This episode starts with a strange, sort of slow-motioned montage of scenes surrounding our various characters and their dealings. The music is very somber, like someone has just died. It’s odd. Basically, this is the signal that there’s a lot going on, but they don’t have time to animate it all, so you’ll just have to guess at what’s really happening. Good luck.

Then it goes to Light getting all giddy over Mikami “confirming it.” Confirming what?!

…Even if it cared, the world may never know, considering the C&D order given to Kuro-Hana. I know, I know…I laughed, too.

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Things took a dramatic and unexpected turn in this week’s episode. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, the production team ended the Death Note series three episodes early, and to hell with the exciting conclusion you might have expected. No sir, we’re headed in a different direction altogether.

NUCLEAR EXPLOSION. EVERYONE DIES.

…

Oh. No. No, that isn’t what happened at all.

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If episode 32 was a departure from crap, episode 33 seems to be settling back down into it. It wasn’t as bad as we have seen lately, but it wasn’t as not-bad as the last episode, either. I just don’t know what to do with Death Note anymore. It’s like my child, in a twisted sort of way - I’m disappointed in it and I want to send it to a home, but once upon a time I made the commitment and now I feel too guilty to put it up for adoption.

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Episode 32, I am thrilled to say, was a sort of return to the old Death Note. That is, it didn’t suck quite as hard as others have and it didn’t leave me feeling deflated and upset. Instead, I actually had a good time watching it and my first response was, “damn…what the hell am I going to blog about?!” A good sign, Death Note. Keep it up. Please!

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In Episode 31, Light continues to be a stupid douchebag. It didn’t occur to him that Near - who’s supposed to be a genius, remember - might do something smart to get out of the oh-so-clever (and not a bit obvious) trap that’s been laid. Once upon a time, I defended Light for being a smart kid. He’s made an asshole out of me, for sure.

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I’ve gotten behind in my blogging (graduation made me so lazy), but not in my frustration with Death Note. Originally I thought ep 25 would be the only one that sucked so hard. How wrong I was. Not many episodes left and I keep hoping something will change to redeem itself, but I just don’t see that happening. Where once I was bright-eyed and adoring, I have grown cynical and jaded. You did this to me, Death Note! Damn you!

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Compared to recent episodes, I have relatively little things to complain about this time around. Things were less ridiculous in episode 29, though the series seems to have lost its old “oompf” (I just don’t think I can ever get excited for Mello and Near). I’ll even pay the production team a compliment: they have done a decent job of making Light look older. Even if he does look sort of lopsided in most scenes, like his head isn’t entirely symmetrical.

OK, so it was a qualified compliment, but whatever. I tried.

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In the interest of getting caught up, I’ve opted to make this a double entry. Don’t worry, there was more than enough material to find fault with in each episode. Really they should both probably have had their own, but…I’ve fallen behind and it’s lonely back here.

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I think the production team was in mourning over having to kill off L, so the first half of episode 26 was a big recap. You know, in case we hadn’t been watching the series up until this point. I’m sure there were a lot of people who thought, “I don’t really care for that L guy. I don’t think I’ll watch until he dies.” Good job, team.

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You can get an idea of how bad my connection is by how long it’s taken me to download and watch this episode. I’m only, what? Three weeks behind?

Anyway.

Since the Internet has basically turned into one big celebratory jerk-off session for Death Note, I thought I’d play Devil’s Advocate - and let out some of my own frustration - by focusing, instead, on what’s wrong with the series*, starting with the complete failure known as episode 25, “Silence.”

*Besides the OP and ED, which still make me bleed from the eyes and ears.

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