OK I low key dont even play about this shit... My tumultuous journey with these two began in middle school when I read Death Note and was fully under the impression (for some reason) that they were brothers. I was soon horrified to discover the ship between them... even after I learned that they aren't really brothers, I was still a certified D1 MeroNia hater for YEARS. I seriously had it out for this ship, primarily because I was super already attached to Mello and at the time I really hated Near. Yes, the first time I read Death Note, I HATED NEAR!!!! After many years and a few re-reads, my soft spot for Near grew... I now do like him (although obviously not as much as I like Mello), I find him cute and I have much more complex ideas about his character than when I was younger. Even after my feelings on Near changed, though, I still continued to heavily dislike MeroNia. It didn't align at all with my view of Mello, who I see as very volatile, prideful, and feminine. Most MeroNia depictions I saw included Mello being either sweet and caring towards Near or having an infatuation with him. Both of these scenarios are not compatible with my view of Mello, so I strongly disliked MeroNia due to the way it often characterized him.

But then... I eventually discovered NiaMero Suddenly, it all clicked... If Near is the one obsessively infatuated with Mello, I can totally see that!! The image of Near as a sweet, harmless baby has never made sense to me! He is ruthless and calculating, I think if he were to have any personal relationships like this he would be the dominating and controlling one. Since I began thinking about and drawing this pairing, I have developed a lot more ideas about their relationship and their history. I won't go into all of it now, but if you're curious, feel free to send me a message :) but with Mello's inferiority complex regarding Near, Near's manipulative tendencies, Mello's emotional nature, and the doubled gap moe of it all...I LOVE NiaMero...