>!After watching Relight 2 for the eighth time, here is my verdict: it is one of my favorite film. It has a short runtime yet is packed with heartbreaking and tragic moments. The visuals are stunning—especially the rooftop sequence and the film's final scene—and the music is perfectly matched to the scenes, making them truly special. The film does complete justice to the characters and the manga; it features excellent characters, and I feel the changes 'Relight' made to them are fantastic.
My opinion on some of the characters from the movie -
Removing Soichiro from the series felt like the right decision; he had endured so much suffering, and as a character, it was a right decision by the story for him to pass away before the events of the film. This also adds an element of mystery to the story—did he truly die peacefully, or was 'Light' the cause of his death? It raises questions in the audience's minds about whether 'Light' had gone that far or if there was another reason behind Soichiro's death.
We know that if faced with a crisis where he had to kill his family, 'Light' would certainly do so. This event can be interpreted in various ways. Soichiro's absence in 'Relight 2' makes one feel that all the struggles he endured in Part 1 were in vain; he never even discovered the true identity of 'Kira' before the end.
Now For Mello, limiting his screen time to just two scenes was a brilliant decision. It adds layers of mystery to his character and offers different perspectives on who he is. In one scene, he meets Near to get a photograph and leaves unscathed—a moment that makes him look incredibly cool. The second scene comes when he decides to sacrifice his life to catch Kira and save Near; he does this not merely to repay the debt, but to prove that he is the right choice and worthy of becoming 'L'.
This was the perfect approach for a complex and polarizing character like Mello. 'Relight' handled his character exceptionally well, effectively showcasing just how unpredictable and batshit he is.
Mikami and Takada being present from the beginning of the story makes them more prominent and shows them as important and prominent side characters—unlike the manga/anime, where they appear very late in the story.
Misa, too, felt better served in this film compared to the manga or anime; as we know, while she appears at the start of Part 2, she soon fades into the background—something that feels like an insult to her character. In this film, however, that aspect is handled better; she is portrayed in the background from the very beginning to highlight how insignificant she is to Light as a person, and the look in her eyes reveals a trapped soul. The scene featuring the caged parrot perfectly mirrors Misa’s character: the bird is in a magnificent cage, longing to fly but unable to do so. Similarly, Misa lives in a fine room yet remains trapped; she yearns for freedom but never breaks away—for who else could she possibly trust? Everything has been stripped from her, leaving Light as the only one she can rely on.
Now, let's finally talk about 'Light'. I think portraying him as a bad person right from the start was the right decision. He doesn't have much of a personality; his main goal is simply to relieve his boredom, and that is why he kills people. Depicting him as evil throughout the story makes him more entertaining to watch, and the conclusion of his character feels even more amazing to watch.
One scene that was excellent and deserves a shoutout imo was the decision to have the SPK killed by Kira rather than the Mafia; that was incredibly impactful—especially the scene where Near stares at the screen with eyes full of rage. Intro scene with L was also really cool. I really miss him. Also can't forget about the Monster speech, that was fantastic scene and a good change compared to the manga speech. It added more depth to L's character, as Manga L doesn't have much.
All in all, this is my take on the movie. Despite its short runtime, it portrays the characters effectively and presents the original story faithfully. It does it's absolute best to respect the source material. However, the film does feel a bit rushed. I give it a rating of 7.5.
It could have benefited from another 20–30 minutes to improve the pacing and include a few more scenes. Still, it was a good film.!<