It turns out that I had way too much to say about this episode. But I do love dissecting the symbolism and drifting off on a voyage of thematic discovery re Death Note.
You should read part one of my discussion about episode 8 in Death Note's TV drama before carrying on here. This is merely a continuation of that.
You should read part one of my discussion about episode 8 in Death Note's TV drama before carrying on here. This is merely a continuation of that.
Watari was delighted to prove that Near's favourite cake was not a lie
Yellow for Nobility and Courage in Japan
The colour yellow seemed to be everywhere in Death Note's episode eight. Particularly in the vicinity of the hapless Kudagawa and/or providing hints towards the emergence of Mello.
Previously, I was speculating that yellow, in television Death Note's colour themes, had something to do with thuggery or violence.
However, there was a very poignant moment with the colour yellow, seemingly teeming with significance, which fell back upon the traditional meaning of yellow in Japanese culture. Namely the hue of courage or nobility.
Previously, I was speculating that yellow, in television Death Note's colour themes, had something to do with thuggery or violence.
However, there was a very poignant moment with the colour yellow, seemingly teeming with significance, which fell back upon the traditional meaning of yellow in Japanese culture. Namely the hue of courage or nobility.
This was the moment when Near handed L a yellow jigsaw piece and suggested they might add the final bit of the puzzle together. And L slotted it perfectly into the partially completed jigsaw on the floor.
It was all in stark contrast to the mirror scene in episode seven, when L distractly tried to force a piece into the wrong position on a white jigsaw.
Then handed Near the errant jigsaw piece with dire warnings that it might not be himself to insert the last one. Maybe it would be Near.
It was all in stark contrast to the mirror scene in episode seven, when L distractly tried to force a piece into the wrong position on a white jigsaw.
Then handed Near the errant jigsaw piece with dire warnings that it might not be himself to insert the last one. Maybe it would be Near.
White is the colour of purity and spirituality. Yellow is the hue of majesty and bravery. The photography and direction of both scenes were extremely similar, but bathed in light to match the colours on the jigsaw.
Though they sat in the same relative positions, L faced Near the first time around. He sat sidewards on the second, wherein the personality could well have been Mello. Or Near under internal barrage from Mello's scathing tones.
Though they sat in the same relative positions, L faced Near the first time around. He sat sidewards on the second, wherein the personality could well have been Mello. Or Near under internal barrage from Mello's scathing tones.
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Plus the emotions of the major players were at odds.
In the first instance, receipt of the jigsaw piece caused consternation in a hitherto jubilant Near. It triggered Mello into momentarily coming out, both personae swinging back and forth in domination of their body.
Meanwhile, a despondent L merely left.
In the second, a watchful Near purportedly had control of their body after earlier taking it back from Mello. Near seemed quite pensive, until L took the jigsaw piece.
Meanwhile, a determined L simply sat back down. Then fitted the piece into the puzzle.
In the first instance, receipt of the jigsaw piece caused consternation in a hitherto jubilant Near. It triggered Mello into momentarily coming out, both personae swinging back and forth in domination of their body.
Meanwhile, a despondent L merely left.
In the second, a watchful Near purportedly had control of their body after earlier taking it back from Mello. Near seemed quite pensive, until L took the jigsaw piece.
Meanwhile, a determined L simply sat back down. Then fitted the piece into the puzzle.
Death Note's L and Near Jigsaw Dialogue
To my mind, a whole sub-current in unspoken conversation was going on here.
In the first iteration, L was unsure if Near (and/or Mello) were even on side regarding the Kira case. They'd joined in with the whole Babel thing, but then so had Light.
Previously Near had left Wammy's House without sanction and proceeded to hack L's computer and interfere with his investigation vis-a-vis handing information to the errant Kira Countermeasures police team.
Right now, Near was sitting back in a position of purity, innocence or spirituality. Chaotic neutral at best, but certainly not fully signed up as L's successor in anything, let alone the battle with Light Yagami.
L handed over the white jigsaw piece as a challenge. Pretty much saying, "Who's side are you on, Near?"
In the first iteration, L was unsure if Near (and/or Mello) were even on side regarding the Kira case. They'd joined in with the whole Babel thing, but then so had Light.
Previously Near had left Wammy's House without sanction and proceeded to hack L's computer and interfere with his investigation vis-a-vis handing information to the errant Kira Countermeasures police team.
Right now, Near was sitting back in a position of purity, innocence or spirituality. Chaotic neutral at best, but certainly not fully signed up as L's successor in anything, let alone the battle with Light Yagami.
L handed over the white jigsaw piece as a challenge. Pretty much saying, "Who's side are you on, Near?"
Episode 7: Left alone with the uncompleted white jigsaw
We'd seen that yellow jigsaw previously in episode eight. It was after Near/Mello had been off breaking and entering, then murdering folk, then had popped back to enjoy an afternoon with L and Watari.
The former NOT playing jigsaw puzzles with his younger foster ward. The latter baking Near's favourite cakes as a lovely treat.
Near anxiously queries L's safety with Mr Wammy, who doesn't do much to alleviate their concern. Mello, as puppet, gleefully concludes that L is prepared to die to 'finish Kira'. Near tells him to shut up with such talk.
Thus we get a long shot, the mirror of that above, but with Near and Mello turned 90 degrees from their prior position.
Their allegiance appears already cast with L, if the evidence of the puzzle board is to be believed. Even Mello has his sights set firmly on (the) board.
The former NOT playing jigsaw puzzles with his younger foster ward. The latter baking Near's favourite cakes as a lovely treat.
