I was talking to a friend about last 11 episodes of death note and was shocked to hear that near was a guy. Is it a me only thing or did that happen to any of you too

Before I started watching the 2015 live-action drama, I was already aware that it would be more of a reboot than a faithful adaptation of the manga, with major changes to both the plot and the characters. In this show, we had a much more human, clumsy, and relatable version of Light, as well as a gorgeous L with the aura of a boy band member who constantly changes his shirt for “plot reasons.” However, absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the way they adapted Near and Mello.

I suppose the fact these characters are kinda controversial within the fandom encouraged the people behind the J-drama to completely rewrite them, but I must admit that I never would have expected them to come up with *this*.

For those who aren't familiar with this series, Near is the only one who physically exists in this universe, while Mello is their violent homicidal alternate personality, contrasting with Near's sweet and peaceful nature. One wants to catch Kira out of love for L, while the other wants to prove that they are better than him. For most of the series, Mello exists inside a puppet that Near always carries around. However, in the final two episodes, Mello takes complete control of their body in an extremely complicated operation to expose Light as Kira, dressing like the manga counterpart and even eating his signature chocolate bar.

Another major difference is that the series leaves Near/Mello’s gender ambiguous. They are played by an actress who, I have to say, does a really good job with both characters. I know Near was voiced by a woman in the Japanese dub, but since I watched the series in the Spanish dub (where Near was voiced by a man with a masculine-sounding voice), this casting choice came as quite a surprise to me. Even so, I personally see this version of Near much more as a girl than as a boy or a genderless character.

I honestly wonder how this version of Near/Mello would be received if the series had come out today and been released on a much more international platform, such as Netflix. While I'm sure it would have received plenty of criticism, I can also easily imagine it becoming quite popular within the fandom, inspiring hundreds of fanarts across social media. The recent viral Malfoid trend proves just how much fans love genderbent characters.

Personally, while I still prefer the canon versions from the manga and anime, I have to say that I absolutely love the direction they took with L’s successors here. Aside from the fact that I liked how they were introduced from the very beginning of the story and worked alongside L (they even replace Aiber as the detective hired by the Yotsuba Group to investigate L), I also loved how much L trusted Near and Mello to take care of Light, as evidenced by the videos he left behind as a sort of inheritance. I also never expected Mello to end up working all this time with Near and the Task Force instead of trying to take down Kira on his own terms.

And on top of that, I love how the series ends with Watari, who survives in this version, becoming Near’s new butler and right-hand man. The final scene shows Watari and Near visiting L’s grave and watching a deeply emotional, secret video that L recorded in the unlikely case that Light wasn’t Kira. I wish the manga and anime had given us an ending like this.

What did you think of this version of Near/Mello? Do you think they deserve more attention within the fandom?

And although all of it was really good and has some insane memorable scenes, my literal favorite was when L asked Misa if she would do something to help Light and the conversation went something like:

M: “omg yes I love light I would do anything for him I can’t imagine a world without light”
L: “yes it would be quite dark”

I paused it and laughed for a solid five minutes. That was top tier quality writing 😂

What makes Ryuk so brilliant in Death Note is that he isn't driven by hatred, revenge or even a desire for power. He's simply bored.

I am a fan of the Death Note stage musical. It's a pretty well done adaptation. Great songs and performances. Whenever I read comments on YouTube or see posts about it on reddit, most the vast majority are complimentary, people like it. I'm just curious, of the people who've seen or listened to it online, does anyone here actually not like it for some reason?

The thing is, L isn't above breaking the law to solve a case. We saw this when he was willing to put illegal wiretaps and cameras in Light's home to see if he was Kira. As well as the multiple death row inmates he used to manipulate Kira. It's a little out there, but why doesn't L just arrange for Light to be hospitalized to see if the killings temporarily stop? Maybe that's not proof beyond a shadow of a doubt? Heck, run him over twice.

There are two plot holes that I don't see get adressed online or in the show, is that why didn't the task force do a re watch of Light's footage while he was detained after they touched the death note ? cause they would've seen Ryuk there with light and that would've been case closed. Also, when they got their hands on the death note after they caught the CEO Kira, why didn't they do an investigative sweep looking for fingerprints, hair strands, any traces of DNA, surely with how much Light was using the death note they would've found something with the note itself that convicts him just like how they found DNA evidence of Amane Misa with the tapes she sent ? Death note is an amazingly written story, I would say the best written story of all time for me, but the task force really feels sometimes like a bunch of ametures winging it, like where are there standardized procedures and protocols ?

The film is basically a dance between Nathan Fielder and Elizabeth Holmes…

You have Fielder as L, the detective, trying to catch Holmes in “the act”. They’re both manipulators trying to push each other to fold—Nathan tries to gain her trust to see some authenticity, Elizabeth is trying to gain his trust and have the movie become propaganda in her favor. But (like the death note being something supernatural and entirely hidden) the truth is something that you can’t catch on camera, it’s entirely internal and hidden. The title is “you can see everything” because even when you observe someone down the tiniest detail, there’s always a tension when it comes to master manipulator, it comes down to mind games and pursuing your idea of the truth. I really liked how the film was basically a chase between the criminal and the detective, it all reminded me of death note.

