Death Note: Volume 2 (UK) (DVD)

Introduction

2008 is the year of the Death Note. The manga by Tsugumi Ohba has already achieved phenomenal success both worldwide and here, the prequel novel has just been released, there are three spin-off films, the first of which is released in the UK on the same day as this two-disc set, and of course there is the 37 episode anime series, of which this is the second instalment. You couldn't get away from the Death Note if you tried, and it's a good thing that it's such an impressive show, both in concept and execution. I was thoroughly satisfied with the first volume, and have been looking forward to this one with a quiet glow of anticipation. Having read the manga, I have high expectations…

Ryuk is a Shinigami, a Death God. The Shinigami exist to shepherd souls across to the other side, and where convenient give them a helping hand. This is done by means of the Death Note, a book in which the Shinigami write the name of the soon to be deceased, and an optional cause of death, and that prediction duly come to pass. But Ryuk is bored. Being a Shinigami isn't all that it used to be, and his peers just spend eternity sitting around gambling or sleeping. He needs a little entertainment. Light Yagami is a high school student; actually he is an exemplary high school student, fiercely intelligent and regularly scoring the highest grades in Japan. The world could be his oyster, except that with nothing to challenge him, he is bored. That's until the day that the Death Note 'accidentally' falls into his school grounds. Initially sceptical of a prank, or a sick joke, he's about to dismiss it from his mind, but curiosity urges him to pick it up, and try it out. He stunned when it actually works. Soon he has a plan to clean up the criminal, the sick and depraved, and remove them from the world, crafting his ideal society, a society over which he will have the power of a god. But for the authorities, murder is murder, and a sudden rash of unexplained deaths among criminals surely must be connected. The regular police are reluctant to hunt someone who can kill at whim and from a distance, but for one man it is a challenge to be relished. The enigmatic L comes to Japan to hunt the ruthless vigilante now come to be known as 'Kira', and he gathers a small group of determined investigators to help, among them Light's own policeman father, Inspector Souichiro Yagami. Soon it is Light who is being hunted.

The second volume of Death Note from Manga Entertainment has eight more episodes spread across two discs, along with some extra features.



Disc 1

9. Encounter
At the end of the previous volume, L's suspicions had turned to Light, and he had him placed under surveillance. But recording devices and cameras in his house prove to be no hindrance to Light, especially when he has Ryuk watching his back. L realises that he'll have to face Light personally to get a better handle on him. Light's university exams are coming up, and as everyone expects, he aces them. As the most successful entrant he's also expected to address the new University intake. What no one was expecting was that there was a second student, equally as successful. Soon there is a rather dishevelled man standing next to Light at the lectern.

10. Doubt
Light and L at the same university? It's obvious that L isn't there for the education, something that becomes clear to Light when he is challenged to a game of tennis. L is finding Light a difficult nut to crack, and following the principles of keeping one's enemies close, he invites Light to assist on the investigation. Meanwhile the constant pressure from his bosses, and the suspicion placed on his own son is taking its toll on Light's father. Also, for one television station, the Kira phenomenon seems to be losing its sensationalist steam, with the director even urging his staff to make up stories about Kira. Then a package arrives on his desk, a set of tapes and a message from Kira, "Broadcast them or die!"

11. Assault
Sakura TV announces live on air that they are hostages to Kira, and if they don't play the tapes that Kira has sent them, they will be executed. Kira proves his identity to the world by killing two journalists from rival networks, renowned for speaking against him, live on air. Then he announces his agenda to clean up the world. He makes an ultimatum to the police, join his crusade or else. It looks as if Light's plans are coalescing. Only it's not Light who's responsible. And even L realises that there is another Kira on the scene.

12. Love
Light recognizes that there is another Death Note in circulation, and this Kira's modus operandi suggests that he has made the deal for the Shinigami eyes, the means to kill someone without even knowing their name. But this Kira is capricious, clumsy in comparison, and if caught, the secret of the Death Note will come out, implicating Light. Light will have to get to Kira II first. And then L offers Light a place on the official investigation. Meanwhile in another part of town, Misa Amane, an aspiring model, is a big fan of Kira, has a Death Note of her own, a constant Shinigami companion in Rem, and is desperate to meet her hero.



