Studios have tried time and time again to bring Death Note back to life through live-action remakes, but so far, only one has truly captured the brilliance of the original series. Almost 20 years ago, the anime adaptation of Death Note, animated by Madhouse, was released, and it’s still wildly popular today.
Tsugumi Ohba’s Death Note is shorter compared to long-running anime like One Piece or Naruto, but its premise and execution are just as iconic, and not just in Japan. The anime has inspired artists for years. There have multiple attempts at a Death Note live-action remake, including an American musical concept album starring Jeremy Jordan, but a Japanese miniseries from 2015 stands above the rest.
Death Note (2015) Is A Japanese Live-Action Show Based On The Manga
This J-Drama Is Death Note’s Best Live-Action Adaptation To Date
With only 11 episodes, Death Note (2015) managed to recreate most of the original source material. The series begins with Light, an average college student, who stumbles across a mysterious black notebook. Soon, he learns that this book, known as the Death Note, possesses a powerfully dark secret: it can kill anyone whose name is written inside.
The premise of the story is kept relatively similar to that of the original manga series, and one of the most common compliments the show receives is its dedication to casting. The live-action is led by Japanese actor, Masataka Kubota, who brings a unique take to Light’s complicated persona.
However, the star of the show is Alice in Borderland’s Kento Yamazaki, considered by many to be one of the best interpretations of L, seemingly pulled straight from the pages of Ohba’s manga. Near/Mellow is also considered one of the best live-action castings for Death Note. Even Ryuk’s CGI holds up today, despite being close to a decade old.
Death Note’s J-Drama Was Faithful To The Source Material (With Some Big Changes)
Unlike Netflix’s Version, The 2015 Remake Mostly Followed The Manga Series’ Main Ideas
2015 was undeniably the year of the Death Note franchise. The J-Drama series was released in July, while the English concept album for the musical was recorded only months before, in December 2014, then later released the following year. While the show has yet to be brought to America, Death Note: The Musical will return to the stage this fall in Japan.
The 2015 live-action adaptation remains faithful to its original source material, but considering the number of Death Note-related retellings that were released around the same time, it should come as no surprise that the writers made a few changes to keep the story fresh. One of the most noticeable changes was to Light’s character.
In an attempt to humanize him a bit more, the writers adjusted his character to that of a more “normal” university student; one who isn’t quite as brilliant as the manga version, but much more sympathetic. Mellow’s character, on the other hand, underwent some serious changes, as his character was combined with that of Near’s as one of his alternate personalities, versus the unpredictable wild card he was in the manga.
L also underwent some changes, appearing much more confident, cool, and collected, unlike his socially abnormal manga counterpart. Aside from the various character changes that the J-Drama made, the most controversial is the series’ ending. With Light’s character taking on a much more “humane” role, it is fitting that, unlike the manga and anime series, he genuinely attempts to explain his reasoning to those around him in his final moments.
Mikami, using barrels of flammable liquid, ignites the warehouse, along with Light and the Death Note, on fire. The series finale ends as Light, still aflame, crawls pitifully towards the burning notebook, crying out, still believing that his plan isn’t over yet. Death Note‘s series ending made a few additional minor tweaks, but overall, Light Yagami suffered the same inglorious fate.
Death Note’s 2015 Adaptation Captured The Essence Of The Anime Better Than The Netflix Movie
Netflix’s 2017 Live-Action Adaptation of Death Note Was A Major Failure
While the idea, in theory, of an American Death Note produced by Netflix does sound intriguing, the execution was all wrong. Perhaps one of the only redeeming qualities was the cast. Nat Wolff (Paper Towns) starred as Light Turner, LaKeith Stanfield (Knives Out) brought L to life, and the lesser known at the time, Margaret Qualley portrayed Mia Sutton.
The movie’s real claim to fame was who they cast as the Shinigami, Ryuk: the brilliant horror actor, Willem Dafoe, but he barely appears in the film at all. Despite the talent behind the cast, it wasn’t enough to save the movie. Besides Dafoe, none of the lead actors fit their characters, and their interpretations were a complete departure from the original manga. Where Light Yagami is cunning, cold, and calculating, Light Turner is incompetent, hesitant, and messy.
Instead of a fresh take, like the J-Drama, Netflix simply threw away what made the manga so beloved in the first place. The live-action Death Note suggests that Netflix took the basic premise of the original manga, Americanized it, and practically parodied the personalities of Light, Misa, L, and Ryuk. In contrast, while not perfect, the Death Note J-Drama miniseries maintained the familiar feel of Obha’s story, with only a few minor tweaks.
A New Death Note Live-Action Show Is In The Works At Netflix
From The Creators of Stranger Things, Comes The Next Big Anime Live-Action
Back in 2023, the Duffer Brothers, best known for their hit series, Stranger Things, announced that they would be partnering with Netflix once again to produce yet another live-action Death Note series. Alongside the Duffer Brothers would be lead writer, Halia Abdel-Meguid who is not only a huge fan of Obha’s original story, but speaks Japanese and previously lived in Tokyo.
This adaptation by the new production company, Upside Down, is slated to be an “entirely new take on the original IP,” according to Deadline. While the production is most likely being held off until the completion of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers’ Death Note is most likely in early stages of development, although an official release date has not been set.
First serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump on December 1, 2003, Death Note’s anime adaptation aired only three years later in Japan on October 4, 2006. While it is possible that no live-action adaptation will ever live up to Tsugumi Ohba’s manga, or Madhouse’s anime series, the Duffer Brothers may be the fandom’s best chance at receiving an updated adaptation that pays homage to the iconic Death Note series.
Source: Deadline
- Created by
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Takeshi Obata, Tsugumi Ohba
- Video Game(s)
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Death Note: Kira Game
- Movie(s)
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Death Note, Death Note 2: The Last Name
- Character(s)
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Light Yagami, L Lawliet, Ryuk, Misa Amane, Near (Death Note), Mello (Death Note), Teru Mikami, Minoru Tanaka
