How the Anime Ruined Death Note's Second Half - A Death Note Analysis

Tetsuro Araki crying rn
○ Written Review:
docs.google.com/document/d/1S...
○ My Art Accounts:
/ ninjamushiart
/ ninjamushi
○ Plain ol' Twitter:
/ ninjamushi_
○ My anime/manga databases:
anilist.co/user/ninjamushi/
myanimelist.net/profile/NinjaM... (out of date)
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
○ Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
1:41 - What is the Actual Problem?
4:08 - Inner Monologue Has Taken a Hit
9:00 - Destroying the Details
14:02 - Removing What Made Death Note Special
○ Sources:
All Major Differences Between Anime and Manga - mikami.tumblr.com/post/123396...
○ Music:
the WORLD - Nightmare (Death Note)
What's up, people? - Maximum the Hormone (Death Note)
Speak - Ken Arai (Parasyte)
Near 2 - Hideki Taniuchi (Death Note)
Create Nothing - Dated
Saiku - Hideki Taniuchi (Death Note)
Black Hole Universe - Nobuaki Kaneko (No More Heroes III)
Death Drive Console Beat - DJ Kazuhiro "MEEBEE" Abo, DJ 1-2 (Travis Strikes Again)
#deathnote #anime #manga

[@NINJAMUSHI]

Since this video is just starting to be seen by a bunch of new people, I should mention that I am still making the follow-up video! I got distracted by other videos and struggled with writing it initially, but it's being scripted right now!

[@bornanime3255]

Lmao was just about to ask that

[@freezasama5802]

That’s great as a person who prefers the Manga over the anime for death note it’s great how you explain that they cut a ton of content just the finish the story and it underdeveloped the good characters whom when I read in the manga i actually got attached to them cause of their good development so it’s great there will be a follow up video

[@NeosNEVERneon]

Why did they decide to limit the anime..? Why couldn't they have made it longer and split it into 2 seasons, i think that would've been better. There is probably a reason which i why i'm wondering, maybe production costs but i'm not sure.

[@Jiggonomics]

​​@@NeosNEVERneon I know, it's pretty unfortunate, because like he says in the video, there actually are a lot of interesting turns in the story after episode 25. If it weren't rushed, we would've had time to breathe and actually appreciate the rest of the story.

[@NeosNEVERneon]

@@Jiggonomics Yes, i understand that, i know they decided to rush it but why. why did they rush it, insufficient time/money or what

[@STPstudio47]

One thing I adore about the second half is introducing Mikami. His devotion to Kira and being his right hand is a nice change to plot. He's similar to Light, they both have the same sense of justice, but his comes from a different experience, he doesn't want glory and being the best, it's the opposite, he wants to serve justice and his new god. He's in so few episodes yet we understand his character perfectly. Shame he was introduced so late, wish we saw him from the start of the second part. Also love his extra scenes in death note OVA. DELETE DELETE DELETE! Theory: I think if we saw Mikami picking the death note first, he wouldn't be caught for lot more years. I doubt he would get mad at Lind L Tailor for saying he's evil in TV. He doesn't have such an ego so it wouldn't matter to him. He would just think of himself as a God's hand.

[@NapoleonVIII]

Watch the 2015 Live action movie. Mikami is far better here.

[@sapnavora6834]

they wouldn’t have used the same bait, the thing is that L had judged what kiras personality was by then, that’s why he called him evil, he would know that this kira has something else that agitates him and thus would’ve tried something else and probably caught him earlier than light was caught but there is an equal possibility that mikami decides to be smarter with the killings and instead of trying to make himself publicly known by killing everyone with heart attacks he’d use other means of killing the criminals, like being executed or shot by a cop or car accident etc etc and if mikami just thought he was doing god’s bidding, he wouldn’t mind killing a few innocents to keep L and the police off the trail, hell they probably wouldn’t even find out where he was and then it would be almost impossible to find him

[@NeonIceyy]

Mikami sure was my main highlight of that third ark, and probably the only reason why I'd still watch the full show instead of just the first 26 episodes. His backstory episode is also the one episode I usually look forward to. I think he should've been a 2nd protagonist for a longer time than he was.

[@jakefuller685]

Nicely stated

[@danielclv97]

While I agree with most points, I think Mikami would be catched by L much sooner. He doesn't have the smarts of Light or the guts to confront L directly, he wouldn't play with the dead to find out the limitations of the death note, eventually his set schedule would give him away, and if you add Misa as the 2nd kira into the mix, both of them would be executed by L very soon. If light had anybody as intelligent as him, he would not loose at the end also.

[@CZsWorld]

I'm a fan of the Mello and Near arc in both the anime and the manga. But I do kind of agree with you about the time crunch having a negative effect in the anime. It feels weird, because the latter part of the manga IS more grandoide than anything that happens when L is alive, but it's made less memorable because it's taken at such a breakneck speed.

[@DarkViperAU]

I'd absolutely pay to see a redone season 2, fan made or otherwise, that puts all this content from the manga into the anime.

[@dzmanhooo8602]

First comment hehexd

[@ihasankles6737]

orange face​ guy have appear

[@kinesisxd]

Light was in witness protection

[@Barna.]

you can pay animators to do that mr.viper

[@deeeznuts3279]

Hi matto

[@DankIord]

You defenitly brought up some good points, however I wish we also could've got some foreshadowing in the pre L death section for Near & Mellow so that their introduction doesn't feel so jarring

[@Bloooo95]

In the manga, L threatens Light that there are “other Ls” to worry about. Light kinda rubs it off but that early setup made it easy to buy into Near and Mello when they were introduced.

[@lucaswarriorteammining5786]

@@Bloooo95 I think it being mostly a suprise makes it work as well, yeah he mentions it but it could've been a bluff, but the fact he planned ahead that far is really cool and makes you go, "Well that makes sense." To me Near and Mello made perfect sense because if L won, it'd make Light feel less intimidating. The fact Light won just to lose to someone like Near, who played the waiting game, is more interesting. Plus, Near took some of the biggest risks in the series imo.

[@prometheusmodelow8322]

The concept of a potential successor to L is hammered in all over the place in the Yotsuba section of the story, particularly the scene where L suggests Light should be his successor in case he died (all of this to test if he was Kira given how he would react with the offer), the entire Yotsuba investigation is basically Light proving he can be L's successor to everyone else, and in the very next chapter after L's death Matsuda proclaims Light "L's successor" yet we know he returns to being Kira once he got his memories back, so he never becomes the true successor, just an impostor, this was all set up to revealing the real successors L had saved in case he died. If it is something L can throw around in a hypothetical question in the middle of a case, it must have been a thought he had before, being the person L is, someone that plans for many different possibilities with many plans in place if he were to die at any given time (remember when he had a contingency to have the task force assume Light is Kira if he were to die after meeting Light at the university and again after the two kiras meet) then the fact that he's constantly referencing someone becoming his replacement is definetly a warning sign of something he could have planned. Plus, his final thoughts upon dying (seen in the manga) were "in the end, i wasn't wrong, but y-" (most accurate translation), implying he had one last thing in store for Light post-mortem, in fact Ohba admitted that the full sentence L was supposed to think at that last moment was along the lines of "in the end, i wasn't wrong, but you haven't won yet" yet decided to cut it to remain more ambiguous, as that would outright confirm L had one last move saved in case he died. So yeah there's plenty of foreshadowing of Near and Mello's existence all throughout volumes 5, 6 and 7 of the manga but especially volume 6.

[@fastvalkary725]

It didn't need to be foreshadowed

[@garlandstrife]

They weren't foreshadowed because they were invented in a last minute effort to continue the story due to pressure of the publisher of the manga and TV network that broadcasted the anime. The story was supposed to end after L died.

