The story was basically followed the original storyline judging from what I saw in the comments, and so I guess they did a really good job of condensing a 30+ anime into 11 eps. Solid effort. Basically it followed the storyline of a normal uni student who was living life like it would have been for him, but when he accidentally picked up the 'Death' Notebook, his life took a drastic turn from there. Of course life doesn't always go smoothly, thus someone will appear to try and stop all his acts of 'justice' which is where the 2nd main lead comes in, and they begin their battle of wit to see who ultimately wins and becomes the last one standing. The story was very compact, exciting and nerve wrecking as I was always extremely tensed to know what might happen next. I watched the whole drama in the span of 3 days, even when I wasn't watching it, my mind would unconsciously think about it as well. That could explain how into it I was.
Acting/Cast
Like everyone has said I think Kubota definitely did a splendid job acting as Yagami Light. Especially as the story progressed and as the character of Light became more and more 'crazy', I could see the change expressed perfectly through the character. During the second half, during his monologues when he was 'Kira' it totally made me believe that he was 'possessed' with that voice and his facial expressions. Thoroughly impressed.
To be honest I started this drama because of L's actor Kento, so during the process of watching this drama I was very emotionally attached to L. I know that they 'changed' this character drastically from the original however I guess I really liked the change of being a 'clean freak' etc. Obviously I loved his acting as L, and even though I knew he was going to die, when it actually happened it still brought tears to my eyes.
Other than the mains I already really enjoyed the side characters such as Watari, Light's dad and the police crew. They all brought extra enjoyment and feelings to the story.
Maybe I was too into the story to notice any good music or soundtracks in general as I don't remember any music. However just judging from the background music during the drama, it fitted the atmosphere and was generally well put. Maybe I need to go back and watch again to find out more.
Overall this was definitely an intense ride of emotions. For someone who usually doesn't watch the thriller, psychological genre I thoroughly enjoyed Death Note and now that I've seen the drama I will definitely go check out the anime and maybe the movie. I reckon the story was well thought out, while it also makes people really notice about what 'power' would do someone on the deep side of things.
This is something that I would definitely rewatch many times, since it's honestly really awesome. I definitely recommend this to those who's watched the anime or movie. Even if they did change things if you watch it with an open mind, it's definitely an awesome drama, plus it's quite short being 11 eps.
Of course I also recommend it to people who like thriller, mystery and the psychological genre in general. This will definitely blow your mind.
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I liked how they changed a few things in the show and showed us another version of DN. I didn't really like the anime or manga, but I love the show and the movies. And even the CGI was great, much better than what you see in the Hollywood movies.
There isn't a single thing I didn't like here, everything was in it's place perfectly. Although I already knew what will happen in the end, I was shocked. The final episode was the BEST I think. But that's my opinion.
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I loved both movies and L change the world was actually a cool movie to watch.
So if someone may ask me to describe this drama with a single word I would probably choose to use the adjective “Disappointing”.
Let me explain myself.
It’s actually a pretty good version of the anime. The story is crazily different form the original one BUT it was actually good to watch Yagami Light character portrayed as a extremely good boy who wants to clear up the world.
Let’s go on with the review:
GOOD POINTS
- L character.
I might describe myself as a “conservative” type when it comes to L character. He’s a pretty complex personality, basically a genius who’s also a weirdo.
This version of L is amazing. He’s a brat at first, a handsome young genius who just wants to play a game with an extremely “dumb” version of Light Yagami.
I loved his personality and during the drama you can see that it slightly changed to a serious one, putting aside jokes when police members start to get killed by Kira.
I always say that Kento still needs to improve as an actor but damn, here he was a shining diamond. He should accept those kind of roles more often, a villain would be a really great challenge for him.
Anyway he did an amazing job and he made me fall in love with L even more.
- Cinematography and Photography.
It was a low budget drama, Ryuk was awful BUT I love the cinematography. It’s not as perfect as “PIECE” one but damn, it was well directed.
- Police Team .
I loved the chemistry between them.
BAD POINTS
- The plot.
I would gave this drama a higher score if the plot didn’t fucked up on its last episode. Death Note screenwriters were amateurs, you can’t deny it.
L death was useless and although it was pretty dramatic I found it useless. Why recording videos of yourself in which you explain exactly how Kira will be caught but get yourself killed because of a stupid mistake?
L’s death was really unnecessary for this plot, plot full of odd points and unexplained choices.
- Light character.
Let’s be honest, I loved how they portrayed Light as a good boy who just got himself caught up with something really evil that has made his mind gone crazy.
BUT Some points were missing. He turned into a psycho really quickly and at some point I was like “What's happening? It was a good guy just a sec ago and now he’s as mad as an hatter.”
I love Kubota’s acting skills but he just got too hype during some scenes, making Light looking like an…. Overexcited idiot?
THE ENDING
Worst ending ever! On my point of view this drama started to get awful right after L death. The plot was getting boring and the main star, L, just disappeared too soon, making the audience a little bit confused and disappointed.
Honestly speaking, I would watch this drama over and over again just for Kento’s character.
