Near Sleeps With A Plastic Water Gun Under His Pillow, Pass It On

Near sleeps with a plastic water gun under his pillow, pass it on 🔫

The main difference between the 2 parts of Death Note is: the first part is laid out like a match of Uno, the second is a puzzle session. Those who love the first enjoy the adrenaline rush of ever-evolving mind games and backstabbing. Those who love the second part like the process of painstakingly gathering little fragments to complete a big picture.

I feel like there is a point in manga Death Note's general lack of gore because it shows how easy it is to kill when you have such power. You don't usually see the characters dying brutally. It's always from Light's perspective, to him, the people that he kills are just props and their deaths are just an event that has to happen. Even when we see L's death play out in full it's just from Light's POV, you don't see how painful or terrifying it is to die in such a way ...

Until the last few chapters where they get hella philosophical and upon realizing he was going to die, Light grovels and begs pathetically, he writhes and screams, all while Ryuk is standing over him like "welp you know how it goes, you got 40 seconds man"

The true horror that Light has committed in 6 years came back to slap him in the face. How many has he killed? So brutally? Thousands? Hundred thousands? Now he has to feel what they feel. It's a horrific reminder and a perfect end for such an unsympathetic villain

I respect the anime's changes for this specific scene, partly because I think adapting this faithfully probably would put a lot of mental strain on a voice actor. Especially since Miyano Mamoru said at some point that voicing Light put him in a perpetual bad mood. Would not want to push, I am good with reading. But they shoulda kept Near's existential monologues

Tim, whispered in a super creepy voice: Am I insane…probably…*gasp* yay

Jason, on the phone: Hello, is this arkham asylum? I have a patient for you

Mood

L: Misa. Evil I can tolerate, but the stupidity...Good god, just knowing we're in the same genus makes me embarrassed to call myself homo!

Near was majorly screwed over by his name like I'm sorry Nate? Nate??? Nate is the name of the guy who spent his year in the high school football team on the bench and appears on the local paper for having his teeth punched out at a bar. Not the super-detective/existentialist.

Henceforth I propose 3 new names for Near

1. Noir (Japanese: ノワール)

Meaning: dark, black

Why I like it: it sounds fucking cool, also it has an ironic edge because his color palette is white

Full name: Noir River

2. Neile (Japanese: ニール)

Meaning: champion

Why I like it: well Near won in the end didn't he?

Full name: Neile River

3. Nikola (Japanese: ニコラ)

Meaning: victor of the people

Why I like it: Nikola Tesla

Full name: Nikola River