[@VideoAcid]

As for N not getting the same screen time as L in learning to solve the Kira case (lack of inner monologue) I chalked that up to “we just spent half the show learning how intelligent L is, here’s his protege, now let the story focus more of Light’s paranoia and how far he’s fallen.” I think it’s very intentional that N isn’t given as much screen time. To help sell that moment when Light fails. We’ve been so focused on him that *we* are caught off guard when he loses. We followed every step of his plan, we watched him dispatch L, “there’s no way he could lose!”

[@johnelmartagbago3764]

That actually makes sense. We've already been in cat-and-mouse chase for the first half with L and Light so shortening the story, while reducing the finer details that flesh out the intelligence and characterization of the characters, does give us a more focused plot that benefits the Last Episode. It's like we're in the position of Light in the ending where he's missing the details that led to his defeat.

[@zolod.uchiha5102]

Irony is that the reality of it is, is that it would have been impossible for Near to win. You can’t break into a high Bank, then a Safe, then write 200,000 worth of names that would take more than 9+ Hours all in one night. Even the fastest writing in the world would take like 30 Hours just to write all the names Mikami wrote and that isn’t even including the ones Light wrote. All in all sort of lazy and poor writing but I can’t even blame it on the Mangaka. He intended it to end with Light beating L hence the Epilogue after but of course the Editors wanted it to keep goin for money and because the felt the good guys should win so it’s know surprise Near and Mello are such lazy and inferior written character compared to L even in the Manga.

[@spicycaik359]

@@zolod.uchiha5102 I thought the explanation was that Near got his hands on the notebook and replaced just the page for the day that Mikami would try to murder them

[@VANN333.]

@@spicycaik359they did multiple things to different notebooks

[@SchmitzCinemaStudies]

You raise good points about the cuts in the anime. However I read the manga around the same time that I watched the anime and in both mediums I didn't love the 2nd half. It's still entertaining but it wasn't great anymore like the first half. At least until the ending which I still love. So the manga still shares the decrease in quality.

[@NINJAMUSHI]

I do think there's a decline for the manga but it isn't even close to as bad as the decline the anime goes through. It's like going from a 9/10 to an 7 or 8 vs going from a 9 to a 5. At least that's how I see it. Plan to talk about that some in the next video

[@BigPapaPhilosophia]

To be fair, I think it had potential but was poorly executed

[@noodledaddy3234]

@@BigPapaPhilosophia I agree

[@agilraj1145]

Huh

[@RoflCannon6]

@@BigPapaPhilosophia if Near wasn’t just mini L, I think it would have been better.

[@76Eliam]

I remember giving up watching Death Note few episodes after L's death and years later, when reading the manga for the first time with the intent to skip the second part, being unable to put it down until the end.

[@tlotrfan3791]

That’s awesome! It’s great to hear people appreciate the second half, particularly in the manga! The anime cut out so much and idk why they did.

[@blutroyale8072]

Recently I begun to think Death Note was intended to be a two-season anime, with 26 episodes each. The first half of the manga was faithfully adapted into episodes 1-26, with episodes 25 and 26 feeling like a season finale with L's death. The hypothetical season 2 would have adapted the second half entirely, but for reasons of time and/or budget, it was condensed into the last 11 episodes of the series.

[@MetaFanWing]

My only disagreement is that the second opening has several characters from part 2 (Near, Mello, etc.) despite starting in part 1.

[@GgGhost]

​@@MetaFanWingTo me, the fact that there even are two openings is an additional argument to the two season theory ngl

[@MetaFanWing]

@@GgGhost Yeah, my main gripe with that theory is that it starts with several episodes of the first half left and still heavily features L.

[@GgGhost]

@@MetaFanWing I mean, considering the change of intro happened at a rather random point in the series, I'd think they just used it once it was ready because there'd no longer be 2 seasons and if they waited for the new "second half" it'd be featured in too few episodes. As for heavily featuring L, the second half deals with his legacy so it may have made sense. Edit: I'm playing devil's advocate here :p

[@MetaFanWing]

@@GgGhost Those are fair points, and other minor inconsistencies like Aizawa still having his afro could be a result of trying to keep it recognizable.

[@reneethefox4797]

As one of the few people who read the Manga first, I remember being really surprised to find how many people disliked Near/Death Note's second half. Finally watching the anime was an eye-opening experience. I feel like we really need a reverse DBZ Kai for Death Note.

[@dirkthewrench]

Death note brotherhood

[@mooganify]

I still dont get it, second half is great.

[@WolfXGamerful]

@@mooganify I believe that the point that the video was making was that the first 25 episodes of Death Note set a precedent for the adaptation. That is what hooked people into the series and kept the momentum strong. What the last third of the anime did was speed up the pacing of the anime substantially, taking out things that hampered the characterization and nuances that made people stick around for the anime in the first place. In other words, while you might believe the second half of the anime was great, the implication by others is that the second half could have been _greater_ and falling more in-line with the second half.

[@anonisnoone6125]

​@@WolfXGamerful​How tf did the studio somehow mess it up? Did they just not bother to adapt it properly anymore?

[@cleverman383]

@@WolfXGamerful It really should have had a second 25 episodes for Near and Mello

[@sigiligus]

I read the manga first and own it as a boxed set. The manga second half was better, but it was still MUCH less good than the first half. But the worst thing is how they changed the ending. Light’s death in the manga changes the entire framing of his character. In the end, he was just a narcissistic child on a power trip who-once he was the one who had to face the same death he wrought upon the world-cried, begged, rolled around on the ground floundering in pitiful terror and fear, and died like the pathetic man he always was. He was never right, he was just another murderer with a god complex; the only difference is that he was given the power of an actual god.

[@Jiub_SN]

Him being right or not wasn't meant to be clear, it's why L and light are so similar in intent when facing each other. It's better in the anime for that purpose imo

[@skyhunter2816]

@@sigiligus I have no idea what any of you guys are on about. The manga dragged the second half out way too much and had way less impact than the anime.

[@mocerlaalacbaino]

During the tennis match, L wasn't looking at whether light wins or lose. He was looking at whether he is thinking, hesitating etc. Although doing a calming activity would have made it easier to see those reaxtions. He chose tennis probably because he analysed and already made a baseline by watching light's previous matches. I am very surprised it took me so long to figure that out.

[@kitcloudkicker14]

I think the anime was focused a lot more on L while the manga focused on Near. Even after L's death in the anime, characters are constantly mentioning him and his overall presence/influence it's still felt. In the anime, during Light's death, he even imagines L standing right in front of him as a way to represent that Light ultimately lost to L after all, when this appearance of "L's ghost" never happened on the manga.

[@NapoleonVIII]

I agree. When I watch the anime, I have the feeling, that the episodes 1-25 and 26-37 were written at the same time. Then the chef came and said: "You know, this should be one anime?" and writers answered: "Oh shit!" and connected the loose ends at the last moment.

[@NunyaBiznessss]

Great analysis dude. As an anime-only this definitely makes me want to read the manga.

[@NINJAMUSHI]

Thank you! If you read it, hope you enjoy it! It may be the same story, but the details make it more worth it imo

[@nickmaestro]

You should also read the Los Angeles B.B. Murder Case. It's a side story narrated by Mello. It's incredible!!!