I would recommend this drama if you are a big fan of Kento (just like me) but if you are a huge HUGE fan of the manga I guess this drama will piss you off.
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The acting was A+ concerning the main cast! Misa, Raito, L, Near, Yagami... everyone put on a good show. But Raito... damn. Those who watched the anime know how accurate he was dwelling with his madness. Also, the animations are terrific! Yay to Ryuuk and Remu! I was expecting to catch a glimpse of Jealous too but... '3'
I had the impression things were going way too fast at the first episodes and then it settled at a good pace about halfway through. I wonder how if felt for those watching DN for the very first time... it could`ve been confusing so I think it should`ve been longer. So many things could`ve been better explored since they made interesting changes on the main plot of some characters... and I mean Near and Mello. Because since L went from an excentric antisocial genius to an arrogant spoiled smartass, I lost all interest in his personal plot this time.
I may be biased but I`d completely rewatch it soon and recommend this to anyone regardless if they know the story or not. Oh, and have you heard? There`s a new movie coming up next year! I hope they bring Matsuyama back to play Lawliet again! *-*
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Whoever made this turned L into a stupid, materialistic, annoying, pretty boy. Raito (Light) (Kira) into a pathetic beta person who cares about things normal people care about and misa-misa into a plastic retarded bimbo who saves our beta Kira. The whole show is an underwear stain on the whole Death Note series. They should be ashamed.
It totally killed misa-misa's edgy feeling (even if she wasn't the brightest crayon, they really took the stupidity to a new level), Kira's sociopathic tendencies and L's quirky but subtle all seeing knowledge that almost rivals Kira. They also made Ryuk the most annoying, obnoxious idiot in the whole series. I also hate how they made it look like Raito was chosen. It was completely random and Ryuk didn't care simply because he was bored. Dunno why they gotta go as far as ruining that too but it happened.
“Because I was bored, that's why.” Is what made him amazing.
Although the worst part of it all had to be the moral that seems to float around it "Power corrupts". I mean, Raito had it in him and turned into it on a dime, it was him and he owned it. The force of which they seem to project this moral from making Raito a complete beta at the start, really just ruins the whole feeling you get from Death Note.
The production value looked pretty high too. It's sad it's completely shit.
Raito from the start already gave up on humanity, already had nothing but disdain for it. He saw a chance to change it and seized it. He definitely didn't cower and squirm like a bitch when learning about it.
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When I decided to start this drama, my expectations were slightly low. I've seen the anime and it was absolutely brilliant. But I thought it would be almost impossible to adapt it into a drama and still remain as good as the original. I must say, though, I was absolutely shocked by how good this adaptation is and how true it stayed to the anime/manga. Of course there were some differences and I still prefer the anime, but I wholeheartedly enjoyed the drama version.
Death Note is super SUPER addictive. I'm not exaggerating at all, I binged it one day. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger and it makes you watch more and more. The pacing was perfect most of the time -- no dragging, no fillers, no useless talking. Everything progressed as smoothly as it could be. The main thing that I didn't like here is the same thing I didn't like in the anime - the plot after Near's appearance. In the drama Near appeared earlier, but I hated when he/she (what???) became an important part of the story. Then (after episode 9) the drama kind of slowed down a bit which was disappointing. However, the ending was brilliant.
Now, let's get into the characters because there's no point it talking about the plot anymore, since the idea is not original in the first place. Of course it was executed brilliantly, but Death Note has some very cool characters that deserve some attention.
Yagami Light will always be one of the most complex characters I've ever seen. You know, in the anime, he was one hell of a insane person. He was very sadistic and vicious and it might be hard to like him and connect to his character. (well, I was always team Kira so... xD) Here though, his motives were somehow easier to understand and you could connect to his character better. Of course, he was still a bit insane, but didn't really show his insanity till the end.
I liked L, too, but I couldn't fully connect with his character. Was it Kento's performance or was it the way the character was written, I don't know. I also wish they showed more scenes between him and Yagami, since they were very entertaining to watch (for example the tennis game!!). Maybe this has something to do with the lenght of the drama, but I still believe they could have developed their ''relationship'' more.
My favourite character is Ryuk. He is just a whole mood. I love him so so so much. And I'm just so glad that they didn't change his character.
Kubota is absolutely PERFECT as Yagami Light/Kira. His expressions were so on point, his agony, his anger, his sadness -- everything was perfectly shown. Light is a very difficult character to portray but he did a flawless job. He just keeps surprising me, he always manages to become one with his characters and sometimes you don't even realize that he's acting.
Yamazaki Kento... I don't know, I think he was a bit too cute? Lmao, this is not a bad thing of course, but his image doesn't really suit a character like L and he was a bit unconvincing at times. Still, I think he did a decent job.
I didn't like the actress who played Near. I cringed at her scenes soooooooo many times, it's insane. The actress who played Misa did better than her.
Okay, this review is getting way too long, so let me just wrap it up. I recommend Death Note to everyone, I believe you all would enjoy it no matter if you've already seen the anime or read the manga. It's very addicting and unique.
