Death Note (Japanese Drama)

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Drama: Death Note
Romaji: Desu Noto
Japanese: デスノート
Director: Ryuichi Inomata, Ryo Nishimura
Writer: Tsugumi Ohba (manga), Takeshi Obata (manga), Yoshihiro Izumi
Network: NTV
Episodes: 11
Release Date: July 5 - September 13, 2015
Runtime: Sundays
TV Ratings: 11.55% (weekly average)
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Light Yagami (Masataka Kubota) is an ordinary university student. One day, he receives a death note which changes his life. The death note awakens his warped sense of justice and genius. He becomes murderer Kira and punishes criminals.

L (Kento Yamazaki) is a well known private detective. L appears in front of Light Yagami. L defines Kira as evil and decides to catch Kira. Then N (Mio Yuki), who has a beautiful appearance but dangerous existence, appears.

Notes

Based on the best-selling supernatural action mystery manga series "Death Note" written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata (published from December, 2003 to May, 2006 in Weekly Shonen Jump).
Related Titles:
1. Death Note (2006)
2. Death Note: The Last Name (2006)
3. L: Change the World (2008)
4. Death Note (NTV / 2015)
5. Death Note: Light Up The New World (2016)

Cast



Masataka Kubota	Kento Yamazaki	Mio Yuki	Yutaka Matsushige	Hinako Sano
Light Yagami	L	N	Soichiro Yagami	Misa Amane



Reiko Fujiwara	Megumi Seki	Goki Maeda	Tomohisa Yuge	Shugo Oshinari
Sayu Yamazaki	Akiko Himura	Tota Matsuda	Shuuichi Aizawa	Teru Mikami



Kazuaki Hankai	Jiro Sato
Watari	Kanzo Mogi

Additional Cast Members:

Shogen - Raye Penber
Satoshi Judai - Takeshi Ooi
Shuji Kashiwabara - Kyosuke Higuchi
Tomokazu Koshimura - Reiji Namikawa
Yuichiro Hirose - Shingo Mido
Reiya Masaki - Masaru Kamoda
Hikaru Osawa - Chisato Moromizu
Marin - Serina Kudo
Yuya Nakahara - Ichiro Shimobe
Tatsuki Ishikawa - Light Yagami (young)
Masayuki Deai - Genbu Sakota (ep.1)
Hiromi Sakimoto - Tsutomu Yukida (ep.2)
Takaya Sakoda - Sumida (ep.3)
Mochiro - Maigoro Nusumi (ep.4)
Jason Atsugiri - Jason Walterson (ep.6)
Subaru Kimura - Majime (ep.6)
Yusei Nishimura - (ep.7)
Wataru Ichinose - Mason Fujiyama (ep.9)

Episode Ratings

Episode	Date	Ratings (Kanto Region)
01	07/05/2015	16.9%
02	07/12/2015	12.3%
03	07/19/2015	8.7%
04	07/26/2015	10.6%
05	08/02/2015	8.2%
06	08/09/2015	10.2%
07	08/16/2015	11.6%
08	08/23/2015	11.4%
09	08/30/2015	11.7%
10	09/06/2015	11.4%
10	09/13/2015	14.1%
Average		11.55%

Source: Video Research, Ltd.

Comments

lights misa Mar 23 2021 7:26 am This version of Death Note is most definitely my preferred one. It shows very in-depth the struggles the characters have to overcome, which are all very different from each other. It also depicts Light Yagami‘s internal struggle at first - his motivation behind his first use of the Death Note being different from that in the source material. The drama depicts very clearly why Light was right for doing what he did, he definitely had good intentions. He‘s also so kakoiiii <33 as a true Death Note fan, this drama is great!! all of the main cast is very kawaii :3 uwu please watch it!!

ida Feb 09 2021 11:33 pm I love both death note drama and movie. for me the acting and storyline all are great for both. I fell in love with both L in the drama and movie. I need more of these!! I hope they make more drama and movie of death note! I will watch all of them for sure

...... Dec 07 2019 4:03 am people keep saying movie is better... LOL. the only good thing in movie is L. light in movie is just idk.

