Writer: Rina Oh

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Watch this if you liked: "Death Note"

In "Death Note", Tatsuya Fujiwara plays the role of Light Yagami, a genius law student who picks up the "Death Note" and uses it to "cleanse" the world of evil. Upholding justice obsesses him and he envisions himself as a god in the crime-less utopia he plans to create. As criminals continue to die in unexplainable ways, people start saying that it must be the work of a "messiah", of whom they call Kira. L, played by Kenichi Matsuyama, works for the International Criminal Police Organisation (ICPO) and is deployed to solve the Kira mystery.

In "Death Note 2: The Last Name", the story continues as Light devises a plan to be part of the Kira Task Force headed by L. While the two geniuses are busy dealing with each other, a second Death Note drops into Earth. Rem, a Shinigami, brings the second notebook and Misa Amane (Erika Toda), a pop star and Kira worshipper, comes into possession of it. Becoming a Kira herself, she accepts the offer to have the 'Eyes of the Death' which will enable her to know the name of any person without being told. As Misa and Light work together to get rid of L, a new character, Kiyomi Takada (Nana Katase), comes into the picture as the third Kira. With the disclosure of the new rules of the Death Note, the mystery becomes more complex, with a satisfying storyline and a completely unpredictable finale. (Note: the movie will NOT end the same way the original comic does.)

With the introduction of new characters and new elements being added to the "Death Note" saga, "Death Note 2" is definitely more intriguing and unpredictable than Part One. More character development and better cinematography allows director Shusuke Kaneko to feature a film that will live up to the manga series' name. In the first movie, the three main characters, Light, L and Misa never get to meet each other. But in the sequel they do! And this dynamic interaction of deception is beautifully executed by the actors with their screen chemistry and finely-tuned performances. Fans of Misa will also be pleased to know that this time around her character has more complexity. Scenes of her room, which is decorated with 'Hungry & Angry' stuffed animals and sensual dolls specially designed for her, clearly reflect Misa's taste in 'Gothic Lolita' and add depth to her personality.

Apart from physical illustration, the movie also concentrates on symbolism. One example is in the beginning of the film where Light and L engaged in a game of chess, which is the best representation of their hyper intellectual and psychological duels with each other.

Every action is calculated. One wrong move and someone dies. Who will win and who will lose? Who will have the last laugh? The answer is written in "Death Note 2: The Last Name"!

Cinema Online, 23 September 2008