[Movie] Death Note Live Action Movie
The fact that there IS a live action movie of Death Note is probably old news to some, but I watched it with my younger sister last week, and just felt like posting a review/critique thing... I'll be comparing and contrasting the manga and live action movie as well, but I won't be bashing either. Feel free to proceed or skip reading; there will be spoilers, but they'll be in --italics--. ... And this is looooooong.
First off, I am happy with how the concept of a 'notebook of a death god' was introduced in the beginning of the film. Unlike some movies that came from comics, manga, novels etc., which I will not name, it seemed like the filmmakers here had their priorities straight: --a series of criminals suddenly die after their names are 'written' across the silver screen, all heart attacks, and then there are websites popping up that attribute these deaths as divine punishment caused by a "Kira", (a 'killer')--.
The first six minutes or so established the setting, social context, and "protagonist" in a fast, but well paced manner. The audience find out Yamagi Light (played by Fujiwara Tatsuya, who acted as Nanahara Shuya in Battle Royale) is the fabled Kira in the same scene where they discover how the deaths are caused - --when Light sees a broadcasted hostage situation, copies down the photo-identified criminal's name in his notebook, checks his watch, and smiles when the criminal is soon announced dead.--
Fujiwara-san does not resemble manga-verse Light in terms of general appearance. In the manga, Light has light brown hair, for example, which is always in perfect condition. He basically looks foreign when compared to the rest of his family. In the live action however, Light has black hair and brown eyes, typical of what is associated with 'traditional and Asian'. I think it's appropriate though. Light doesn't need hair color to make him stand out of the crowd, because he already has a strong presence. What perhaps makes Fujiwara-san a good choice for the role of Light is that they (can) both carry themselves with a charismatic sense of self-confidence, which seems endearing at times, if not also superior-than-thou.
While I have not seen Fujiwara's acting before, I have read that some consider his acting "not Light", but more "Fujiwara himself." I would suggest that liveaction!Light can't be the same as manga!Light, because the difference in medium means different audience expectations. When we read, and look at manga, we can frequently go back and reread, take another look. It's easier to eventually relate to characters this way, but in a movie, especially in a theatre, you get one go, no rewinds - unless you wait for the DVD to come out, which I probably will...
Light seems more human in the movie, I think, half by default - seeing as it IS a live action - and half because that makes it easier for people not yet familiar with Death Note to relate to the main character, and therefore be more likely to remain interested in the story.
Although I can think up reasons for Fujiwara-san's role, I'm a little confused with two things. The first is minor: --manga!Light play tennis when there's actually a challenge, but liveaction!Light plays for money bets in basketball?--
The second is the presence of the movie-original character, Akino Shiori (played by Kashii Yuu). --Apparently, Shiori is Light's loving, longish-term, in-movie girlfriend. But before I move on to, "what happened to his in-manga girlfriends, Takada Kiyomi and Amane Misa?"-- ... Kashii-san looks delicately beautiful. Shiori seems calm, strong-willed, and honorable. When she stands next to Light, he seems more down to earth, like a 'regular' teenage guy - especially in the scene where they come across a couple making out in an art museum, and he suggests they make out too, but she shyly refuses, because there are surveillance cameras.--
Now, I like Shiori. What I don't particularly like is how adding her into the existing story line created logic loop holes. Both the Death Note manga and live action movie are well planned, but I would argue that the movie appears somewhat forced at times, and therefore less well planned. --Near the climax of the movie, Light did not need to slowly take out his pen as though he would reveal how Kira killed. Since he already wrote how Shiori and her 'murderer' would die prior to arriving at the location, the shots of him taking out his pen like he would write again were illogical and unnecessary - only added a bit of suspense to an already suspenseful scene - because he planned what was going to happen, and knew it would all be recorded in the museum's cameras.--
Working Shiori into the story seemed to lower the intelligence level of Light, and also another character, Misora Naomi (played by Seto Asaka, who acted as Asami in Travail, and Yuki in Black Night). --Instead of being tricked, after a lengthly conversation, into giving Light her real full name, she up and accused him of being Kira before she collected proof, telling him something along the lines of 'ima gonna getcha for da murder of ma fiance'. Okay, she didn't say it like that. It just felt as dumb as that. And dumber still, he took out a piece of Death Note paper, in broad daylight, and started writing the details of how she would die - while Shiori stood right next to him.--
Nonetheless, what happens to Naomi throughout the film is believable within the rules of Death Note-verse. Better editing choices could have been made, but who couldn't say that about any film? On the whole, I enjoyed watching the movie, mostly because the "antagonist" was incredibly fitting.