Lily May 31 2019 1:34 am I have watched both drama and film series, and I have to say that I prefer the drama version... It's so much better for me and the reason is that we get to see Light's change in attitude. In the drama he is really hesitant at first to use the note book, he regrets it, he thinks it over, and he just shows a variety of emotions. Meanwhile in the movies, Light is shown to be the "bad guy" from the beginning

Justafan Nov 04 2018 1:43 am The best thing in this drama is Kubota acting as light. I think his Light is the best from other movie, netflix, etc. Kubota really can act. Sadly, L & mello/near actor/actress are purely trash. Both of them just like all other idol actor in japan that only able to act cool. The rest of the casts were fine tho. Wish they shd hv casted other actor for L and Near.

The story itself quite interesting, the director try to keep it true to the manga with a bit of originality. 7/10 mainly because of Kubota performance as light. He really brought this drama together. Could be 9/10 if they cast the right people for L and Near.

Lastly, why are they so many japanese idol who can not act keep getting cast as main?? Most of these pretty boys only can act "cool" and enough with that! I prefer quality actor who have average face rather than handsome actor who really can not act.

Ore-sama Aug 27 2018 6:08 pm Personally, I prefer the previous eccentric/polite L rather than this arrogant/rude L..Here L character is like a brat idol, not a pure heart upright detective.

Hidden.xx Apr 09 2018 12:40 pm I hate the drama honestly. I mean, if you're a true death note fan you would hate it as well. The only reason I watched it is because Masataka Kubota and Kento Yamazaki are acting in this drama.

ryuk Dec 21 2017 3:45 am who the hell thought the movie needs remake? just another gori-oshi.

Unpopular Opinion Jun 25 2017 11:18 am I actually loved this drama. I adore the manga, can't get enough of the anime, but wasn't a huge fan of the movies. I felt that they watered down the content we already had. This, however, was meant to be different. They did an excellent job of it. Sure, the characters are wildly different from those we have come to know and love, but that was the idea. They made them seem more human, to me, at least. Personally, I loved the cast. This was the first time I had seen Kento Yamazaki, so from an entirely un-biased opinion, I can say that I was impressed with the job that he did with the role he was given. The same goes for Masataka.

William Vu Apr 01 2017 10:33 pm Eventually, Death Note is a Japanese Drama in nearby around 2015. But in 2017, Netflix has a American remake because of whitewashing roles like Nat Wolff, Keith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley and others.

While Kenichi Matsuyama portrays a role in the film supposedly back in 2006. I can't believe I can watching Death Note on Netflix in nearby August 25, 2017.

I wish they believe that we're going onto the roles.

Not good Mar 01 2017 6:07 am Sorry but i hate this drama and i dont understand why they bother to remake? It wasnt necessory at all besides L can only be kenichi matsyama and light can only be tatsuya fujiwara !!! It is really weird they change the roles completely in the drama the way L talks , sits , uses his laptop etc. The character of L in the drama is not at all campatible with the L in the movie also light yagami he was supposed to be smart and genious right? But the light in the drama is completely opposite he is really dumb , idiot and psycho. DONT HATE ME I DONT HATE THE ACTORS I HATE THE WAY THEY RUIN MY FAVIOURITE ROLES literally i hate the director . I cant even recommend this drama to anyone ..

Roro Ayu Jan 04 2017 8:52 pm I watched this drama because of Yamazaki Kento. He is really cute and handsome. I love him... I like L's character also.

Death Note Fanatic Dec 19 2016 8:30 am Why do people hate this drama so much? I thought it was absolutely amazing! I even have it on DVD! TBH, I prefer it to the movies...

xyl Dec 04 2016 1:24 pm just finished watching this....didn't like Yagami Light in this drama. Kira is supposed to be smart but the actor portrayed Kira as if he is a psychopath. L is supposed to be smart but this L is like a pretty boy and doesn't fit the image at all.

