 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 100 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | T+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 06/24/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 06/03//2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
NOTE: DVD Image above is not actual art box cover - used for format purposes only. Actual art box for special edition is below.
His end of confinement leads to a new type of trap for Light when he is chained to L 24/7 and Misa is kept under round the clock surveillance. L is still not convinced Light is not Kira. Matsuda is set up as Misa’s manager on the surface but her constant guard/spy on her in reality. However Matsuda becomes smitten with Misa, compromising his work. The emergence of a link between the Kira killings and a powerful and secretive corporation known as the Yotsuba Group puts a new twist into the labyrinth of death and growing suspense Death Note has created. The anime enters a little touch of humor in the interactions between Misa and L who constantly clash. A new area of intrigue and characters occur with the Yotsuba Group investigation. The Task Force is forced to work with criminals in order to try to catch Kira. The new Task Force members are Aiber, a con-man, and Wedy, a thief. But it’s Matsuda who stumbles into the heart of Yotsuba and the team must work their wiles to try to save him and keep their plan moving. There are many turning points for the various characters in this volume. Many things change direction affecting the roles people have taken. One of the more striking changes is with Chief Yagami, but the cat and mouse game between L and Light has taken on new facets as well. Misa remains interesting and a surprising source of comedy with L. The introduction of the Yotsuba Group and the two new Task Force members give the show an even larger mystery and widening chess board for the deadly game L and Light are playing.
Episode twenty features a new opening theme “What’s Up, People?!” by Maximum the Hormone. It is completely different from the original theme, featuring thrash metal and psychedelic visuals in quick succession with images overlaid over each other. They also do the adrenalin pumped heavy metal new ending theme “Billy in Despair”.
EXTRAS:
 The DVD case has great Gothic cover art with red foil stencilling for the title and a black translucent DVD case. It features reverse cover art and fold out insert which features the two new Task Force members. DVD bonus features include trailers and ads for Viz manga and video titles, production art gallery, Death Note live action movie trailer, and part 5 of the Behind the Scenes featurette with voice actors Chris Britton (Soichiro Yagami), Vincent Tong (Matsuda), and Trevor Duvall (Aizawa) who discuss their take on the anime and their characters, showing clips from the anime and behind the scenes of the recording sessions. There is also audio commentary on episode 17 with Karl Willems (ADR Director) and Chris Britton (Soichiro Yagami). This volume comes in a regular disc edition and a limited deluxe edition with an exclusive figure of Misa. The detail on the figure is exceptional. It looks just like the anime character wearing her black corset, skirt and thigh highs with intricate detail work on the clothing.
IN SUMMARY:
The mind games in Death Note hit new heights in this pivotal volume. A new threat emerges, new suspects abound, and the game between L and Light just got a lot more complicated. |
