Death Note deserved better: How the live-action ruined the masterpiece

Death Note is one of those anime series that usually serves as an entry point to those who want to experience what anime truly is. It is a masterpiece of a story that has perfected the art of portraying a psychological thriller. The characters of Light and L are constantly in a battle between justice and power, intellect and manipulation, which was both thrilling and philosophical.

So, when Netflix announced a live-action series to ensure this story reaches viewers who don't enjoy animation, fans had high hopes of witnessing a global reinterpretation of their beloved story. But the end production led it to crash and burn as it butchered every aspect that made this a masterpiece in the first place.

The original series was not just about a high-school boy who gains the power of the Death Note. It was more about what happens to him and how it changes him after gaining the power. The manga and the anime adaptation delved into three major themes: moral relativism, unchecked power leads to corruption, and madness and intellect are two sides of the same coin.

Light could not be labeled as a protagonist or an antagonist. He was a sociopath with a god complex. The original excels because it respects its own intelligence and demands the same of its audience. But the portrayal of Light in the live-action of Death Note made him seem like an emotional, whiny teenager who lacks composure.

Changing the personality of the main character was a risky move that did not work for the production as they had hoped it would. Live-action adaptations often try to appeal to Western audiences, which is why it is important to make some changes. However, instead of watching a genius fall into madness, we watch a hormonal teen blunder his way through murders while dating a bloodthirsty cheerleader.

Another thing about live action is that they change the names of the characters to make them sound Western, so the character of Misa Amane was now Mia Sutton. Fans were enraged to see this change because her original name was not hard to pronounce in the first place.

Finally, in the anime, Light's descent is gradual. He starts with good intentions, eliminating criminals, but becomes drunk on power. He builds an ideology. He creates a cult. He loses his soul. Netflix skips all that. Light never even pretends to be good. He’s careless, self-serving, and shallow. He kills bullies and gangsters, not to reshape the world, but to impress a girl.

How could the live-action of Death Note be better?

While I understand that there are limitations when anyone decides to make a live-action version of any series. Especially the insane pressure they put them through when it is a remake of a popular series.

If they had stuck to the original psychological warfare, kept the character arcs true to what made them so compelling, and brought on writers who actually understood the heart of the anime, it could’ve been something special.

Setting this story in a western location would not have been a big deal if they had stayed true to the original material. In my opinion, Death Note is a work of art because of its cultural nuances and philosophy.

That is why watching this version might have been an adequate series for those who had not watched the original anime. But for those who know that this series bears no resemblance except the name and the character gets Death Note, it was a huge miss.

Final thoughts

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There’s a reason Death Note continues to be revered almost two decades after its release. It is a masterclass in writing, pacing, and moral tension. The Netflix live-action adaptation, however, took everything that made the original great and stripped it for parts, replacing depth with cheap spectacle, intelligence with angst, and complexity with cliché.

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