I need to rewatch the first version to make up for the emptiness after watching this drama.

isola Dec 02 2016 10:37 am Although this is a bit different from the original death note story, and its interesting to see a new kind of Death Note but the casts in this one wasn't as good as the first version. I didn't like the way the main cast portrayed Light, L and Misa. It doesn't give me the same feeling.

For those who have watched the previous version, the previous casts had set a high standard and unfortunately its hard for the new actors and actresses to meet the same standard.

Soo Hyun Nov 10 2016 8:39 am I came here for Kento, but Kubota's acting made me stay.. I have been a long fan of death note... and ever since I was always rooting for L (coz he is soo cool and such a genius)

but this version of DN just made me want to root for kira, I cant explain, but for some reason, i wanted to see the world kira wanted to make... too bad it didnt happen

but another movie is coming out.. so there's more to watch

zelle Nov 09 2016 3:43 am I enjoyed this series take on the "human" side of the characters. It was great how they depicted the mental struggles of light bearing such powerful weapon and how it turned him into something else. I also enjoyed the actors for the police of the kira's countermeasure dept. especially the one who played soichiro Yagami, he was really great that i could feel the sense, the aura of justice flowing out of him he made me really believe that he is a just police man and he looks like one. But though, I really love Yamazaki kento the guy who played as L, I didnt really love his portrayal of L. For me L is a character I really look up to since of his deduction prowess and the shabby and mysterious but still looking cool image. But kento's portrayal though it was cute but he really didnt exactly nailed the cool part. and something was lacking in his performance as L. COmpared to how the actor for light, kento was quite below him. But.... Overall this live action is above average but not the best since it is really rare for a live action to fully satisfy anime/manga fans. Well i'm saying this in my perspective, but please do give this series a try. it's quite good.

Asrirmu Oct 04 2016 8:48 pm This is the 1st time i feel i loved L character so dearly of all versions, when he died, it felt so empty. I really enjoyed the drama till the end. Thanks for L and Kira actors as well as Yagami's dad actor. And... Watari-san LOL.

For all death note fans like me who follows the original and the live action versions, i recommend this :)

Mirtika Sep 15 2016 5:44 pm I could not get into this. Kento is eye candy, but totally miscast as "L." This felt so cheesy to me, and I loved the anime and the DN film. Well, I guess I'll see if they do better with the Higashide Masahiro /Suda Masaki one coming up.

Ruby Sep 10 2016 11:05 am Yamazaki-kun<3^^

DNANDBTS4LIFEU Aug 26 2016 4:43 pm Light Yagami+This Drama=Derp Master Kira

Honestly how do we not have more jokes in the DN fandom about how good Kubota's facial expressions in this are

L.LawlietLivesOnInOurHearts Aug 26 2016 4:39 pm That awkward moment when the guy who plays Matsuda looks like he jumped right out of the anime

:)NearForever Aug 26 2016 4:38 pm Honestly this is my favorite adaption of Death Note. I love the anime, manga, the Japanese movies and novels, but this one showed a more emotional side to the characters. Even if it is hated on for its cast, at least it isn't as terrible as the American Death Note's cast. And even though a girl plays Near, i think she did a beautiful job. (It would have been awesome to see Kento play Near though) I love her voice and smile, she really gets into her role. And thankfully Near is an albino in this one, the fear of not having his former hair color was nerve-wrecking. As a hardcore Death Note fan it saddens me to see the rest of the fandom hate on this version, it's really worth watching. The plot is still mostly the same, but they shook it up a little bit. Episode 9 is the most emotional thing you will ever watch.

Infinite Aug 08 2016 7:32 pm @xxyyzz If there was a korean version I feel like L (Myungsoo) from Infinite should play L, while D.O (Kyungsoo) should play another role in it.

Wulan Aug 06 2016 9:03 pm this movie was good but tbh Kento Yamazaki is more suitable to play as Near. he is indeed too cute lol and also his role here wasnt as cool as L and also different personality as L in the anime and manga. I also kinda disappointed with Near and Mello lol but overall I enjoyed watching it. and I think Light wasnt seem smart here. the only good things are Ryuk and Matsuda they were so funny haha.

