Every now and then there is an episode of a show or even an aspect of a film that will stay with you. For whatever reason it is, this scene or episode will have something in it that is unforgettable and truly worth pondering. That episode for me was Overcast from Death Note.
Death Note is an anime series that is about a very intelligent high school student who stumbles on a notebook titled “Death Note”, within the contents of this book it grants the user the ability to kill anyone just by writing down their name. Bottom line, it’s a terrific show and I will be doing a review on the entire series soon, but for now I would like to focus one specific episode. So if you haven’t seen the show and you want to, my advice would be to not look any further, for there will be heavy spoilers. Go check it out first.
To provide context, Overcast finds our lead protagonist Light Yagami hot on the trail of finding out the people who are trying to get to Kira. When he goes to drop off his father’s clothes at the task force, he meets with a woman who’s fiancee was murdered. Light later discovers who the fiancee is and that the woman whom he is talking to is close to finding out his dirty little secret and his possible arrest.
The episode also shows the small task force discussing the case with L in a disclosed location, but where the real riveting moments are lie with Light and the woman. For the entire runtime of the episode, Light is persistently trying to get the best of this woman and execute her as soon as possible. This persistence isn’t new to us, we have seen how motivated and meticulous he is in his other endeavors regarding killing off people that get too close, but there is something different about this. For starters the only time he has truly felt challenged is when he is confronted by L. Even when he is confronted by L, he still invites the idea of a battle between him and L. His confidence is still there. When L converses with the woman, she seems to subvert his expectations. This woman is clever as well, in fact there are many moments where she fools him. Up until this point every one of Light’s plans (for the most part) have gone accordingly. This time around Light’s strategy has been close to being foiled. Fortunately, with Light’s power of wit and intellect he is able to maneuver around the curve balls that are being thrown right back at him. Earlier I stated that he was persistent through out the show, here he is relentless. Through trial and error he throws everything he’s got at her. He is so fixated on taking care of this problem that morality and ethics are completely abandoned. I mean you could say he abandoned those things when he first grabbed the notebook, but even than he had somewhat of a code. In this episode all of that is gone, it is as if he is turning into a shinigami himself. Every time he get’s the upper hand and assesses the situation in his mind, his hair and eyes turn to blood red. It is reminiscent of a demon, an evil force that has inhabited his spirit and body.
The environment is this cold place, that isn’t dark, but there is a gray sheen that coats the surfaces which makes for a dull and hollow atmosphere.
Eventually Light is given the real name by the woman, and he defeats her. Using the power of the notebook, Light decides to make her death a suicide. The scene ends with Naomi Misora which is the name of the woman, walking away from Light, in the direction of a small staircase leading to a noose and the top.
This episode is tense in a very smart way. Through brilliant dialogue, interesting characters, and a haunting score, this episode will always be memorable. It has a very chilling ending which is super effective.
Cedric Cinema 