Death Note: R2: The Successor of L review: L's new challenge and the Grim Reaper's game

"Death Note: R2: The Successor of L" - The ultimate battle of wits and ethical conflict

"Death Note: R2: The Successor of L" is a TV anime series that aired on the Nippon Television Network on August 22, 2008, and is based on the manga "Death Note" by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. This work is an important episode that can be considered the final chapter of the series, and it is deeply moving and thought-provoking for the audience. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of this work.

■ Story

"Death Note: R2: The Successor of L" is a sequel to the story of a university student, Light Yagami, who obtains the "Death Note" that fell from the sky and punishes criminals in the name of justice as the savior Kira. In the first part, L corners Kira, but is killed by Light's scheme. However, the story continues after L's death, and Near and Mello, L's successors, appear. They confront Light to expose Kira's true identity. Light hides L's death and acts as the second L, while continuing to judge as Kira behind the scenes. Then, as countries begin to recognize "Kira is justice," Near, as a central figure of SPK (an organization to capture Kira without relying on L), learns of the existence of the Death Note and that it is in Japan, and confronts Light. In the end, with the cooperation of Near and Mello, Light is cornered, and a fierce battle of wits is depicted until the truth of the Death Note is revealed.

■Explanation

The "Death Note" series began as a comic series in 2003, and a live-action movie was released in 2006, followed by an anime version. In 2008, a spin-off movie, "L Change the World or Ld," was released, and the entire series became a hot topic. "Death Note: R2: The Successor of L" is the second installment following "Death Note Rewrite: The Visionary God," which aired in February 2008, and is a must-see for fans. This work depicts the second part four years after the first part, in which L died in the line of duty, and depicts the confrontation between Light (Light), Kira, and Near and Mello, who are L's successors, and the conclusion. The work begins with a comment that is typical of L, starting with "It's L," which is irresistible for L fans. Attention is also focused on Mello's actions, as Light, who continues to judge as a god, will allow Near to follow him, or will he also bring Near to justice? Also, with consideration given to viewers who have not seen the first part, there is a service in which L and Watari will provide commentary on "Death Note Rewrite: The Visionary God," which is a delight for fans.

■Cast

The cast of this work is Miyano Mamoru as Yagami Light, Yamaguchi Kappei as L, Hidaka Noriko as Near, Sasaki Nozomu as Mello, Amane Misa as Hirano Aya, Matsukaze Masaya as Mikami Teru, Takada Kiyomi as Okamura Masumi (Part 1) and Sakamoto Maaya (Part 2), Yagami Soichiro as Uchida Naoya, Matsuda Momota as Naito Rei, Aizawa Shuichi as Fujiwara Keiji, Mogi Kanzo as Nakai Kazuya, Ide Hideki and Ray Pemba The role of the character is played by Hideo Ishikawa, the role of Hirokazu Ueda is played by Hidenobu Kiuchi, the role of Sachiko Yagami is played by Ai Sato, the role of Shoyu Yagami is played by Haruka Kudo, the role of Watari is played by Kiyoshi Kobayashi, the role of Ryuk is played by Shido Nakamura, the role of Rem is played by Kimiko Saito, the role of Shidou is played by Kazuki Yao, the role of Naomi Misora ​​is played by Naoko Matsui, the role of Jin Demegawa is played by Chafurin, the role of Ivor is played by Takuya Kirimoto, the role of Weddie is played by Miki Nagasawa, the role of Tsuyoshi Ooi is played by Kiyoyuki Yanada, Masahiko Kita and Anne The cast includes Aizawa Masaki as Sonny Lester and Rod Ross, Yokoo Hiroyuki as Kamimura Hide, Nishi Rintaro as Takahashi Eiichi, Nojima Yuji as Nanagawa Reiji, Hanawa Eiji as Sandou Shingo, Futamata Kazunari as Higuchi Kyosuke, Tokumoto Yasutoshi as Hatori Shinyoshi and Lind L. Taylor, Watanabe Akino as Hal Ridner, Takahashi Hiroki as Stephen Giovanni, Ikeda Masaru as Kitamura Koreyoshi, Otake Hiroshi as Roger Lovie, Tahara Arno as the President, Ogata Mitsuru as Steve Mason, Matsuyama Takashi as Jack Nayloron, Nishimura Tomohiro as Matt and Shibumaru Takuo, Takaki Katsutoshi as Okida Kiichiro, Goto Tetsuo as Delidabri, Onishi Takeharu as Gook, and Umezu Hideyuki as narrator and Aramonia Justin Beyonder-Mason. This cast vividly expresses the individuality of each character, adding excitement to the story.

