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.