Alexa Jul 27 2016 4:27 am I'm waiting for Korean version of Death Note. It's just too exciting!!!

xxyyzz Jul 20 2016 7:45 pm I wish there will be korean version of death note with kyungsoo play as L. Lawliet. He suits that character so damn much xD

siti mulyani Jun 08 2016 6:09 am This movie is the best version from all for me. When l.lawliet died i just can't hold my tears. And when light died too Omg.. why the end is so sad, i mean ... two charming boys died :'((( i know it would be freak but i always think why it's not end with sweet happily best friend ever between L and Light ♡♡♡

DN Jun 07 2016 10:19 am Honestly, I had high hopes for this series. Seeing that they depicted Light Yagami as just a regular kid with anxiety as opposed to a Gary Stu in the anime/manga was refreshing to me. They also put a lot of attention to detail in the events that occur in the beginning of the story and was able to keep me engaged and wanting to know what happens in the next episode.

But the thing is, towards the end, it just gets cringey. Light tries SO hard to look and sound evil that I just couldn't take him seriously. The exact same try-hard edginess was put into Mello, and when those two were together, it was just a giant cringefest. What's more cringey than the two of them is the CGI. Holy hell, the CGI was not that noticeable to me in the beginning, although Ryuk's animation was a little iffy here and there; towards the end, the CGI gets downright horrible, especially in the very last episode.

To sum it up, I'd recommend it if either you just care about the pretty people, you wanna be let down, or you wanna have a laugh at all the stupid crap near the end.

Dettu May 12 2016 2:55 pm I really like Kento Yamazaki but he was not the right choice for L. He just doesn't suit for him because he is too "handsome". L has a characteristic face and after i saw the anime and watched the original Death Note movies and L change the world, i think nobody can beat Matsuyama Ken'ichi's portrayal. He was the best choice for the role of L. Sorry for Kento, i really like him but i won't watch this show because i don't want to be disappointed... :/ Btw i'm waiting for the new Death Note movie. :)

marleth corbe May 09 2016 10:15 am i cried a lot when l. lawliet died :( i really love this movie. the best version!

14DC Mar 15 2016 8:53 pm This drama is great, now I'm loving anime that's turned to drama. It's good potrayal. I love it cause now I have the perfect Light. And I've became Kubota Masataka's fan. The early episodes maybe weak but then become so good. I love interactions between Light with his father. And I can feel that L really want to become Light's best friend. I just hope Light's closure is better.

Harochan Dec 28 2015 9:45 am I was quite sad when notice that Light not genius in this version, but overall I do really enjoy the movie. Especially Masataka Kubota's acting really awesome, cannot imagine that he could have present gradation of emotion when he portray this Light version, I could not expect any better portray from some "normal guy" then change himself into "god wanna be", even tough I still do really hope could see Masataka Kubota to portray the real Light Yagami, as a genius, good looking and cruel one. But, the disappointed part comes with this L version, he is too cute to portray L. It doesn't suit his character. Please bring back our original L version, this L version is absolutely ruin L's character.

hello Dec 03 2015 2:03 am The acting was great and the stroyline was almost as good! But i thought that Light and L weren't as genius as they were in the manga... Overall a very enjoyable watch!

Denis Nov 22 2015 8:53 am I'm glad that I watched this drama before I read Death Note so I could enjoy it without comparing it. This drama made me watch the previous Death Note that I missed and made me read the manga, and still I think this version is great and one of the best detective dramas for me. I totally salute Kubota Masataka's portrayal as Light. His acting is just spot on and I even like the different L in this version. He still has that L's original weirdness with some differences that I guess needed to add to his characters to make his rivalry with Light is more interesting and somehow balance. I guess after I finally consumed all Death Note products, I must say that this version is great, there are differences, but good differences.