[@rushingwater2.0]

I’ll always be upset about what the anime did to Matt Like, he has one scene before the car chase in the anime, so if you haven’t read the manga, you don’t know who Matt is or why you should care what happens to him We don’t get Matt spying on Misa or his dynamic with Mello, we just get some guy with a cigarette shooting smoke bombs It’s frustrating to me because I really like his character in the manga

[@spicymilkshake6600]

he doesn't get enough time in the manga either. but atleast he gets more than one scene.

[@RENOSINCLAIRS]

I WAS HOPING FOR A MATT COMMENT he's one of my favorite characters it made me SO mad when he got 3 minutes of screentime acting like an idiot and getting shot to death. IT WAS SO LAME. barely anyone knows who he is unless they were mattmello shippers from like 2011

[@israman77]

Reading the manga makes more sense why Mello feels sorry for Matt's death

[@ultimateyagerman]

​@@RENOSINCLAIRS "mattmelo shippers" A good reason why this character should remain obscure

[@RENOSINCLAIRS]

​@@ultimateyagerman you can think that, i wasnt saying i shipped it, i'm just saying that the ship's pretty much the only thing that allows people to try and expand on his character, since he plays an incredibly small role and only has ties to mello.. so mattmello is really the only context under which people are interested in his character, most of the time lol

[@Lillymu961]

This definitely makes me wonder what was happening behind the scenes of the anime adaptation. If they adapted the first half in a way that captured the essence of what made the first half of the manga great, then it shows the people responsible for the anime were capable of adapting the second half properly, but perhaps there were other issues with the production we aren't aware of. Maybe there was a budget cut or a change in the project's management or a multitude of different things that may have forced them to cut these different details down in the second half. It just doesn't make sense to be so meticulous about adapting this detail oriented manga well only to withdraw that effort halfway through. There had to be some outside factors contributing to these cuts. 37 episodes is a bit of an odd number of episodes for an anime. Typically, certain anime range from having 13 episodes, 25 episodes, or 50 episodes, and shonen anime usually go way over that. Code Geass (an anime many compare Death Note with) has 50 episodes split over two seasons. Since these two shows came out around the same time, it seems odd to me that Death Note didn't also get 50 episodes split between two seasons when there was enough material to work with. Very strange. Enjoyed the video! God bless you!

[@JaredaSohn]

Perhaps then it wasn't as common, but for at least a few years 12 episodes is the normal and even really great anime that gets 25 episodes for the first season then get 12 for the second

[@ggwp638BC]

It's really a matter of budget and constraints of TV releases. Death Note started in the highly contested autumn season in october 2006 and ran for almost a full year, ending in june 2007. If they kept it for another full 12 episode/1 season, it would also take the perhaps even more contested spring season, on prime time. The midnight time slot is quite contested in Japan due to their work hours, so... Yeah, it's quite the call to give one of your best time slots to one show for such a long time. So they probably gave them an extended run, the studio upped the effort in the first half hoping the success would make the channel give them another season, probably didn't go through and they had to rush the second season.

[@lasagna665]

the second half is also trash in the manga

[@tlotrfan3791]

@@lasagna665absolutely not

[@promatrix561]

For me the second half was something good. When it comes to Mello in my opinion my favorite character because he’s more emotional than other characters and seems more human like to me which makes it something new and refreshing to see.

[@RubieKanary]

It was also hella weird that prior to L's death everyone was fighting against L to prove Light's innocence but after L's death suddenly everyone was okay with becoming super sus of Light.

[@zerakielvmark]

I think that's pretty reasonable though.

[@lucaswarriorteammining5786]

tbh, Light did so much fucked up shit up to that point, that them not betraying him would feel off.

[@playboicarti1850]

years of no leads on kira gonna lead that one dude on suspecting light just as L adamantly had and now near, his successor. saying the same things as L

[@tetraedri_1834]

The fake 13 day rule was the basis under which the team believed Light to be innocent -- ye was locked up 14 days without any deaths under L's watch. If I remember correctly, suspicions started again once the idea of a fake rule was revealed to the team. I may remember wrong though, long time since I read the manga and watched the show

[@kabbablabba4073]

yeah but thats because near had better social skills than L. L may be smarter but near is actually able to convince people of his views. goes to show how important people skills are.

[@Mooki66]

The most insane cut to me is them cutting the infamous “should I kill Misa right now” panel with it being one of my favorite moments. Also Light “proposing” to Misa

[@Ammiethyst]

I still think L’s death definitely has to do with this though. When I saw L’s death episode, I didn’t even want to watch the second part.

[@mikadotakimura]

i have to agree with you. Even on the ending of the second half, where light just seems to have lost it when he was cornered. It felt so out of character for him, then i read the manga. In it, he was still the calculating genius he was and never gave up nor lost his mind, making plans on how he could escape from that inescapable situation (almost couldve gotten away with it too if not for matsuda).

[@baggelissonic]

Having read the manga and knowing a lot of people who have dropped the anime when the later half started, it's been getting harder and harder to suggest the anime anymore. I am currently watching the anime with my father. I have been giving him more context for minor cuts in the first half, but honestly I don't know what to do in the second half. It's a real shame because part 2 has some amazing deductions. The X-Kira deduction chapter is one of my favourite scenes in the entire series. It's one of those things that seems obvious in hindsight, but it requires nothing less than a genius woth hyper-attention to actually reach that conclusion. Near was indeed more intelligent than L, something that anime-onlys will often ridicule.

[@White_Fox_5.0]

I disagree with near being more intelligent than L. Near was just given more information through L and especially mello's sacrifice. Had L been put in the exact same position as near i have no doubt he would have came to the same conclusion. If near had been faced with the same challenges L faced i dont think its unreasonable to assume near would have performed worse...hence why L was still L and near was the successor and not L.....

[@PrinceVamp]

@@White_Fox_5.0L was never able to bring Light to justice that’s where Near’s genius comes in and that’s why I think Near is smarter.

[@sirreepicheeprules7443]

You have to remember that L was starting from scratch while Near had at least some information to work with from the start and worked behind the scenes to gather more information before going to the US president and persuading him to form the SPK, and all this before Light is even aware of his existence. When Light hears Near's modified voice on the phone for the first time he gets a strange feeling as if he were talking to L. I think Near is extremely intelligent and a near equal of L but not quite as good as him, thus his name is rather fitting 'near'.

[@White_Fox_5.0]

@@PrinceVamp technically without L near would have accomplished NOTHING. If your friend catches a fish and reels it in 90% of the way and hands you the fishing pole do you really think youre a better fisherman than them?

[@nicky4828]

​@@PrinceVamp I agree Near is way smarter than L

[@HighLight43]

It really is a shame that they rushed through the second half. Near is an amazing character and people who only watched the anime never really had a chance to get to know him.

[@rosestar1324]

I feel crazy. I haven't read the Manga yet but I absolutely loved the anime. I did notice a difference in quality but it wasn't enough for me to ruin love of the show. I've watched the anime over a dozen times cuz I think it's awesome. I ever hated Near. On my first few times watching the show, I wished all of Mellow's scenes were cut so Near would have more time. At the time I didn't really see how Mellow even connected to L aside from the candy addiction. Now I understand why Mellow and Near are important tho

[@tlotrfan3791]

@@rosestar1324same! Light is my favorite character so I enjoyed it throughout, even knowing that it declines a bit. People just love to hate. I do agree that the manga is much better though!

[@ruriva4931]

For me L’s death was the last straw. The plot development after Misa got introduced became much messier. Misa was a chaotic element which in theory is interesting but it was no longer the super delicate cat and mouse mind game that really pulled me into it. The lead up to L’s death was so convoluted so when he actually died I was just disappointed like the end of this battle of wits was concluded by plot randomness and plot convenience.

