 'd love the show. As expected, I dug how creeped out and engrossed I felt. Not sure that Brad Swaile was the right choice for the English lead yet, but there's certainly some potential there. I found myself feeling annoyed with some of the walla/filler character stuff, but y'all know how that goes sometimes.

The animation is great, typical for Madhouse. They've even managed to capture the lush feel of the original comic's drawings, even if they are animating fewer lines. The color tones and directorial approach seem to be working from the get-go. I thought that the scenes featuring split-screens felt a little static and awkward, but oh well.

I don't like the opening song; I felt like the performer(s) should have had (a) deeper voice(s). Did CN even broadcast an ED? The eyecatches were neat.

The only reason I even checked it out was because I had to absolutely make sure there wasn't gonna be a new episode of Bleach on. Didn't even remember that DN was premiering. :sd: For those in the know, does this mean that Bleach is effectively replaced, just for awhile or what?

Makes me wonder whether I should put off purchasing Death Note itself for awhile. I'll need a few more episodes to reach a decision (to guage its popularity and such), but I definitely want to see the Japanese version, which may prove to be tighter, acting and script-wise.

[Sekiraku Bunchou]

Yeah, they aired the ED, in full I believe. I'm going into it cold, so not really sure what to make of it just yet. It's not something I can see myself buying the DVDs for, so I'm really glad AS got it.

Bleach is just taking a break so the dubbing can get further ahead; although, AS probably only purchased 52 episodes to start with. It's kind of a no brainer that they'll pick up more though once enough of them are dubbed.

[Reliak]

I'm a Mamoru Miyano fangirl, so of course I'm going to say the Japanese version was better than the English. I didn't dislike Swaile's portrayal, though IMO it doesn't match up.

As for the show itself...I only watched about 1/3 the way in before it was licensed, but I've read the whole manga, and word is the anime stays incredibly faithful to the source (as well as being gorgeously animated). If you want to experience both it doesn't matter which you start with, really.

How To Read #13 is a book the mangaka released after the final volume. It ties up some loose ends from the final story arc, gives character info like birthdays and L's real name, and so on. Another Note is a novel that (I think) is about Naomi Misora and L, but I haven't read it so I'm not certain.

Hope that helps! I love this series. I think Viz plans to release the live action movies at some point too, which are also quite good though take a different spin on the story.

[Suko-chan]

A nice debut episode. Can't wait to see where the series goes from here...

I was kind of surprised at the small size of the English text/ subs being used on screen at times, and especially with the DN font style being used...
Did anyone with a small screen have trouble reading them?

[DKL]

The split-screen and all the motion-blur feel like they were taken out of a page of Osamu Dezaki's book; really cool, actually...

That said, I also really enjoyed the gimmikey camera effects (that feel like they'd be used in a high-budget live-action film).

It's like they were going:

"How do we make Light writing in the Death Note in his room visually interesting? Oh, I know: let's shake the camera and rotate it around his desk to convey all the EPIC-ness"

That said, the last two episodes of this thing was ridiculously stylish and awesome.

Dub is excellent, I thought; it's really high-quality natural-flowing stuff... cast is pretty broad too, which is welcomed.

Swaile conveys a lot of range in his performance and has a lot of cool moments where he goes into this really low/whispy tone kinda thing, but like... it sounds totally natural.

And the walla/background stuff is really detailed and sounds very polished (like broadcasts over TV or little vocal SFX stuff).

Last time I was this pleased with a dub [that didn't come out of New Generation Pictures] was with Black Lagoon (also produced by Ocean).

[lorddream]

I was kind of surprised at the small size of the English text/ subs being used on screen at times, and especially with the DN font style being used...
Did anyone with a small screen have trouble reading them?

Yes. I certainly hope they use a better size font on the DVDs.

Other than that minor quibble, I thought Death Note got off to a nice start. I've never seen any of the anime or read any of the manga before, so I'm going into it cold.

I thought that the voice acting was decent, and I'd expect it should only get better as the actors get more familiar with their characters.

I'm not really happy about Bleach getting shelved, but at least having an interesting show take over the timeslot softens the blow.

[jigoku panda]

I've watched both of the episodes on [as] but am I the only person who gets the feeling I'm watching a kid version of MPD Psycho?

[rescue_dogs_every_day]

I didn't mind it that much, and felt the dub was pretty good. Personally, I favor the Japanese, but the English so far is fine and completely bearable.

Death Note: How to Read 13 basically gives character information, true English spelling, and some extras. The novel, I've heard, focuses on Naomi, L, and a little bit of the Wammy House and it's orphans (probably Mello and Near, and maybe Matt), and maybe some other stuff. Not too sure about the novel, because I didn't decide until recently that I wanted it, but I'll be picking How to Read 13 and the novel up when they are released.

[Sean_Connolly]

I've watched both of the episodes on [as] but am I the only person who gets the feeling I'm watching a kid version of MPD Psycho?

I'm glad I'm not the only way who thought of that a bit.

I'm coming into the show having not bothered with the manga (I rarely bother with manga now anyways...) and I'm satisfied with the show so far. It's not bad, but not great. It'll be interesting to see what they do with the premise. English dub is well done as far as I can tell.

So far, so decent.

[Proximity]

Saw the episodes off Adult Swim's website. Haven't had any real exposure to the series before, but I really enjoyed what I saw. Dub voices sound pretty good, at least so far.

[zaldar]

I'm enjoying it very different focus than most shows. The scene with both of the guys calling themselves justice in the split screen recently was very well done. I hope it doesn't simply go the absolute power corrupts absolutely route and makes it more challenging and muddy than that but even if it doesn't will probably still be entertaining.

[DeadlyMessiah]

I do not care for Ryuk's english voice at all. There is just something Brian Drummond is missing in his tone.

[tanahome]

I do not care for Ryuk's english voice at all. There is just something Brian Drummond is missing in his tone.
i don't know, he sounded psychotic enough for me (assuming Ryuk is the God of Death). maybe that's what sounded off to you? on the other hand, he could sound completely monotonous like he don't care about human-lives (which he does not), but i think that's only more accurate if you're a human serial-killer. Ryuk definitely has a curiousity about humans, which is why he's there on earth.

[LelouchLamperouge]

I do not care for Ryuk's english voice at all. There is just something Brian Drummond is missing in his tone.

I personally didn't like Alessandro Juliani's L. Brad Swaile's Light is a bit generic, but acceptable. I'm enjoying Brian Drummond's Ryuk.

Anywho, back to the series.

Yeah, episode 3 was good. I want Misa-Misa now. She'll make things interesting. :)

[rescue_dogs_every_day]

I do not care for Ryuk's english voice at all. There is just something Brian Drummond is missing in his tone.

I agree. The Japanese voice just...Had this tone to it. Ryuk's character was just so easy to understand; A bored Shinigami who comes down to Earth to enjoy watching humans kill other humanhs with a notebook of DOOM...Er, death. His voice if one of things that just makes him a likeable character in my opinion. He is one of the comic relief characters (Well, as close to one as you can get to one in Death Note. I thik Ryuk is comic relief number 2, with Matsuda being number 1), in a way, and is voice is perfect for that.

[Suko-chan]

Eight episodes in and I'm really enjoying Death Note's suspense. Very little action, but so very interesting.

"I'll take a potato chip... and Eat It!" :D

[zaldar]

Wow ok I have no problem calling him completely evil now. Man killing the wife of the FBI agent was bad but the duel between him and L is just so much fun to watch. So did anyone else think we were going to get some fan service the last episode? I for one am glad they didn't fall into that trap. It was good to see the skiragama being used for comic effect as well.

[aagranov]

Wow ok I have no problem calling him completely evil now. Man killing the wife of the FBI agent was bad but the duel between him and L is just so much fun to watch. So did anyone else think we were going to get some fan service the last episode? I for one am glad they didn't fall into that trap. It was good to see the skiragama being used for comic effect as well.

The first time I saw ep 08 when Light killed Penbar's fiancee I was just *shocked*. I didn't know he could be so evil. The whole scene was just mesmerizing - as good as anything I've seen on high-profile live-action TV shows(CSI, etc..)

[pianocello]

So did anyone else think we were going to get some fan service the last episode?

Death Note has fanservice?

