Drama Thoughts: Death Note
Title:「デスノート」
Run time: 2015.07.05 - 09.13, Sunday 10:30pm
I'm so sorry, I've been so lazy with this blog that a post that's supposed to have been finished last month is finally up now. (Sigh)
Anyway, I remember back in April, when this drama was first announced, I was freaking out because I thought they were going to mess up my childhood goodness. But what was the result? I got so hooked on it I couldn't stop. I really have to say the producers have done a pretty good job with this, despite all the negative responses. I mean, there are flaws, but I don't care because Light and L is hot. *^O^*
I'm going to say it again, Death Note has been with me since I was 10 years old (well, that's the year it was released, lol). Read the manga, seen the anime series like over 10 times, and I love it so much. When the live-action movies came out I didn't mind, although I didn't really like them because Light was ugly (I'm sorry, Fujiwara Tatsuya). But a drama is different. There are episodes. So it's supposed to last longer than just a 2-hour movie. But then what happens? Comparing starts. You know how Japanese dramas are like, very quick and fast-paced, and that the first episode seems like the final episode, etc.? So that's what it felt like, fast-paced. I mean, the anime was long, so many things went on. But in the drama, they cut a lot of the story. And that makes me feel like this drama was only produced for viewers who already know very well about Death Note, like it was made for Death Note fans, basically. If you've never knew of Death Note until this drama, it's going to be so confusing, you're gonna be like "What??". But then again, I have to give it some credit for trying. I mean, Death Note is a big deal, if the producers messed it up, they are basically killed (lol). But the main thing is, they try to make the drama the same as the original story but changed things around a little bit as to not be exactly the same, because that will be lame. But they did it really bad. Like the bits that got changed was not supposed to be changed, and the bits that supposed to change they didn't change! You know what I mean? That's why people are complaining! Fans are complaining about the story being the same as the original so what is the point of watching when everyone knows what's going to happen. Then they complain about the bits that were actually changed. Like, what?
Since this drama is a simple remake of the story, it doesn't really have any theme songs, but I guess the thing I loved the most about this project has to be the background OST. Soundtrack is important to me, they are what sucks me into a drama. So I guess my favourite thing about this drama is the background music, lol, call me weird I don't care. Anyway, onto the characters and actors.
Now, from my own opinion, I do think Kubota Masataka is the best Light out of all the actors who has tried out this character. Not sure why, maybe because he's hot. Or maybe because he has the right skills to pull off the character, I don't know. The reason why I think his acting was great because I really do admire actors who can pull off a character with two faces, a good and an evil one. One minute they have an innocent face, the next they are burning with evil in their eyes. And I just find that really cool.Or maybe because he's just hot. L is the character every fan is after, and Yamazaki Kento wasn't bad either. I mean, I love Kento but I need to look at this in another way. His L did not act like the original L. I mean, I did see L in his character, but damn, it was terrible I'm telling you. What happened? L is not like that! His real name is also not L. Now that was lame. In the manga, that wasn't his real name! Also, where was L's way of sitting? I guess they didn't want to make Kento crouch like that, lol. Oh wells, at least they tried. Kento is still cute, so I forgive them. N (Near) is played by Mio Yuki (real name Kanno Rina), who is unknown to society until now. The actress, I mean. I looked her up and darn, she's younger than me! Anyway, N got a sex change into a girl. N is a girl. N is a girl! Firstly, the hair is so obviously a wig. Secondly, her character is just annoying and unnecessary. She's just there to be L's successor and nothing else. And the way she speaks and pretends to be so innocent was just irritating. Also, she's attached to M (Mello). And M turned into a doll, which had to be the most creepiest and worst change about this drama. M is N. They both has the same body. Yeah. -_-#
No one knows what happened to M, he vanished after N took over again. Or... did M ever took over? Also, they made M remain a boy, but N is a girl, so they were addressing N as a 'he', and... I don't know, my head hurts from thinking about it. Which is why I'm moving on. Matsushige Yutaka plays Light's dad. I know him from some of Arashi member's dramas, and maybe some others too, so it was weird seeing him here, in this drama, because I got so used to seeing his forever-serious face, I was like "really? You're going to cast him here?". Oh wells, I was fine with him there after a few episodes. Sano Hinako as Amane Misa, the dai-ni kira. And I think she's a better Misa than Erika (sorry, Erika). I also like to mention that I really like how for this drama the characters kept the original characters' hair colour. Like, Light has the brown hair, L the black, N the white(ish), M the red-ish brown (I won't say ginger, I'm not that mean), and Misa the blond. I liked Misa, she's cute. Always after Light. I guess she's fine. Though still not close to the original character. The rest of the characters, like Sayu and the police agents, the casting was on point. Like, they look exactly like the original characters, so I'm cool with them. Special mentions to Matsuda, Yuge and Mogi for being awesome supporting detectives. Though, wasn't Himura, the female detective, supposed to be Rey Panber's fiancee?? And that she died on the streets? Speaking of Rey Panber, his story got changed around a bit too. In the original story, he died on a metro train, watching kira as he was dying, not... oh god, what have they done? Which brings me to the last and possibly my favourite character on the show, Teru Mikami, who is played by the amazing Oshinari Shugo. When I first saw his name on the cast list I was like "what is he doing here?" lol. If you're an Arashi fan, you will know who he is. Or just a J-drama fan in general. Yes, he's the guy who always plays evil characters on dramas. And the most tragic out of all, lol. In Death Note, he's pretty tragic, poor dude.