[@STPstudio47]

Nah it wasn't plot convenience and randomness, it was all Light's plan and he outsmarted L. He made him believe he's innocent despite being the most suspicious. I think the Yotsuba part and Light and Misa loosing memory was a good new idea, because if we had 25 episodes of L investigating Light and Light outsmarting L it would eventually get boring, we'd be like "Ah yes, another episode of L testing and suspecting Light, Light outsmarting the challenge and clearing his name."

[@ruriva4931]

@@STPstudio47Lights’s planning went from overthinking super small trivial details and quick thinking maneuvers when a variable inevitably appears to maintain is facade to making logic leaps far longer than even Sherlock Holmes and needing to be able to predict L’s movements to down to the minute to possibly succeed. I don’t feel like researching, organizing, or typing all the issues I have with the show but this KZbinr posted a video that kinda touches on most of my problems. Though I can’t say that I agree with everything he said. Like I didn’t mind how blunt it was with it’s themes I did like the ending among other things but he captured the problems I had with Misa and Lights logic leaps. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZOXl6pqhrmcj5I

[@MugenTJ]

Agreed! People love to think Light outsmart L. It more like Light manipulated REM and Misa to save his ass and prolong his demise. Outsmarting would mean L was made to believe Kira is someone else, but that was never the case. L was a step closer to revealing Light is Kira forcing REM to sacrifice. Thus you are correct that Misa and REM gave Light more shadows to hide behind. The story got weakened because L should be more vigilant, instead he kinda gave up, revealing information and his plan to Everyone, including Light! The natural progression of the story should be L acting as if Light is in the clear and secretly investigating the 13th rule, the presence of the death gods. While L might not bd good at manipulating people, he should be good at investing and enacting traps. I think the writer made a mistake by killing of a character that made the story good in the first place. Light was never strong on his own, because we were never suppose to see him triumph. The only question is how will he fall. L was the perfect foil. Perfect contrast to Light, with all his flaws ironically. But it’s fruitless to go on since the author only see L as an idea , that others like N and M can pick up the mantle. Killing off L is taking away the very character that made the conflict engaging in the first place.

[@sapnavora6834]

L had light caught when raye penbar died, the 2nd notebook in the human world was really the reason he was able to delay it so much longer

[@katokianimation]

It was an a litural deux ex machina and no contest. L got killed because Light got 2 secret litural gods on his side. And one of them happened to be overprotective to his fangirl. Imagine if we didn't see that from Light's point of view. Breaking bad. Randomly Walts dies killed by magic bc one of the crime bosses have a leprechaun friend, and he made the elf belive that Walt stole his gold. That wouldn't be a smart show isn't it?

[@GoGetYourShinebox]

The first 10 episodes were gripping, very intelligently written and had the right amount of subtly. When the Second Kira (Misa) was introduced there was a dip in quality, then with the Yotsuba plotline it declined further still (though the part when Light retrieves his memories was great). After L died it was far from the quality we had early on. Near wasn't interesting enough for me, Mello was but I didn't really care for the way he was used in the plot. I did like Mikami as a character, the only thing I really liked about the second part. Overall the second part of Death Note was not half as well written as the first part, especially pre-Second Kira introduction

[@sonakeshine]

Exactly. First ten episodes are amazing. It was going well for me until L and Light came in contact and start working together. After that the quality kept dipping and at no point it was bettter than first ten ep. First ten actually felt genuinely clever, whereas rest felt it was trying hard to be as clever as possible. The whole misa thing was also a negative.

[@subversivescreen7915]

The manga maintains the attention to detail throughout, to the extent that I actually prefer the final arc over the first. But as for the anime, yeah it never quite topped the first 10 episodes.

[@skepticmonkey6923]

This is exactly how i view the series, it just goes downhill consistently.

[@nirjhar4803]

​@@sonakeshineWhy though? I felt like the show was about as clever as it was from the first 10 eps up until one of the Yotusba episodes... But even after that the quality felt fine until after episode 26.

[@jacinto1477]

In yotsuba arc was where we learn how Light was and how he and L worked.To put it​ simply,the characters get themselves are explored.seriously,the guys don't know what 'good writing' is if it was served to them in a silver platter@@nirjhar4803

[@dracmanish]

I remember talking to a big Death Note fan about how the last 3rd in the anime was done poorly and I was shocked to hear that. I may not be much of a manga reader but I do plan to read Death Note at some point.

[@NINJAMUSHI]

hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

[@atomu27]

death note manga is a total classic with great art and writing, you'll have a great time

[@Xerolyst]

Anybody know where I can start reading it along with other manga for free?

[@JediMaestr0]

There are people who dislike L dying??? That’s probably one of my favorite parts of the entire anime. Having Light actually win the battle of the minds sets up as a way scarier and more interesting antihero than if L had ended up winning or even just going out on his own terms. Managing to genuinely catch L off-guard was a fantastic way to end that rivalry

[@MrDeldris]

I think it comes down to 2 major factors. The first is people typically root for the "hero" over the "villain" and L is supposed to be the hero to Kira's villain. The second is a lot of people don't think Kira won because he's smarter but because he just had information L didn't and if they had the same basic information (how many Death Notes are in play and how many Shinmigami there are in play) then L would have won.

[@Chris_fyn]

That’s terrible it should have been at the end where L or kira died not some near guy finishing off what L started the story is those two guys fighting over who’s smarter and while L died was such a impactful scene kira doesn’t have a drive anymore and kills for a few years before eventually dying. The story should have ended at L dying and kira winning which would have been a shock reveal that light is the protagonist but no the quality is rushed and it has boring ep.

[@cosas_de_gatos]

I think it’s more just that there weren’t characters as good as him after that. It seemed almost insulting to have Near just kind of appear, instantly, figure out everything about the case, and win. While L, one of the favorites, lost. But yeah, I completely agree with you. His death was so powerful. And the scene where L was wiping off Light’s feet was a reference to Jesus washing the feet of Judas, who he knew would betray him. As soon as that happened, I knew L would die and it felt so tragic yet so great

[@abelabad6237]

@@Chris_fyn dude shut up what are you yapperring about bro. if light had won it would have been kind of stupid since he was the biggest egoist. The anime rushed the second half but look at the manga. the second half is just him.

[@B3W04H]

IMO light didn’t really win bc he wanted to eliminate L which he did but not really he would have won fairly ig u could say if he killed him on his own instead of having the shinigami do it instead

[@EllePhoenixMC]

The problem at first in my opinion is lack of tension. The show couldn't make me care about L's successors, and the writing just isn't as tight. It simultaneous manages to feel rushed and dragged on. Even if some of my favorite moments in the anime are in those last episodes, they still feel forgettable.

[@lasagna665]

those problems are all in the manga as well, at least the finale in season 2 of the anime has decent moments due to the great voice acting

[@PwadigytheOddity]

Are we not going to talk about how you used Parasyte's "Migi's Theme" to introduce Near, and both are written in 14/8 time.

[@metrik1b.257]

Yo migis theme is good tho

[@Tensaroxx]

great vid dude waiting for the next vid

[@ravaiiiii]

Oh my god, this makes complete sense! I've been bothered by the second half of death note for a long time, but I never understood what was so wrong inside it, thank you so much for clarifying it!