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2.5/5⭐ is a generous rating for this show..
2.5/5⭐ is a generous rating for this show. Interesting concept not so interesting execution.Actors did good enough but the characters didn't even manage to engage viewers emotion. The ML had no admirable trait except maybe his twisted sense of justice. The FL (if you wish to call her that) is a bit on the dumb side but loved ML unconditonally. The main antagonist of the show turns out to be one of the good guys, but definitely looks like and acts like a total psychopath.
What else? Hmmm.. Still managed to finish the whole series after a lot of skipping here and there. If you're like me who's a sucker for a happy ending, well it's not for you then.
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As someone who's watched the prior adaptation, I can tell you if you really like Death Note, this new one will provide a new angle you've never seen before. You won't be disappointed.
First of all, there is Yagami Light who is a Luke Skywalker look-alike in his role. In the first act, he trains to use the death notebook just like Luke Skywalker trains to use The Force.
Second, the death notebooks are treated like precious-s-s-s-s commodities in this adaptation (reference to Lord of the Rings). As such, we actually get a scene where Light transforms into Gollum when he reunites with his lost notebook.
Third, the central idea of Death Note is that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This theme is given front row center treatment throughout the drama.
I won't even go into the superb acting, since that's already covered in the other reviews before me. And also the CGI and music are superbly done to the point of being of cinema-quality.
So, having gotten the good points out of the way, here's the reason why I gave this drama a 4.5. The ending sucked. Sometimes, the good guys don't wear white (Darth Vader was the hero of the Star Wars universe b/c he be the one who overthrew the evil scumbag Emperor. Was Vader dressed in white like a certain cocky spoiled brat with too much time money and manservant on their hand?). L/Near aren't the good guys. They're the reason why countless of innocent FBI agents died trying to capture Kira. They're the real murderers. Light just offs ppl that are bad. L/Near are also responsible for making Light's younger sister the only Yagami family member left alive at the end.
B/c of this, this show was like a 9.5 right until the last episode. What would have redeemed it from my 4.5/10 was to kill off Near as well, possibly the most annoying, badly-acted character in the entire series, seeing how Light was to be killed off anyways. L/Near are the false lights. In this end, the real bad guys won...
In summary, I can't believe the same script writers who sustained a 9.5/10 rating from yours truly throughout episodes 1-10 just threw that all away with the horrible way the show ended. Ending sucked so bad, I am likely to suffer from PTSD wrt to J-Drama in the near future. That's b/c the writer is the God of any given work of fiction. If I was God in Death Note's world, Near would be dead at the end too b/c I'm an impartial God, not one who is partial to the authorities that saw their own members die b/c of the arrogance of certain mortals with a preference for white clothing.
All in all, a show is only as good as the ending. If you're the sort that likes consistency, stay away from DN 2015. I swear all the episodes before the last one are like 9.5. IMHO, the last one just blows, made the entire series a meaningless waste of time for me in the end...
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Well it's some kind of Death Note
It of course has resemblance with the Manga/Anime but it's difficult and I like it.I started watching it because watched a few edits of it.
The general direction is the same as the original but the approach is different. More human.
The interactions are better and the explanations way more clear.
It honestly felt like a boy's loveivation of the Anime without making them do anything specifically romance. I liked it because I usually just watch BL
The story was of course nothing new, which made it predictable but that's no bother and should be expected.
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With all that said, I ended up rating this drama pretty high, considering. That was because of the acting. Kubota Masataka was simply phenomenal as Yagami Light. When I started watching the first episode, I admit to not really expecting much. However, after a while, I became deeply impressed by him, particularly during the last half of the drama. His descent into madness was expertly portrayed, and as I watched him on my screen, he was the mirror image of the Light Yagami from the anime and manga. The one change that was made that I ended up liking was him and his personality. Instead of the sociopathic Light from the original, they made him be a normal kid. He was friendly and good at the start, but his possession of the Death Note and his obsession with creating a new world pushed him down into a spiral of madness. It does make one think. If you found a Death Note, could the same thing happen to you?
Yamakazi Kento's L, in contrast to Kubota's performance, was rather underwhelming. In fact, he was very unlikable at the start. Fortunately, as time went on, he improved. Much of that improvement is thanks to the inclusion of some of L's most poignant mannerisms. At first, none were really there. It was hard for me to see this character as the legendary L. Eventually, though, Yamazaki begin to adopt simple little things into his acting, such as L's famous slouchy posture and his wide eyed stare. Those may seem like very small things, but to me, they made a world of difference. I started to recognize the character and like him.
All of the actors did a decent job. I especially liked this version's Misa. She wasn't as weak.
My final thoughts are about Near. I have absolutely no dang clue what was up with that character at all. I am still unsure if he was still supposed to be a boy, just played by a girl ir if they changed him into a girl and the translation was messed up. I also have no idea what was going through thier heads when they made all the changes to that character. They were all stupid and pointless.
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Kubota's acting was incredible and so was the rest of the cast. Highly recommend for any Death Note fans.
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