Disc 2

13. Confession
Another message to the TV station, a page of a diary is obviously an invitation to Kira, a request to meet. Now Light has to find a way to meet this new Kira without the other members of the investigation, and more importantly L finding out. He needn't have put all that effort in, as Misa has the Shinigami eyes, and realises who Light is as soon as she catches sight of him. Not long after, Light's 'girlfriend' is at his door, with the Note Book he dropped.

14. Friend
It all becomes clear to Light, he'll use Misa to identify L, and when he's eliminated, he'll kill Misa too. Misa is blinded by love for Kira, for Light, who she believes brought justice to the murderer of her parents where the system failed. It would seem a simple plan, only Light hasn't counted on Rem, Misa's Shinigami. Rem promises to kill Light if anything happens to Misa.

15. Wager
With Misa on his side, it seems that killing L will be child's play, but should Light act while L is still anonymous, and his death liable to cause suspicion? L pre-empts all this by telling Light's father that if he dies within the next few days, Light will be confirmed as Kira. When Misa finally meets L, it seems that his days are numbered, but the investigation has been continuing in the background, and there is enough evidence to tie Misa in with the packages that were sent to Sakura TV.

16. Confession
With Misa in custody and being interrogated, it seems the writing is on the wall for Light, but there is an aspect of the Death Note that may be of use. If the owner relinquishes ownership of the Death Note, then he or she will lose any memory of it, of Shinigamis and of any murders that were committed using it. But if Light and Misa give up their Death Notes, then the ideal world that Light wants to create will never come to pass. When Light walks into the office and surrenders, claiming to be Kira, he has an elaborate plan ticking away.

Picture

Death Note gets a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer that is typical of modern anime. It's clear and sharp enough, with only the barest of NTSC-PAL transfer signs worth mentioning, although I did notice a shade more ghosting in these episodes. For a series that is some 37 episodes in length, you would expect a few corners to be cut and money be saved when it come to the animation. Not in the case of Death Note though, as the animation courtesy of Madhouse Studios is top notch. The character and world designs are excellent, and the level of detail and fluidity of motion speaks to a high investment in the animation. The look of the show suits the story well, with the Shinigami realm a suitably dark and creepy otherworld, while the city gets a cold impersonal feel, with everything in pastels and understated. As you would expect from a show with such dark themes, there's plenty use of shadows and moody lighting. It makes for a rewarding viewing experience.

Sound

You have a choice of DD 2.0 English and Japanese, with optional translated subtitles and a signs track. You won't get any complaints from me when it comes to the English dub, which is cast very well. All the voices suit their characters, and the performances live up to the hype surrounding the anime. Of course my preference as always is for the original language track, and there were no problems here either. The themes for the anime follow the current vogue for rock soundtracks, and are pleasing enough on the ears, but the incidental music is really quite notable, taking a leaf from Danny Elfman when it comes to spooky and quirky, and certainly suits the bizarre Ryuk character down to a T.

Extras

In my multiregion diversion on the previous review, I stated that the UK missed out on the special edition release of Death Note with a character figurine. That wasn't entirely accurate, as Zavvi, the pointless re-moniker of Virgin had them as an exclusive. It's the same this time around, with most stores stocking the basic 2-disc release, while a Collector's Edition is listed at the PR website, indicating another store may have an exclusive. The good thing is that the separate signs only track is still there for the second volume.

Once again, the extras are spread across both discs.

Disc 1

The English Voice Actor Interview and Recording Session features Brian Drummond (Ryuk) and once again the ADR director, Karl Willems. This lasts 10 minutes and looks at the process of voicing the Shinigami, as well as a few Q&As around Brian Drummond's career.

The commentary on episode 11 (Assault) sees Karl Willems joined by Steven Hadley (ADR Writer). It's not the most interesting of commentaries, and the two have a severe dose of stating the obvious in the first few minutes, but gradually they settle down and provide some interesting information about the dubbing process.

The Production Art Gallery contains 12 images.



Disc 2

The English Voice Actor Interview and Recording Session features Shannon Chan-Kent (Misa) and Karl Willems. This lasts 9 minutes and covers similar ground to the featurette on the previous disc.

The commentary accompanies episode 14, and sees Shannon Chan-Kent joined by Associate Producer Jiro Okada. This is pretty much a scene specific observational chat, and it is a little subdued in comparison to some other raucous anime commentaries, but it is fairly informative and entertaining to listen to.