[@kaipakta817]

I read through the deduction in the Manga. I had a headcannon alternative: Mikami is a prosecutor, and seemingly a good one pre-kira. This suggests he is smart and has a deep understanding of the legal system. He understands that brute force will only lead to his own ruin, and so his actions need to be covert. He wouldn't appear in TV logs repeatedly, but his few appearances would be eloquent- prompting Near's interest. Upon analysis his prosecutions do not result in kira-related deaths, at least no more than any other prosecutor. What DOES tip off Near is, his prosecution job lends him to a network of criminal data which, through misuse of the powers granted by Discovery through obtuse arguments which cannot outright be denied, would allow Mikami access to intimate details of other criminal trials. Among these trials, defendants who are let off the hook due to technicality would have a statistically significant Kira-death post trial. This would suggest to Near that Mikami is at least an influential figure to Kira, prompting his surveillance and eventual capture.

[@SaiScribbles]

The more I read the manga the more Near becomes my favorite. The anime also doesn't have him smirk like a smug little shit when he gets one up on Light.

[@nicky4828]

Same he's my favourite. Such an underrated and overhated character for no reason

[@devindixon699]

Just stumbled on this video. Amazing analysis my man. Followed 🤝

[@jeffrey3066]

Yoo, absolutely phenomenal video! Bro you deserve more attention.

[@NINJAMUSHI]

Thank you! Much appreciated

[@MagisterV224]

I actually greatly enjoyed Near as well as the second half. I do not understand why people do not like him. The spinning scene to me was the interpretation of his inner monologue, as if he's watching countless hours of tape until finally he hits the mark. Also I like the fact that Near confronted Light at the end. He did not risk his life imediatly like L, and that was the difference that allowed Near and Mello to win in the end. One worked in the field while the other played the game.

[@bastianokamiro5421]

the reason most people dislike Near in the anime, its cause thanks to some lacking in his development into trying to convey that Light was Kira, it seems like instead of a logical conclusion, he just spits theories and he hopes that its right, on the other Hand, L was so cautious, so carefully crafting his theories about Light as Kira, that he never did a step unless the odds favor him in the most precise way. its like, L was a magician with enough time to prepare his trick before revealing his outcome. but Near was a magician that goes into stage and says he already escaped the box that keept him locked up, thing that no one saw or even knew he supposedly was trapped in.

[@eeg-rh7jv]

​@@bastianokamiro5421so lack of screentime because of corporate greed which made him seem Mary Sue like

[@thegreatandloveableperidot9169]

You've made some really good points which I fully agree with but I will say I found the ending better in the anime where Light escapes and Ryuk gives that little monologue and then writes his name down and then Light hallucinates and sees L's ghost

[@karmtor2758]

Finally I get an answer to near randomly seeing mikami on the random screen, it was the most infuriating thing to watch

[@coltonmarples4269]

Interesting video. I had the manga boxset given to me years ago but never read it. Its been so long since I watched the series that ive forgot all the details so im definitely gonna give it a go.

[@Flemmli1]

Personally, I wouldn't say L's death ruined anything that came after, but his death sure would be hard to follow up on regardless of what you did. It was a major thing, probably a main reason to stick with the story after episode 2 and was set up that whoever got the other first would die. So yeah, hard to trump something that major.

[@retelefe]

Man, I read the manga like 12 years ago, and never got past the first few episodes of the animated version. I never thought that any half was better or worse, I learned that many years later and didn't think much about it. Now after seing this video, no wonder people dislike the later half. I think the problem is that in media usually stories start slow introducing the world, and then when they get to the interesting point rushes to keep interest, but this is a story about logic, and if you skip steps it would look cheap and without many thought put into why things happened the way they did. This may be even worse than adding useless filler episodes, because it damages the original experience of the story

[@PenAndSea]

Great video. I want to read the manga now. I enjoyed watching both parts and didn't think the 2nd part was as good, but didn't think it was as hated as it is.

[@3slicessenpai]

While I still prefer the first half, I still was just as engaged when reading the second half of the manga. It turns from a high octane game of poker into a slower and tense RTS. Light amassing followers, opening his inner circle, Near working from the shadows, the investigation teams prodding each other, allegiances shifting between each team and even into third parties...heck, the moment where the SPK was infiltrating the gym Mikami attended in order to get notebook had me turning the page with bated breath. And seeing Near and Mello, two inferior halves of L, coming together to surpass him and Light becoming cocky and bloodthirsty, resulting in his fatal mistake, resulting in,not a grandiose and emotional death scene, but a flat, uninteresting slump...so satisfying.

[@fpp9183]

I felt like Light substituting L had a bad pace. He just sat there taking calls from Near while the group would suspect him. He basically became a suspicious telephonist while Near would play with his toys

[@fliplife67]

For me I was shocked that the other guy already knew Light was the killer after L went down.

[@lilfreezie6302]

Great vid m8, also i realise you mightve deleted the notepad file from 13:40 but if you havent, could you maybe share it with those of us who wish to see it through a dropbox or something? I read the manga recently and im dying to hear more analysis on it in comparisson to the anime. subbed ofc.

[@carstan62]

You make a good case and I enjoyed this video, but I do think you missed an opportunity to look at what was possibly going on in production that caused this change in adaptation. Did they change directors? Was the team told that it couldn't get enough episodes to finish at their current pace? Maybe I'm being greedy, but you sold me on your view about halfway into the video and answering those questions about the production situation would have brought this video from good to great.

[@GaurangAgrawal0]

Woah! I didn't even know that the anime I considered to be nothing less than a masterpiece removed this many things from the manga. Death Note is the anime which gives me feelings of realism, that I am living with the characters and engaging with their thoughts. But TBH the part after L's death sure doesn't deliver that. Even though I truly believe that 2nd half is still a masterpiece, but I can't seem to deny that I no longer engage with the characters as I did in the 1st Half. This has motivated me to read the manga... 😅

[@otakubullfrog1665]

I guess that I didn't notice this as much as I should have since I read the manga first and could mentally fill in everything that was missing from the anime. I've always figured that most people's opinion of the rest of Death Note after L's death tends to hinge on whether they more invested in Light or L as a character. I'm firmly in the Light camp because, while L is memorable and well-written, I consider him to be just a brilliant detective with a bunch of quirks who could easily appear in another mystery story entirely whereas I consider Light and his unique characteristics to be what make the story of Death Note happen.

[@veganbytheway57]

Have been saying this FOR YEARS. I literally made a whole post talking about how many chapters were cut on reddit and did the math on how many episodes we should have, going from the first to the last volume. Honestly man, if you ever need someone with way too much Death Note knowlage, interest and that knows the characters and themes in and out I am here for you, we NEED people to get this Like I know all the details and what makes Near and Mello unique and how they solve the themes of the first half set by Light and L, I even know entire camera angles I like from hand

[@NINJAMUSHI]

Thank you so much for the super chat! I appreciate it! I certainly agree that there is more to Near and Mellow than people realize. It's something I really want to cover in another video, I just have to muster up my energy to make it happen. If I ever want to ask you for some thoughts, I might come back to this comment and ask!

[@veganbytheway57]

@@NINJAMUSHI That would be lovely! I have argued these points so often I can practically make them in my sleep. About why I think L is just as bad, if not worse than Light but that that is the reason he respects his intelligence and you could even see view him as a deranged friend, while Near doesnt view Light as anything more but an enemy, someone he actively mocks and plays with and how Near despite being less intelligent than both L and Light still has the upper hand because of his lack of ego which was the downfall of both Light and L and how Mello BECAUSE he overcame his ego and ended up helping Near managed to get to his goal of becoming L WITH NEAR, something L would absolutely hate. The manga even explores the struggles of Near filling in as L in the oneshot. And the way the panel where Near eats the choclate sympolizes him being with Mello now and that loyality, being humble, love and friendship is more powerful than raw intelligence. Hell, Light lost because a follower misread his words, like an actual god, just more pathetic. The whole thing is just so beautifully constructed. I stop fanboying lol but if you ever need any help at all, from just thoughts, to editing or whatever else just ask me, I would be honored to help make a video to finally give the second half justice. Thank you, you are doing gods work, friend!

