Death Note
May as well post my in-depth thoughts on the end of the series...
Hm, perhaps I shall organize this by character...
Mello - Unfortunately, I was accidentally spoiled that Mello was going to die, so it didn't come as a surprise. At least he kind of got a noble-ish end. Without him, Near would have failed and Light would have killed everyone. So, yay for Mello in that aspect. The one thing I don't understand is exactly what Mello's plan was in kidnapping Takada.
Matt - Ok, I'm just a bit confused over why people are so interested in this character. I haven't read any fan fiction with him yet, so maybe there's a fascinating fanon interpretation of him that I'm unaware of, but in this series he was barely there. We barely saw him. I wouldn't even begin to know how to write him if I was going to try to. His character design is cool, but we really don't know anything about him.
Mikami - Oh, Mikami. At least we got to see you work out before you died. lol, sorry. Yeah, well, kind of interesting that as a little note we're told that he went crazy and died 10 days later, "off-screen" as it were. Fitting end for the character, I guess. He had issues. I don't necessarily think Near was controlling him through the Death Note and that's why he died. I think it may actually be one of those crazy coincidences that built the character in the first place. Remember how his bullies and mother died in a car accident and he thought it was some sort of sign that the wicked should be punished? And then he ends up mysteriously dying too! Thought that was interesting to note.
One of the best parts of 107 to me as part of Light's fall from grace was Mikami, Kira's most devout and loyal follower, turning against him, realizing him to be the sicko that he was. Calling him TRASH! I loved that! That's exactly what Light needed to be told, and was excellent in isolating him, resulting in his desperate attempt to get Ryuuk's help.
Kiyomi Takada - I guess she, as one of Kira's most loyal followers, had to die too. I wonder a bit sometimes about the way all the female suicides in this series take place off-panel. The fiancee of that detective that Light killed early on in the series had an off-panel suicide too, we're supposed to assume. Not that I'm saying they should show it, it just seems like it would be more shocking and dramatic. But I guess it's not integral that we see these things anyway.
Matsuda - Oh how wonderful Matsuda's journey turned out to be! This was one of the best parts of 107. Matsuda, the most foolish of the detectives, the one who always praised Light, and sometimes doubted that Kira was bad, SHOOTING LIGHT IN THE FREAKING CHEST!! Way to show some balls and turn yourself around! I mean, that guy just felt so betrayed, all his beliefs were crushed, and he was pissed! And then at the very end, him doubting Near, actually using his detective skills for once. It's because Matsuda is such a poor detective that I have to doubt his beliefs, but it's interesting to show that at the end, Matsuda was the one actually thinking about things and coming to conclusions. Would kind of be ironic if he were right.
L - Ah, Near wearing the L mask! Kinda like so it could be that L was there in the end, in spirit. I loved that little nod to the character who planted the seeds for Light's downfall. And Near's fingerpuppets of him, Mello, and L together! L gone but never forgotten! Loved it!
Near - If you recall, I had a poll a little while ago and one of the questions was, "When all is said and done, who is the smartest?" Not having read the end of the series yet, I chose Near. But what I loved about Near in this is that he admitted basically that he was not as smart as L. It was only through Mello and Mear's combined efforts that they could surpass him. I went into the last chapters believing Near would come out victorious, and then they threw that very convincing curveball of Light thinking about how he'd figured out Near's plan got me seriously worried! I was like, oh no they're gonna kill Near too!
Near becoming L at the end was nice. He is the rightful successor to L. Glad Light no longer can sully L's good name! lol ;)
Oh, and Near eating chocolate! Perhaps he was possessed by Mello's spirit! heh
Near also uttered one of my favorite lines of the series...
Near: Mr. Reaper. Nice to meet you. I'm Near.
Ryuuk: Hehe, nice to me you too. I'm Ryuuk.
XD
Misa - Now, I know there's debate over whether the girl at the end is Misa or not. And I did think it was odd how until then (if it is her) there is NO mention whatsoever of her. I mean, she already shortened her lifespan twice, didn't she, by taking the Shinigami's eyes? I assumed she would end up dying somehow. It's not exactly like she should go unpunished for being the second Kira. But it looks like she got off scot free. Well, she's naive enough, and she doesn't have the memories anymore either, so maybe it's ok that she doesn't die. I have to wonder how she reacted to Light's death, though. She was so obsessed with him.
I suppose the reason I have trouble believing that the girl at the end is Misa is because she's so calm and serious-looking. Not that Misa couldn't change in a year, but so SERIOUS? That is not the Misa we've known. Maybe that's the point? I don't know. Anyway, I suppose the point of that group of Kira's followers at the end was to show that the world isn't fully back to normal. Kira's impact on the world will always be there, and will probably have future consequences.
Light - Hell yes. Hell freaking yes. This was the PERFECT ending for Light, the one I've been waiting for since the beginning of the series. The way Near stated so perfectly exactly what Light is: A mass-murderer. The fact that any normal person would have been scared by the Death Note's power, but Light was obsessed with it made him so much worse than any regular criminal.