The Production Art Gallery contains 10 images, and there are trailers on this disc for Bleach, and the live action Death Note movie (due for release on the same day as this anime disc).

Conclusion

Another two discs of cat and mouse mind-games and I'm almost enthralled. Death Note may be elaborate and even contrived at times, but the story, the drama and the characters all come together in a sublimely animated show that is certainly compelling. The series had a strong debut with the first two-disc set, and this second volume maintains that high standard, both in terms of consistent disc specifications and in terms of the story itself. If those first two discs hooked you, then these two discs ought already to be in your pre-order queues.



The premise was introduced in the opening volumes, the Death Note giving the power of death to the human that owns it, and the constant companionship of the Shinigami whose Death Note it originally was. The show then took pains to develop the elaborate rules of the notebook, and also developed Light as an initially bored and disillusioned boy genius, whose sense of morality initially compelled him to use the Death Note, but who was someone who was rapidly overwhelmed by the moral corruption such power brings. Pretty soon he became a Grim Reaper of the criminal world, thought of as a champion by many, but considered a murderer by the authorities. A person that can kill at a distance by just writing a name in a book is not to be trifled with, and most of the police opted for discretion over valour when it came to Kira, yet ironically it was Light's own father who was in charge of the investigation. It needed a new tack, which is when L came in, an intellect to rival Light himself, and an investigator for whom anonymity was paramount. And so began the battle of wits between the two.

That battle intensifies in this volume, with L realising that if Light is Kira, then surveillance of him isn't going to prove anything. He needs to put pressure on him and meet him face to face. It's not such a risk, as it appears that Kira needs to know a name before killing. The pressure takes its toll, not on Light, but his father Souichiro. The constant suspicion of his son sends him to hospital with a heart attack, yet Light keeps his focus and continues to challenge L even while at his father's bedside. The two are heading for a stalemate when the board changes and a new set of pieces are placed on it. There is a new Kira in town, and this one doesn't need a name to kill with. A rather salacious television company is practically held hostage while this Kira broadcasts her agenda to the world, and she starts killing policemen at random.



We could have been heading in a dark and ominous direction, with a rival Kira for Light, and the prospect that by Kira II's actions his own would be revealed to the world. But Death Note takes us in an unpredictable (if you haven't read the manga) direction by introducing Misa, Light's number one fan. She has a bubbly sprightly personality that is wholly at odds with the actions she takes and the crimes she commits. She's an up and coming model who is grateful to Kira for avenging her parents' loss and upon meeting Light falls instantly in love with him. By now Light is in total sociopath mode, and can only think of how he will use Misa and discard her. She looks happy to be used, but what adds to the drama is Misa's Shinigami Rem. Rem obviously has an affection for Misa, something that hitherto seemed unlikely, especially given Ryuk's somewhat playful adversarial relationship with Light. Rem is actually protective of Misa, acting as a macabre mother figure, yet she also acquiesces to her whims, which makes the new dynamic volatile at best. It also transpires that affection between a Shinigami and a human is a bad thing, even when it's from a distance, when Misa carelessly tells Light how to kill a Shinigami.

If there is something keeping me from being hooked by Death Note, it's the complete lack of a credible protagonist. The main characters in this show are all pretty much reprehensible, while anyone else is merely a victim. This is a show that really lacks a moral core, it's posed all the tough questions, and shown us absolute power corrupting absolutely, but it shies away from trying to offer any answers. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, a little ambiguity and moral shading adds dimension to a story. But in this volume even L resorts to Guantanamo levels of interrogation. In a show like Death Note, where the central premise is a cat and mouse game of wits between two people, it's essential to have someone to root for. There is no such person here. It's odd that the manga, which is essentially the same story, didn't have such an effect on me. I guess it's hearing these characters speak, seeing them brought to life that puts me off slightly. Death Note is intensely gripping, edge of the seat stuff, but I'm finding it easier to enjoy it on an intellectual level.



It's easy to see why Death Note is such a phenomenon. It's certainly no flash in the pan, as the strength of the writing once again comes through with these episodes. On top of that, what could have been a static, talking heads piece, is given extra dimension by the excellent animation, which is vibrant, dynamic and certainly eye-catching. In a year of must own anime, Death Note is another one to put down on the list.