[@pillowboy7995]

@@veganbytheway57 Big fan as well but I would disagree with near having no pride he mocks light more than L ever did and refuses to outright kill him.

[@veganbytheway57]

@@pillowboy7995 I think mocking the mass murdering, women abusing, child killing psycopath who would throw his loving family under the bus isnt raelly pride and more so insulting a piece of human waste. Being playful isnt the same as prideful, but I do agree that he takes greater pride in his work than L. L also would never kill Light, but not out of a sense of justice but a sense of wanting to beat him fairly. Near doesnt do it because he A) wants to make L proud and B) wouldnt view it as right to just kill someone either, in the manga he says he wants to lock him away where no one can hear or see him.

[@pillowboy7995]

​@@veganbytheway57 That's true Although Near does say "I am Kira's current opponent in his battle of pride against L" and light comments on how L would never kill him because then the "battle of pride would have no true victor" but he doesn't know if Near works the same way. It seems ambiguous whether Near is fighting Light simply to solve the puzzle or if he's doing it from a moral obligation like with his speech to light at the end. In the final confrontation, it seems clear he wants Light to confess despite having more than enough proof against him that's why he smirks when Light says he's Kira so I do think there is pride involved. And he outright giggles when he one ups Light

[@andrewsigler7437]

Great video man!

[@NINJAMUSHI]

Thank you!

[@wildmoonchild8210]

imagine a true to manga anime coming out in the future, the internet would light on fire

[@Stigmatix666]

Haha as if 😂

[@wildmoonchild8210]

@@Stigmatix666 can only dream

[@tlotrfan3791]

Thank you for this video. I’m so tired of seeing so many people bash on the later half of the series. This show and manga are what got me into anime and manga as a whole and I’ll be forever grateful for that. It’ll always be my number one and Light Yagami is my favorite character from the series, despite L being the fan favorite. I love analyzing his character arc and the many subtle reasons piled up for why he goes through such a change in demeanor/personality. I look at it as a coping mechanism since he felt immense guilt (explained more in the manga) for the first two people he killed. He thought that since he was so “perfect” as stated by all the people around him, he COULDN’T be wrong for those initial killings. Plus, his father being a cop and coming home every day case after case led to his strong disliking of criminals. Light also dissociates from his father’s death because he actually loves his family very much. My proof: “My father? You mean Soichiro Yagami?” He couldn’t handle the fact that his dad died so he didn’t even think of him as his father anymore. Goes to show how far gone Light was by the end. TLDR; I love Light wayyyyy more than L since he has a lot of overlooked depth. Also, people just want to hate. It’s in nature I guess. Seems to me like most people want to be a sheep and follow the most common opinion rather than come up with one on their own. The second part is equal quality to me in the manga and I’ll defend that until the end. I never had a problem with it. Everyone just had their own interpretation or perception of what THEY wanted as an ending. Well, too bad LOL. The author did it how he wanted to and I love the whole story all the way through. Idk, maybe I’m weird because I look at the story from a thematic sense instead of simply being entertainment like a lot of people. I like psychology, symbolism, and themes. The second half is vital for these elements.

[@rosestar1324]

It might not have fixed everything but there was that whole episode (or majority of the episode) that basically was a recap of what had happened up until L's death. Those minutes would have been better spent giving some more time to some of the important scenes that was cut from the second half. Maybe it was implemented cuz the way the show originally aired and the viewers needed to be caught up to speed. But I haven't seen a show that does that like Death Note and those other series don't suffer because of a lack of a whole episode recap

[@OddlyAnimated1203]

Now I truly understand... Really described the issue greatly, you did. I was and am still confused how Near found out X-Kira's identity as an Anime-only.

[@cherlojomzyaduermanse]

The most important change is loosing the epilogue, in the manga it has a clue that explains how near won In the anime just by itself it makes no sense lol

[@NINJAMUSHI]

that is very true and something I maybe should have mentioned!

[@jinx-dl6fn]

wow, i didn't know this! i've been a fan of the anime for a couple of years and while i didn't *dis*like the second part, i also figured i'd probably never watch it again on my own. but this video put the changes in perspective and now i'm considering reading the manga soon! thank you, and great video ^_^

[@NINJAMUSHI]

Thank you, I'm glad to hear that! If you get the manga sometime, I hope it fares you well! :)

[@cosmicflower5891]

the manga's ending is also different. PLus there's a bonus story, manga exclusive where Ryuk gives a deathnote to a random kid, and asks what he things of Kira

[@KingWilliam.99]

I first watched the death note anime when i was 15, I loved it and it was awesome. I remember i kinda liked the second part but not as much as the first. Last year I decided to revisit DN (didn't remember 90% of the story), but this time reading the manga. My experience with the first part was amazing, and it is very similar in the anime. When I got in to the second part, I was thrilled, mesmerized by Mello's and Near's introduction (you actually just know they came from L's orphanage in the middle of the director's kidnapping), amazed by Mello x Light's battle and after Near x Light. And the end was simply gold! When I went and watched the second part in the anime, i actually got angry. Why would you skip all the amazing inner thoughts? Why change M and N's introduction?? I think that Mello is the most jeopardized character in this part, only appearing 5 episodes and having basically a different personality at all in the anime. Really wish they could remake the second part😢. It's my favorite! PS: waiting for the video of the manga's second part!

[@pandudewabrata5188]

I more or less have a similar thought as yours. I want a remake for the second half.

[@naveenkumar9215]

I'm a manga only and I'm so glad you did this video cause I was always confused why anime-onlies hatred N and the 2nd half which I also loved in the manga. Now it's clear!

[@cadethumann8605]

Personally for me, while I don't care much about the latter half (or last third) of the anime adaptation, I honestly do really like the very end with how it handles Light's death. Granted, I can see why many prefer the manga version but I do like seeing a more somber version of the MC's demise (especially after seeing a more upstanding persona when he lost his Kira memories at one point, showcasing how his mind has degraded). Just Stop made a very good analysis on DN's different endings where he pointed out the interesting aspects of both.

[@dayaothat8897]

One thing i still don't know about the ending of death note was how ligh didn't just give mikami a torned piece of the death note and just leave the death note elsewhere and let Near and the rest of the detectives doing their weird switcharoo thingy which could have won him the battle

[@samueloak1600]

He didn't think it necessary

[@seraranasisca2434]

He was afraid that spk would find out if he did that

[@thatghana]

13:21 This portion of the differences was highly appreciated my guy it makes me want to read the manga

[@crazyneonate8626]

Very interesting and definitely convinced me to give the manga a shot, i started resding it a while back and thought it was word for word the same.. on the other hand, i will say i love the second part and to me the reason (i had in my head) as to why there is a lot less mental dialogue is because at that point, Light doesnt think he has much of an opponent.. manipulating the spk is obviously very easy and i think he sees Near and Mello as two much lesser versions of L. Also at this point in the story he cares much less about his own morality and so a lot of his plans are way less convoluted because he just kills very quickly anybody even attempting to discover Kira.

[@p0ker_m]

To put things into a better perspective: Death Note 1st half chapters - 59, Anime episodes 25ish Death Note 2nd half chapters - 48, Anime episodes - 13ish. So... yeah.