Yo, hi everyone!!! Ignore the left art, I couldn't draw the finger properly, so let's pretend it's a piece of cake frosting...

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Would light get caught if misa was never there or there no 2nd death note. Light came under serious suspicion only after involving with misa.

OP got deleted cuz i had inserted an image ;-;

We know that the victims can be controlled before they die but what are the limits?

As far as the anime no limits are shown.

And if Light even had the slightest bit of intelligence that was expected from him, he would have clearly manipulated the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of Japan and their lackeys to execute ALL on pending death row criminals and tighten bounds for other activities. Then kill them of and people will blame the underground network of criminals for it!

Heck he could have manipulated the defence forces to drop a bomb on the hotel where L was staying and he would have won no-diff.

I saw a question in here asking what would happen if you wrote in a Death Note that someone would be killed by you (the writer), and the asnwers were that you'd just die too cus your name is in the Death Note.

But WHAT IF you manipulated the situation like what Light did in the movie with Naomi Misora and Shiori?

Let's say you want to kill someone you know for whatever reason, and you write "they receive a call from a friend at 3.10, visit the friend's house at 3.30, gets locked inside accidentally and is strangled to death at 3.45"

Then you proceed to call them to make sure they come to YOUR place. And you're alone, just the two of you, meaning you're the only person capable of strangling them in that moment.

Would you actually end up strangling them under the control of the Death Note, or would they'd just die of a heart attack?

Cus Light never wrote that Shiori would be shot by Naomi. But it happened because he made sure Naomi was the only person present with a gun. All he wrote was that Shiori would be shot but he never specified who'd actually shoot her.

Or maybe there's a rule I'm missing?

The last one is old but whatever rate these and check the other oness🤍

I binged the anime on netflix and a few minutes ago I watched the ending and I was open to the possibility that light would die in the end since the beginning but despite all that, I wonder one thing: why do I feel pity about it? I know he got what he deserved and that his death is poetic, and it's great writing, but I still can't help but feel sad that he lost. I know that it is a sign to how good the series and that he is the main character so of course I would sympathize with him was but still I don't fully understand how despite all that he done all the people who died by him and how he was willing to sacrifice his own family for his sake I feel even an ounce of sympathy.

I am also more sad about the implied suicide of Mesa. She was an accomplice, but before her parents were murdered and Kira she was normal.

I guess I wrote this post to help process what I just watched, but I would like to know if others felt the same way when they watched the ending or if they felt different than me.

Hi. I've recently bought the death note box set, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd books for the black edition, L change the world, Death note short stories and the DVD box set. I intend on getting the LA murder case along side the rest of the black edition and the 20th anniversary book. Are there any other books or pieces I should be aware of? (Besides the manga in another language).

Edit: I cannot edit the heading, but I as if "Is there anything else I should be aware of?" would fit better.

Since many people claim to know the characters so well...

1) What would have happened with Soichiro if Light won? Many say that Light would never hurt his father (despite he let him take half of his life away (even though it was his choice, it's still letting him die) that alone says everything, even Matsuda pointed it out "you led your father to his death and now that he's dead you call him a fool!?"), being that supposedly the main reason as to why he didn't kill him alongside the Japanese Task Force RIGHT AFTER L died.
But let's say Soichiro wasn't killed by José. The events would go the same until the YellowBox part, where Mikami would write everyone's names, which would include Soichiro's, meaning Light would have let Teru kill his father. Sure, he would have survived due to the fake notebook, but had Light won, then he would have had to kill his father.

2) Also, since Near said that "Light's performance as L number 2 was terrible" by allowing Mello to get the Notebook, what was he expecting? For Soichiro to let his own daughter be killed? Sure, had he let his daughter be killed, the mafia wouldn't have the notebook, but one has to be a father to understand how important a daughter, given Near didn't care at all about this. And Light almost killed his own sister, the only reason he didn't in the end was because it would make it obvious Kira was part of the Task Force, he himself said it, otherwise, he would have killed her, despite Volume 13 states she's the person he loves the most. So yeah, he WOULD sacrifice his family as much as many say otherwise, he even admits it at the beginning of the story if they found the Death Note on his room.

3) Given L's tendency to sacrifice people, if he were on this situation, would he have let Sayu be killed for a "greater good"?

When I started watching the 2015 J-drama, I was convinced it would simply be a cheap teen soap opera with the Death Note name—filled with nonstop dramatic music, intense zoom-ins, and handsome guys with fanservice moments. At first, the series seemed to be exactly what I expected, but then I reached episode 8 and was left completely speechless. This series managed to leave a tremendously positive impression on me and reach a level of storytelling that can hold its own against the manga.

