Death Note Episode 28: Impatience

There are more than enough reasons why this week’s episode is bringing what Death Note is all about. The spectrum of the story has totally changed after L’s death. What’s more is that the animation this time is top notch – expectedly from Madhouse, and the intensity of the story peaked as Light is cornered from all opportunity. What is so different about Death Note this time is apparent in this episode. The notebook is used for personal, similar to what Yotsuba Company did before. However the acknowledgment of the death note to the mafia and the US government had initiated the urge for competition to get their hands of the notebook. Everyone are willing to do anything in order to get the book. Another obvious difference is the absence of a shinigami (death god) when a person touches the death note. No surprise there. That death note was previously owned by Rem who has self-sacrificed to save Misa. This gives a personal advantage to Light given that the users of that particular death note are not aware of the existence of shinigami and are not able to do the trade for the shinigami eye which serves an advantageous purpose to kill someone more effectively. Regarding the animation and drawing quality, it is back to its standard quality – not sloppy as suspected by most viewers judging from the previous episodes. On another issue, it has confirmed (as reported from Anime News Network), Death Note has 37 episodes, leaving only 9 more episodes to go. The end is drawing near. My thoughts were right, this second arc is shorter and has a faster pace.

Light: Have you seen my dark chocolate? Did you took it?
Near: No way, I hate chocolates. Go ask Mello, that chocolate fetish brat!

“This is dark chocolate! I hate dark chocolates…”

To avoid myself from being so melancholic about the coming end of Death Note, I’ll begin the synopsis. Picking up from the previous episode, Light was on a phone call with Near. As Near introduced himself as N, Light sensed a similarity of N with L. Near expressed their willing to cooperate with the Japanese police after receiving the news about Director Takamura’s death. However he also told Light that neither CIA or FBI will obey to L. Light then informed Near another troubling news – Sayu who was introduced to Near as the daughter of Vice Director Yagami Souchirou was kidnapped. Near figured that the exchange for death note was still valid for this kidnapping and agreed to gather agents to monitor Los Angeles. The exchange will be made in Los Angeles by the way. With thi, Near leaves all command to L who is the second L (as he claimed to be). Near was queried in SPK whether it is a good decision to let L to resume command. Near took it as an advantage and pointed out the main objective of SPK is to obtain the death note and capture Kira.

“Peek-a-boo! Guess who?”

Back to Japan, Souchirou told Light that he is willing to sacrifice himself in return to save Sayu. Light protested his idea saying that this will make others suffer. He then asked his father to promise him to make a decision that will not compromise his father’s or Sayu’s life. The righteous Light. Later that night, Light who is at his apartment, asked Misa to come with him to Los Angeles as she was needed to continue Kira’s work of punishing criminals. Misa was happy and goes all hyped to go for the trip. Light however remained quiet as he made his way to the toilet. He was contemplating whether he should take away his sister’s life if should anything goes wrong. Days later, the rest of the team except for Aizawa and Souchirou made their way to Los Angeles. Aizawa was ordered to follow Souchirou. With this, he needs to cut his hair. So goodbye afro hair. Well Aizawa looked better now, in my opinion. Just as Souchirou was about to make his way to his flight from Narita to Los Angeles, a man approached him and ordered him to board flight SE333 via gate 18. Aizawa panicked and asked Light whether he should apprehend him or not. Light denied him and ordered him to follow them. However Aizawa found out that they were boarding a different flight and wanted to forcibly board the plane as a police officer but Light stopped him as this will ruin everything. This spoiled everything that they have planned.

“Wait a minute. This is not the airport.”

And so, the plane took off. Moments later, the control tower informed the pilot of flight SE333 that they are veering off course. He replied that he is taking a detour to drop a passenger from the plane. Light was informed of this by Matsuda. He then asked help from N to get satellite feeds of the plane. In the cabin, the man gave Souchirou a wireless communicator and to take orders given from the communicator. The plane landed on the desert (I assumed it’s the Mojave desert) and Souchirou was off the plane. Near informed Light about this and passed the satellite images to him. At the desert, a platform suddenly raised from the ground revealing an underground bunker. Souchirou entered. This brought another situation where the team is not able to observe from the satellite. Light was in a pinch. Souchirou who is in the bunker spotted Sayu who is trapped in a partition of a revolving door. Suddenly a masked man came from the other side of the door, drew a gun and made several shots to the door. The door is however bulletproof. Yet this was enough to cause terrify both Sayu and Souchirou. The masked man explained that the door was used by mafias to do such exchanges. He then ordered Souchirou to hand over the notebook through an opening of the door. By doing this, the door will be unlocked and rotated to release Sayu. He threaten to kill Sayu if Souchirou failed to comply. Light was tensed and kept pressuring Misa to keep write names on his notebook. He opened his secret compartment in his watch (the same trick used in episode 24) and running desperate to rush a decision whether to kill Sayu or not. Before the exchange, the masked man asked for the death note to check its authenticity. He wrote a name and at the mafias’ hideout, one of the man got a heart attack and died.

“Father! Father! Help me!”

Apollo 21, ready for take off in 5, 4, 3…. wait, there’s no fuel yet.

Moments later, Souchirou and Sayu were seen to make their way out from the bunker and headed to a nearby helicopter. This is followed by the masked man who used another helicopter. The team assumed that the exchange were made and Light asked Near to keep track of the masked man’s helicopter. Suddenly a missile emerged from the bunker. They are now uncertain whether the death note is in the helicopter or the missile. It was pretty obvious to me that the notebook was in the missile. But what the heck anyway. The missile was launched. The team frantic on which one to follow. However the helicopter exploded by the orders from the mafia boss. As I said, the notebook was in the missile but they failed to detect the missile. Both Sayu and Souchirou were save but the whole event made the whole team depressed. Light made it too obvious. Well he should. The mafia got the notebook, putting Kira’s integrity and identity on jeopardy. Misa tried to cheer him up but sadly she was rejected. Back in SPK, members of the SPK were dying one by one and only a few survived. Near seemed unpleased. Even Light who is L was not happy. Near told Light that they did nothing wrong as they handed the notebook without a fight. Light then asked Near if the circumstances of events would differ under Near’s command. Near opposed the thought given by the preparations made by the mafia that the notebook will be taken anyway. So they agreed to forge full cooperation in this case. Near also tipped Light that the possible perpetrator is Mello, saying that they were competing each other to catch Kira.

This might hurt a bit

“Ooo… I got shiny eyes… and I’m studded with bling-blings.”

Another twist of events. In the shinigami realm, a shinigami approached Armonia Jastin (another shinigami) and reported his missing notebook that was taken by Ryuk and was dropped to the human world. Jastin then suggested him to go the human realm and get the notebook back himself. This makes me wondering of a possibility of another Kira. Interesting thought there.