[tanahome]

Wow ok I have no problem calling him completely evil now. Man killing the wife of the FBI agent was bad but the duel between him and L is just so much fun to watch. So did anyone else think we were going to get some fan service the last episode? I for one am glad they didn't fall into that trap. It was good to see the skiragama being used for comic effect as well.
The first time I saw ep 08 when Light killed Penbar's fiancee I was just *shocked*. I didn't know he could be so evil. The whole scene was just mesmerizing - as good as anything I've seen on high-profile live-action TV shows(CSI, etc..)
yea, Light's evil and reminds me a bit like Charlie Manson. someone had mentioned in another thread about being attached to some character and said that he/she would follow him around cause he was so charismatic. *shivers*

anyway, Light is clearly a genius. and some of the well known geniuses have found to be insane. there's that saying about a fine line between genius and insanity. i'll just be plain normal me any day!

[zaldar]

So did anyone else think we were going to get some fan service the last episode?

Death Note has fanservice?


Not yet but when they put the cameras all over the house and they made a point of saying they wanted them even in the bathroom.....well

[zaldar]

[hide]Well that was interesting! Let the mind games begin. I don't usually just watch anime for the characters but the intellectual duel between Light and L is so wonderful. Even without the ruminations on the death penalty the show would be worth watching. This would definitly be one I would buy if I just hadn't increased the size of my collection 6 fold. I loved seeing light finally loose his cool. So what did everyone else think?[/code]

[laplacedemon08]

Let me just say that I would hate to meet the dubber of Light in a dark alley at night. He sounds like someone you would not want to make angry. The dub is absolutely kick ass.

[zaldar]

I agree, though having not heard it in Japanese I am loath to give a large amount of praise. Still especially in the last episode he seemed to fit the part very well.

[zaldar]

So thoughts on the last episode? I am enjoying this more and more. The battle between the two main characters is so well done. Great stuff

[zaldar]

Reviving this because I still want to discuss the show and I know someone else has to be watching it...anyway spoilers ahead for todays episode.

[hide]So are we supposed to assume that light had his death code kill people after he gave up the death note? We didn't see him set that up but that is the only thing that makes sense or maybe the death god is operating on his own..that would be odd though. I can't see them doing the rest of the anime without him regaining the death note and his memories but I am not sure how they could pull that of. Overall a very good episode what did everyone else think?[/code]

[DKL]

His plan is, in hindsight, unnecessarily complicated.

But, you know... that's what makes it cool and EPIC.

I also can't get over how great a lot of the animation looked this episode; the thing where Chief Yagami comes up to the camera and nudges it was great.

Next episode looks even better, from what I can remember.

[sbarrett321]

So are we supposed to assume that light had his death code kill people after he gave up the death note?

The anime starts to cut out little details here and there that the manga includes. I believe it's mentioned that the criminals that died after Light's imprisonment were only mentioned in the media after Light was already locked up. While that can be inferred from the anime dialogue, it's not explictly stated as it is in the manga.

[Buster Blader 126]

[hide]So are we supposed to assume that light had his death code kill people after he gave up the death note? We didn't see him set that up but that is the only thing that makes sense or maybe the death god is operating on his own..that would be odd though. I can't see them doing the rest of the anime without him regaining the death note and his memories but I am not sure how they could pull that of. Overall a very good episode what did everyone else think?[/code]

You'll see. ;)

I'm watching the anime for the first time on YTV, though I have read all of the manga, and I have to say, I was just reading Death Note for the hell of it. While I certainly like the series, I wasn't all "OMG IT ROXXORZ!!1." But I have to say that I found that part of the series to be pretty awesome in execution.

[zaldar]

So are we supposed to assume that light had his death code kill people after he gave up the death note?

The anime starts to cut out little details here and there that the manga includes. I believe it's mentioned that the criminals that died after Light's imprisonment were only mentioned in the media after Light was already locked up. While that can be inferred from the anime dialogue, it's not explictly stated as it is in the manga.

Right so the question becomes who killed them and how? Did he set something up before hand we didn't know about? I can't see how he got info about them from inside the jail. As well given how the prisoners are being treated it must be nice not to have a bill of rights...

[zaldar]

Well this was an interesting episode I didn't see the way they were going to end it before hand though I assumed they were not going to kill him off given how many episodes were left, though this being anime it was at least more possible than in an American show. We get to find out what his plan was which was as I suspected it might be but I'm a little upset that it does have the plot hole of how he pulled it off while being watched though I susspose he could have set it up before hand. The change he undergoes when he forgets about the death note is also a little odd. They seem to be going for the "power will corrupt even the most good to become the most evil" route which I really don't agree with. This was my problem with the most recent star wars movies as well. Still an interesting episode though I find myself agreeing with the God of Death more than I would like. It will be interesting to see how he reacts when he gets his memories back and how he handles things now.

[Glamrgrl104]

ahhh spoilers closes eyes

Wel so far I really love Death note best psychological thriller anime!
oh you're talking about the 8th episode
srry just thought you were talking about death note in general.
*runs away
till i see the more of death note shall leave this topic alone.

[Shsway]

Yeah, this last one was totally weird, way different from the episodes that came before it. My friends and I were stunned by how serious the first half was, while the second half pretty much felt like some kind of black comedy.

My standing theory is that, as clever as Light is, he'll likely investigate himself back into his darker, power-hungry self. At that point, he could either become suicidal or slip right back into the way things were when he discovered the Death Note. Of course, I'm betting heavily on the latter, as well as the return of one of the Shinigami to get him back up to speed or restore his memories completely. And of course, there's gotta be some kind of Shinigami war, between two or more factions divided over all this...

In the meantime, I'm freaked out by how soft Misa and Light's character designs have gotten, as a result of their memories/darker selves getting wiped. I actually felt sorry for both of them last night, still held as they were by L's people.

[zaldar]

ahhh spoilers closes eyes

Wel so far I really love Death note best psychological thriller anime!
oh you're talking about the 8th episode
srry just thought you were talking about death note in general.
*runs away
till i see the more of death note shall leave this topic alone.

Bah I've hidden my stuff don't accuse me of spoiling it...I'm even making new topics for each episode...

[tanahome]

yea, there's definitely something weird and inconsistent with this last episode. there were never any humor before this episode. and i have to agree with Zaldar, i don't care much for the inconsistency of how both Light's and Misa's memories were taken away. too dang inconvenient and used sort of like a deux ex machina to get them out of a tight-spot. i don't know, just felt a bit like a cop out to me.

well, we'll see how next week's episode will go...

[DKL]

I dunno... I found a lot of the stuff in the show funny; even Tetsuro Araki says he inserted some dark humor in the first episode (I'll just assume that it was the over-the-top montage of people dying as Light makes an EPIC stroke with his pen, implying as if his pen strokes are strong enough to send people off of buildings)...

This is what I remember anyway.

Jesus, I need to stop disappearing from this forum.

Anyway, I loved the comedy in this week and last week's episode; high-quality animation of the bits is also killer (such as Aizawa's exaggerated stand and his exaggerated way of taking his pants off).

I still wish that this was coming out monthly...

That said, the show probably has a ton of holes (even at this point), but it doesn't really bother me so long as I buy the weird explanations they would feed the viewer.

[PhilipReuben]

there were never any humor before this episode.

Every episode of the Death Note anime is (unintentionally?) hilarious.

[DKL]

Actually, when you have prominent people working on this series (in key parts) who also did some excellent stuff from Galaxy Angel, it's not too out there that the show can kinda get with the humor here and there...

Again... potato-chip eating doesn't normally warrant such high production values, regardless of the context... yet they completely went overboard with it here (mainly because, for all intents and purposes, it was a really cool idea... I can't think of many scenes in anime that come across as THAT memorable); I also liked the thing where Ryuk got distracted by the porno; notice the extra stroke detail in the coloring on his frozen expression... that was funny.

Even the sequence in that episode where Light gets really angry was funny; the evil laugh after the short calm was really great.

Also, Tetsuro Araki did all 3 episodes of the totally stylish, yet totally funny, Roberta arc from Black Lagoon... so, in a sense, the driving logic in Death Note is that everything needs to be ludicrously over-the-top and stylish, no matter how small the moment.

(which would usually consist of dramatic camera-movements, playing with the color scheme *red and blue, specifically*, people standing on top of buildings, etc.)

But yeah... if it seems funny, it probably was meant to be in this twisted kinda way; I really enjoyed it since it gave the show character and I always found myself interested despite the fact that some of the plot points were outright ridiculous.

I can't really remember an episode where I didn't find myself laughing at something; those would be few and far in-between.

And come on: this week's fight sequence was excellent; they totally nailed all the weight and everything... it was good stuff.

But yeah... I haven't read the manga... all things considering, it could be totally different than how I see the anime.

[JimMcH]

Well, I wish I saw this thread earlier. If I had we could have possibly had a much livelier discussion of the series.

