Netflix's "Death Note" made its site debut on August 25 of this year. The movie was based on the manga that ran from December 2003 to May 2006 and anime that aired on Japanese television from October 2006 to June 2007, of the same name.
"Death Note" at its core is an epic murder mystery that incorporates elements of the supernatural. The original plot focuses on a gifted high school student in Japan, Light Yagami, who finds a death note that was dropped by a bored death god, or 'shinigami' named Ryuk. Whoever's name is written in the note will die and Light decides to use it to rid the world of criminals.
Meanwhile, the sudden deaths of all of the world's major criminals raise suspicion and growing concern among citizens around the world. They refer to this new bringer of justice as 'Kira' while the mysterious young detective, L, begins to investigate the deaths. Both the anime and the manga revolve around an ultimate 'battle of wits' between L and Light as they try to outsmart each other at every turn.
Considering the anime has been available to watch on Netflix for quite some time now, I must admit, I was a bit late to the "Death Note" party, as I had been unsure if I would enjoy it. But, after Netflix released their live-action adaptation and reviews started pouring out all over the internet, I figured it was time to check it out for myself. I watched the anime first so that I would be familiar with the original characters and ended up really enjoying the 37-episode show. For the most part, the characters and plot held my interest and the beautiful imagery and soundtrack kept me engaged even after the finale, as I continued to listen to the theme songs on Spotify and watch fan theories on YouTube.
That is not to say, however, that the anime is without its flaws, as it is severely lacking in female characters (only really focusing on the irritating and lovesick model, 'Misa Misa') and not every episode includes, at least in my opinion, the most intriguing part of the show, when L and Light would go head to head in an artistic battle of "red vs. blue." But while the anime may have its own shortcomings, "Death Note" definitely provides the viewer with a vibrant world that is divided into human and shinigami realms. The characters are smart, funny, and even the plot's tangents are eventually all well-explained by the end of the series.
The same can unfortunately not be said for Netflix's adaptation.
Granted, this is not the first live-action adaptation of "Death Note", as there was a three-film series produced in Japan starting in 2006, but Netflix's movie is undoubtedly the most well-known among American audiences but from what I can tell, (despite not actually having seen the Japanese live-action films) it is also the worst.
First and foremost, the main problem with Netflix's "Death Note" is its blatant white-washing of Japanese characters. Light Yagami becomes 'Light Turner', Misa becomes 'Mia' and the movie takes place in Seattle, Washington as opposed to the Kanto Region of Japan. Also, the only actor of Asian heritage that appears in the entire film is Paul Nakauchi, who plays L's assistant, Watari.
Even aside from its exclusion of Asian actors, "Death Note" makes no effort to follow the original storyline of the manga and anime. That is not to say that certain creative liberties cannot and should not be taken when an entire series is being adapted to fit the run-time of a movie, but in this case, the ambitious and cunning, Light is replaced by a dramatic high school outcast that spends more time screaming than he does plotting. The brilliant, disheveled and sometimes emotionless, L is instead exchanged for a still intelligent but tidy and ultimately temperamental young detective that is not nearly as methodical or as calculative as his anime counterpart.
In short, Netflix's "Death Note" is a shoddy interpretation of a witty and respected anime. The creative liberties taken only serve to twist the original story and players into unrecognizable caricatures in what can only be interpreted as an inferior attempt to make "Death Note" more "relatable" or "appealing" to western audiences.
If you're a fan of the anime, don't watch it. If you're a fan of Nat Wolff, still don't watch it. If you're not a fan of anime but are interested in the story, maybe still give the manga a try because, hey, "a little boredom can be a dangerous thing..."
