Death Note episode 25
Get Julie’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Let’s talk about the 25th episode of Death Note. It’ll make more sense if you read my other analysis first, and there will be spoilers. With that out of the way, I want to talk about the opening scene of this episode with the orphanage. I’ve heard many people who are annoyed about the next part of this show from this episode on. I understand that, but I also believe it couldn’t have stopped at this episode because of the orphanage. The next part of this show is necessary to explain the orphanage L came from. But that’s just my opinion. I also want to touch on something I brought up last time. When L points out that there are pieces torn out of the notebook. I think he was both curious if you could kill someone with a ripped-off piece or if that torn-off piece could kill everyone who had touched the notebook so far. The fake rule of either tearing or burning up the book could severely impact the user if they accidentally rip too far. If this rule were real, I really doubt the user would risk his life just to write a name on a ripped-off piece. Next, I want to talk about why Light stays in the building when he’s not under suspicion and is allowed to leave. He let Misa become Kira again and stayed next to L to give himself an alibi for the killings. L asked Light why he stays, and Light told him he’s not done till the investigation is done, but I think L knew he was just giving himself an alibi. On another note, I really adore Misa’s singing moment. I don’t like the way she refers to Light as ‘God’, but I love her voice. And she seems genuinely worried about what comes next between Light and her. She is just an assistant to his murders; he’s just using her, so she’s worried about what will happen when he has nothing left to tell her, nothing left for her to do for him. She wonders what will happen then? I also think there’s symbolism behind the outfit she wears in this scene. She’s wearing a maid's outfit to show she is Light’s maid and loyal helper. She cleans up after their messes of blood, and cleans the world of its ‘evil’ people. Next, I want to appreciate when Light says, “This started after Higuchi died.” They know Higuchi didn’t write his own name; therefore, this new Kira started by killing him. There was a new Kira the moment Higuchi was caught. But that’s also suspicious; if I didn’t know, I would wonder how Kira knew Higuchi was caught and to appear. It’s just interesting. Next, I want to talk about the 13-day rule. I agree with L that the only reason Light was off the hook was because of this rule, and Light knows this, too. It was also a lucky guess when Light made this rule; there were 14 days during his confinement when Kira didn’t kill, that’s right over the 13-day limit, and clears him from suspicion. I wonder if he told Rem to wait specifically 13 days before giving the notebook to Higuchi. On a similar note, Light knows that if L confirms this is a fake rule, he’ll be on thin ice with no escape this time. Next, I want to touch on when Light asks if we can legally convict Kira. That was a stupid question for Light; he already knew the answer. He only asked this to let Rem know the risks and worry for Misa’s safety. Rem had already promised to kill L for Light, so Light was telling him, ‘if you don’t do it now, Misa is in danger.’ Next, I want to talk about the bell that L hears. I think it’s like a flicker from his past trying to peek in. I think he knows it’s the bell from the orphanage, but it also seems like his long-term memories are a little blurry, and he might not remember much from the orphanage. He tells Light it might be a church or a wedding, but I think he knows it’s his past trying to warn him. The bell is a warning that L is going to die soon. Also, I want to bring up when L says, “nothing I say makes any sense anyway,” because I think Light took this the wrong way. Light took it to mean ‘L makes no sense when you follow what he says because it gets you in trouble.’ Light took it towards the impact L’s nonsense had on him because Light was his only suspect. I think what L really meant is that nothing he says makes sense because it’s all either a test or a lie. Nothing he says is honest about how he feels; he’s just testing the people around him for honesty. This also brings up another similarity between Light and L: they both lie a lot. There’s a clip where L is talking about ‘monsters,’ he says the most dangerous monster is one that lies and hides behind a mask, and then he reveals that he is that kind of monster. And he sees that in Light, too. He asks Light if he has ever told the truth since he was born. Light’s answer that he only lies when he’s sure it won’t hurt others was true from his perspective, but all his lies hurt people. I know that. Light made sure to add that everyone lies, and it’s impossible not to, because that gave him an excuse for his lies. I don’t know why L asked that, though, if afterwards he says, “I knew you would say something like that.” He knew Light was like him. I think he just needed to hear him say it. Next, I wonder if L knew Light was about to kill him, because he acted very apologetically. He bowed to Light, massaged his feet, and when Light dried his hair, I thought L was going to thank him, but he just apologized. I think he wanted to get on Light's good side and try to pray for forgiveness. If Light truly thought of himself as a God, he would forgive people who repented for their sins. Sadly, Light didn’t forgive L. I also wonder what L meant when he says, “we’ll be parting ways soon.” Either he knew he was going to die, and he meant we’re parting ways, and I’m going to the afterlife. Or, knowing his plan later on, he meant, once I confirm this rule is fake, we will part ways, and Light will go to the afterlife. I also think L was just buying time by repenting and saying that; he needed to buy himself at least 13 more days to catch Light. He tried to put Light off until then, as he did in episode 15, but it didn’t work. I feel like I was also robbed of what L’s sentence was before he fell and died. I want to know what he was gonna say. Next i believe there were several reasons why Light caught L; he could say he did it to show the team he cared, or because L was his friend, or maybe he did it so he could make sure L didn’t say anything accusing of him in his last breaths, or maybe it was so L could see Light’s fface and at least die knowing he was right, but above all, I think it was just an instinct out of worry. Light was worried for his partner and friend, and that is shown by the way he catches L; he holds him by the back of the head and his stomach, protecting his most vulnerable body parts from the fall. Light took most of the impact of the fall for L, which is shown when he winces when he hits the ground. I also think Light made his panic over L’s death very real; he made the rest of the team panic over what could happen next, and made sure they would be scared-frozen so he could leave first and get the notebook Rem left behind. But maybe some of his panic was real, not for his life, but for his friend’s. Lastly, I want to talk about when Matsuda told Light, “You sound like Ryuzaki.” I find it weird that that was surprising to him; those two have been similar and sounded like each other since day one. But anyway, that’s all for this episode. Please let me know if there’s anything I missed, anything you want me to mention for the next episode, or any show you would like me to analyze next. As always, thanks for reading, and see you next time.