Near anxiously queries L's safety with Mr Wammy, who doesn't do much to alleviate their concern. Mello, as puppet, gleefully concludes that L is prepared to die to 'finish Kira'. Near tells him to shut up with such talk.
Thus we get a long shot, the mirror of that above, but with Near and Mello turned 90 degrees from their prior position.
Their allegiance appears already cast with L, if the evidence of the puzzle board is to be believed. Even Mello has his sights set firmly on (the) board.
Episode 8: Left alone with the uniquely completed yellow jigsaw
Internal decision made, all that is left now is to inform L that they will become his successors in the Kira case, if circumstances require it. Hence the undue significance placed upon Near (or was that Mello; it works best as a combination of the two) handing over that yellow jigsaw piece.
Yellow for courage and/or nobility.
And note that we're not yet over the hidden chess-piece symbolism either. Near's come from a position of white - spirituality, priesthood, monks - and he's now sitting in L's gigantic chessboard room, occupying the Bishop spot.
Moreover, look at how prominently L's White Queen pillar is displayed, along with all that lighting picking out Near/Mello, in the instant immediately prior to the yellow jigsaw piece being handed over.
Yellow for courage and/or nobility.
And note that we're not yet over the hidden chess-piece symbolism either. Near's come from a position of white - spirituality, priesthood, monks - and he's now sitting in L's gigantic chessboard room, occupying the Bishop spot.
Moreover, look at how prominently L's White Queen pillar is displayed, along with all that lighting picking out Near/Mello, in the instant immediately prior to the yellow jigsaw piece being handed over.
Near and Mello may play black or white in this particular, or indeed any, game of chess. But right now they are firmly aligned with the White Queen, in whose defence L is prepared to become over-shadowed.
In short, the second iteration of this scene is a continuance of the first. "Who's side are you on, Near?" "Yours, L."
In short, the second iteration of this scene is a continuance of the first. "Who's side are you on, Near?" "Yours, L."
Death Note: Not the Ayes But The Eyes Have It
Light's strategy, early on in episode eight, surrounded setting up matters so that Misa acquired shinigami eyes.
It didn't quite work out like that, but it set up an on-going theme involving eyes and watchfulness per se, which ran throughout this entire chapter in television's Death Note story-telling.
Here are a few such recurrences:
It didn't quite work out like that, but it set up an on-going theme involving eyes and watchfulness per se, which ran throughout this entire chapter in television's Death Note story-telling.
Here are a few such recurrences:
Mr Wammy getting sentimental about 'that sparkle in (L's) eyes' when
his ward solves serial killer cases without clues
Watari again vowing to 'watch over L for as long as (he) lives'.
Note only L, not any other Wammy kid. (Poor Mello, Matt and Near.)
Aligning centre-right of the White Queen, L tells Soichiro'not to avert
(his) eyes' from whatever follows (plus a demonstration of the same)
Mr Wammy again explaining that the cameras in the
YELLOW box warehouse are so they can all 'bear witness'
L pointing out to Light that, even under surveillance,
Kira could kill 'with everyone watching you'
'What follows has no bearing on the investigation' L tells Soichiro,
before pointedly averting his eyes and ending the camera feed
through which everyone was watching
All through the Yellow Box scenes, uplighting has us focusing
upon each actor's eyes; then we were treated to crazy Kira eyes, as he got the news...
... that Mikami had used his new shinigami eyes to get L's
name, at the exact moment that L averted HIS eyes. Did Soichiro get the hint?
Thus we end the episode as we began, focusing upon Light's watch.
Only this time, L had pulled off the most delightful twist. Circumventing Near's trick from the Yellow Box scene in canon - swapping the Death Note for a fake, thus surviving.
Thus giving all us old timers watching something unanticipated to enjoy. No-one's averting their eyes here, I can tell you. It's aye all round!
Thus giving all us old timers watching something unanticipated to enjoy. No-one's averting their eyes here, I can tell you. It's aye all round!
L: Is this a Death Note I See Before Me?
I am in blood
Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er.
~ MacBeth (Act 3, Scene 4), William Shakespeare
There was a bit, quite early on, wherein Light bent over his Death Note was attempting to justify his use of it. He said something which seemed to me to paraphrase MacBeth's famous line, quoted above from his eponymous play by William Shakespeare.
All this spoken whilst staring down at his clawed fingers in a 'will these hand ne'er be clean?' kind of way.
I wish I could find where I wrote about that, because it was very much mirrored by L's feigned first usage of his own Death Note. Only with the hooked hands bit substituted for a 'is this a dagger I see before me?' sort of pen-holding stance.
Same MacBeth quote in modern form though.
All this spoken whilst staring down at his clawed fingers in a 'will these hand ne'er be clean?' kind of way.
I wish I could find where I wrote about that, because it was very much mirrored by L's feigned first usage of his own Death Note. Only with the hooked hands bit substituted for a 'is this a dagger I see before me?' sort of pen-holding stance.
Same MacBeth quote in modern form though.
Most people stop holding a pen like that when they're five, L...
Oh! And he had a Tolkeinesque moment too - with L practically recasting himself as Samwise right at the instant when the hobbit realises his best friend Frodo can't escape the fatal pull towards using the Ring.
L as Samwise Gamgee in another Lord of the Rings inspired scene in Death Note
All in all, it's (patently) left me fascinated, and I can't wait to catch up with the three remaining episodes. Though writing their analyses in blog entries might take longer.
