Death Note: The Last Name
In the second installment of the Death Note film franchise, Light Yagami meets a second Kira and faithful follower Misa Amane and her Shinigami named Rem. Light attempts to defeat L along with Teru Mikami (a Kira follower) and Kiyomi Takada (another Kira follower) but in the end will Light win? or will a Shinigami named Ryuk make all the difference in Light's victory or his ultimate death?
Despite a moderate budget of $17.0M, Death Note: The Last Name became a financial success, earning $47.9M worldwide—a 182% return.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Death Note: The Last Name (2006) showcases deliberately positioned story structure, characteristic of Shusuke Kaneko's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 20 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.5, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Light Yagami continues as Kira, secretly killing criminals while working alongside L on the task force. The uneasy partnership defines his double life.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 17 minutes when Misa is captured by L's team as the second Kira. Light's carefully constructed world begins to crumble as L closes in on the connection between them.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The Collapse moment at 105 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, L dies from the Death Note, sacrificing himself as Rem writes his name to save Misa. The whiff of death: the only person who could stop Kira is gone., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 112 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. The task force, led by Light's father Soichiro, discovers evidence of Light's guilt. The truth L died protecting is finally revealed, beginning Light's downfall., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Death Note: The Last Name's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Death Note: The Last Name against these established plot points, we can identify how Shusuke Kaneko utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Death Note: The Last Name within the fantasy genre.
Shusuke Kaneko's Structural Approach
Among the 5 Shusuke Kaneko films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Death Note: The Last Name takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Shusuke Kaneko filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional fantasy films include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Conan the Barbarian and Batman Forever. For more Shusuke Kaneko analyses, see Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Death Note and Gamera 2: Attack of Legion.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Light Yagami continues as Kira, secretly killing criminals while working alongside L on the task force. The uneasy partnership defines his double life.
Theme
L questions whether true justice can come from playing god with people's lives, foreshadowing the film's examination of the cost of absolute power.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of the second Death Note owned by Misa Amane, Light's manipulation of her devotion, and the introduction of the new Kira case with escalating public killings.
Disruption
Misa is captured by L's team as the second Kira. Light's carefully constructed world begins to crumble as L closes in on the connection between them.
Resistance
Light executes his desperate plan: renouncing ownership of the Death Note to erase his memories, betting everything on his own strategic genius to protect himself.
Act II
ConfrontationMirror World
Rem, Misa's shinigami, represents the thematic counterpoint: genuine love and self-sacrifice versus Light's manipulation and self-preservation.
Premise
The cat-and-mouse game intensifies as Light, with restored memories, orchestrates an elaborate scheme using Rem and Misa to eliminate L while maintaining his innocence.
Opposition
L narrows his suspicion back to Light despite memory loss alibis. The final psychological battle escalates as both minds race toward the endgame confrontation.
Collapse
L dies from the Death Note, sacrificing himself as Rem writes his name to save Misa. The whiff of death: the only person who could stop Kira is gone.
Crisis
Light processes his hollow victory as the new L, facing the emotional emptiness of his triumph. The task force mourns, unaware the killer sits among them.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
The task force, led by Light's father Soichiro, discovers evidence of Light's guilt. The truth L died protecting is finally revealed, beginning Light's downfall.
Synthesis
The final confrontation where Light is exposed, cornered, and ultimately killed. His grand vision of a new world collapses as he dies alone, shot and desperate.
Transformation
Light dies on the stairs, calling out for his father, reduced from god-complex to frightened child. A cautionary transformation showing the corruption of absolute power.