Opposite the criminal/death-god-wannabe, Kira, is an internationally acclaimed private detective only known to the world as L (played by Matsuyama Ken'ichi, who acted as Shin from the NANA live action movie). When I saw a photo of Matsuyama-san, I felt doubtful that he could pull it off, but oh, L is L. (L in the movie is so very much like L in the manga). --You know how manga!L daintily holds everything between his thumb and forefinger only? And how he reveals himself to the Kira investigators, all slouched, barefoot, and with eyes like what-is-this-thing-called-sleep? And that his love for sugar is alienating? He played with sugar cubes, dumped about half a dozen of them in his teacup, and stirred his drink with a lollipop. He offered Light's father, Yagami Souichirou (played by Kaga Takeshi, aka. Chairman Kaga in Iron Chef), a candy-confection kabob (in-joke, anyone?). He made more than one kabob. --
I am totally fangirling liveaction!L.
And his 'connection' to the world (or butler/guardian figure, Batman's Alfred), Watari (played by Fujiwara Shunji) is, for lack of a better word, perfect. Like a doting grandpa with a heart-warming smile.
While I'm at it, I might as well start cooing over Matsuda Touta (played by Aoyama Sota, who acted as Touma Kaito/Ultraman Max in Ultraman Max, and Inui in the 2003-2004 Prince of Tennis Musicals) and Ryuuk (a CGed character, but otherwise voiced by Nakamura Shidou, who acted as Sutesuke Takimoto in the 2004 Shinsengumi tv series).
Ryuuk looks fake, yes, but he's well designed, and hey, you can say he looks inhuman, out of this world! --Which makes sense, since Ryuuki is a shinigami (death god, god of death etc.).-- My sister felt that Ryuuk seemed more 'moral' than Light. I felt he just studied humans enough to know human moral codes, and was therefore able to recognize when Light seemed to be breaking more of those moral codes... --Our favorite scene with him was at the supermarket, when Light calmly informed Ryuuk that as long as the house remained bugged, Ryuuk wouldn't be able to eat apples...--
Matsuda's CUTE. Let's just say Matsuda and Ryuuk make wonderful comic relief: --to quote a very excited Matsuda, "Shinigami only eat apples!"-- (Didn't develop much of an impression on the rest of the liveaction!investigators, besides Matsuda and Souichirou, I'm afraid - except that I found it interesting one of them became female..., for lack of enough females in the manga?)
Anyway, the food made me hungry... until I saw this cooking show 'hosted' by the darkly ditzy superstar, Amane Misa (played by idol and actress Toda Erica, who acted as Uehara Mariko in Nobuta wo Produce, and Saki in Galcir).