Anyway, I want to end this by saying about the finale. Now that was tragic. Poor Light. Yeah, I actually feel sorry for the guy. His ending was just, so sad. And it was actually quite painful to watch too, lol. Also, extra praising for the two awesome shinigamis, Ryuk and Rem, and how their voices are exactly the same as the original (?!). What else? Oh yeah, I will forgive the producers for killing off Kento from the show, since in the original L did die. Sobs. I still don't understand why many people prefer Tatsuya as Light. I didn't really think he was that great. Actually, he wasn't even great at all. But whatever.
Conclusion: 7.5 / 10 stars, because despite the many flaws, it was still intense as heck and I was so hooked. Special mention on my favourite scene of the show, lol, was during the final episode: [Mikami: "Kami..." N: "Kami ja nai!!"] Hahahahahahaha!
Run time: 2015.07.05 - 09.13, Sunday 10:30pm
I'm so sorry, I've been so lazy with this blog that a post that's supposed to have been finished last month is finally up now. (Sigh)
Anyway, I remember back in April, when this drama was first announced, I was freaking out because I thought they were going to mess up my childhood goodness. But what was the result? I got so hooked on it I couldn't stop. I really have to say the producers have done a pretty good job with this, despite all the negative responses. I mean, there are flaws, but I don't care because Light and L is hot. *^O^*
I'm going to say it again, Death Note has been with me since I was 10 years old (well, that's the year it was released, lol). Read the manga, seen the anime series like over 10 times, and I love it so much. When the live-action movies came out I didn't mind, although I didn't really like them because Light was ugly (I'm sorry, Fujiwara Tatsuya). But a drama is different. There are episodes. So it's supposed to last longer than just a 2-hour movie. But then what happens? Comparing starts. You know how Japanese dramas are like, very quick and fast-paced, and that the first episode seems like the final episode, etc.? So that's what it felt like, fast-paced. I mean, the anime was long, so many things went on. But in the drama, they cut a lot of the story. And that makes me feel like this drama was only produced for viewers who already know very well about Death Note, like it was made for Death Note fans, basically. If you've never knew of Death Note until this drama, it's going to be so confusing, you're gonna be like "What??". But then again, I have to give it some credit for trying. I mean, Death Note is a big deal, if the producers messed it up, they are basically killed (lol). But the main thing is, they try to make the drama the same as the original story but changed things around a little bit as to not be exactly the same, because that will be lame. But they did it really bad. Like the bits that got changed was not supposed to be changed, and the bits that supposed to change they didn't change! You know what I mean? That's why people are complaining! Fans are complaining about the story being the same as the original so what is the point of watching when everyone knows what's going to happen. Then they complain about the bits that were actually changed. Like, what?
Since this drama is a simple remake of the story, it doesn't really have any theme songs, but I guess the thing I loved the most about this project has to be the background OST. Soundtrack is important to me, they are what sucks me into a drama. So I guess my favourite thing about this drama is the background music, lol, call me weird I don't care. Anyway, onto the characters and actors.
Now, from my own opinion, I do think Kubota Masataka is the best Light out of all the actors who has tried out this character. Not sure why, maybe because he's hot. Or maybe because he has the right skills to pull off the character, I don't know. The reason why I think his acting was great because I really do admire actors who can pull off a character with two faces, a good and an evil one. One minute they have an innocent face, the next they are burning with evil in their eyes. And I just find that really cool.
No one knows what happened to M, he vanished after N took over again. Or... did M ever took over? Also, they made M remain a boy, but N is a girl, so they were addressing N as a 'he', and... I don't know, my head hurts from thinking about it. Which is why I'm moving on. Matsushige Yutaka plays Light's dad. I know him from some of Arashi member's dramas, and maybe some others too, so it was weird seeing him here, in this drama, because I got so used to seeing his forever-serious face, I was like "really? You're going to cast him here?". Oh wells, I was fine with him there after a few episodes. Sano Hinako as Amane Misa, the dai-ni kira. And I think she's a better Misa than Erika (sorry, Erika). I also like to mention that I really like how for this drama the characters kept the original characters' hair colour. Like, Light has the brown hair, L the black, N the white(ish), M the red-ish brown (I won't say ginger, I'm not that mean), and Misa the blond. I liked Misa, she's cute. Always after Light. I guess she's fine. Though still not close to the original character. The rest of the characters, like Sayu and the police agents, the casting was on point. Like, they look exactly like the original characters, so I'm cool with them. Special mentions to Matsuda, Yuge and Mogi for being awesome supporting detectives. Though, wasn't Himura, the female detective, supposed to be Rey Panber's fiancee?? And that she died on the streets? Speaking of Rey Panber, his story got changed around a bit too. In the original story, he died on a metro train, watching kira as he was dying, not... oh god, what have they done? Which brings me to the last and possibly my favourite character on the show, Teru Mikami, who is played by the amazing Oshinari Shugo. When I first saw his name on the cast list I was like "what is he doing here?" lol. If you're an Arashi fan, you will know who he is. Or just a J-drama fan in general. Yes, he's the guy who always plays evil characters on dramas. And the most tragic out of all, lol. In Death Note, he's pretty tragic, poor dude.
Anyway, I want to end this by saying about the finale. Now that was tragic. Poor Light. Yeah, I actually feel sorry for the guy. His ending was just, so sad. And it was actually quite painful to watch too, lol. Also, extra praising for the two awesome shinigamis, Ryuk and Rem, and how their voices are exactly the same as the original (?!). What else? Oh yeah, I will forgive the producers for killing off Kento from the show, since in the original L did die. Sobs. I still don't understand why many people prefer Tatsuya as Light. I didn't really think he was that great. Actually, he wasn't even great at all. But whatever.
Conclusion: 7.5 / 10 stars, because despite the many flaws, it was still intense as heck and I was so hooked. Special mention on my favourite scene of the show, lol, was during the final episode: [Mikami: "Kami..." N: "Kami ja nai!!"] Hahahahahahaha!
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