Remember when Death Note went yellow? Why The Simpsons anime homage still works so well

So, you don't remember when Death Note went yellow in The Simpsons? No? That's because they actually did not. One of the most outstanding elements that made this Simpsons anime homage work so well was the use of human (instead of the trademark Simpsons-yellow) skin tones, added to a lot of elements that we are going to revisit in this article.

In the years that The Simpsons have been dominating pop culture, few parodies were as bold and as visually striking as the Death Note homage in Treehouse of Horror XXXIII (Season 43, Episode 6).

Released in 2022, the segment titled Death Tome didn’t just reinterpret one of the most iconic anime series of all time; it managed to capture the dark and morally ambiguous essence of the original while staying true to the satirical bite that made The Simpsons a phenomenon, even with the bold decision of abadoning the yellow.

Years later, the episode is still remembered for its striking animation, which transformed the classic yellow-skinned characters into anime-style versions of themselves.

A visual transformation that surprised everyone

Back in 2022, The Simpsons decided to take on a full-blown anime parody of Death Note. And not just any parody. This was a reimagining with Lisa Simpson as the ultimate Kira wannabe, clutching her very own Death Tome (name of the killer notebook in The Simpsons version) like she was born to cleanse the world of evildoers.

However, instead of the usual bouncy, yellow-skinned goofiness, the animation team went dark. Working with DR Movie, the South Korean studio that animated the original Death Note, The Simpsons crew ditched their classic rubber hose style and leaned into the sharp, angular aesthetic that made Death Note a visual fever dream.

Lisa got a makeover worthy of a noir thriller, her eyes wider and more intense, her expressions far more sinister than we’re used to. Springfield itself morphed into a shadow-soaked dystopia, with skyscrapers looming over characters who suddenly looked like they had actual bones.

Some scenes felt ripped straight out of Death Note, from the intense eye glints to the looming, oppressive shadows that practically screamed Light Yagami’s name. The result? It became more than just a visual homage. It was a full-on transformation that gave The Simpsons a darker and more cinematic look, reminding everyone that this show can still pull off surprises.

Capturing the essence of Death Note while keeping it Springfield

If there’s one thing The Simpsons has always excelled at, it’s taking a pop culture phenomenon and twisting it into something unmistakably Springfield. But Death Note is a whole different beast.

The original series is a psychological thriller drenched in moral ambiguity, with a protagonist who spirals into villainy armed with nothing but a notebook and a god complex. How do you make that fit in a town where the biggest existential crisis usually involves running out of donuts?

The answer was Lisa Simpson. Casting Lisa as the stand-in for Light Yagami was a stroke of genius. She’s always been the overachiever, the self-righteous crusader who believes she knows what’s best for everyone else. Put a Death Tome in her hands and it’s disturbingly easy to see her slipping into the same power-hungry mindset as Light.

But unlike Light, who relished his role as Kira, Lisa is clearly uncomfortable with the moral implications of her newfound power. She hesitates, second-guesses herself, and ultimately tries to walk away from the whole mess, only to end up as a shinigami herself. It’s a clever inversion of the original story, one that uses Lisa’s inherent goodness to explore the consequences of absolute power in a more relatable, almost tragic way.

And then there’s Bart. Reimagined as a rough approximation of Death Note’s L, he’s more prankster than detective, but it works. Bart’s cat-and-mouse game with Lisa mirrors the tense dynamic between Light and L without losing that Simpsons flavor. He’s less concerned with justice and more with exposing his sister’s dark secret, not because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s hilarious to mess with her.

The show doesn’t just nod to Death Note. It leans into the anime’s atmosphere while keeping its tongue firmly in cheek. The iconic apple motif becomes a running gag with Moe as a shinigami, a grotesque blend of Ryuk and Moe Szyslak. He’s more pathetic than menacing, a shinigami who’s just as likely to get distracted by happy hour as he is to oversee Lisa’s moral descent.

Why this parody still resonates years later

Three years after Death Tome dropped, it still stands out as one of the boldest things The Simpsons has ever pulled off. That anime-style animation was more than just a visual flex; it was a full-on transformation.

The Simpsons had never looked like this before. Gone were the round, bouncy shapes and bright pastel colors. Instead, we got razor-sharp lines, ominous shadows, and eyes that could cut glass. It was (and remains) a love letter to Death Note’s bleak, cinematic style and a complete shift from the usual Springfield vibe.

But it wasn’t just about the glow-up. The Simpsons didn’t just copy Death Note. They bent it into something unmistakably theirs. Lisa isn’t some genius sociopath like Light Yagami. She’s a kid with a superiority complex and a constant need to be right, and that’s where the parody hits hardest. Watching her go from do-gooder to wannabe god while still being, well, Lisa was a perfect way to riff on the anime’s obsession with power and justice.

Moe as the shinigami was another spot-on choice. Ryuk in the original was a bored, chaotic voyeur with a taste for apples. Moe is a sad, chaotic bartender with a taste for misery. It’s a perfect match. And instead of the menacing, shadowy figure Ryuk was, Moe is a shinigami who looks like he’d try to sell you counterfeit cigarettes behind the bar.

From Light Yagami to Lisa Simpson: A perfect character match

Lisa Simpson as Light Yagami was a casting choice that felt almost too perfect. She’s always been the overachiever, the moral compass of the family, the one who genuinely believes she knows what’s best for everyone else. That’s what makes her the perfect fit for the Death Note narrative.

Lisa isn’t trying to become a god of a new world. She’s trying to fix things in the only way she can, through overthought plans that go completely off the rails. Instead of targeting criminals, she goes after people like Mr. Burns, whose latest scheme involves melting the polar ice caps for profit. (His death? Legendary!)

Lisa’s descent into darkness is rooted in her sense of righteousness. She doesn’t see herself as a villain, just like Light never did. But her decisions get darker, her justifications get flimsier, and her grip on reality starts to slip.

Moe’s role as her shinigami reinforces the absurdity of it all. He’s no devilish enabler. He’s a washed-up barfly who can barely keep track of his own life, let alone guide Lisa through her moral collapse.

Why The Simpsons’ Death Tome still hits hard

Death Tome is more than a one-off anime parody. It’s a rare moment when The Simpsons goes all in, visually and thematically, to deliver a punchline that still lands three years later.

By diving headfirst into Death Note’s dark, obsessive world, the episode pushed Treehouse of Horror into territory that felt both unexpected and entirely in character for Springfield. It’s absurd, it’s eerie, and it’s a reminder that when The Simpsons decides to hit a cultural target, they go straight for the jugular.