To see Light driven so low! That when he couldn't talk his way out of it, he tried to run for his life like a trapped animal! Him finally revealing the madness behind his way of thinking. He's usually so calm and collected, but he went full out psycho villain on us! Laughing maniacally, the long self-important speech, the last ditch effort to write Near's name on the Death Note.
He was a raving lunatic. Shot and bloodied and frantic. (I think one of his fingers was shot off?!) Crawling on the floor. Finally driven to his one last effort to get Ryuuk's help. The pathetic way he begged for his life!
One of the best aspects of these last chapters was the way Light's face was drawn as he believed he was winning and killing Near and everyone. His features (particularly his nose) were drawn from an angle so as to make him look a bit like Ryuuk. It's like Ryuuk said at the beginning of the series, Light made a fine Shinigami, and the art reflected on the outside his true nature on the inside.
Ryuuk - Well, Ryuuk said once that having a shinigami hang around you all the time is bad luck. And this is truly why I believe Light lost. It's almost as if it weren't for the sheer luck of Mello's interference, then Near would have lost.
Ryuuk writing Light's name in the Death Note was the perfect justice, having that very same action which he'd dolled out to others so mercilessly inflicted upon himself.
Ryuuk, as always, was only depicted as someone looking to amuse himself for a bit. When it was apparent the fun was over, he had no qualms about killing Light. Unlike Rem's attachment for Misa, Ryuuk remained cold and uncaring throughout. You might think that after, what was it, 6 or so years of being with Light, he might have become attached to him somehow, but no. And that was perfect. Kinda like the way despite all the time Light spent with L and the other detectives, Misa and Takada, he had no qualms about trying to kill them.
107's revelation of the afterlife - Now, I had always assumed that when Ryuuk said at the beginning that those who use the Death Note don't go to Heaven or Hell that it meant they'd be going to the land of the Shinigami. Yes, perhaps it was stupid of me, but I always assumed that after Light died at the end, he'd have to spend eternity as a Shinigami.
Ryuuk's revelation that this is no Heaven or Hell, only nothingness after you die was surprising to me. As someone who believes in Heaven, I had trouble trying to comprehend what this would mean thematically for the series. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on the thematic issues this represents that Light enters nothingness at the end.
I guess I think that it's a comment on the nature of good and evil. It's evident through the series that men commiting bad acts is a part of the nature of humanity. You can't change their nature through fear--only suppress it for a while. So, if that's the nature of humanity, if men are inherently evil, then punishing/rewarding them is redundant? You live, you are what you are, you did what you did, and that's it. There's no punishment or reward for your actions when you die. I guess that's what I got out of it.
Hm, perhaps I shall organize this by character...
Mello - Unfortunately, I was accidentally spoiled that Mello was going to die, so it didn't come as a surprise. At least he kind of got a noble-ish end. Without him, Near would have failed and Light would have killed everyone. So, yay for Mello in that aspect. The one thing I don't understand is exactly what Mello's plan was in kidnapping Takada.
Matt - Ok, I'm just a bit confused over why people are so interested in this character. I haven't read any fan fiction with him yet, so maybe there's a fascinating fanon interpretation of him that I'm unaware of, but in this series he was barely there. We barely saw him. I wouldn't even begin to know how to write him if I was going to try to. His character design is cool, but we really don't know anything about him.
Mikami - Oh, Mikami. At least we got to see you work out before you died. lol, sorry. Yeah, well, kind of interesting that as a little note we're told that he went crazy and died 10 days later, "off-screen" as it were. Fitting end for the character, I guess. He had issues. I don't necessarily think Near was controlling him through the Death Note and that's why he died. I think it may actually be one of those crazy coincidences that built the character in the first place. Remember how his bullies and mother died in a car accident and he thought it was some sort of sign that the wicked should be punished? And then he ends up mysteriously dying too! Thought that was interesting to note.
One of the best parts of 107 to me as part of Light's fall from grace was Mikami, Kira's most devout and loyal follower, turning against him, realizing him to be the sicko that he was. Calling him TRASH! I loved that! That's exactly what Light needed to be told, and was excellent in isolating him, resulting in his desperate attempt to get Ryuuk's help.
Kiyomi Takada - I guess she, as one of Kira's most loyal followers, had to die too. I wonder a bit sometimes about the way all the female suicides in this series take place off-panel. The fiancee of that detective that Light killed early on in the series had an off-panel suicide too, we're supposed to assume. Not that I'm saying they should show it, it just seems like it would be more shocking and dramatic. But I guess it's not integral that we see these things anyway.
Matsuda - Oh how wonderful Matsuda's journey turned out to be! This was one of the best parts of 107. Matsuda, the most foolish of the detectives, the one who always praised Light, and sometimes doubted that Kira was bad, SHOOTING LIGHT IN THE FREAKING CHEST!! Way to show some balls and turn yourself around! I mean, that guy just felt so betrayed, all his beliefs were crushed, and he was pissed! And then at the very end, him doubting Near, actually using his detective skills for once. It's because Matsuda is such a poor detective that I have to doubt his beliefs, but it's interesting to show that at the end, Matsuda was the one actually thinking about things and coming to conclusions. Would kind of be ironic if he were right.