A Nov 04 2015 10:45 am Being one of the fans of the manga and anime... Already finish watch the drama..but in my opinion quite dissapointed with the actor of both Light and L to be compared with the Light and L from the movie.. In this drama, Light is not really clever and cruel like from the death note 2006 movie. While, L in the drama look like a girl with his baby face.. :(.. Overall the actors are not good..but this drama plot is much greater than previous 2006 movie..

rain Nov 03 2015 5:47 pm A Female N/Near... fan-service much NTV?

Light Oct 15 2015 12:29 am kinda cool. the guy played as light yagami whose acting was so catchy. he obsessed with death note.

his idea of making world better place was right but his way of doing it was wrong. no one can't judge one's good or bad deeds through killing.

i wish light were alive.

Leighanne Oct 03 2015 4:45 am I've seen the anime and such before this, and honestly was a bit hesitant to watch it. I didn't hear great things about it, but this morning a gifset on Tumblr got me interested,, and now, despite it being quite different, I'm hooked. The actors are doing wonderfully, and I think everyone really looks the part, though I'm sort of wondering what those things L drinks all the time from those pouches are. A great thing here, though, is Misa's voice. It's not as grating as it is in the anime (both dub and sub), and I find myself enjoying her more. The subtle actions as well are spot on to me, and I'm just really loving this~!

Jimmy Oct 02 2015 1:30 pm This show isn't that bad I mean just cause the characters are different doesn't mean you gotta hate it, Why not try somethin different with the characters right?, But anyways this show is some G KUSH

Yumi Oct 01 2015 3:35 pm @YKLUV try watching the movies and the anime itself.and u will notice the difference,,most of fans has already watched one of them so they naturally compare between both,, not saying that the drama is bad,but seriously the old characters that we fall in love with has changed in the drama that's why some may complain about it

noxu Sep 25 2015 1:18 am kinda good, but not as good as the Original, they changed L's trademarks completely and light is not a Genius charismatic, Though the acting is kinda good. I still prefer Tatsuya Fujiwara and Kenichi Matsuyama, their characters are based and really close to the Manga/anime.

penn Sep 20 2015 6:13 pm casting of L and light should have been reversed, yamazaki is too handsome to play a creepy eccentric almost druggie-chic genius detective, kubota would probably suit the role better as he already has the crazy eye, hollow cheek look.

az1 Sep 20 2015 10:32 am If you have anyknowlede about acting or even a little bit of common sense then you will know that kubota acting is superb here even better than tatsuya fujiwara. If you don't agree then we can debate here.

precious Sep 20 2015 2:51 am "not to watch it!!!! muri!!!

precious Sep 19 2015 5:37 pm I`m so happy watching this drama... nobody can stop me! [you should know that watching drama or movie is not just because of the story. [the reason is the actors themselves who play the role..] I will watch it over and over again, it`s my happiness.. you cannot give our happiness by your recommendation to not watch it.

C Sep 19 2015 12:54 pm I do not regret watching this drama, even if it's poorly made.

ReviewConsumer Sep 19 2015 2:14 am This drama was directed from the perspective of the director and not from the spectators. The last episode was badly made, wasting time. There are a lot of flaws non common sense because of the poor directorship especially the last episode. If compared to the earlier the previous death note movie/dramas, this is the worse. Those previous are considered nice to watch at that point of time 2006. The special effects are also poor. This new 2015 drama is unacceptable and not recommended to watch. Storyline: 7/10, Plot 7/10, Cast 7.5/10, Fiction 6.5/10, Effects 6/10, Directorship 5/10. This based on Japanese standard. There so many better dramas to watch so do not waste your time on this.

sera Sep 18 2015 12:52 am I kinda dissapoint bcs the L in ths series kind of dffrent with the movie vers. I like L in the movie more, bcs he wsnt sit. Alwys eating sweets and his straight expression bt in ths series the L ddnt do tht

Tom Sep 17 2015 9:15 pm L is annoying. Near/Mellow is annoying.

I can't believe Light didn't win in the end.

pete mitchel Sep 14 2015 2:17 am this drama makes you crazy. good job. L is my most favorite character.

Saefullah Sep 13 2015 5:22 am two thumbs up.. waiting the last episode

St Baker Sep 10 2015 5:27 am Hmm, Near's played by a girl... There are still plenty talented young japanese actors to play the role. Even the feminine looking ones too. I hope N's gender is not changed.