Misa is excellently in character. Her lines sounded convincingly like brainless babble. --"Misa's gonna make her rival fat! Oh, but Misa's pudding is going to make Misa fat first!" etc. She's not always like this in the manga, but well, first impressions...-- She's a pretty face that appears consistently throughout the movie so the audience could get a sense of her being famous and popular in Japan; --read: Misa Bus! --> And perhaps it's also because of Shiori's presence, I was slightly disappointed Misa didn't get to meet her beloved Kira even once.--
Basically, Misa didn't have much of a role in this movie. My impression is that she's just in it to set up our expectations for Death Note 2, now apparently in post production... --... and another guess is that the live action movies will only focus on the whole L-arc. In the manga, Light had a few girlfriends before Misa came along; one of them, Takada Kiyomi, only starts playing a bigger role in the N&M-arc. Since she wasn't even mentioned in movie one, I doubt there'd be a need for her in two, unless the point of movie two is to force people to look at the manga so that they will be informed enough to understand movie two.-- o_O
Moving on... Naomi's fiancee, Raye Penber (played by Hosokawa Shigeki, who acted as Hidaka Hitoshi/Kamen Rider Hibiki from Kamen Rider Hibiki) is sweet angsty cuteness. I think liveaction!Raye is a cool character, like manga!Raye, but Hosokawa-san makes him feel more vulnerable, slightly different from the supposedly distant FBI figure one might expect.
Light's younger sister Yagami Sayu (played by Mishima Hikari) is an innocent high school girl/bishoujo incarnate. Like their mother, Yagami Sachiko (played by Godai Michiko), she's not a major character here, so she's portrayed as a sort of stereotype, 'a good girl in a good family'. --But from the adorable way she kicks her blankets in her sleep, and puts all her weight on the stair railings as she calls for nii-san to come downstairs, it wouldn't surprise me if liveaction!Matsuda would develop a bit of a crush on her if he met her, just as manga!Matsuda did.--
Now, for an abrupt ending, boy~, did the film end abruptly - --not unlike the manga.-- I felt like I was given no indication in the advertising stage, or anywhere that the film was just a 'chapter one' of sorts. Left me wanting more at an evil cliffhanger --in which Ryuuk asks Light if he loved Shiori - "Saa naa..." - and FINALLY, Light and L meet face to face for the first time, and L makes Light aware that he's not the only one who eats a particular flavor of chips....--
All in all, the things I like about the Death Note live action movie far outweigh the little things I didn't like about it. I can't really think of anything to say about the lighting, the music, because they didn't seem particularly good or bad to me, though I've read good responses to the music at least. Yup, overall, an enjoyable experience.
Now, hopefully, I can get Death Note out of my system... Yeah right. ;3
First off, I am happy with how the concept of a 'notebook of a death god' was introduced in the beginning of the film. Unlike some movies that came from comics, manga, novels etc., which I will not name, it seemed like the filmmakers here had their priorities straight: --a series of criminals suddenly die after their names are 'written' across the silver screen, all heart attacks, and then there are websites popping up that attribute these deaths as divine punishment caused by a "Kira", (a 'killer')--.
The first six minutes or so established the setting, social context, and "protagonist" in a fast, but well paced manner. The audience find out Yamagi Light (played by Fujiwara Tatsuya, who acted as Nanahara Shuya in Battle Royale) is the fabled Kira in the same scene where they discover how the deaths are caused - --when Light sees a broadcasted hostage situation, copies down the photo-identified criminal's name in his notebook, checks his watch, and smiles when the criminal is soon announced dead.--
Fujiwara-san does not resemble manga-verse Light in terms of general appearance. In the manga, Light has light brown hair, for example, which is always in perfect condition. He basically looks foreign when compared to the rest of his family. In the live action however, Light has black hair and brown eyes, typical of what is associated with 'traditional and Asian'. I think it's appropriate though. Light doesn't need hair color to make him stand out of the crowd, because he already has a strong presence. What perhaps makes Fujiwara-san a good choice for the role of Light is that they (can) both carry themselves with a charismatic sense of self-confidence, which seems endearing at times, if not also superior-than-thou.
While I have not seen Fujiwara's acting before, I have read that some consider his acting "not Light", but more "Fujiwara himself." I would suggest that liveaction!Light can't be the same as manga!Light, because the difference in medium means different audience expectations. When we read, and look at manga, we can frequently go back and reread, take another look. It's easier to eventually relate to characters this way, but in a movie, especially in a theatre, you get one go, no rewinds - unless you wait for the DVD to come out, which I probably will...