L - Ah, Near wearing the L mask! Kinda like so it could be that L was there in the end, in spirit. I loved that little nod to the character who planted the seeds for Light's downfall. And Near's fingerpuppets of him, Mello, and L together! L gone but never forgotten! Loved it!
Near - If you recall, I had a poll a little while ago and one of the questions was, "When all is said and done, who is the smartest?" Not having read the end of the series yet, I chose Near. But what I loved about Near in this is that he admitted basically that he was not as smart as L. It was only through Mello and Mear's combined efforts that they could surpass him. I went into the last chapters believing Near would come out victorious, and then they threw that very convincing curveball of Light thinking about how he'd figured out Near's plan got me seriously worried! I was like, oh no they're gonna kill Near too!
Near becoming L at the end was nice. He is the rightful successor to L. Glad Light no longer can sully L's good name! lol ;)
Oh, and Near eating chocolate! Perhaps he was possessed by Mello's spirit! heh
Near also uttered one of my favorite lines of the series...
Near: Mr. Reaper. Nice to meet you. I'm Near.
Ryuuk: Hehe, nice to me you too. I'm Ryuuk.
XD
Misa - Now, I know there's debate over whether the girl at the end is Misa or not. And I did think it was odd how until then (if it is her) there is NO mention whatsoever of her. I mean, she already shortened her lifespan twice, didn't she, by taking the Shinigami's eyes? I assumed she would end up dying somehow. It's not exactly like she should go unpunished for being the second Kira. But it looks like she got off scot free. Well, she's naive enough, and she doesn't have the memories anymore either, so maybe it's ok that she doesn't die. I have to wonder how she reacted to Light's death, though. She was so obsessed with him.
I suppose the reason I have trouble believing that the girl at the end is Misa is because she's so calm and serious-looking. Not that Misa couldn't change in a year, but so SERIOUS? That is not the Misa we've known. Maybe that's the point? I don't know. Anyway, I suppose the point of that group of Kira's followers at the end was to show that the world isn't fully back to normal. Kira's impact on the world will always be there, and will probably have future consequences.
Light - Hell yes. Hell freaking yes. This was the PERFECT ending for Light, the one I've been waiting for since the beginning of the series. The way Near stated so perfectly exactly what Light is: A mass-murderer. The fact that any normal person would have been scared by the Death Note's power, but Light was obsessed with it made him so much worse than any regular criminal.
To see Light driven so low! That when he couldn't talk his way out of it, he tried to run for his life like a trapped animal! Him finally revealing the madness behind his way of thinking. He's usually so calm and collected, but he went full out psycho villain on us! Laughing maniacally, the long self-important speech, the last ditch effort to write Near's name on the Death Note.
He was a raving lunatic. Shot and bloodied and frantic. (I think one of his fingers was shot off?!) Crawling on the floor. Finally driven to his one last effort to get Ryuuk's help. The pathetic way he begged for his life!
One of the best aspects of these last chapters was the way Light's face was drawn as he believed he was winning and killing Near and everyone. His features (particularly his nose) were drawn from an angle so as to make him look a bit like Ryuuk. It's like Ryuuk said at the beginning of the series, Light made a fine Shinigami, and the art reflected on the outside his true nature on the inside.
Ryuuk - Well, Ryuuk said once that having a shinigami hang around you all the time is bad luck. And this is truly why I believe Light lost. It's almost as if it weren't for the sheer luck of Mello's interference, then Near would have lost.
Ryuuk writing Light's name in the Death Note was the perfect justice, having that very same action which he'd dolled out to others so mercilessly inflicted upon himself.
Ryuuk, as always, was only depicted as someone looking to amuse himself for a bit. When it was apparent the fun was over, he had no qualms about killing Light. Unlike Rem's attachment for Misa, Ryuuk remained cold and uncaring throughout. You might think that after, what was it, 6 or so years of being with Light, he might have become attached to him somehow, but no. And that was perfect. Kinda like the way despite all the time Light spent with L and the other detectives, Misa and Takada, he had no qualms about trying to kill them.
107's revelation of the afterlife - Now, I had always assumed that when Ryuuk said at the beginning that those who use the Death Note don't go to Heaven or Hell that it meant they'd be going to the land of the Shinigami. Yes, perhaps it was stupid of me, but I always assumed that after Light died at the end, he'd have to spend eternity as a Shinigami.
Ryuuk's revelation that this is no Heaven or Hell, only nothingness after you die was surprising to me. As someone who believes in Heaven, I had trouble trying to comprehend what this would mean thematically for the series. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on the thematic issues this represents that Light enters nothingness at the end.
I guess I think that it's a comment on the nature of good and evil. It's evident through the series that men commiting bad acts is a part of the nature of humanity. You can't change their nature through fear--only suppress it for a while. So, if that's the nature of humanity, if men are inherently evil, then punishing/rewarding them is redundant? You live, you are what you are, you did what you did, and that's it. There's no punishment or reward for your actions when you die. I guess that's what I got out of it.