Death Note: Desu nôto

And like that it's over, I have now officially seen every bit of Death Note out there. Anime, Japanese movies, American travesty and now the Japanese live action series.

I went in with low expectations, as much as I adore Death Note I was fresh off the live action films and expected this to be a cheaply made rushed adaptation of the anime but I couldn't have been anymore wrong.

Little did I realise that this fantastic 11 part series has a true identity of it's own. It follows the original story but tweaks it here and there in some minor and some major parts to make it standout. Normally I hate it when stories do that but here because it's so damn good it was forgivable.

The performances are excellent, the writing is flawless and I was captivated once again almost as if I was watching the Death Note anime for the first time.

It isn't flawless overall, there are questionable moments, the cgi isn't great and in places it does look cheap but you can get past all of that with ease.

The shifts in storyline actually add to it, though I do find some of the decisions quite baffling especially when it comes to Nia.

This is essential viewing for fans of Death Note alike the anime and the live action Japanese films. The only poor Death Note is the American version but let's just pretend that never happened.

The Good:

Amazing soundtrack

Beautifully written

Well acted

The Bad:

Some dodgy cgi

Some questionable plot changes

Ryuk gets just plain annoying

Kento Yamazaki plays a great character, but it's really not L

Things I Learnt From This Series:

Hollywood had so much source material to use for their movie and still made that embarrassment

I still don't know what sex Nia was supposed to be

Different from the comics, but it was still good as a drama

Death Note TV Series is based on the popular Manga of the same name. This is not the first time we've seen a live adaptation of the manga as there were three movies released in Japan and later released in America with English Voice overs from the original cast of the Anime! Although these movies were great, I feel there's only so much that can be done when you're restricted to the time-frame of a film. The TV Series has the potential to flesh out the story with a steady pace so it wont feel rushed and it leaves the door open for proper character development as each episode is around fifty minutes long! So far the TV show has shown some new twists on the established story that follows Light Yagami (Kira) and thats not a bad thing! I've read the manga, watched the anime, and seen the films and I am excited to see where the TV version will take it!

This is an acceptable adaptation of the source material.. with restrained content and decent execution, but with enough changes to make it different.

But I ask.. what is the reason to make some very important foundational changes that will ripple throughout the series, when the rest of the story will try to remain the same? There's no reason to change Light, of all characters, to be a wimpy fanboy. What was Light 's ego is now desperation and weakness.. and now the character isn't as much fun to watch or root for, and missed the point. Instead, this series seems to be made with L at its core, affecting many other things in the way.

There's also some cheap CGI, lots of conveniences, poor explanations and rushed developments that make this something of a chore to get through.

If it's not going to be like the best version of it, for those that decide to watch this first.. it could ruin the experience. And for those that have already seen it, there's nothing to gain from it.

Honestly, watch the faithful Anime adaptation or read the original Manga instead..

After seeing the disastrous Death Note 2017 Netflix adaptation, it's clear that they completely butchered it. However, Death Note 2015 (the 11-episode drama) is a whole different story. This series is as close to the original as it gets, and honestly, I think it even improves on it in some areas.

The drama made some smart adjustments, tweaking Light and L's attitudes while keeping the other characters faithful to the original. The plot got some key changes, but ultimately, it leads to the same outcome. It's brilliant, making subtle fixes that really work. The tension is palpable, and the music is spot on. The cast also did an amazing job, with every character looking just right.

I was hooked from the first episode, which pulled me in and had me binge-watching it in no time.

I won't say more to avoid spoilers, but if you're a Death Note fan, this is absolutely a must-watch.

9.5/10.