Light seems more human in the movie, I think, half by default - seeing as it IS a live action - and half because that makes it easier for people not yet familiar with Death Note to relate to the main character, and therefore be more likely to remain interested in the story.
Although I can think up reasons for Fujiwara-san's role, I'm a little confused with two things. The first is minor: --manga!Light play tennis when there's actually a challenge, but liveaction!Light plays for money bets in basketball?--
The second is the presence of the movie-original character, Akino Shiori (played by Kashii Yuu). --Apparently, Shiori is Light's loving, longish-term, in-movie girlfriend. But before I move on to, "what happened to his in-manga girlfriends, Takada Kiyomi and Amane Misa?"-- ... Kashii-san looks delicately beautiful. Shiori seems calm, strong-willed, and honorable. When she stands next to Light, he seems more down to earth, like a 'regular' teenage guy - especially in the scene where they come across a couple making out in an art museum, and he suggests they make out too, but she shyly refuses, because there are surveillance cameras.--
Now, I like Shiori. What I don't particularly like is how adding her into the existing story line created logic loop holes. Both the Death Note manga and live action movie are well planned, but I would argue that the movie appears somewhat forced at times, and therefore less well planned. --Near the climax of the movie, Light did not need to slowly take out his pen as though he would reveal how Kira killed. Since he already wrote how Shiori and her 'murderer' would die prior to arriving at the location, the shots of him taking out his pen like he would write again were illogical and unnecessary - only added a bit of suspense to an already suspenseful scene - because he planned what was going to happen, and knew it would all be recorded in the museum's cameras.--
Working Shiori into the story seemed to lower the intelligence level of Light, and also another character, Misora Naomi (played by Seto Asaka, who acted as Asami in Travail, and Yuki in Black Night). --Instead of being tricked, after a lengthly conversation, into giving Light her real full name, she up and accused him of being Kira before she collected proof, telling him something along the lines of 'ima gonna getcha for da murder of ma fiance'. Okay, she didn't say it like that. It just felt as dumb as that. And dumber still, he took out a piece of Death Note paper, in broad daylight, and started writing the details of how she would die - while Shiori stood right next to him.--
Nonetheless, what happens to Naomi throughout the film is believable within the rules of Death Note-verse. Better editing choices could have been made, but who couldn't say that about any film? On the whole, I enjoyed watching the movie, mostly because the "antagonist" was incredibly fitting.
Opposite the criminal/death-god-wannabe, Kira, is an internationally acclaimed private detective only known to the world as L (played by Matsuyama Ken'ichi, who acted as Shin from the NANA live action movie). When I saw a photo of Matsuyama-san, I felt doubtful that he could pull it off, but oh, L is L. (L in the movie is so very much like L in the manga). --You know how manga!L daintily holds everything between his thumb and forefinger only? And how he reveals himself to the Kira investigators, all slouched, barefoot, and with eyes like what-is-this-thing-called-sleep? And that his love for sugar is alienating? He played with sugar cubes, dumped about half a dozen of them in his teacup, and stirred his drink with a lollipop. He offered Light's father, Yagami Souichirou (played by Kaga Takeshi, aka. Chairman Kaga in Iron Chef), a candy-confection kabob (in-joke, anyone?). He made more than one kabob. --
I am totally fangirling liveaction!L.
And his 'connection' to the world (or butler/guardian figure, Batman's Alfred), Watari (played by Fujiwara Shunji) is, for lack of a better word, perfect. Like a doting grandpa with a heart-warming smile.
While I'm at it, I might as well start cooing over Matsuda Touta (played by Aoyama Sota, who acted as Touma Kaito/Ultraman Max in Ultraman Max, and Inui in the 2003-2004 Prince of Tennis Musicals) and Ryuuk (a CGed character, but otherwise voiced by Nakamura Shidou, who acted as Sutesuke Takimoto in the 2004 Shinsengumi tv series).
