DEATH NOTE / First Impressions

Summary:
Knowing that he has to deal with Maki Shouko or else she’ll lead the police towards finding out who he really is, Light decides to pretend to take notes about the bus hijacking so that he can write on the piece of Death Note that he’s carrying with him. Ryuk starts laughing as Light is writing out the circumstances of her suicide starting at 1:15PM, and much to Light’s surprise, nothing happens when that time comes and goes. He knows that just writing suicide on the Death Note works because of the tests that he conducted, but since nothing is happening to her, something must be wrong. It is because of Ryuk’s continued laughter that Light soon realizes that Maki Shouko must be an alias. He concludes that she must be using this name because of how Ray died after he showed his ID, but Light’s problem now is how to learn her real name. He can’t just ask her for it without arousing suspicion since she already told him a fake one.
The woman then suggests that they return to police headquarters in case someone came back. As Light panics a bit and examines his options, Ryuk reminds him that there’s still the Shinigami eyes trade. However, Light still doesn’t consider that a deal he can make. When she stops and suggests that she can go to the police station on her own, Light knows that he has to make a move quickly. He decides to tell her that it’s impossible to directly talk to the people working on the case at headquarters because they’re concealing themselves to prevent what happened with Ray from happening again. As for why he knows this, Light pretends to reveal that he’s a member of the investigation that is being led by L. The woman still wants to talk to the police and to L, explaining that she’s worked under L before on a previous case. Upon learning that she used to be in the FBI up until three months ago, Light pretends to offer to let her onto the team. He notes that the three conditions are that she has some sort of ID, a recommendation of someone already on the team, and L’s personal approval. Drawing her into the idea, Light suggests that since he can recommend her for the team, all of this is due to fate.
Around this time, L is still in the meeting with Light’s father and the other detectives. He introduces them to the real Watari, who is actually an elderly man. Watari has brought special badges for each of them to use as fake identification so that Kira won’t find out who they are. He also provides them with special belts equipped with transmitters to allow L to know where they are. In addition, pressing the buckle twice will call Watari’s cell phone. L then suggests that they should keep someone in the main headquarters, so Light’s father sends Aizawa back. Because it’s snowing outside, Aizawa opens his umbrella, obscuring his vision and making him not notice that he’s walking past Light and the woman. Light has convinced her to join the team and hand over her ID for him to see, which she does after apologizing for not using her real name earlier. The driver’s license she gives him identifies her as Misora Naomi, which Light writes onto the Death Note. When she notices him checking his watch again and asks him about it, Light calmly mentions Kira. Misora quickly realizes what this means, but it’s already too late. Her eyes lose their color and she starts walking away slowly, claiming that she doesn’t have anything to say to the police anymore. Light says his final farewell to Misora Naomi and continues to watch as she walks towards the imaginary gallows that await her.

Preview:

The end of this episode was so good because of how they portrayed that evil glare in Light’s eyes, the fear in Misora Naomi’s, and the gallows imagery. She looked like a ghost once the Death Note took effect – which is basically what she was since it sealed her fate. I can’t help but feel really bad for her, but at the same time, I don’t find myself hating Light either. Maybe I’ve become accustomed to the fact that he’ll kill anyone who gets in his way. In any case, I really enjoyed watching this episode, and the entire series as a whole has been quite a good adaptation of the manga.
And while Naomi may be gone, her death will still have some big ramifications that Light will have to deal with in next week’s episode.

38 Comments

  12. That was a very thrilling episode. It kept me at the edge of my seat while Light was trying to find out her real name…Although at the same time, I found it kind of irritating that Naomi didn’t suspect him one bit for not wanting her to go to the headquarters.

    And I agree, Light at the end was EVIL!

    Rasmiel
    Reply

  14. hmm..this seem abit go off the way…Light suppose to kill “people commit crime” not the one get in his way…since his first idea is to make world a better place with no crime….but now seem fight between Light and someone he tink is dangerous that will find out his identity….seems like hiding identity games already……no longer fight for justice…quite sad…..:(

    Victor_delacroix
    Reply

  16. i cant believe how this show is 37 episodes long when it almost seemed like it was going to end soon or something on ep 6, i thought it was gonna be a 12 ep show -.-

    nyways cant wait to see that episode once its subbed ;p

    Drayen
    Reply

  28. Dammit! Why did she fall for that gimmick of being let onto L’s team! Last episode he said that his father was on the investigation, and the guards recognized him… She was there, and she doesn’t even question how a kid in high school could possibly become an agent for the enigmatic L. Well,now it appears that Kira is digging a deeper hole for himself, and more deaths will come as he has to kill more people to cover his tracks.

    Yuri rocks
    Reply

  29. story line like manga version so i think it’s unnescessary to watch it afterall…

    but it’s good for collect DVD set of this title ^^ as it’s availables in store

    PS. look like Rai-to in anime version is too cruel than manga version and i don’t want Rey Penber dies… T^T Evil Rai-to kills a couple of them

    Jz
    Reply

  31. JZ, if you dont watch this espiode you’ll miss one of the best episodes in Death Note, everything was well-done from Ryuk’s Taunting, to Misamori death even more so than the manga. The series is just amazing I just hope they dont go down to the level of Bleach though 🙁

    PK
    Reply

  32. Holly mother…. That was awesome, Light-o

    I was right when Death Note became my first show in this new anime season full of half-assed shows. Man, “I’m Kira” a few seconds after losing the will to resist, as how Rey Penber finds out the truth too late.

    I want to read the manga, but I prefer to watch the anime…

    Syaoran Li
    Reply

  33. if u watched the death note live action, it changed it in different ways..
    esp misa was grabbing a gun to shoot light’s gf Shiori…

    issit the same as manga?? i din look further so i dunnoe. but i think the manga’s death of shiori is different..

    anyhow its how they proof death note scary xD!

    sniperz
    Reply

  34. That Light, what a clever bastard, lol. I’m starting to love to hate him, or is it hate to love him? At any rate, he was pure evil toward the end of the episode, revealing the fact that he was the killer mere seconds before Naomi loses her will to live and walks off so calmly to her death. I was pretty sad to see her go like that as she had the potential to be so much more as a character but I guess her death was necessary if Light was to protect his identity and keep the story moving as Kira. Her expression as she learned too late of Light’s terrible secret was painful to watch, and her face really did look like that of a ghost when the Death Note finally took effect. The gallows imagery was really well done and brought me chills with the closing seconds of the ep. A very tense and wonderful episode, especially with Ryuk’s taunting laughter and Light’s panicky thoughts as he sought a way to weasel Naomi’s true name out of her, and goes to show anime need not devolve into mindless, cartoony violence to be great. Moral of the story? Beware of false flattery, lol.

    Ryuma
    Reply

  35. DAMN sniperz… use spoiler tags please… damn it!! That’s why sometimes hurt a little to read Onmi’s entries… for those goddamint spoilers of the ones who doesn’t know how to use a stupid spoiler tag…

    Well, too late now…

    Syaoran Li
    Reply

  36. Haha, Light was really evil here despite her name (riiight. So if you’re bad your Dark. Funny.) Anywho, I weally wuv this epi (weeee!) It’s so badass and…uh…X_X And Kira…well, someday Justice will occur >_>;

    Hope to watch more of this creepy anime! WEEEEEEEEEEE! XD

    Blessed_misfortune
    Reply

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