I've been watching the show since [as] started broadcasting it in the fall. I had no real knowledge of the series going into that first episode, save for some nuggets I had heard (as well the tremendous praise the series has received), so I didn't really know what to expect.

I was immediately hooked. Ever Friday night I was excited to watch the series on the fix. Lately though i've noticed my interest start to wane.

The comedy seems to have been ramped up a bit, which isn't too my liking. Also, the tendency to over-dramatize EVERYTHING is starting to grate on me. At first it was novel, and even though making chip eating "epic" did seem a bit silly it wasn't too distracting. but now I find myself shaking my head in disgust.

Still, the story is very interesting, i'm still not sold on the most recent turn-of-events leading to this current arc involving the Yotsuba Corp. I'm not going away however, as I am in this for the long-haul, so expect me in this thread again every weekend.

[DKL]

Notice how this week's intro to the episode is essentially a montage of all of Matsuda's incompetences set to the gregorian chant theme...

That's epic lawls right there; I'm surprised I didn't notice the ingenuity before.

[zaldar]

So tonights episode and some one catch me up to what I missed last week The style really did seem different much more humorous not terrible but odd. It was interesting to see light as well thinking to himself could I do that could I be Kira? I still don't buy the whole without the knowledge he is really a good kid routine that they are trying to do. I understand why Japan would have that mindset but I have never believed it was only situations or power that make people bad and anyone given the right circumstances could become evil just don't buy it. The whole idea that the investigator made up a second and third rate investigator so that people would go to them to look for him is quite hilarious. Who were the two new characters the woman was HOT.

[DKL]

Notice how, most of the time, whenever Matsuda opens or closes a door, there's a dramatic glowing sweat that follows *which was possibly recycled from the chip-eating*.

And I liked the sequence where he paused at the door and they made it seem like he had super powers or something when they changed up the lighting.

*he doesn't, but you get the idea*

And I liked that one line where it was all:

"This is getting weird."

But yeah... plot-points are really getting outlandish *even moreso, I mean*, but it's still incredibly entertaining.

[tanahome]

yea, i thought Matsuda was about to go Super-Saiyan for a moment! now that i think about it, that's just hilarious! :laugh: ok, i'm a little bit slow on appreciating the subtle humour. my comment earlier about no humour was more about the direct comical style, which i did not notice until in more recent episodes.

yea, still not quite buying this latest arc. other than the cool fight sequence (thought Light and L were gonna grab each other and make out or something to the thrill of many yaoi-fangirls... ;)) last week's episode kinda left me "bleh". this last episode was a bit better and interesting that the focus was on Matsuda.

[tanahome]

a little bit OFF-TOPIC, but i was just asked to attend an airing of the Death Note movie during the San Francisco asian film festival. i assume it's probably the 1st movie and not the 2nd one.

my friend told me that the movie is based on the manga, though i heard the anime also followed closely to the manga.

my understanding is that the movie takes place after the manga (or, correct me if i'm wrong please!), so should i try to read all 12 manga volumes before watching it in 2 weeks? i've only been following the anime on Adult Swim.

or am i worrying for nothing and should just continue to watch the anime on Adult Swim and watch the movie in 2 weeks? just concern if i may be facing some spoilers.

[PhilipReuben]

The two movies together are an adaptation of the manga. They don't really cover the second half of the story (episodes 27-37 of the anime) and there are more plot changes than in the anime, some of them very significant. However, I'd say that watching the movies will spoil certain elements of the plot from the first 7 volumes of the manga (and 26 episodes of the anime). If you're only watching the first one there probably isn't much need to worry though.

[DKL]

MAN, the new OP sequence is so GLORIOUS, son; the animation is great.

*and they got away with the cuss words since they changed the translation in the subs... that, or that's the actual lyrics, but I wouldn't know*

Talking about that, I really like this week's exaggerated camera sequence:

http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a25c3921888baf501188a04615900a4

How many rotations was that?

Anyway, fun stuff.

[zaldar]

MAN, the new OP sequence is so GLORIOUS, son; the animation is great.

*and they got away with the cuss words since they changed the translation in the subs... that, or that's the actual lyrics, but I wouldn't know*

Talking about that, I really like this week's exaggerated camera sequence:

http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a25c3921888baf501188a04615900a4

How many rotations was that?

Anyway, fun stuff.

for being over the top it is certainly that I'm not sure if I find it funny or not though..

[Shsway]

I almost thought that the Matsuda ep. was gonna be a re-cap, given the way that it started and the amount of flashbacks. :P

The show gets funnier and funnier, though I really don't think that the writers intended for things to be taken humorously, at this point. I think that the material is technically beginning to get bad now, but I'm still enjoying it well enough. Alessandro Juliani's L is AWESOME. More so now than before - great comic timing on that man...

I'm looking forward to comparing it against Yamaguchi Kappei's take on the character, when I eventually pick up the DVD's for the series.

The new OP and ED are way too noisy for me, though the first is well-directed (and the second features some of the most interesting images of Light that I've seen yet). The third OP to Bleach is kind of obnoxious too, music-wise (which I guess is the point).

[The Red Comet]

*and they got away with the cuss words since they changed the translation in the subs... that, or that's the actual lyrics, but I wouldn't know*

I was wondering about that. So by ignoring the profanity in the subtitles they can just get away with airing it on TV? I'm not complaining, I just find it interesting they didn't bother censoring the song itself.

[zaldar]

Well this weeks episode was interesting...so in the past the second Kira was really stupid. I wonder if she is going to get a brain now. Her stunt with the other Kira was interesting, I assume she didn't play the first part..I wonder how she explained how she got him to tell her? A little unrealistic.

Lights reaction was interesting and I could see the wheels turning in L's head when she deferred to light rather than him like she did. I wonder does light actually feel for her now? I mean he doesn't know that before she was just his girlfriend for reasons of security. It will be interesting to see what he does when he finds out as now he is hating to think he could be Kira.

Good to see the differences in style to things I am sure light is noticing.

[JimMcH]

Finally, a good episode! If feels like its been ages. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.

so in the past the second Kira was really stupid. I wonder if she is going to get a brain now. Her stunt with the other Kira was interesting, I assume she didn't play the first part..I wonder how she explained how she got him to tell her? A little unrealistic.



I'm hoping you are correct about Misa "getting a brain" i've found her rather annoying and her presence has been "trying" to say the least. If this a turning point for her i'll be very happy.

I think that the third Kira's "confession" can be easily explainable. According to Misa he has been messaging her since the first time they met, so it is obvious he wants to get in her pants. Couple that with the fact that the Yotsuba group was informed by Coil that Misa is obsessed with Kira, and well its not too hard to see that he might confess to try and impress her.

What might be harder to swallow for L might be her reasoning for going on a date with the guy. The investigation angle seems obvious, however the fact that she chose him first seems a little too convenient.

[zaldar]

Well it seems the second Kira still doesn't have a brain...Um if you TRIED you could not contradict your story by not admitting ever that you were able to convince him you were the second Kira how exactly do you think you are going to be able to explain that (and why didn't L ask how you did it? other than the obvious well there is no way we can write ourselves out of this one). It was nice to see matsuba get to be the hero. How did L get a spy on the board? I don't remember that happening. The opening and closing still have yet to grow on me Japanese metal is just annoying even more so than it's American counterpart. L's trick was handled well is Sakura Tv a real thing in Japan? Anyway will be interesting to see how they write themselves our of this situation. Thankfully Missa Missa was still able to say she didn't remember killing anyone without lying.

[DKL]

If there's any doubts about pointing out some humorous things, you could always watch the interview with Tetsuro Araki where he pretty much says that he inserted dark humor in the first episode...

*or, better yet, watch his work in Galaxy Angel and Black Lagoon... he is a funny-ass guy*

But seriously: I really like the approach he takes since, without it, all I'm left with is the ridiculous plot.

Thing is, despite being humorous (and, honestly, what wasn't funny about the montage of Matsuda's incompetence set to the Gregorian chants), it also looks REALLY stylish as well (despite the hokeyness of the sequence where Higuchi lays Misa down set to the sound of an airplane); so, either way, it kinda just enhances the entertainment.

And even then, he successfully affects the viewer with feelings of intensity; I got so amped towards the end of this week's episode (on top of Higuchi getting jerked around and grinding his teeth in frustration)!

ANYWAY... this episode was really cool; I liked the facial expressions *and the lip flaps* and the evil laugh in the end was great...

In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw a show with such an emphasis on evil laughs during key moments; I think it's safe to say that they are back in fashion.