Ryuuk looks fake, yes, but he's well designed, and hey, you can say he looks inhuman, out of this world! --Which makes sense, since Ryuuki is a shinigami (death god, god of death etc.).-- My sister felt that Ryuuk seemed more 'moral' than Light. I felt he just studied humans enough to know human moral codes, and was therefore able to recognize when Light seemed to be breaking more of those moral codes... --Our favorite scene with him was at the supermarket, when Light calmly informed Ryuuk that as long as the house remained bugged, Ryuuk wouldn't be able to eat apples...--
Matsuda's CUTE. Let's just say Matsuda and Ryuuk make wonderful comic relief: --to quote a very excited Matsuda, "Shinigami only eat apples!"-- (Didn't develop much of an impression on the rest of the liveaction!investigators, besides Matsuda and Souichirou, I'm afraid - except that I found it interesting one of them became female..., for lack of enough females in the manga?)
Anyway, the food made me hungry... until I saw this cooking show 'hosted' by the darkly ditzy superstar, Amane Misa (played by idol and actress Toda Erica, who acted as Uehara Mariko in Nobuta wo Produce, and Saki in Galcir).
Misa is excellently in character. Her lines sounded convincingly like brainless babble. --"Misa's gonna make her rival fat! Oh, but Misa's pudding is going to make Misa fat first!" etc. She's not always like this in the manga, but well, first impressions...-- She's a pretty face that appears consistently throughout the movie so the audience could get a sense of her being famous and popular in Japan; --read: Misa Bus! --> And perhaps it's also because of Shiori's presence, I was slightly disappointed Misa didn't get to meet her beloved Kira even once.--
Basically, Misa didn't have much of a role in this movie. My impression is that she's just in it to set up our expectations for Death Note 2, now apparently in post production... --... and another guess is that the live action movies will only focus on the whole L-arc. In the manga, Light had a few girlfriends before Misa came along; one of them, Takada Kiyomi, only starts playing a bigger role in the N&M-arc. Since she wasn't even mentioned in movie one, I doubt there'd be a need for her in two, unless the point of movie two is to force people to look at the manga so that they will be informed enough to understand movie two.-- o_O
Moving on... Naomi's fiancee, Raye Penber (played by Hosokawa Shigeki, who acted as Hidaka Hitoshi/Kamen Rider Hibiki from Kamen Rider Hibiki) is sweet angsty cuteness. I think liveaction!Raye is a cool character, like manga!Raye, but Hosokawa-san makes him feel more vulnerable, slightly different from the supposedly distant FBI figure one might expect.
Light's younger sister Yagami Sayu (played by Mishima Hikari) is an innocent high school girl/bishoujo incarnate. Like their mother, Yagami Sachiko (played by Godai Michiko), she's not a major character here, so she's portrayed as a sort of stereotype, 'a good girl in a good family'. --But from the adorable way she kicks her blankets in her sleep, and puts all her weight on the stair railings as she calls for nii-san to come downstairs, it wouldn't surprise me if liveaction!Matsuda would develop a bit of a crush on her if he met her, just as manga!Matsuda did.--
Now, for an abrupt ending, boy~, did the film end abruptly - --not unlike the manga.-- I felt like I was given no indication in the advertising stage, or anywhere that the film was just a 'chapter one' of sorts. Left me wanting more at an evil cliffhanger --in which Ryuuk asks Light if he loved Shiori - "Saa naa..." - and FINALLY, Light and L meet face to face for the first time, and L makes Light aware that he's not the only one who eats a particular flavor of chips....--
All in all, the things I like about the Death Note live action movie far outweigh the little things I didn't like about it. I can't really think of anything to say about the lighting, the music, because they didn't seem particularly good or bad to me, though I've read good responses to the music at least. Yup, overall, an enjoyable experience.
Now, hopefully, I can get Death Note out of my system... Yeah right. ;3