Death Note: Volume 5

Introduction

There was a minor worry when Manga Entertainment released volume 4 of Death Note that they had switched to a single disc format for the final arc of the series. That was a brief lived concern, as they have returned to the two-disc format for the final release. Volume 5 is where the epic story of Light Yagami comes to a close. There will be no volume 6. I've been looking forward to this final set as well, although I have mentioned that the Near Mello arc that began in volume 4 is where my interest in Death Note began to wane. But, I still haven't managed to get my mitts on the final volume of the manga at my local library, and I still don't know how it ends. Which is why these two discs are such a tantalising prospect.

Ryuk is a Shinigami, a Death God. The Shinigami exist to shepherd souls across to the other side, and where convenient give them a helping hand. This is done by means of the Death Note, a book in which the Shinigami write the name of the soon to be deceased, and an optional cause of death, and that prediction duly come to pass. But Ryuk is bored. Light Yagami is a high school student; actually he is an exemplary high school student, fiercely intelligent and regularly scoring the highest grades in Japan. The world could be his oyster, except that with nothing to challenge him, he is bored. That's until the day that the Death Note 'accidentally' falls into his school grounds. Initially sceptical of a prank, or a sick joke, he's about to dismiss it from his mind, but curiosity urges him to pick it up, and try it out. He stunned when it actually works. Soon he has a plan to clean up the criminal, the sick and depraved, and remove them from the world, crafting his ideal society, a society over which he will have the power of a god. But for the authorities, murder is murder, and a sudden rash of unexplained deaths among criminals surely must be connected. The enigmatic L comes to Japan to hunt the ruthless vigilante now come to be known as 'Kira', and he gathers a small group of determined investigators to help, among them Light's own policeman father, Inspector Souichiro Yagami. Soon it is Light who is being hunted.


Previously on Death Note, with L vanquished, Light Yagami was well on the way to establishing his new world order, and we caught up with him a few years later, leading the investigation to catch Kira, while at the same time continuing to 'clean' the world, and persuade more and more of the international community to acquiesce to the rule of the Death Note. But then L's successors appeared. Near started working with the US Government to find and acquire the Death Note, while Mello had become the head of one of the last remaining criminal organisations, and both knew that the secret of the Death Note was irrevocably tied up with the Japanese investigation. Near tried to use cunning, but Mello was far more direct, kidnapping first the Chief of Police, and then Light's own sister, demanding the Death Note as ransom. The investigation moved to the US, and Light's father personally took the notebook to the kidnappers.

The story concludes over nine episodes, presented on two discs.


Disc 1

29. Father
Mello has the Death Note, and the danger to Kira is greater than ever. But Light has an ace up his sleeve, he has Misa and her Shinigami Eyes. It's just a matter of looking through mugshots to work out just where Mello's hideout is, but he can't just introduce evidence without foundation. It's time for Kira to work with the investigation to defeat Mello. The plan to retrieve the Death Note involves one of the task force making the deal for the Shinigami Eyes, and Light's father volunteers. But anyone with the eyes will know who the owner of the Death Note is just by looking at him. Has Light made an enemy of his own father? Meanwhile, a new Shinigami has come to Earth, looking for his lost notebook.

30. Justice
Near realises that Kira is working with the Japanese police, indeed there is a small likelihood that the new L is Kira. But it may all be too little too late. Japan is quickly becoming a crime free zone, parents use Kira as a threat to keep naughty children in line, even the US president capitulates. When even Matsuda on the task force is beginning to see the point of Kira, it seems trying to defeat him is pointless. Mello finds his way to Near's base of operations, and the two rivals share information, challenging each other to find Kira. But Light is one step ahead. Kira has called the US President, demanding that the SPK be shut down. Soon Near and his operatives are surrounded by an angry mob.


31. Transfer
Near has an escape plan, but the immediacy of the attack on his base confirms in his eyes that the new L is Kira. When Aizawa contacts him with his suspicions, it doesn't take much for Near to infer that Light Yagami is Kira. Light has to act fast, and the first thing he does is call Misa. Meanwhile, Kira's mouthpiece in Japan, a television personality named Demagawa is beginning to wallow in the cult of celebrity, no longer promoting Kira's agenda. With all eyes on Light and Misa, ensuring that they have no opportunity, suddenly Demagawa and his acolytes drop dead. There's a new Kira in town.

32. Selection
One of Kira's staunchest supporters, a just and principled prosecutor named Teru Mikami, felt touched by the hand of God when he received the Death Note in the mail, and found a Shinigami named Ryuk hovering over his shoulder. Light has chosen well, and at first, Mikami's 'deletions' may have come from Light's pen directly, so accurately do his actions mirror Light's desires. It certainly doesn't look as if he needs constant guidance as Misa did. But slowly, his zealousness begins to stray from Light's path. Light needs to contact him, but being watched constantly means he will have to be creative. One of Mikami's unexpected decisions was to appoint a new mouthpiece for Kira, and an anonymous phone call to newscaster Kiyomi Takada meant that now someone measured and respected is preaching the gospel of Kira. But Kiyomi would have been Light's last choice, as she was briefly his girlfriend in college. Even as suspicions grow about Light, he realises that he can use Kiyomi to get in touch with Mikami.