[@SamTheGumMan117]

I think the 2nd half still holds up to a certain point especially in the manga it felt better to me than in the anime also Near was such a cool character to me but still missed L no lie

[@Wraith8082]

11:37 honestly by this point in the anime I completely bought the suggestion that the police force were dumb enough to just take Light at his word and not question it further

[@Sykroid]

2:04 What is this song, I KNOW I've heard it before, but I can't find it on the ost. Anyway, I really appreciated this analysis. It's nice to see fresh death note content nearly 20 years after I first watched it air on adult swim. Ah...

[@Sykroid]

Wait I think it's Migi's Theme from Parasyte

[@NINJAMUSHI]

Songs are in the description~

[@Sykroid]

@@NINJAMUSHI you're too late! But fr good video lol

[@exiledkenkaneki701]

I liked the later half even more then first half because how much stakes were changed and how more evil light got, wanted to see him being taken down

[@NINJAMUSHI]

That's a pretty neat take, and totally fair too!

[@exiledkenkaneki701]

@@NINJAMUSHI this is a particular reason why I love Sao, aot, akame so much it kind of turns the dopamine in my head by turning the stakes level higher, I love it when a protagonist is strong, because that's not a critical flaw in character but bad dialog definitely is, rewatching Sao is the more fun rewatching death note or aot because i love thr final alicization battle and kiritos return from his coma, since I don't mind generic traits in characters. World's finest assasin has an op mc and it bangs hard that show is amazing

[@IsaiahINRI]

Before I watch the video, the main reasons I disliked the second half wasn't because of L's death(though I did want him to win), it was because his replacement wasn't as entertaining or believable. But the main two reasons I disliked the second half were because the plot became very contrived in that Light became an actual moron and every time he lost it wasn't because Near had beaten him, but because Light made an incredibly stupid decision. I could excuse once or twice but it felt like it was every time. The other reason was Light's death just didn't sit well with me. It wasn't just the aforementioned reason, it was also that he stopped acting like himself in that moment and it didn't feel bittersweet, it just felt bitter. It was sad but not in a good way. However, part two did give us Mikami who was my favorite character in the series so I guess it wasn't all bad.

[@mohammedsuliman8072]

Great video

[@ZankokuNoYami]

It took so long to get the sub for the second half that I went and read the manga. So when I finally got to watch it, I was so pissed. It was the same length as the first half yet half the number of episodes. I also just didn't like near and mellow and wanted them to be beaten XD I was rooting for light till the end and was actually shocked when he lost.

[@calvinware7957]

Death note has the opposite problem of something like Naruto which is overrun with filler. It's too short. It needed an extra season.

[@hooray4paradiddles]

Ultimately, i think it comes down to this: the first half was essentially a battle of wits between L and Light. It's so engrossing because their lives are so intertwined and they're such good antagonists for each other. Then they killed L, which was very dramatic and exciting, sure, but it then became clear they had nothing left in the chamber for the rest of the show. Near is a much less interesting clone of L because he's got the brains but doesn't have any of the personal history with Light. So his fight against Light is just... boring. Not to mention sidelining Misa around the same time. They could have done so much with her character but they didn't. TL;DR: the show was a modern-urban-fantasy-thriller and was very character-driven, which made the first half **incredible**, but then they killed or sidelined all the most interesting characters besides Light himself, and it made the rest of the show completely forgettable.

[@jessetheanimenerd3304]

Near doesn't have to have "personal" history with Light to be an interesting antagonist. I thought it was an interesting change of pace to have Near immediately have a direct line of communication to Light while also staying anonymous. On the contrary, Light and L never interacted once during the first 20 chapters of the manga. Misa wasn't an interesting character, even before the 2nd half. Her replacement Mikami is a *far* better written Kira imo.

[@halza9]

This kinda makes me glad that after I had stopped the Death Note anime after ep 25, I later ended up picking the series again where I left off with the manga instead (the college I once went to had every post-L's death volume of the manga and I remember reading all of them, being interested in how everything played out after his death. Seeing Light react to there being more than just L who could stop him was great.

[@Jugokazooie]

I like thinking of near as someone who deducts enough to get far into the problem to where there is for example 2 options and uses his gut to go with an answer based on how far he got. Like deducting multiple choice questions to a 50/50 and going for one answer that seems it.

[@LyricYard237]

I mean creator of Death Note wanted this to end on the first part but was forced to continue the anime due to studio interference

[@tlotrfan3791]

No lol the creator was never forced to continue. This is the anime poorly adapting the manga

[@thatredhead3613]

Where did you hear that from lol

[@sirreepicheeprules7443]

The early part of Death Note is great because it is a cat and mouse game between two geniuses battling eachother with very high stakes, then when the two finally meet it becomes similar to a skirmish of feeling out eachother's personalities and probing a way to confirm that Light is Kira or how to get L's name, then Misa shows up which adds a new dynamic to the battle and opens up new ways for both Kira and L to fight eachother. Misa is not stupid, she does show that she could track down Kira within days and outmaneuvered the cameras and not leave any fingerprints behind on the evidence; that said she is not on Light's level and L is able to find her and soon Light is forced into taking risks to save her or be killed by Rem. Light is forced to give up the death note which is a radical move in the story but plans to get it back after they track down Higuchi, once he and Misa are largely in the clear, he finally manages to pit Rem against L and disposes of them both in a brilliant move. This concludes the middle of Death Note where Kira wins against l and the series then takes a noticeable dive in quality. After L dies, the stakes drop and the only real opponent Kira had is dead, what is left for the story after that? Kira reigns and kills more criminals than ever before, people are terrified of him and yet many also supported him or came to accept the new world order he had made. There needed to be someone to take up the fight against Kira and this role is filled by Near and Mello, but they come off as weaker versions of L and simply don't entertain us as much as L did. L's quirky nature , his love of sweets and the way he sits all come of as memorable and shows his eccentric nature. Mello is a clear sociopath and Near is an introverted bookworm that is obsessed with puzzles, they simply aren't as interesting or likable as L. What really made the story was the cleverness and mind games of the main characters battling eachother. It is not just that L died, it's that the real force opposing Kira is dramatically weaker and the cleverness is replaced by a faster pace story more focused on action and results than earning those results with careful planning, deliberation and explanation.

[@hooray4paradiddles]

This hits the nail on the head.

[@pillowboy7995]

Mello shows more emotion than any character in the series far from a sociopath

[@pillowboy7995]

@charaznable896 Doubt a psychopath would mourn over their best friend and risk his life so his rival can solve the case.

[@oneandonlysound3453]

@@pillowboy7995 Id agree and I do but I'd agree a lot more IF he was fleshed out like he is in the manga. Heavier involvement from a significantly different character-AT LEAST in human nature as he is a successor to L too after all, would've definitely spiced up the 2nd half of the anime.

[@pillowboy7995]

@@oneandonlysound3453 I quite enjoy the second half but still the biggest grievance is mello getting cut out as much as he did

[@spaghettiking7312]

This video redeemed much of humanity. So many people have to hear this.

[@Klokinator]

It's been 7 months. Am I missing something, or did you not post the follow-up video to this? I looked through your vids but it seems you.. forgot?

[@NINJAMUSHI]

didn't forget, just haven't been inspired to finish it yet.

[@theonetypingthis7186]

As someone who's only read the manga, wow, i had no idea the adaptation ruined its second half that badly. However, even though the second half is still a good manga, in my opinion one of its problems is that it has almost no lighter moments like the first half, and the main problem is the fact that near comes to conclusions kinda randomly, anyway. Near's conclusions make sense to us, the readers, who have seen everything in part 1, but the deductions behind them include some points that don't make sense for someone like him, who didn't watch all that first half, to know or even consider. The second half of the manga is worse because near gets too much help from deus ex machina, and because light is significantly less intelligent than in the first half, light just got dumber and more willing to do crazy shit. The author had built a character who was too smart, and he had to dumb him down and give near some random knowledge to let him beat light.

