DEATH NOTE / First Impressions

Summary:
Desperate for apples, Ryuk has made sure that they’re not being followed, so Light goes and buys him some. While Light is feeding Ryuk an apple in the park, his father is with L wondering about the doubt on his family. As L thinks over how Kira kills, he notices that Light has returned home. The two of them watch as Light returns to his room and turns on his television to the news. Light’s plan now is for more minor criminals to die after he watched TV so that the deaths of minor criminals from last time aren’t considered special. To do this, he memorizes the names reported on the news and goes outside afterwards to write them down on a hidden piece of the Death Note.
It is sometime later that L declares that the families under surveillance have been cleared of suspicion based on the tapes and video. He allows the cameras and wiretaps to be removed, but this doesn’t mean that his suspicions are completely gone. Kira could have killed those criminals without acting suspicious, and L still thinks that’s a 5% chance of Kira being one of the people he had under surveillance. As L ponders how Kira kills, he realizes that if Kira was in one of the families, Kira’s mind must be at the level of a god’s to be able to judge evil people without changing his expression. L then thinks that Kira can’t be a god because it seems like a joke for a god to need a name and face. Instead, Kira must be a childish person playing as god, and L needs to find a way to get him to reveal himself in the act.
Ryuk eventually notices that the cameras are gone, but Light continues to refrain from talking to Ryuk because of possible wiretaps remaining and instead just feeds the Shinigami an apple. When the day then comes for Light to take his college entrance exams, he goes to the testing room and is surprised to find someone there staring at him during the exam. That person is L, but Light doesn’t know that. It is months later, at the entrance ceremony, that the two come face to face again. Both scored perfectly on the exam, making them both class representatives. L, however, has taken on the name Ryuuga Hideki, the same name as the famous idol.
On the way down from the stage after their joint speech, L reveals to Light that he knows Light is the police chief’s son and volunteers some information about the Kira case. That information is none other than the fact that he is L. At first, Light starts to panic a little since L revealed himself, but then he calms down as L claims to want help on the case. Light, however, realizes that he can’t do anything to L. Killing L now after L just revealed his own identity would make Light suspect. What’s more, by using an idol’s name, there’s a good chance that Light would kill the idol instead of L if Light used the Death Note and thought of the wrong person’s face.
After the ceremony, L bids Light goodbye and then leaves via a chauffeured car. Light is silent all the way home until he gets to his room where he locks his door and then loses it. Hearing that this is the first time Light feels that he’s ever been this humiliated, Ryuk suggests the Shinigami eyeball exchange to kill L. However, Light is worried that it’s a trap to expose him – he really wants to kill L, but such an action could be traced back to him. He is frustrated at the Death Note for not allowing him to manipulate someone to kill L, and in this situation, Light can’t make L commit suicide or die in an accident until he’s 100% sure that it’s really L. By revealing himself first, L is using a method that allows him to attack and defend at the same time. Still, Light soon starts laughing evilly, and then calms down again because he realizes that he has nothing to be pessimistic about. He now welcomes L to become his friend, so that he can bring out everything about his enemy and kill him.

Preview:

I think these are the brightest colors I’ve seen so far on this show. It reminded me a lot of how dark this show’s colors normally are, and it seemed almost unfitting for there to be sakura petals blowing around dramatically like in that scene. There were also some very interesting shots of Light from when he was angry and plotting. The smile on his face in this shot particularly reminds me of the Joker. Speaking of which, I’m inclined to agree with L in saying that Kira/Light is childishly playing as a god because of how Light reacted at the end . But despite that, Light remains the protagonist in my eyes because we see his perspective so much more often than L’s.
Next week is the Prince of Tennis: Death Note style. We’re now very close (no more than two episodes away) from the appearance of you-know-who voiced by Hirano Aya 🙂

31 Comments

  4. Gotta love Ryuuku in this episode.

    Either way, I can’t believe Misa will be arriving soon. Especially since some idiotic Aya fans will only start watching at that episode and on. She’s a good CV, I’ll give her that but a lot of her fans give me a headache.

    Likkun
    Reply

  5. I don’t know what to feel about Aya Hirano. She always sounds the same in just about every role and it could be jarring to listen to her in her samey voice again.

    But she is a great VA, so no real harm.

    Shippoyasha
    Reply

  8. Aaah i don’t know who… i fell so left out…:(
    but seriously looks like a good one sounds like light is gunna get to full of himself(ok basically when isn’t he but i mena in a bad spot)

    bak3donh1gh
    Reply

  13. doesn´t light have shinigami powers??????????
    I think if L gets too closer to light´s secret Ryuuku is going to kill him just to not have his funny playground not ruined!!!
    That´s how I think this is going to end 😀

    tensai_otaku
    Reply

  15. OskarAnly, the episode before this I noticed that Ryuku’s VA sounded strange. I think maybe he might be sick or have strip throat, because there’s a pretty big difference if you’re really trying to listen to it. Anyway, it’s nothing I can’t look past. I love this series. 😀

    Tim
    Reply

  26. ” hoho…tennis match next episode… ”

    YES that´s RIGHT my friend!!!

    JIKAI………….TENNIS NO KILLER SAMA!!!MADA MADA DA NA “L”!!!!

    we´ll see “tsubaki(or tsubame) gaeshi” performed by light 😀 😀

    also special guest ( MOMO sempai will try to kill “L” with his hiOGI ” dunk shoot ” )

    😆 I´d prefer that ONEESAN that takes care of RYOMA at his house….but…ok…life is not perfect at all!!!! 😀

    tensai_otaku
    Reply

  29. This episode should’ve been titled “L goes back to school.” I almost died laughing when I heard the proctor yelling for candidate 162 to sit normally. I feel sorry for the proctor but that is the best to get out of L. He even was popping his toes in the exam. I ought to do that in my next exam . LOL

    TJ
    Reply

  31. WOW! A good lead! XD It is getting exciting! XD Why would Light felt humiliated? I don’t get it. -_-; Well, anyway, this is a great episode. I wish to know what would happen next! Hahahahaha~~~ (sorry about that!)
    =3

    Duma
    Reply

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