As for the plot: I dunno... I just buy whatever they explain to me since there's this tendency to pile it on thick.

I mean:

Well, Misa was like... they found out that she was interrogated at one point for being the second Kira, so I guess it would make sense that that was what she would allegedly use to prove to Higuchi that she was what she said she was... and if they interviewed him later, Misa could just say that she told him that she was the second Kira to fool him later and she can't get nailed later on.

But, I dunno; need to see that shit over (which is what the DVDs are for); they really shove in a lot of details...

[Shsway]

I did feel the way you do about Misa until last night's episode. It's not like she's become a genius in that short gap between memory loss and recovery, but did you listen to her asides/thoughts in the ep? I think that she's very aware of the conclusions that L has come to, based on her comments in last week's show(?) Yet she still felt that she had to give herself (and maybe Light), away a bit. While I don't really respect the character more, she seems to know what she's doing.

Yeah, I need to get this on DVD too, so I can absorb some of the details a bit better.

If there's any doubts about pointing out some humorous things, you could always watch the interview with Tetsuro Araki where he pretty much says that he inserted dark humor in the first episode...

*or, better yet, watch his work in Galaxy Angel and Black Lagoon...he is a funny-ass guy*

Oh! I hadn't made that connection between those shows yet! Interesting...

And yeah, last night's offering ROCKED; this show has a hellovalot of style in its approach.

[DKL]

I don't know if it's legal for me to do stuff like this here, but I actually put together small presentation through the showing of youtube clips; feel free to edit this post if it's not allowed, but I'm really only using these as examples:

*I'm talking about Tetsuro Araki*

Just Wiki'd the guy. I guess if you really want to show your talent, you might as well start with the paycheck shows.

Essentially, this:

Galaxy Angel Clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUYr1916y-U)

*the robot sequence, specifically*

Eventually lead to this:

Black Lagoon Clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7m82pev3Iw&feature=related)

*notice the one sequence where the Maid spins around while the camera is rotating*

Which eventually lead to this:

Death Note clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9-YncEi4U0)

*Notice how it really looks like they threw a bunch of money towards an elaborate monologue sequence which was essentially potato chip eating*

============

It's really funny how these things work out.

=====

But yes, Araki did a handful of Galaxy Angel episodes...

He did the robot parody... the one about the war veteran and the dog... the "attack on the castle" episode...

I also think he did that one where it had the girls hanging on a cliff and trying to place blame as to whose fault it was...

He also storyboarded a lot of the excellent episodes, such as the one where Mint tries to murder her comrades over the fact that she didn't want them to figure out that she got her head struck in those wooden photo thingies where you put your face in them... or something.

But I'm not sure: I'm doing all this from memory.

OH YEAH, I'm watching the AX videos and I seem to have forgotten that Araki also did the really cute Cardcaptor Sakura video shorts...

Well, yeah, he did those.

[JimMcH]

This weekend's episode was interesting to say the LEAST. I kind of anticipate what is going to happen next, though I am unsure where things will go from there.

I still have faults with the show, and it doesn't appear that it will live up to it's potential, but the last few episodes have been very good. Hopefully that trend will continue for the remainder of the series.

[zaldar]

I mean ok so he gets it back again and he immediately becomes evil again? I really find it hard to believe the power would corrupt him like that. I mean he was a totally different person without it....(sigh). Ah well I like everything else about the show except that part of its basic premise (though I can see where Japan would have that philosophy). Will probably keep me from buying it but I may rent it sometime to check out the extras.

I am not sure I understand why he switched the books the way he did. Was that supposed to influence her to do the eye deal again? Did that somehow cause her to forget her name...I am not sure but was the book he buried hers?

I expect the investigator knows he is going to die now. Like the above poster I am not sure where they go from here...

[joelgundam01]

I am not sure I understand why he switched the books the way he did.

From what I'm understanding. He switched the books (through the Shimigami), so his and Misa's memories would be in both books. Notice that the book, that the third Kira had was Misa's?

Was that supposed to influence her to do the eye deal again?

Most likely! After all, the book she touched belonged to Ryok (Light's original Death Note). If she got Rem's book again, Rem would most likely refuse offering her the Shimigami eyes again.

Did that somehow cause her to forget her name?

I don't think so, it was more of a back up plan. Just in case, if she did forgot L's name.

[sbarrett321]

Actually, Ryuk's death note was the one the third Kira was using, and part of the reason Light made the switch.

1) Ryuk's Death Note (Light's original note) had directions written in english. This way, whoever receives the death note knows how to use it.
2) But Light wants Rem to haunt that death note, and Ryuk to haunt Misa's notebook, because he needs Misa to recover her own notebook for her memories to return. As Rem says when she touches Misa with a piece of the notebook in the restroom, "I know this isn't enough to bring back her memories" because Misa had never used Light's notebook. Light also wants Ryuk to be there so that if Misa doesn't remember L's name, she can make the eye deal again and Ryuk will not stop her.
3) Light convinces Rem that he's doing the Death Note switch because he knows Rem would never let evidence that connects Misa to Kira to be out in the open, however small it might be.
4) There's one more reason why Light needs Ryuk to be with Misa, and Rem to be with him, but this isn't revealed until later.

It's a little unfair in both the manga and the anime that the scene you see before Light loses his memories is when he initially gives Rem the death note that belonged to Misa, then you see Rem fly away. The flashback scene of them swaping notebooks happens between those two scenes, so Rem actually flies off with Light's notebook (he's actually giving up ownership of "Misa's notebook", which is haunted by Ryuk, when he's locked up)

[Sheldon]

death note is so impressive its almost intimidatin

[zaldar]

Now I am really confused...So a death god can "haunt" another death gods book?

[joelgundam01]

Actually, Ryuk's death note was the one the third Kira was using, and part of the reason Light made the switch.

<snip>


Oh! Thanks, that makes a lot more sense too.

[joelgundam01]

Now I am really confused...So a death god can "haunt" another death gods book?

Yes! Remember the book that Light found wasn't Ryok's Death Note. It originally belonged to another Shimigami (Remember in the beginning? Ryok said he had two Death Notes.) and the one Rem had originally belonged to Jealousy.

[sbarrett321]

Now I am really confused...So a death god can "haunt" another death gods book?

Not normally, but in the case that a book that "belongs" to a Death God (and specifically not his OWN Death Note) is dropped in the human world, that Death God is attached (or haunts) that person until they are done with the book. In the Death Note switch scene, Light intentionally switches the ownership of the books:

1) Light returns Misa's book to Rem (Rem was originally attached to that book), then has Rem give it to Ryuk (now the book belongs to Ryuk, actually giving him his own, Light's book - which is still possessed by Light - and Misa's book). Then Light has Ryuk drop it back to Earth, and picks it back up. "Hey, that didn't change anything," Ryuk says, to which Light plays it off and says "Yeah, I guess not" though he knows it actually has: Ryuk now haunts both Misa's book and Light's book.

2) Light returns "his" Death note (the one with english directions that he had at the beginning) to Ryuk, and then asks Ryuk to give it to Rem. At this point, Rem is the owner of Light's book, and will haunt the 3rd Kira when she gives it to him. It is implied that Light used Misa's notebook at some point (probably writing a criminal name or two into it), because when he gives up his ownership of it to Rem, he still has his memories because he still has posession of Misa's note.

Technically, Light could regain his memories from either Death Note, because he used both of them, whereas Misa can only regain her memories by gaining ownership of her original Death Note (the only one she used), which Light buries in the forest, gives up ownership of while imprisioned, and throughout the entire Yotsuba arc is quietly, unmovingly haunted by Ryuk (who apparently gets bored and returns to the realm of the Death Gods until Misa picks it up).

This whole sequence (with the four things I detailed previously) is one of the more complicated plans in the series, but there are definitely a few others to come. The "How to Read, Vol 13" manga volume has a few very handy sections, including a detailed explanation of this sequence, as well as my favorite part: A complete listing of every "trick" done in the series, a small explanation of what was being attempted or accomplished, and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for each.

[zaldar]

Ok so why did he do this? Why make it this complicated? Where can I find this how to read manga 13 I may actually need it to figure this stuff out...

[sbarrett321]

Ok so why did he do this? Why make it this complicated? Where can I find this how to read manga 13 I may actually need it to figure this stuff out...

Tonight should have answered most, if not all, of your questions.

[Shsway]

Shit, I so did not expect this to happen! It can't be real, and I have no idea where the show will be going with this now.

