Death Note: What The Original Creators Think About Netflix’s Adaptation

Netflix has become one of the best destinations for movies and series, with the likes of Marvel’s chain of series; Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the just released The Defenders.

Since the streaming company started investing in television, there has been a general acceptance of the quality of ‘Netflix Original’ movies and series. However, one particular movie that has suffered a backlash from fans is Death Note.

Adam Wingard’s interpretation of the classic manga/anime Death Note is now live on Netflix and many core anime fans have bashed the approach, take, and westernisation of the iconic characters in Netflix’s adaptation. But the original Death Note writer and illustrator — Tsugumi Oba and Takeshi Obata, respectively — released statements on the remake, which Netflix shared with CinemaBlend exclusively, and apparently, they love it. First, here’s original writer Tsugumi Oba:

Thanks to the beautiful imagery and the thrilling direction by Adam Wingard, the movie is magnificent A-level thriller masterpiece. The characters are all faithful to satisfying their desires. I’ve always wanted to write a Death Note like this, as well. Through Netflix, it will reach a global audience, so I hope that the people around the world who didn’t know about Death Note will get a chance to discover and enjoy it.

It exceeded my expectations. There was high level of quality, sophistication, and attention to every detail. This is what a Hollywood Death Note movie should be. Personally, I was engrossed with the ending! In a good way, it both followed and diverged from the original work so the film can be enjoyed, of course by not only the fans, but also by a much larger and wider audience.

Death Note follows the life of high school student, Yagami Light, who finds the Death Note – a mystical book that kills anyone whose name is written on it. He then proceeds to use the book to bring his own form of justice to the world. However, a super detective, L, has been tasked with finding and putting a stop to Light’s mass murdering spree.

Death Note is available on Netflix