[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

There was no surgery involved. L is Near's idol. He looks up to him. He wants to achieve the same level of respect and intelligence as L. Being around him all his life, he picked up some of L's traits. He just adapted them, and turned them into his own style. Near is a great replacement. Since the character's role needs to be replaced, they made a great move by adding him me thinks...

*waves to Oren-san* Hello way over there! What should we talk about now? The ways and toys of Near?

I noticed in the manga he is never eating anything..