The things about L hearing the bell like that was pretty creepy - I'll even throw out there the idea that this was one of the darkest eps in the series, if not the darkest. Yet it was still funny. I mean, L and Light were having a thoroughly homoerotic moment in that one scene. Light even looked a little shocked when L dropped dead, didn't he? Or did I just imagine that?

Good God, if I disliked Misa before, I really hated her in this one. At least the actress cast had a good singing voice. I really don't understand the enormity of her fan base at all.

[ryverstar]

Shit, I so did not expect this to happen! It can't be real, and I have no idea where the show will be going with this now.

The things about L hearing the bell like that was pretty creepy - I'll even throw out there the idea that this was one of the darkest eps in the series, if not the darkest. Yet it was still funny. I mean, L and Light were having a thoroughly homoerotic moment in that one scene. Light even looked a little shocked when L dropped dead, didn't he? Or did I just imagine that?

While I thought the foot drying scene between L and Light was more than a little homoerotic, it also struck me as being more than a little religious in symbolism. I felt this was a way for L to say Okay Light, you win. You are the new god of the world. I am here bowing at (or washing) your feet.

I am inclined to believe that there is some sort of "dead man's" booby trap left behind by L after his death for Light to trip over set up either by L or by L and Rem together. It did not appear to me that Light wanted to leave L & Rem alone together to possibly plan something behind his back. We will find out soon enough.

[tanahome]

Good God, if I disliked Misa before, I really hated her in this one. At least the actress cast had a good singing voice. I really don't understand the enormity of her fan base at all.
yea, i have to admit that i really hate Misa's character too now. i was a big fan until i realized how psychotic she was...

[tanahome]

I am inclined to believe that there is some sort of "dead man's" booby trap left behind by L after his death for Light to trip over set up either by L or by L and Rem together. It did not appear to me that Light wanted to leave L & Rem alone together to possibly plan something behind his back. We will find out soon enough.
i find it hard to believe that L and REM had something planned together, especially since REM goes off and kills Wataru and L. however, if the other theory holds true that L & REM did have something plan, could it be that Wataru didn't have much longer to live and L somehow was "transcending" to something else. i don't know, but it seems like we have yet to hear the last of L.

[ryverstar]

I am inclined to believe that there is some sort of "dead man's" booby trap left behind by L after his death for Light to trip over set up either by L or by L and Rem together. It did not appear to me that Light wanted to leave L & Rem alone together to possibly plan something behind his back. We will find out soon enough.
i find it hard to believe that L and REM had something planned together, especially since REM goes off and kills Wataru and L. however, if the other theory holds true that L & REM did have something plan, could it be that Wataru didn't have much longer to live and L somehow was "transcending" to something else. i don't know, but it seems like we have yet to hear the last of L.

There is little doubt that L was desperate. He never let go of the idea that Light was Kira. L could not prove it either. The points of the story that I cannot unstick in my mind are:

1. With the certainty there was a second Death Note, actually seeing Rem, & Light's change since touching the Death Note in the helicopter, L was (nearly) out of options. L knew he was a dead man.

2. L realized something was up with the torn pages even though Rem would not confirm it.

3. Rem actually had 2 notebooks. The Death Note originally given to Misa was the one Rem picked up after the other Shinegami saved Misa's life . . . NOT Rem's original book.

4. When Light went down to see Misa, L and Rem could have talked (planned) undisturbed. Light only went to see Misa for a few minutes at a time, but it could have been long enough.

It is hard to believe Rem was going to blindly do what Light wanted once Rem figured out the setup. That would be too easy. I can't help thinking that something may have been set up between Rem and L. Then again if the characters acted sensibly, the story would be much, much shorter and much, much less interesting.

[Fencedude]

So I guess it was Ladies night tonight huh...

I am amazed that there are people who frequent anime messageboards taht didn't know about this event. Impressive feat you guys.

[zaldar]

Ok so why did he do this? Why make it this complicated? Where can I find this how to read manga 13 I may actually need it to figure this stuff out...

Tonight should have answered most, if not all, of your questions.

Crap and I was out playing red dwarf pen and paper RPG with friends and forgot to tvio it...I don't suppose the episode this is on is available for rent yet is it?

May have to go watch it on adult swim in little tiny screen (sigh)

[Shsway]

While I thought the foot drying scene between L and Light was more than a little homoerotic, it also struck me as being more than a little religious in symbolism. I felt this was a way for L to say Okay Light, you win. You are the new god of the world. I am here bowing at (or washing) your feet.

Yeah, that's exactly what a friend of mine was saying about that particular scene. It makes perfect sense, but still confuses me greatly in context. Which is pretty good, actually.

I am inclined to believe that there is some sort of "dead man's" booby trap left behind by L after his death for Light to trip over set up either by L or by L and Rem together. There has to be, right??

So I guess it was Ladies night tonight huh...

Huh? What?

I am amazed that there are people who frequent anime messageboards taht didn't know about this event. Impressive feat you guys.Well, some of us ARE watching it for the first time, ya know?

[Fencedude]

So I guess it was Ladies night tonight huh...

Huh? What?

Its a joke. A bad one, but one anyway. Remove the "a" from that word.

I am amazed that there are people who frequent anime messageboards taht didn't know about this event. Impressive feat you guys.Well, some of us ARE watching it for the first time, ya know?

I know that, obviously. Its just that this has got to have been one of the most spoiled events ever in the history of manga and anime. I'm amazed that there are people on the internet who didn't get it inadvertently spoiled.

[Shsway]

Well, some of us ARE watching it for the first time, ya know?I know that, obviously. Its just that this has got to have been one of the most spoiled events ever in the history of manga and anime. I'm amazed that there are people on the internet who didn't get it inadvertently spoiled.

Hah - well, admittedly I haven't even been trying to get spoiled on this one. I do sometimes feel that I have to look for extra information on certain programs, but I really like the crazy, often excessively explained twists up in here. :P

I even stopped reading the manga so that I could savor the animated version. I'll fill in the gaps and compare/contrast print to pretty, moving pictures later.

[zaldar]

I saw "ladies night" coming but I didn't think it would happen this early. Man that was impressive. I have to say part of me feels for light and misa misa. But then I am and always have been a supporting of the death penalty.

Misa Misa as a gothic loli though THAT was freaky. *shiver* what was the song she was singing? Did anyone notice we saw the same red glow in Rems' eyes when he was writing in the notebook that we saw in Lights eyes when he was winning? Adds some fuel to the idea that Rem has won in some way here.

I wonder what L is going to do with Misa Misa now? I can see him killing her off to. If he does that though he is an idiot..I mean how often do you get a totally devoted woman (and even though she is freaky scary she is still hot...)

That was an awesome episode. I don't agree with the under current philosophy (Light is good without the notebook bad with it) but the show is so good I may just have to buy this one. Ending is either going to be awesome or incredibly crappy. With this much build up it will either be a revelation or a total let down.

What happened on bleach last week? Didn't get to see that one unfortunately and cartoon network doesn't seem to carry that one online.

[zaldar]

Well that has to be the best rehash little bit I have ever seen. Very nicely done and there is still more of the episode left. I really do love this show.

OOO....L has friends...powerful looking friends. It is never a good thing to mess with the white haired kid..especially if he is messing with a puzzle where all the pieces are white. Especially with the title of the next episode...it looks like things are about to get interesting, very interesting.

[Suko-chan]

Well that has to be the best rehash little bit I have ever seen. Very nicely done and there is still more of the episode left. I really do love this show.
I was worried it was just going to be a recap/clip show... nice to see how they handled it.

[zaldar]

Well that has to be the best rehash little bit I have ever seen. Very nicely done and there is still more of the episode left. I really do love this show.
I was worried it was just going to be a recap/clip show... nice to see how they handled it.

Agreed still somewhat confused about the whole book swap thing...it seems like there would have been an easier way to get rid of Rem. I wonder how long it is going to take him to kill of Misa Misa...*cries* I would hate to see her go though even if she is evil as sin..

[zaldar]

*shiver* I just watched lasts weeds episode on DVR and oh my this show just keeps getting better and better and raising the bar more and more. I have been worried for some time now they are not going to be able to find a place to go next but they keep on surprising me. How I love M and N. Or as M shall now be forever known...the Kira L. I mean the way he eats the chocolate bar is absolutely the way Kira ate the chip in the infamous scene. That has to be purposeful.

So what is the name for the problem where you kill one enemy but make two more in the process (besides the US strategy in the middle east)...now Kira has the Kira L and another L on his tail and he may have to kill his own sister (which I actually don't see him hesitating to do really). *shiver* I am having to disipline myself to keep myself from going out and buying the dvds now. I am still worried about it ending well, especially after Eureka Seven which I didn't think ended well at all (waaaay to sappy and cheesy). But man it is sooo good right now. Leap years beyond blood +.

