Original 'Death Note' Creators Reportedly Loved the Netflix Adaptation
Creators of the original 'Death Note' actually loved the film enough to thank the crew for making it.
The American adaptation of Death Note has long been the object of much public ire. Since its announcement in 2009, and Nat Wolff’s controversial casting as Light in 2015, the project has been plagued with numerous production problems — constantly changing directors, the persistent whitewashing of otherwise Asian roles, the massive delays (in production and casting), and every astronomical revision made to the characters and the plot. With only a few weeks left until release, the film seems doomed for critical and box office failure.
Not according to the manga's original creators.
While the rest of the world seems to agree this movie should never have existed, the original creators of the series actually loved the film enough to thank the crew for making it — a surprisingly touching sentiment most fans (upon watching) would likely be hard-pressed to admit.
The cast and crew held a private screening of the film at San Diego Comic-Con two weeks ago, where producer and actor Masi Oka had this to say about series creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata:
“The greatest moment for me was going to Japan and showing the film to [creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata], and we had a private screening for them. And when they came out and said, ‘Thank you,’ and ‘We love the film,’ it really just brought a tear to my eye, because I’m an otaku and a geek just like everyone. I grew up on this, so having the senseis be proud of our films makes me proud, and hopefully in turn will make the fans proud of the film as well.”
Rewarding Originality
News of the dynamic duo’s fresh rating expectedly raised several eyebrows. It seemed too bizarre to be true. The actors look nothing like their source counterparts. The film diverges so much from the original that it’s barely recognizable as the story that made Light Yagami a household name. The characters themselves bear very little physical and internal resemblance to the characters from the series. With the exception of the actual death note, it doesn’t seem to be anything like the #DeathNote we all know and love. So, what did Ohba and Obata see in the film that we haven't?
The cast and crew behind Adam Wingard's Death Note took a monumental risk when they decided to rewrite the characters' backstories and tweak subplots straight from the #anime and manga. In their attempts to come up with something original, extensive creative liberties were taken. Drastic changes were made at the cost of accuracy. Of course, such a move could be interpreted in a number of different ways depending on who's watching.
For longtime fans of the series, the deviations were seen as too large and unnecessary, and only left the movie feeling empty and soulless rather than original and promising. Some accepted it could be a spin-off, but it doesn't quite feel like it or a worthy one at all.
In contrast, the creators likely saw the merit in trying to come up with something different and original, regardless of how it might have turned out, and so rewarded the team for its efforts rather than slamming it. Death Note, at its most basic, revolves around the dangerous obsession that comes with using a shinigami's death note, and the price every human owner pays for falling into its trap.
As long as the film stayed true to the spirit of its source — which it's looking like it did — the original creators had no issue with it. True, it might not be Light Yagami's story, or L's story, or even the story of the original series, but it's definitely a Death Note story, and for Ohba and Obata, maybe that's all that matters.
Faithful Adaptation Versus Original Interpretation
Japanese live-action adaptations are notorious for deviating from their source material. Case in point: the Attack on Titan film, where the plot was adjusted to include new protagonists, and later Death Note films that were centered around characters that don't even exist in the original series. Even more accurate adaptations aren't as picture perfect as we'd care to admit.
Suffice it to say, Japanese filmmakers can be just as adventurous with how they interpret their source material, which explains Ohba and Obata's calmer, less hysterical approach toward the upcoming Netflix film; Japanese viewers are likely used to such deviations.
The team behind Wingard's Netflix adaptation seems to take after its Japanese counterpart. Actor Nat Wolff, who plays Light Turner in the movie, explained to the SDCC audience that:
“We’re huge fans of the source material, and we try to honor it as much as possible, but I think we tried to do something original with it.”
The changes were intentional. They knew what they had, they simply chose to go down a different route (for the sake of novelty). Perhaps this implies the movie was never meant to be appreciated as a faithful, blow-by-blow adaptation of the original series all along, but instead as a unique interpretation of it all on its own. They borrowed the idea, not the story, and tried to create something new out of it.
Still A Huge Question Mark
There's a very thin line separating originality and Hollywood screwing up again with another Dragonball Evolution, and fans can only tolerate so much originality before it becomes unrecognizable or unbearable. Changes are acceptable as long as they remain tasteful and within the realm of reason (think MCU, not Catwoman). So, was Death Note able to pull off an MCU, or is this just going to be another Patience Phillips (from Catwoman), or perhaps another Assassin's Creed?
The film has already been screened in select theaters, where audience reaction has been mostly mixed. Like moths to a flame, Netflix's Death Note continues to attract massive fan outrage. Here’s to hoping Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata were at least half right in their assessment.
Adam Wingard’s Death Note, starring Nat Wolff as Light Turner, Willem Dafoe as Ryuk, Margaret Qualley as Mia Sutton, and LaKeith Stanfield as L, is due for release on Netflix on August 25.
About the Creator
Dylan Balde
Secretly Dead and Strange, writes for a living. Moonlights as a cat-obsessed dork and innocuously wrapped human nitroglycerin. My life is an everyday Westchester incident. 💀 @dylanbalde
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.