15 Thoughts We Had While Watching Netflix's Death Note

Well, it’s that time again, my friends – Hollywood decides to grace us with a live action anime adaption, and this time, it’s Death Note. Anime live actions are always a touchy subject amongst anime fans; we’re hard to please. So what happens when a couple of Death Note fans get together to watch the live action?  We’re giving you a look into our weekly “anime night” and spilling our thoughts on Netflix’s take on the latest live action. 

Dissecting Death Note
Joined by my two friends, Tim and Alena, we decided to provide you all with our candid thoughts and feelings while watching the movie. Haven’t watched the Death Note live action yet? Perhaps you could consider this a spoiler alert. Not interested in watching? I’d say this run down of our thoughts would do you just fine. Let’s dive on in…
 

1. They’re in Seattle?!
2. It’s notebook time
3. Lol, Light’s voice
4. Light was OCD to the max – there’s no way he would have a messy room
5. Ryuk… so that’s where the budget went
6. Did L just climb into a limo…?
7. At least they used the same font for the “L”
8. Mia is the true mastermind and Light is out of his league
9. Literally why did L just engage in a high-speed chase?
10. A few kids singlehandedly dismantled an entire ferris wheel?
11. What?
12. *Multiple looks of bewilderment*
13. Don’t do it, L
14. “Humans are so interesting.” Well, at least he says that
15. It’s over?

 
As an avid anime fan, watching a live action can be tough. You fall in love with a story that comes from the hands of the Japanese, normally having these stories exist in a Japanese society. Sometimes, things can get a little lost in translation when you try to adapt these stories to appeal to an American audience. However, there were a lot of redeeming qualities in Death Note as well. For the most part, the live action stayed true to the anime / manga; albeit leaving out a few chapters in the end.
 
The Death Note live action was certainly an experience. As a long time Death Note fan, I had mixed feelings. It seems many other fans have been feeling the same way. For starters, having knowledge of the original Death Note definitely made watching the live action easier. First time viewers of the series may have had to struggle through to process all of the small details the live action throw at you pretty quickly, even if they were a little watered down. Watching the anime helps fill in any blanks. There’s nothing but a time constraint to blame for that, however.
 
Going off of that notion of time, the live action left out the latter half of the Death Note series. Viewers missed out on some of the series most notable characters; namely Matt, Mello, and Near. The original anime / manga leave us with closure, we know what happens to each character and how everyone’s schemes play out. The live action, not so much. The lives of L and Light, as well as the fate of the notebook are left up to our interpretation. Does this mean potential for a sequel? I can’t imagine, but they definitely left us with an open-ended final scene.
 
Wrapping It Up
The birth and release of the live action weren’t in vain. A live action adaption gives an anime a chance to gain a wider audience. There’s no question that there’s some kind of unspoken stigma some people harbor in regards to the term and genre of “anime.” Perhaps some people think its lame, weird, or even creepy. There’s always the classic, “Cartoons are for kids!” A murder-mystery about a high school student with a god complex? I don’t think so. Anime isn’t for everyone, and a live action with a cast of recognizable actors helps draw people to it.
 
Personally, I don’t hate the idea of live action anime adaptions. Yeah, I cringe seeing the intricate plot lines and complex characters get watered down for the sake of time and understanding – but it helps to broaden the scope of viewership! What could be better than more people getting exposed to anime? Idk fam, that sounds ideal to me. It’s also possible that watching the live action spurs some people to give the original anime / manga a try. Therein lies the kicker – once you get hooked, you’re in for life.
 
Haven’t watched the new Death Note live action on Netflix? Give it a try! If you’re feeling adventurous, I’ll do you one better – watch the Death Note anime, you won’t regret it.
 
What did you think about Death Note? Feel free to let me know! I’m always down to chat about all things anime (and live actions too, I suppose).
 
Note: All opinions expressed in this article are our own.