How people can not like this as some have told me they don't I can not understand. Even if you favorite is the tame, slice of life, (some would say female anime) like Aria how can the intellectual dueling in this show NOT interest you?

[Shsway]

How people can not like this as some have told me they don't I can not understand. Even if you favorite is the tame, slice of life, (some would say female anime) like Aria how can the intellectual dueling in this show NOT interest you?

There are folks who don't get into this sort of thing. They're entitled to like what they like.

Anyway, I'm still interested in seeing how things will turn out. Light spared his sister, which I was truly happy to see, but I think dad is up next on "Win, Lose, or Die". And could we be seeing a little guilt mixed in with his anger?

Part of me is really enjoying how he takes it out on Misa, as I despise her, and love that she's getting a closer look at the Light that she claims to adore.

Brad Swaile was just excellent in this one. I used to think that he wouldn't be able to carry off the part, but now I don't think I'll be able to hear his voice without thinking of the Yagami boy...

[zaldar]

Oh agreed. Was not meant to be harsh at all. Sorry if it came off that way. I can't understand it but then their are people who can't understand how I can't really get into magical girl shows.

So on this weeks episode was interesting and as soon as I figure out how to do the spoil tags I will be back to update and put my thoughts up on it.

Ah so the tag is simple now cool

so was he right morally to give the book away? Does the lives of all the people the Kira L kills now fall on his head? I had real mixed emotions on that one. The whole super villan way he was prepared though was cool totally comic book and unrealistic but we left reality behind a long time ago. The style reminds me a little of bond movies actually, which really isn't a bad thing. The hatred for Misa Misa surprises me. I mean if someone killed my parents I would want them to die and I could see myself becoming friends with someone who killed them. Now she is an idiot and I can definitely understand finding her annoying on that score. Seeing L being hard on her when she is only trying to be helpful is hard for me as no one deserves to be treated like this but ah we all knew L wasn't good but if you didn't than his explanation of why he couldn't kill his sister left no doubt...wait it will come back to haunt me oh wait can't do that. Anyway was a fun episode will be interesting to see how things turn out.

[JackC]

I just want to say that I think Cathy Weseluck easily trumps the japanese seiyuu when it comes to Near, She is so good in fact that I had trouble telling if it was an actual male talking or a female doing a boys voice.

[fokkusuhaundo]

She is so good in fact that I had trouble telling if it was an actual male talking or a female doing a boys voice.
Near's voiced by a woman? That's news to me, and it wouldn't have surprised me knowing how common children are voiced women if Near didn't sound so much like an actual male. Overall I'd have to say that I prefer the dub performances over the original Japanese voices from what I've seen of the show fansubbed; Alessandro Juliani's L and Cathy Weseluck's Near is just too hard to beat. Mello still needs some work, but his performance in this week's episode was better than last week.

[zaldar]

She is so good in fact that I had trouble telling if it was an actual male talking or a female doing a boys voice.
Near's voiced by a woman? That's news to me, and it wouldn't have surprised me knowing how common children are voiced women if Near didn't sound so much like an actual male. Overall I'd have to say that I prefer the dub performances over the original Japanese voices from what I've seen of the show fansubbed; Alessandro Juliani's L and Cathy Weseluck's Near is just too hard to beat. Mello still needs some work, but his performance in this week's episode was better than last week.

Wow.....Near is voiced by a woman I didn't think that at all. Good job! If she ever posts here I will have to tell her how well she did. The kira L (mellon) is also voiced well.

[EmperorBrandon]

I just want to say that I think Cathy Weseluck easily trumps the japanese seiyuu when it comes to Near, She is so good in fact that I had trouble telling if it was an actual male talking or a female doing a boys voice.

Yeah, I think when I heard him in the dub, I wasn't thinking at all about him being voiced by a female, and thus I was surprised seeing Cathy Weseluck's name in the credits. She really pulls off a very convincing performance, I thought.

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

I thought Kirby Morrow was a good choice for Mikami. Can't wait to hear more of him next week. The only thing about the anime I'm really disliking is the huge sections of the manga that have been skipped. The 12:30am time slot doesn't bother at all seeing as it such a dark show.My favorite dub performance so far has to be Shannon Chan-Kent as Misa. I find her better is most scenes then Aya Hirano. And her voice just fits Misa so perfectly. Once its over in a few weeks I hope AS will give it another run down the line and not just throw away the rights like they have done recently with Blood +, Eureka Seven, and now Samurai Champloo.

[zaldar]

Come on now you should be past needing me to start discussions on this great show ;). Boy has it gotten interesting. Near really moved in this week but it seems like from last week that kira may have trumped him. The guy in the train could have been a set up, if that was the real notebook I couldn't see him taking it out when there was obviously other people around. As well if he knew he was being followed he could have acted like he was talking with a shnigami. Or maybe it was the real one and he isn't being followed.

What was this discussion about the 23 days without being controlled? I don't think I have caught that reference before. Man this show just keeps getting better and better!

[dragoon]

Man this show just keeps getting better and better!

Agreed. I'm surprised the commentary is surprisingly sparse in this forum for such a big series like this. Maybe most are waiting for it on DVD?

The suspense of this show has been nonstop as far as I am concerned. Amazing series that when all is said and done, depending on how they end it, could very well be my favorite Anime series ever.

Many people complain that the series hasn't been as good since the L event, but I disagree. I view it as a passage of seasons, each segment of the storyline contributing to one grand story... it's just different, rather than being bad. The battle of wits between Light and Near have been riveting and just as exciting for me as his previous match against L.

Next weekend can't come soon enough.

[zaldar]

I know with shows like this I am always worried about how they are going to end it. Battlestar galactica is the same way. It just keeps getting better and better but how do you end it? Sci-fi stuff has that problem. The ranma series did not end well at all for example.

[zaldar]

Well tonights episode was interesting will wait a bit to post more comments but I must have missed an episode though I didn't think I did. Light is such a total bastard...

Did anyone else think when he got into the back while the others were in the front he was going to kill them? I never thought he was going to kill her. Did she know he was going to though was that why she was crying, or did this have something to do with the fact that some people still think if you use the deathnote you die? The comment about killing as many people as she could while she still could was a little odd. Would have been nice to see a little more skin I mean with all the violence they have gotten waaay beyond pg rating. Ah well. Will be interesting to see what L and N are planning and who really knows what the other is going to do. I almost thought N had coordinated the kidnapping with L at first but it doesn't look that way now. The symboylism of her buring in a church was interesting. It was a sad end for mellow though...ah well

How did mellow hurt his face, I don't remember that happening.

I can't wait for next week!

[pianocello]

Would have been nice to see a little more skin I mean with all the violence they have gotten waaay beyond pg rating.

Yes. Some nudity is always nice. :blush1:

[DKL]

Well tonights episode was interesting will wait a bit to post more comments but I must have missed an episode though I didn't think I did. Light is such a total bastard...

Did anyone else think when he got into the back while the others were in the front he was going to kill them? I never thought he was going to kill her. Did she know he was going to though was that why she was crying, or did this have something to do with the fact that some people still think if you use the deathnote you die? The comment about killing as many people as she could while she still could was a little odd. Would have been nice to see a little more skin I mean with all the violence they have gotten waaay beyond pg rating. Ah well. Will be interesting to see what L and N are planning and who really knows what the other is going to do. I almost thought N had coordinated the kidnapping with L at first but it doesn't look that way now. The symboylism of her buring in a church was interesting. It was a sad end for mellow though...ah well

How did mellow hurt his face, I don't remember that happening.

I can't wait for next week!

SPOILERS SPECIFIC TO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT:

Mello fucked up his face during the raid on the mafia hideout place thing... I mean, the place blew up, so...

Oh man, next week's episode is going to be AWESOME; I've been waiting a long while to see this one in English...

Oh, and I gotta stop randomly popping in and out of this place.

[zaldar]

Ah I must have missed that episode. I wonder if AS still has it up probably not...that would make sense. Good to hear the next episode is cool. No comment on seeing it in other ways.

Yes don't pop in and out come to stay and discuss!

[dragoon]

Regarding Mello, DKL is correct.

About AdultSwim, I believe they only keep up one episode up at a time. They do have a ton of short clips though.

About this week's episode...

A little anticlimactic given two recent deaths of pretty important characters, but I enjoyed the episode as a whole regardless.

