Who doesn't love a good mystery crime thriller with characters that go head to head in a battle of good verses evil? Put that story in a supernatural world and it becomes a legendary tale. Death Note was created in 2006, and with its easily digestible 37 episode count, it became one of the highest-rated anime series ever made. It was so beloved that it even got a Netflix live-action movie remake. However, the movie leaves something to be desired.
Death Note is about a high school student in Japan named Light Yagami. He is an intelligent teen that is too smart for his own good; which is why he finds himself bored. When he discovers the death note, dropped intentionally into the human realm by the Shinigami Ryuk, he begins ridding the world of those he deems evil and therefore unworthy of life. Though his intentions are pure at first, his god complex makes him dangerous. His enemy, known as L, is Light's equally matched and intelligent opponent. He makes it his mission to catch Light, who is being referred to worldwide as Kira, translated in English to killer.
There have been several live-action adaptations of Death Note since its release, but the Netflix original released in 2017 is perhaps the worst one. The premise of the movie is not entirely awful, but it is nothing like the anime. Instead of having Misa be Light's pawn and ally, the movie uses Mia as an enemy of Light who wants the Death Note for herself. Light believes that between himself and Mia, he is the lesser of two evils. This is why he outsmarts her and kills her. If a viewer is a fan of the anime, they will surely be disappointed. If they are not, then it is at best a mediocre but entertaining time waster.
Aside from the plot, the movie also completely changes its main character's personality. In the anime, when Light first meets Ryuk he is taken aback but quickly composes himself. But in the movie, Light screams and flails around seemingly terrified of the Shinigami. In the anime, Light views himself as a God and seems to plan out all his moves, making him 15 steps ahead of anyone who opposes him. In the movie, however, until the end of the film, he is little more than an angsty teenager. This takes away completely from what made the anime so good. Light's meticulous behavior and lack of regard for human life was fascinating.
Not only were Light and Misa's characters not done well, but neither was Ryuk's. When Ryuk is first introduced, he is kept in the shadows. Because of this, he looks menacing just like in the anime. With Willem Dafoe voicing him, it actually had a lot of potential to be a cool character. But as soon as he steps into the light, he loses all of his creepiness and ends of just looking like a poorly rendered comedic version of Ryuk. It can take a lot of time and money to make a CG character look good, which is why the anime surpasses the movie.
Another reason the anime is better is because of its style. Anime is typically hand-drawn and therefore has no creative boundaries. Characters can look like and do anything, even if it is not possible in the real world. The anime is also just more interesting of a story. The music is dramatic and the framing is kinesthetic and unique. Trying to make a live-action version of Light eating a potato chip (a scene from the anime) would be too ridiculous unless it had similar framing to the anime. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World is a good example of taking a 2D art form and translating it well into real life because it understands framing.
What, if anything, could the movie have done to be more successful? Even though the anime is only 37 20-minute episodes, it can be hard to put into a 2-hour movie. But having something more in line with the original story would have been a better guideline so the movie could focus more on the visuals, which after all, is the only reason to make a live-action remake. The cinematography could have been more aesthetically pleasing. And there could have been a better way to present Ryuk and other Shinigami so they could be even scarier than in the anime.
Although the 2017 Death Note movie is not the worst thing ever made, it had a lot of hype around it. And there were a lot of unmet expectations. The writers and director may have been pleased with what they did, and at times fans will be too, but overall the movie fell flat. It seemed like an uninspired story that was more about money than anything else. The movie definitely has its own style and charm, but the anime is still superior.