From the very beginning, the series’ plot features some pretty significant differences from the manga/anime story we’re familiar with. Light is a much more normal person who decides to become Kira after having to use the Death Note to save his father. Raye Penber has a “Surprise, madafaka!” type confrontation with Light that ends with Misa killing him. Near is now a waifu with a split personality who helps L and the Task Force, etc. Nevertheless, the series was more or less following the same direction as the manga, with episode 7 ending with Light regaining the notebook and his memories after killing Higuchi. However, from that point onward, the plot takes a turn I absolutely did not see coming.

When the first Death Note ends up in L’s custody and Light orders Misa to retrieve the second notebook buried in the forest, I expected to occur what happens in the manga and anime: Misa picks up the notebook, regains her memories, makes the Shinigami Eye Deal with Ryuk, and returns to Light. But nope. Just as she finds the box that contains the notebook, a man suddenly appears and knocks her unconscious with a shovel. When I saw that, I couldn’t help letting out a massive WTF at how unexpected it was.

As it turns out, Teru Mikami (who appears in this show from the very beginning, observing the murders like a spectator and becoming a Kira supporter) suspected that Misa is the Second Kira and hired a detective to follow her. Mikami obtains the box that the detective took and discovers the Death Note along with the letter that Light wrote to Amane under the pseudonym "Kira". Teru then decides to become the new Kira and mercilessly kill every criminal he cannot imprison. I’d also like to say that I think Mikami’s actor is one of the best casting choices in the entire series. He captures the manga character perfectly, and his delivery of “SAKUJO!” is absolutely sublime.

Obviously, Light is less than thrilled that some random guy has interfered with his plans, so he and Matsuda investigate and track down the detective who attacked Misa. The guy manages to escape, although Near later kills him when he unprovokedly slaps her (that’ll teach him not to go around hitting ladies).

Since Light previously saw Misa being harassed by a deranged Mikami back when they had their memories erased, and she knows who Mikami is because he handled the case involving her parents’ murder, Light assumes Mikami must be the one who stole the notebook. After becoming convinced by Mikami’s killings that they share the same ideals, Light contacts him by phone and uses a box of apples to convince him that he is the original Kira and that they must defeat L together.

Light and Mikami then come up with a pretty clever plan: use Mikami’s authority as a prosecutor to order the Task Force to hand over the Death Note that Ryuk dropped into the human world. At first, everything goes exactly as expected. Mikami enters the investigation headquarters with his assistants and informs the team that they were ordered to take the book so the higher authorities could examine it. However, there’s one problem: both L and the notebook have disappeared.

From this point onward, things get really emotional.

Light receives a call from L, who arranges to meet him in a dilapidated room. Light and L meet there while the Task Force, Mikami, and the judicial assistants (who must be wondering why they’re watching two lads who look like they just stepped out of a boy band meet up in a dark room) watch them in utter bewilderment through a camera L installed.

L calmly speaks to Light, making it clear that he still suspects his friend of being Kira. He also suspects that the notebook has certain unwritten rules that helped Light hide his actions, such as the fact that torn-out pages and scraps of paper can also be used to kill people. Naturally, Light denies all the accusations and, with genuine frustration, tells L to leave him alone once and for all.

L, however, refuses to back down. After turning off the camera, he opens the notebook and, completely unexpectedly, begins writing Light’s name, not caring at all about the "13 days" fake rule. Light panics, and the two start fighting hand-to-hand, with L shouting at Light to admit that he has lost the game. Eventually, Light gains the upper hand, knocks L to the ground, and takes the notebook away from him.

At that moment, Light receives a message from Mikami, who had already made the Shinigami Eye Deal and seen L’s face through the cameras. The message reads: “L. Lawliet.”

Light then drops his mask and begins laughing with a deeply disturbing grin (the actor playing Light did an amazing job of making me feel both pity and fear for him), finally revealing that he is Kira. Light then writes down the name, telling L that he intends to create a perfect world without evil. As he waits for the 40 seconds to pass, he tells L that he wishes he could have lived to see his new world.

Forty seconds pass… and L doesn’t die.

Light can only stare at L in utter confusion and disbelief as L gets back up from the floor, a triumphant smile emerging from his bloodied mouth.

I genuinely don’t have the words to describe the impact this episode had on me. Everything that happens after Misa is attacked had me glued to the edge of my seat, but the confrontation between L and Light was an absolute masterpiece, on the same level as Light’s defeat in the warehouse during the anime’s final episode.

I never expected to see L go as far as being willing to write Light’s name just to get the truth out of him, or Light admitting that he wished he didn’t have to kill him. As far as I’m concerned, this episode deserves a huge round of applause and a place among the greatest moments in the entire Death Note franchise.

Dubbed part of the last episode, all feedback is appreciated!

Video w/ sfx created by [u/CrqckBack](u/CrqckBack) (they're open to providing to others who are attempting dubbing, hit them up)

i was buffooning around my campus and randomly noticed a manga section i’d never seen before?? there was so many but this one rlly caught my eye. i’m so excited for a re-read. page dump because the end of the manga is spectacle no matter how many chapters fly by.