The Death Note Musical Is Amazing, Here’s Why

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As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of anime and musical theatre, I can confidently say that the Death Note musical is a unique and captivating adaptation that manages to both honor its source material and carve out its own identity.

WARNING! There are major spoilers for the Death Note manga and anime ahead.

Summary

  • Death Note musical adaptations vary in success: American edition faltered, Japanese edition thrived.
  • Changes in Death Note musical: Light’s intentions shift to justice, more depth added to character.
  • English version of Death Note musical concept album finally released in UK after lack of interest in US.

Japan isn’t new to transforming popular anime into stage plays and musicals. Shows like “Attack on Titan,” “Haikyuu,” and “Pokémon” are just a few examples of the many musical adaptations that have captured the hearts of their respective anime fanbases. Some musicals, such as the “Sailor Moon” musical franchise or the “Ace Attorney” musicals by Takarazuka’s all-women’s stage troupes, even have their own distinct followings separate from the anime or games they were adapted from. However, among these adaptations, “Death Note” stands out for its unique history.

The popular supernatural horror anime is world-renowned, but the American musical edition faltered before it could see the stage. The English concept album, however, was partially released and a few songs went viral on TikTok over the past few years. The Japanese edition of the Death Note musical, however, was immensely successful and will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this upcoming April. The history of both of these musicals ending in opposites, similar to Light and L themselves, is something worth exploring in today’s article.

How Accurate Is The Musical?

Where Were Liberties Taken and What Was Cut

In both versions of the play, it’s noticeable that a significant portion of the story following L’s character arc is missing. This may be because the anime adaptations were not well-received and the manga struggled to maintain interest after L’s storyline ended; Mello and Near were never as popular, leading many to feel the narrative rushed once L died. Both the anime and manga have an equal amount of content with and without L, but his death occurs halfway through Light Yagami’s reign of terror in both versions. In the play, L takes his own life when his name is written in the Death Note just before Ryuk kills Light Yagami using the same Death Note during the penultimate scene. However, Light still meets the same fate as he did in the manga, with Ryuk expressing similar feelings of dissatisfaction with the ending.

In a striking departure from the original anime and manga, the Death Note musical presents a significantly altered portrayal of Light Yagami. While in the source material, Light aims to reduce soaring global crime rates, this adaptation sees Light placing emphasis on justice instead. He contends that law and justice are distinct entities, and what he perceives as “right” – seeking justice for all victims – does not necessarily align with what is considered legally acceptable or orderly in society.

He mentions living in a broken system where lawyers being paid off to get the rich free where the poor suffer under false allegations or go broke trying to defend their own innocence. He also talks about greedy corporations profiting from their workers’ suffering, and claims “what good is law that can’t punish those who break it?”. In this way, Light has significantly more depth than he initially has in the anime and manga.

Why Didn’t The English Version of the Soundtrack Get Released?

And Why Is It Finally Released Now?

The English concept album was made in December 2014 with a notable ensemble, featuring Jeremy Jordan, renowned for his work in Broadway hits like “Newsies” and voice acting as Lucifer Morningstar in the animated series “Hazbin Hotel.” Despite the high-quality production, efforts to bring the English musical adaptation onto the stage were unsuccessful due to minimal interest within the American musical theater community. The concept was deemed too avant-garde; historically, horror musicals have struggled to gain traction on and off Broadway. Notably, the journey of the “American Psycho” musical has been turbulent in its attempts to debut, while successful horror musicals at that time included “Sweeney Todd,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.

Over time, changes have been gradually occurring. The Death Note musical, initially popular in Japan and Korea, saw increased success from year to year. Finally, in May 2023, an English version of the musical was set to debut—this time in the UK. Later, in October 2023, an official cast recording was announced for this new production. Notable actors in the revival include Adam Pascal portraying Ryuk, who gained fame as Roger Davis in the original Broadway and film versions of Rent, and Aimie Atkinson playing Rem, recognized for her role as Kathrine Howard in the musical Six.

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2024-12-18 23:05