Disc 2

33. Scorn
Near is in Japan, and he's closing in on Light Yagami. He's piecing it all together, planning to use Kiyomi to get to Light, and he even has an operative keeping an eye on Mikami. Meanwhile, both the women in Light's life finally meet, and Misa and Kiyomi's rivalry could signal trouble for Light. Then Gevanni, the man tailing Teru Mikami, witnesses him using the Death Note to kill someone, or so he thinks. As usual Light is already three steps ahead of the game.

34. Vigilance
Bluff and double bluff. Real and fake Death Notes? What's going on? Light apparently convinces Kiyomi to work with the police to capture Kira, but Aizawa's mistrust of Light finally moves him to action. He goes to see Near, only for Near to tell him to stay out of his way. Near starts to act, and the first thing he does is kidnap Misa, and her minder Mogi. The next thing is to order Gevanni to take hold of Mikami's Death Note and seek out a Shinigami…


35. Malice
Events are moving at a breakneck pace. Following a communication between Mikami and Kiyomi, Near is ready to confront Kira. He calls L and arranges a meeting, certain he has the upper hand. Light on the other hand has been expecting that phone call, and revels in manipulating Near. What Light hasn't been expecting is for Mello to turn up and kidnap Kiyomi. Light will have to improvise.

36. 1.28
January 28th, 2013. It's the day of the meeting, arranged to take place at a disused wharf. Near and his associates, Light and the rest of the investigation team arrive at the warehouse, but Near isn't ready to begin. He insists they wait half an hour to see if the Death Note is controlling anyone. Then he insists that they wait for one more guest. It's the same person that Light is waiting for, Teru Mikami. For this is the day that his plans come to fruition, the day when everyone left who knows about the Death Note will die, and the day that the new world order comes to pass.

37. New World
The conclusion.

Picture

Death Note gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer that is typical of modern anime. It's clear and sharp enough, with only the barest of NTSC-PAL transfer signs worth mentioning. For a series that is some 37 episodes in length, you would expect a few corners to be cut and money be saved when it come to the animation. Not in the case of Death Note though, as the animation courtesy of Madhouse Studios is top notch. The character and world designs are excellent, and the level of detail and fluidity of motion speaks to a high investment in the animation. The look of the show suits the story well, with the Shinigami realm a suitably dark and creepy otherworld, while the city gets a cold impersonal feel, with everything in pastels and understated. As you would expect from a show with such dark themes, there's plenty use of shadows and moody lighting. It makes for a rewarding viewing experience.

Sound

You have a choice of DD 2.0 English and Japanese, with optional translated subtitles and a signs track. You won't get any complaints from me when it comes to the English dub, which is cast very well. All the voices suit their characters, and the performances live up to the hype surrounding the anime. Of course my preference as always is for the original language track, and there were no problems here either. There are new themes from episode 20 onwards in this set, although by giving into temptation and going for the full Death Metal treatment, they've made me wear out my skip button a little more quickly. The incidental music on the other hand is really quite notable, taking a leaf from Danny Elfman when it comes to spooky and quirky, and certainly suits the bizarre Ryuk character down to a T.

Extras

Both discs have the usual animated menus and jacket picture.

Disc 1

There is a Production Art Gallery with 10 images.

The audio commentary accompanies episode 30, and sees ADR director Karl Willems chatting with Cathy Weseluck, the English voice of Near. There is a little bit about the episode in question, but it's more an general chat about the series as a whole. It's quite interesting to listen to, if covering much the same ground as earlier commentaries.

The English Voice Actor Interviews and Recording Sessions last 11 minutes on this disc, and feature chats with Cathy Weseluck and David Hurwitz (Mello).


Disc 2

The Production Art Gallery on this disc also offers 10 images to flick through.

There are trailers on this disc for Buso Renkin, MAR, Naruto the Movie, and Bleach.

The audio commentary accompanies the final episode and sees Brad Swaile (Light), and Brian Drummond (Ryuk), joining Karl Willems for some loose, relaxing chat about the final episode. There's a bit of reflection on the series as a whole, as well as a light-hearted look at some of the episode's memorable moments, but it isn't one of those informative commentaries.

The English Voice Actor Interviews and Recording Sessions last 16 minutes, and offer a bit of Brad Swaile, and a lot more of Heather Doerksan (Kiyomi), and Kirby Morrow (Mikami), talking about their characters and the conclusion of the series.

