Title: Death Note: The Last Name aka Death Note 2
Genre: Drama
Director: Kaneko Shusuke
Format: Movie, 141 minutes.
Dates: 3 Nov 2006

Synopsis: After proposing an elaborate scam by teaming up with L to track Kira down, Light is faced with another problem - this time another two people have revealed themselves, claiming themselves to be Kira. Light is faced with more obstacles as he ponders how he can find out L’s real name and eventually get rid of him before L discovers who Kira truly is.

The Highlights
Cast: Much improved performances; Matsuyama Ken’ichi nails it yet again.
Plot: Still convoluted, but “gripping” factor is raised to whole new level.
Music: Another odd Red Hot Chili Peppers choice.
Toda Erika: A superb addition as the incoherent yet lovable Amane Misa.

Following its predecessor’s immense success in Japan and around the region, the sequel was launched barely 5 months after the first. I, like most other Death Note followers, was intrigued by the trailer’s insistent promises of “a shocking finale” and was intensely anticipating seeing how the saga would be brought to its end. Fortunately, the lengthy movie did finish with a big exclamation mark as its curtains came to a close.

The movie began with a deja vu feeling, opening with yet another Red Hot Chili Peppers single, “Hey Oh”, which caught my attention in a good way. The film wastes no time, continuing directly from where it left off in its prequel. The cat-and-mouse game is intensified with the introduction of yet another two characters claiming to be Kira. This raises the suspense bar to another notch, as the story commands you to sit up and focus on what’s going to happen next. While this is the aspect that all entries in the Death Note franchise do strongly, the plot in The Last Name thickens to a point like no other when Light proposes doing something completely “out of the box”. Even though I still believe Kaneko yet again tried in vain to cram too much of the remaining story into a lengthy two-and-a-half hour film, he managed to cover it up with an elaborate and innovative storyline.

Much to my relief, Fujiwara Tatsuya’s performance as our favorite contemplative protagonist, Yagami Light, is much better than the last one. Fujiwara skilfully portrayed each analysis Light went through at the various phases of the story. He also did a commendable job depicting Light’s moments of anguish during his days of captivity, and contentment after seemingly outwitting L himself.

Matsuyama Ken’ichi is at his best as the enigmatic detective, L, in this movie. Like the prequel, he adeptly embodies the bizarre and delightfully amusing attributes of L with such grace. It is no wonder that Matsuyama’s stellar performance has won him hordes of fans from his country and made him a household name. In addition, the movie contains one unforgettable scene when L meets J-pop starlet Amane Misa for the first time, which left me in stitches. This brings me to yet another notable debut of Toda Erika as Misa herself. Amane Misa, who has become every otaku’s wet dream for her childish yet amiable disposition, is brilliantly played by Toda and her performance earned her immediate stardom. As for Ryuk, he remains one of my favorite supporting characters as he makes a pact with yet another Shinigami, the sympathetic and protective Rem.

For a movie which has surpassed The Ring as the highest grossing Japanese movie of all time, it pretty much earns its place high up my list of most engrossing films. With a startling ending that leaves you in awe for days and a very unique plot, this movie has overshadowed the prequel by a long shot and has become a must-have for almost every movie junkies out there, Death Note fans or not.

The Rating: 8

Reviewed by: AC