■ Main staff

The main staff of this work are Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata (original author), Tetsuro Araki (director), Tomohiko Ito (assistant director), Toshiki Inoue (series composer), Masaru Kitao (character designer), Masaru Kitao and Takahiro Kagami (chief animation director), Daisuke Nizuma (prop designer), Mio Isshiki (art director), Shinji Sugiyama (art director), Masaru Hashimoto (color designer), Kazuhiro Yamada (director of photography), Fumi Hida (editor), Yoshihisa Hirano and Hideki Taniuchi (music composer), Tomoaki Yamada (sound director), Toshio Nakatani, Manabu Tamura and Masao Maruyama (producers), Kentaro Hashimoto (animation producer), MADHOUSE (animation producer), and the Death Note Production Committee (Nippon TV, DN Dream Partners, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse) (production copyright holder). These staff members worked together to faithfully recreate the worldview of the original work and create a work that will move viewers.

■ Main Characters

The main character of this work is Light Yagami, a diligent honor student who got the top spot in a national mock exam, who tries to change the world using the "Death Note" he obtained. Ryuk, a Shinigami, is bored with the boring and fruitless world of Shinigamis, and becomes interested in the human world for the simple reason that it seems interesting, and drops the notebook himself. L is a detective who has solved many unsolved cases around the world, and is the only person who can motivate police forces all over the world. Near is a genius boy who is said to be the closest to L, and a central figure in the anti-Kira organization "SPK". Mello was raised as a candidate to succeed L, and after L's death, he takes action on his own to capture Kira. Misa Amane is the other owner of the "Death Note", an innocent and eccentric girl who works as a model for teen magazines. Teru Mikami is the new Kira representative chosen by Light, who worships Kira as an absolute god and faithfully carries out his orders. Kiyomi Takada is a popular female announcer who is worshiped by Kira believers as a spokesperson for Kira. Rem is a shinigami who gave Misa the Death Note that belonged to a shinigami who died in love with a human. Shidou is a shinigami who is charming and lovable. Watari is the only human who can contact L. Yagami Soichiro is Light's father and the Chief of the Criminal Affairs Bureau of the National Police Agency. Matsuda is a detective at the National Police Agency and a member of the Special Investigation Headquarters for Mass Murders of Violent Crimes after it has been reorganized under the new system. Aizawa is a detective at the National Police Agency and a member of the Special Investigation Headquarters for Mass Murders of Violent Crimes after it has been reorganized under the new system. Mogi is a detective at the National Police Agency and a member of the Special Investigation Headquarters for Mass Murders of Violent Crimes after it has been reorganized under the new system. Yagami Sachiko is Light's mother. Yagami Shoyu is Light's younger sister. Ivar is a conman who travels the world and a professional in the "underworld" who cooperates with L in his illegal investigations. Wedy is an expert in breaking into buildings and a professional thief whose skills are trusted by L. Higuchi is the head of Yotsuba's new technology development department and has a greedy and selfish personality. Nanagawa is the head of Yotsuba's first sales department and lent his support to Yotsuba Kira, but his intelligent personality led to him defecting after negotiations with Light. Demegawa is a director at Sakura TV and has come under the police's radar for exaggerating the Kira incident to boost ratings. Jealous is a grim reaper with a gentle and kind personality. Ray Penber is an FBI agent who was in charge of tailing Light when the FBI conducted a background check on the Japanese police at L's instructions. Naomi Misora ​​is Ray Penber's fiancee and a former FBI agent who suspects something suspicious about the bus hijacking incident in which Ray was involved. These characters add excitement to the story and deeply move the viewer.

■Subtitle

The subtitle of this work is "Rewrite 2/The One Who Succeeds L" and it was broadcast on August 22, 2008.

■ Related works

The related works of this work are "Death Note" and "Death Note Rewrite: Visionary God". By watching these works together, you can understand the whole story.

■ Theme songs and music

The ending theme of this work is "Coda ~ Death Note." This song has a beautiful melody that symbolizes the end of the story, and leaves a deep impression on the viewers.

■ Evaluation

"Death Note: R2: The Successor of L" is a work that gives viewers a new emotional impact while faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work. In particular, the story that continues after L's death encourages viewers to think deeply and consider ethical issues. The confrontation between Light, Near, and Mello is the ultimate battle of wits, drawing viewers in. The acting by the cast is also excellent, and the individuality of each character is vividly expressed. Thanks to the efforts of the main staff, the worldview of the original work is faithfully reproduced, making it a work that will move viewers. The ending theme, "Coda ~ Death Note", is also a beautiful melody that symbolizes the end of the story, deeply moving viewers. Overall, "Death Note: R2: The Successor of L" is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the original work, but also to those who are watching it for the first time.

■Recommendation

"Death Note: R2: The Successor of L" is a work that faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original work while giving viewers a new emotional impact. In particular, the story that continues after L's death encourages viewers to think deeply and consider ethical issues. The confrontation between Light, Near, and Mello is the ultimate battle of wits, drawing viewers in. The acting of the cast is also excellent, and the individuality of each character is vividly expressed. Thanks to the efforts of the main staff, the worldview of the original work is faithfully reproduced, making it a work that will move viewers. The ending theme, "Coda ~ Death Note", is also a beautiful melody that symbolizes the end of the story, deeply moving viewers. Overall, "Death Note: R2: The Successor of L" is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the original work, but also to those who are watching it for the first time. Please give it a watch.