Conclusion

I've been procrastinating for the better part of two hours, trying to figure out just what to say about the final volume of Death Note. It isn't just the potential minefield of spoilers, although I have to restrain myself from dropping a couple of clangers, as I try to assemble a coherent conclusion from my thicket of thoughts. It's just that everything that I expected from this final arc of Death Note has been delivered. That isn't a good thing by the way, as it turns out to be muddled and incoherent, wholly unsatisfying except for the final episode.


The problems are twofold. As I mentioned in my review for volume 4, it's one of those instances where the popularity of a franchise results in it being extended beyond its natural lifespan. The colloquial term is 'jumping the shark'. Death Note jumped the shark when L left the building. The story moved forward several years, with Light at the head of the investigation, and now facing two foes, not just one. Near and Mello turned out to be L's successors, his heirs so to speak, and just to reiterate that fact, they inherited his character traits as well. Mello has a sweet tooth, while Near likes playing with toys, and has the same demented raven posture. The battle of wits continues, although starting in the previous volume, and continuing on here, the ability to suspend disbelief quickly vanishes. In volume 4, it's the stealth cruise missile that had me throwing my popcorn at the screen. There's nothing quite so tangible here. It's just that originally Light and L were supposed to be super-geniuses, blowing away lesser mortals in their employment of lateral thinking as a lethal weapon. Here it becomes apparent that the supposed intelligence of the foes Light, Near, and Mello, is actually highlighted by making the supporting cast, utterly stupid.


At this point in time, pretty much everyone in the investigation is aware of the Death Note, the Shinigami, and the rules of how it is used. No one thinks to ask just why Ryuk is hanging around Light so much. Aizawa develops a suspicion in these episodes, as events conspire once more to bring Light as a potential Kira to the forefront. At one point, Light is about to meet with Kiyomi, and he orders Aizawa to remove all listening devices and cameras. And he follows the order. For pity's sake man, you already suspect this man of being a mass murderer, would it have been too much to ask to leave one solitary listening device or camera in place? And the less said about Mello's arc in these episodes, the better. As a potential foe to Light, of L's calibre, his is the dampest squib in a story full of damp squibs.


The other problem is compression. Whereas the first arc had a leisurely 25 episodes in which to unfold, this second is jammed into just 12. The pace is relentless, and the new characters that are introduced just aren't developed properly. Kiyomi is a potential equal for Light, a woman who he went to college with, and who believes fervently in his plans for a new world. But the biggest impact she makes is in a proprietary catfight with Misa. Incidentally, Misa, who was so much of a Loli-Goth draw in the first arc, is practically sidelined here. By far the biggest disappointment is Mikami though. He's another righteous man who believes fervently in justice and a good and decent world, and he becomes the recipient of the Death Note to use as he sees fit in Kira's name. But his character boils down to violently flamboyant penmanship, as he takes out the trash of humanity, yelling "Delete" with each removal. He sounds like a sugar addicted Cyberman. Everything in this arc happens too quickly, and there isn't any space for the story to breathe, or time for me as a viewer to develop an opinion about what occurs.


And then comes the final episode, which is a shame, as I really want to elaborate about how it made me feel, and go into details about the plot. Of course I can't and won't. Spoilers at this juncture would have you fervently writing my name in a notebook of your own, invoking a Shinigami's wrath. But everything that the second arc isn't, this final episode is. It's everything you have been looking forward to since the series began, the final confrontation of Kira and his pursuers, the God of the new world and the guardians of the existing one. Everything goes up that extra level, the animation, the music, the acting, and most importantly the writing. The confrontation and its aftermath is all that I hoped for, knowing the characters and how they have grown, and this is the first, and indeed only point where I see Near don the mantle, and express the spirit of L in the way that he challenges Light. Even Mikami, who up to this point had been nothing other than annoying, serves a necessary, indeed crucial purpose here, as conspirator and observer. If you have enjoyed the first arc of Death Note as much as I have, then you simply have to see this final episode, even if it means having to put up with the other eight in this set.


That said, many people do enjoy the second arc of Death Note, and my opinion is that given the closeness of the adaptation, knowledge of the final manga volumes will probably complement the episodes. I've also heard the opinion that with the extra players on the field, with the added complication of so many of them knowing about the Death Note and the Shinigami, it presents a greater challenge to Light, and that there is more to be had from seeing him apply his ingenuity to succeeding despite all that. It was this that delivered a fatal blow to my suspension of disbelief however.


Technically, the quality of these final episodes, indeed the show as a whole, stays consistent throughout the run. The animation is of top quality, and the orchestral score punches the dramatic crescendo when required. That's except for the final episode of course, where the animators up their game, and produce 20 minutes of imagery that will stay with you long after the end credits have rolled. Death Note's final arc is an arc too far, but the conclusion of the story is utterly cathartic, and is the ending that the story deserves. I personally can't recommend this set in terms of entertainment value, but you will kick yourself if you miss that final episode.