[@theonetypingthis7186]

What makes near unlikeable is that his knowledge about light and everyone randomly starts off at the same point that L's knowledge had reached about events following the entire first half of watching light's idiosyncrasies and actions, it doesn't make sense for near to suspect light and bring up things that L deducted internally from logical deductions. Near randomly knows and suspects things that L knew and suspected after the entire first half, but without actually having the necessary facts and context to even deduce them.

[@rb98769]

Yeah. I think L's shoes were too big to fill, and Near just failed to do that. The fact is that it's impossible not to compare him to L because he was designed precisely with that in mind, and compared to L it feels a lot like the story just cheats to favor him. He triumphs in a way L couldn't, but it feels entirely undeserved because he just magically comes to the right conclusions without having to put as much work into it.

[@Stigmatix666]

Deus ex machina sounds about right

[@Theykillmice128]

Despite my despising Near that did him and Mello dirty in the anime

[@DarkThomy]

I remember when I read the manga a long time after having finished the anime.. I started directly at the second part since I knew by hearts the first one... And BOY oh boy, I didn't remember the second part to be this hype and tense !

[@sashalonins4336]

Can someone confirm this for me, are there significant plot differences in the manga that differ from the anime? Bc i’ve only ever seen the anime, but the first vol of the manga is almost the exact same as the anime

[@leonieschnieders190]

My head canon is that de director read the manga and was so sad that L died that he cried all over his manga and pages started to stick together and other parts became unreadable

[@derram0k]

I hate it because it felt like Near read the show's script. I just pretend the show ended when L dies.

[@tlotrfan3791]

Read the manga then! It explains that Near took years to even gather information on a “murder notebook” and he doesn’t make deductions out of thin air. He watches hours and hours of tapes before concluding Teru Mikami to be X-Kira :)

[@itripie2219]

this is a great video I completely agree with everything said

[@visheshdeepgautam]

That Migi sound in the Background caught me lol... That's my morning Alarm sound since 2020 and I thought how the heck this is running alongside the video 💀

[@n0tk0sher]

I have a problem with L asking Light to say whether it would be his will or not to regain possession of the killing power and get his memory back. At this point they still don't even know about the Death Note and whether or not a person killing is doing it subconciously. Light says, "given your premise, it would be my will." Nahhh, sorry, not enough info.

[@PwadigytheOddity]

Doesn't Near never inner monologue? He's always just talking. To me it came off like Near was an unstoppable force of nature, out for blood. L felt like a person, while Near did not. Which for the anime felt right. I don't feel like there was much character behind Near, and that actually made sense. The route the anime went, Near didn't need to be a character. His theme even reflects this. He's a kid who plays with toys and solves murders confidently and has a brain like a robot. Him not questioning himself as much makes sense.

[@NINJAMUSHI]

I guess it's fine for Near not to have super character driven inner monologue, but I do think there's a need to show how he arrives to his answers. Otherwise it feels cheapened, to me at least. I pretty much agree with most of what you're saying but I think inner monologue can heighten those traits even more, if anything. Even if he is a like a robot, computers have processes. Cutting that out just makes it feel like he comes to the answer simply because the show needs him to, rather than because he's legitimately a genius Also, yeah he never needed to 2nd guess himself. That's more of Light's thing

[@White_Fox_5.0]

I felt like he represented a force more than a personal character as well and i liked that. We had already fallen in love with L and watched him die. Near represented that their will always be another to rise up from our existing justice system. If you really thought about the future of the show (i know i did while watching it) i knew from the second ryuk said he would write lights name in his deathnotethat the series would end with lights death. I knew he wasnt gonna rule the world😅

[@sheriefwoodard8686]

@@NINJAMUSHII agree and it’s a shame because I like Near

[@OWlsfordshire]

That's the problem with this series in general. There's barely any characters. 95% are barely fleshed out NPCs.

[@protastudios]

Yeah, it's very frustrating to go from a fantastic episode with big implications, great symbolism, art direction and sound design, that gives a close to a fantastic character, to introducing a new character that is basically a replacement for L without any previous information on him.

[@karmitdafruge1]

Haha I love the prototype ost in the background one of my favorite shows of all time

[@h3llboyyy407]

I showed my ex cop dad this show before and he LOVED it and actually preferred the second half! so weird lol but It goes to show art is perspective. He thought everything about the cops pursuits were done much better.

[@pillowboy7995]

I agree lol

[@yamakiforov9238]

One thing I found interesting is that the only smart female character we get dies very early on. She was able solve her fiancés death very quickly, and it is evident as to why she used to work with L. Of course there are plenty of female characters, but we never do get to see another one who’s intelligence could keep up with the investigation. (Of course Misa is a complex character, but she didn’t have that edge that the other smart characters do)

[@shamrous7368]

Yes!! Damn I really think it would be interesting to see her not dying but pushed away, and then when she found more clues - appear to Kira again

[@RayGainbows]

Fine. its been like 15 years but ill finally read deathnote. I had no idea i was missing so much.

[@leons-rank2641]

4:41 i thought the same thing when i was watching first time, near just kept guessing and guessing and ending up right but still i love the end half almost as much as the first

[@swaghettimemeballs4420]

I really wish this series would've been twice as long just to do the manga justice.

[@pirkage]

The thing is, I think L's death is necessary to the story that the mangaka wanted to tell in this case. Even in the final scene of death note, it's very clear that L, while he was a person, ideals and justice carried on through Mello and Near. While on Kira's death, he dies screaming. Kira was never about justice, he became everything he said he despised, but decided to make an exception from himself. I don't get why so many adaptations skip over this part in the story, when it's just "disliked" (like the muscial) because it sort of takes away the theme that L is real justice, that cannot be killed, while Kira is just a person with ideals, and once kira is gone, so is his ideals.

[@playboicarti1850]

manga ending combats this viewpoint, kiras ideals continue through misa and the religion and matsuda and other dude dialogue on nears way of defeating kira. light and l are two sides of the same coin. they both believed themselves to be justice although light had eventually killed unjustly. at the end, they killed kira for his crimes, just as kira killed criminals

[@subversivescreen7915]

Yeah I always thought that the manga ending was condemning Light specifically for murdering innocents and going on a power quest rather than the idea of Kira itself

[@insert-name-here6777]

I wondered why Near and Mellow felt more like "normal antagonists" to the main character not like L who was a main character.

[@thesapphiremawile5180]

It’s hard to remember just how much was cut from the second half of the manga, but this video really puts it into perspective. The two things I always remember are the whole ordeal with the president and Matt’s whole purpose in the story being gutted. In the anime he literally just shows up in the background and then dies immediately. In the manga I’m pretty sure he was tailing that Halle chick or something and he actually had lines of dialogue before his death scene. Honestly I still didn’t care much for the second half of Death Note’s manga (at least in comparison to the first half), but I’ll watch your video to see what you have to say about it. I love this series and I’m always happy to see other people appreciate it. It’s honestly a shame the last half was turned into the last third of the story. If it wasn’t cut so much, then the genius of Araki’s direction would’ve made it a flawless adaptation. The presentation of what is there still does a lot to elevate the story like you said, even if so much of it got axed. I always felt that the last third felt rushed but scenes like Soichiro confronting Mello and Mikami killing the Kira TV worshippers (RIP to his English VA) were still so much more fun with the presentation of the anime. And I actually like the Anime’s ending more than the manga’s.

[@pillowboy7995]

Mello is butchered to death that s the main thing