Like any good suspenseful/thriller drama, we see characters continue to go down one after another as we approach the end. I hope Matsuda makes it out a live, the world wouldn't be the same without him. lol

Mello is down. Mello is down. YAY. (Sorry Mello fans ;))

Mello's plan was pretty cool. The way he kidnapped Takada and the chase scene. However, once he got her, he was seemingly totally unprepared and had nothing going on...

Light once again seems to be several steps ahead of everyone, predicting something like this might happen he had a back up plan with Takada. I was sad to see her die. As much as I have been enjoying Light's moving of the chess pieces, it was still tragic, though not entirely expected to see her ultimately be nothing more than another pawn.

Another interesting moment is how both Light and Near think they know what the other will do. In both their eyes both are falling right into their own traps with the meeting they arranged. I can't wait to see how this turns out and who ultimately predicted the proper plan.

2 episodes to go... I'm breathless in anticipation to see how it turns out, but at the same time I don't want to see this to end. Anyone know if they're going to show the Special?

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

Can't believe that we only have 2 episodes left. This has been an enjoyable ride.

[zaldar]

Regarding Mello, DKL is correct.

About AdultSwim, I believe they only keep up one episode up at a time. They do have a ton of short clips though.

About this week's episode...

A little anticlimactic given two recent deaths of pretty important characters, but I enjoyed the episode as a whole regardless.

Like any good suspenseful/thriller drama, we see characters continue to go down one after another as we approach the end. I hope Matsuda makes it out a live, the world wouldn't be the same without him. lol

Mello is down. Mello is down. YAY. (Sorry Mello fans ;))

Mello's plan was pretty cool. The way he kidnapped Takada and the chase scene. However, once he got her, he was seemingly totally unprepared and had nothing going on...

Light once again seems to be several steps ahead of everyone, predicting something like this might happen he had a back up plan with Takada. I was sad to see her die. As much as I have been enjoying Light's moving of the chess pieces, it was still tragic, though not entirely expected to see her ultimately be nothing more than another pawn.

Another interesting moment is how both Light and Near think they know what the other will do. In both their eyes both are falling right into their own traps with the meeting they arranged. I can't wait to see how this turns out and who ultimately predicted the proper plan.

2 episodes to go... I'm breathless in anticipation to see how it turns out, but at the same time I don't want to see this to end. Anyone know if they're going to show the Special?

do we know if she knew he was going to kill her? It kind of looked like she did..I can't see her agreeing to that...

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

Acording to the Adult Swim master schedule its going to repeats after it ends.

[dragoon]

You're right, disappointing that we won't get the special.

I'll be sure to ask more about that once we finish the series as I'm guessing it's spoiler specific right now.

[DKL]

You're right, disappointing that we won't get the special.

I'll be sure to ask more about that once we finish the series as I'm guessing it's spoiler specific right now.

I've only seen bits of the special [which is essentially a summary of the first half of the show, but with two extra scenes] and there's one scene in particular that I REALLY liked:

SUPER SPOILERS (sort of... yeah, it is, but only for the first half of the show)

The part where Light starts laughing over L's grave; it was the funniest thing ever.

EDIT: I mean like seriously friggin' funny.

[dragoon]

I hope they at least post it on Adult Swim online then as it sounds like a must see.

[DKL]

Isn't it like 3 hours though?

I don't think they're gonna bother...

Still, that extra scene was just too epic.

[dragoon]

I didn't know it was that long. Well, I guess there goes that idea. LOL I guess I'll have to get the DVD in like 6 months or whatever to find out.

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

I wonder if Viz even licensed the special? The way Adult Swim BS's around with the anime these days I'll be stunned if Death Note even gets another complete run though. As of right now there seposed to start a new series in Aug. Moribito.

[DKL]

Oh man! Today is the day!

...

We should have a countdown party!

*no, not really... I'm just really excited*

[zaldar]

*as DKl turns around he notices the big banner he missed coming in reading *countdown to DeathNote second to last episode 12 hours to go!*

Punch? Cookies TWELVE HOURS TO GO ON THE EAST COAST!!!

[JackC]

And Then There Was One, I already saw the ep on the Fix.

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

This show just flew by. Its a shame its in the crapper raitings wise. Then again what show isn't on Adult Swim these days anime wise.

[zaldar]

Zaldar starts jumping up and down as he looks at the clock FOUR HOURS TO GO WEE!

[zaldar]

Ok well massive spoilers ahead...oh boy do they ever know how to tick me off dang cliffhangers!

Well that was such a bad cliffhanger. He actually admitted it to Near right before he thought near was going to die so now when Near does not he has everything he needs to put him away. If he had just kept his mouth shut I wouldn't be sure they had enough on him. I thought it was only in American movies that the villain lost by gloating in the end. sigh. Ah well it will be interesting to see how near got over the fake notebook. I had figured Kira assumed they were going to try and tamper with it as soon as he had requested a fake one to be made. As we never saw him with a cell phone it would have been impossible to guess the cell phone set up (though I suppose with the pages he sent the spokesperson we might should have guessed it). Still I suppose the hint at the end was with the testing. I assume near did somehow test it we just didn't see it. He did have the guy touch it but still even if it he didn't see the shigama that doesn't prove it wasn't real the shigama had to be around the person who controled the death note and not only did near not know that the guy controling it wasn't around. Will be interesting to see how he tested it. Anyway overall a very good episode. Next week is going to be great.

[DKL]

Actually, if you go back, you do indeed see him whip out the cellphone.

[dragoon]

The cliffhanger is what made this episode so great. It was intense and they reeled the viewer in, until the last second.

Even if he didn't admit it, as far as the story is concerned Near and the others would have felt it was enough to put Light away if his name wasn't on the Notebook anyway. I really doubt Near would plan this whole thing leading up to that moment if wasn't enough for prosecution.

Amazing episode. I can't wait to see how it will all end up next week.

[DKL]

The entire DELETE sequence made the damn episode...

It's still fucking amazing, son.

[JimMcH]

I just finished the last two episodes, and I must say, wow! What a conclusion!

[DKL]

Hey, they did the last episode early...

WOW...

That was probably one of the single best dubbed episodes I've ever listened to.

Goddamn.

But yeah... the intensity of Tetsuro Araki's direction is conveyed very well; individually, this is also one of my favorite episodes of anime...

And the goddamn production values are through the roof, despite the limited setting... it's very imaginative with respect to style.

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

While I have yet to see the last episode I have been told about it. I loved how the manga ended so I hope they veer too far off.

[ffnut]

Ok well massive spoilers ahead...oh boy do they ever know how to tick me off dang cliffhangers!

Well that was such a bad cliffhanger. He actually admitted it to Near right before he thought near was going to die so now when Near does not he has everything he needs to put him away. If he had just kept his mouth shut I wouldn't be sure they had enough on him. I thought it was only in American movies that the villain lost by gloating in the end. sigh. Ah well it will be interesting to see how near got over the fake notebook. I had figured Kira assumed they were going to try and tamper with it as soon as he had requested a fake one to be made. As we never saw him with a cell phone it would have been impossible to guess the cell phone set up (though I suppose with the pages he sent the spokesperson we might should have guessed it). Still I suppose the hint at the end was with the testing. I assume near did somehow test it we just didn't see it. He did have the guy touch it but still even if it he didn't see the shigama that doesn't prove it wasn't real the shigama had to be around the person who controled the death note and not only did near not know that the guy controling it wasn't around. Will be interesting to see how he tested it. Anyway overall a very good episode. Next week is going to be great.

Regarding the confession, it's not the first time he did something like that. Remember the FBI agent he killed? He showed himself as the guy was having a heart attack. And the guy's fiance? He told her he was Kira at the last second as well. When you think you're god, you can get a bit arrogant.

Not that it would have made a difference anyway. With Mikami, who only entered the room after Light said it was okay, and Light's name not in the fake notebook, Light would have been arrested anyway. Since both notebooks were in police hands, and Light didn't have anything set up like last time, the murders would have stopped for good. Even if he somehow wasn't convicted, he wouldn't be able to get his hands on either notebook ever again. It's still over.

[zaldar]

Finally got around to watching the last episode WOW.

Definitely like a Shakespearean tragedy. The way Near won was somewhat underwhelming just simple good police work. I was hoping for something more elaborate. I am still not exactly sure how mello figured out he needed to capture the women. Takeda was awesome as was kira's little speech and near's response. If we could debate politics here boy could I start some interesting discussions. If he had not killed some of the non criminals I might feel for him more... any differences in the Manga? It was interesting that part of the agreement is that a god of death gets to write your name in his notebook if you pick one up. Is the quote that you don't go to heaven or hell if you use a deathnote taken care of in the manga? The anime today seemed to say humans went to nothingness when they died all of them which I suppose would take care of it. I was hoping he would become a god of death somehow and end up bored like Riuk. Having think of the real things he cared about Mia, his older self, as he dies was very good and the production values were insanely high also. I almost thought Mikia mie was going to kill herself...or sing again that would have been awesome.

This one is worth buying I think maybe in singles if the extras are good.

[dragoon]

I felt the finale was anticlimactic. It pretty much played out predictably based on the second to last episode. It was heavily portended that Light would lose due to his arrogance and failed to predict the Mikami variable. We also see the explanation of Mello and the previous episodes and what that all meant.

That small disappointment aside I thought this was the most suspenseful, edge of the seat and intense series I've ever seen. I was looking forward to the next episode with such anticipation, and now that'll be over.

The sophistication of the dialogue, the storyline, the production values, the whole battle of wits between Light, L and Near was amazing. Truly a series in its own class, while not perfect, certainly a masterpiece in my book. If I had to pick my favorite single series, I'd pick this one. I'm definitely getting this series, but I'm waiting for the box set this fall (I'm hoping they'll fix the mono issue by then. :()

Now, to await Monster to see if that will top this one...

[Classical]

I figure I'd post my impressions of the last episode. Well, here I go.

This is one of the craziest episodes of anime I've ever seen. I can't believe Light gave himself away so easily. He was pretty much calm and collected throughout the series up until this point. It was rather interesting to see Light squirm around trying to get himself out of the mess he got into. He just seemed so determined in wanting to beat Near and that's probably why I was kinding of rooting for him to get himself out the whole mess he made. Still, in the end Light wound up dying, with Ryuk, ironically, writing his name in the Death Note. At this point I was more angry at Ryuk than at Light. I guess I feel angry that Ryuk thought of Light as a toy for his personal entertainment. In the end, I can say that this was easily one of the best anime series I've seen, despite having missed a few episodes. This is definitely a series I want to get at some point in the future.

[mitamaking]

So despite a hiccup along the way where it was moved around I think AS did a good job with Death Note, they even tried to advertise abit, not much mind you but some.
I stand by the opinion that AS is a billion times better than Sci-fi,1.they don't have 3 commercial breaks per show, but one, where it is suppose to be,2.No stupid Ani-Monday segways into commercials,3.They don't cut off the ending to show ads of Ghost Hunters.

I am glad AS won the rights to Death Note, and I hope they continue to beat Sci-fi for rights, congratulations Adult Swim you got an anime fan to praise you. Just don't do anything like you did to Blood + again, burying it at 1:30.

[zaldar]

well he pretty much said his whole point was to get rid of his own boredom early on. It was easy in the begining to pull for light got harder as time went on. Not as good as my favorite series but definitly going to look at picking it up.

[Orihimes_Boyfriend]

Well while they both had the same overall outcome I liked the manga ending better.

[zaldar]

What was different about the manga ending?

[Stormfalcon]

What was different? Light didn't get the peaceful and serene death that he was given in the anime. Oh no. Not at all. Went out like the punk he was. :devil:

[zaldar]

? Describe. Did Ruk not write his name in his book? How did he go about killing him?

[bluesilo]

I know the series is over on AD but for those of us who didn't see the series or read the manga please keep spoiler tags in tact. I've read and seen the ending but let's look out for others please. Thanks.

(Can we get a spoiler tag written in the heading as well?)

[Vegard Aune]

? Describe. Did Ruk not write his name in his book? How did he go about killing him?
Manga-ending:
Same up until the point where Mikami killed himself. In the manga, he simply shouted "You're not God!". Light then started begging Ryuk to save his life, but Ryuk then reminded him of the rules, and then said that he was going to kill Light instead. Light freaks out completely. Then there is a flashback to the beginning, where Light figures out that Ryuk's statement about Heaven and Hell is completely irrelevant; there IS no Heaven or Hell. The chapter ends with the line "All humans will, without exeption, eventually die. When they do, the place they go to is mu (Nothingness)".

There's also another chapter after that, taking place one year after Light's death, where it is mentioned that Near destroyed the notebook, Mikami was thrown in jail, and committed suicide shortly after. A group of Kira-supporters are shown gathering at a mountain, and that's the end of the series.

[zaldar]

I know the series is over on AD but for those of us who didn't see the series or read the manga please keep spoiler tags in tact. I've read and seen the ending but let's look out for others please. Thanks.

(Can we get a spoiler tag written in the heading as well?)

Why would you be reading this thread though if you haven't seen the series..? But ok will do.

[Stormfalcon]

? Describe. Did Ruk not write his name in his book? How did he go about killing him?

Vegard Aune pretty much covered it. Instead of serenely passing on alone on a flight of stairs, Light pretty much loses it and then some in front of everyone in the warehouse. Ryuk finally puts an end to things and tells Light that he's become boring. Entertaing for a good stretch of time, but ultimately boring in the end and writes Light's name in the book as Light watched on. Light's end in the manga was anything but peaceful.

As I said, he went out like the punk he was.

[zaldar]

? Describe. Did Ruk not write his name in his book? How did he go about killing him?

Vegard Aune pretty much covered it. Instead of serenely passing on alone on a flight of stairs, Light pretty much loses it and then some in front of everyone in the warehouse. Ryuk finally puts an end to things and tells Light that he's become boring. Entertaing for a good stretch of time, but ultimately boring in the end and writes Light's name in the book as Light watched on. Light's end in the manga was anything but peaceful.

As I said, he went out like the punk he was.

interesting what kind of logic did he use to decide heaven and hell didn't exist? speaking soly in the world of the anime, having these death gods and books that can kill people would make it easier for me to believe in other mystical ideas. Seeing his name written and knowing he is going to die would be tough, but as he was shot and running away he knew he was going to die anyway in the anime. I thought Ryuk gave him some hideous death or something dismemberment I don't know...something other than a simple heart attack.

[Stormfalcon]

? Describe. Did Ruk not write his name in his book? How did he go about killing him?

Vegard Aune pretty much covered it. Instead of serenely passing on alone on a flight of stairs, Light pretty much loses it and then some in front of everyone in the warehouse. Ryuk finally puts an end to things and tells Light that he's become boring. Entertaing for a good stretch of time, but ultimately boring in the end and writes Light's name in the book as Light watched on. Light's end in the manga was anything but peaceful.

As I said, he went out like the punk he was.

interesting what kind of logic did he use to decide heaven and hell didn't exist? speaking soly in the world of the anime, having these death gods and books that can kill people would make it easier for me to believe in other mystical ideas. Seeing his name written and knowing he is going to die would be tough, but as he was shot and running away he knew he was going to die anyway in the anime. I thought Ryuk gave him some hideous death or something dismemberment I don't know...something other than a simple heart attack.

True, the ultimate cause of death was a heart attack. However, Light was pretty much ranting and raving all the way up until the end. It's not so much that Ryuk caused Light to go out like a punk as it was Light himself.

[zaldar]

ah so when he was going on about how the world was going to hell and he was needed (some of which I found myself agreeing with) he died. Interesting change they made in the anime then. I wonder what the thought process was with that.

[Jimmie M]

? Describe. Did Ruk not write his name in his book? How did he go about killing him?

Vegard Aune pretty much covered it. Instead of serenely passing on alone on a flight of stairs, Light pretty much loses it and then some in front of everyone in the warehouse. Ryuk finally puts an end to things and tells Light that he's become boring. Entertaing for a good stretch of time, but ultimately boring in the end and writes Light's name in the book as Light watched on. Light's end in the manga was anything but peaceful.

As I said, he went out like the punk he was.

interesting what kind of logic did he use to decide heaven and hell didn't exist? speaking soly in the world of the anime, having these death gods and books that can kill people would make it easier for me to believe in other mystical ideas. Seeing his name written and knowing he is going to die would be tough, but as he was shot and running away he knew he was going to die anyway in the anime. I thought Ryuk gave him some hideous death or something dismemberment I don't know...something other than a simple heart attack.

True, the ultimate cause of death was a heart attack. However, Light was pretty much ranting and raving all the way up until the end. It's not so much that Ryuk caused Light to go out like a punk as it was Light himself.

I finally got to the final episode today (Time-shifted the entire series) & I definitely agree with you there on Light losing it at the end & going out with a whimper. I think that you could even argue that Light really started going insane with the first name that he wrote in the notebook & it cascaded throughout the series. This has been one hell of a series & I've really enjoyed the ride (And may add it to my collection at some point in the future). Great stuff!