Shigure Sep 10 2015 3:53 am Oh man. It seems L is already gone so soon. Not good. Perhaps there is more to expect from N.

Just Passing By Sep 09 2015 4:08 am Kubota guy is so great! I didn't like this drama at first but his acting is really great. I hope Light wins in this drama!

ahmad Sep 06 2015 6:40 pm awesome dorama.. best dorama 2015.. ryuku 10/10

precious Sep 06 2015 2:44 am @sheng yang two thumbs up

sheng yang Sep 06 2015 12:47 am LOVE IT!!!! Death Note was the first amine that I watch and I loved it. Then all three movie came out and I was so happy. I watched it over and over since it came out. A week ago I found out that Death Note became a drama and it droving me crazy because I love the story, and Kento Yamazaki. so it a 10 out of 10 for me already. I think the way the actors played there character was fun to watch. It cough my attention when L was smiling at his first scene, man i was about to faint because I knew it was going to be different in a way. When i found out Moi Yuki was playing Near and Mello. It just made me question myself. how it the ending going to end? will the end be better than what i expect? I guess it was just too excited to watch the whole drama.

I don't get why people keep complaining about the actors being to young to play there parts it i went and look up the movie actors in what age the played there parts.

age Movie and drama came out Light (Movie) 2006 - Tatsuya Fujiwara age 24 Light (Drama) 2015 - Masataka Kubota age 27 L (Movie) 2006 - Kenichi Matsuyama age 21 L (Drama) 2015 - Kento Yamazaki age 21 N ( Drama) 2015 - Mio Yuki age 16 Misa (Movie) 2006 - Erika Toda age 18 Misa (Drama) 2015 - Hinako Sano age 21

their is no difference it age so people STOP complaning that they are too YOUNG for their parts.

I can't wait for the 10 episode to come out

That all i got to say

V Sep 04 2015 9:45 am Is the actor who voices Ryuk the same as in the anime? If not, what is his name? I can't find it anywhere.. :'( help

JoJo Sep 03 2015 10:49 am I've watched plenty of Japanese media and read a lot of it too. I can understand Japanese, so I'm not speaking out of total ignorance. I know that being based on an anime one can expect the reactions to be a tad overly dramatic, but my issue here is not that the reactions are dramaticized, it's that they feel highly inappropriate. The scene where Light kills the fake L did not feel inappropriate in the anime or film because it was in line with the established character; but in this series, it felt awkward to me given that not 5 seconds before he was on the verge of crying about all the criminals he'd killed. My use of 'realistic' may not have been appropriate, by 'realistic' I really meant appropriate with the context of the established world. Light's reactions in the anime and movies didn't feel like a stretch of the imagination, whereas in this drama it felt quite forced to me.

When I said I don't mind it straying from the source material, I mean I don't care that that it's not Death Note as we know it. I actually find it a shame that it still follows the source material so closely, since as I said before it brings down the suspense when you know exactly what is going to happen, and at times the characters felt like poor copycats of the originals to me.

Don't worry, I'm not critiquing Japanese drama as a whole. I'm a fan of Japanese media on the whole, including anything by Akira Kurosawa. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Death Note movies, I just didn't take to this particular drama. To each his one. =-)

Net Guy Sep 02 2015 4:29 pm To JoJo: Wow.. I was very surprised by your review.. I respect your views but I would like to comment that this is a Japanese drama.. It's normal for Japanese people like us to have dramas like these and the reactions are quite normal..... Maybe you have not seen many of our type of work and culture?? Beside your different perspective about how our drama are, you said that you don't care about 'straying from source material' but you talked about it again in the end... Realistically nothing in Death Note, manga/anime/movie/drama, is realistic so I do not understand your realistic vs unrealistic argument. Anyway, I came here to read some foreign reviews but in the end, I am just so surprised by your comment haha. I hope I'm not saying bad thing to you. Please forgive me if so.

My input for this drama is I really like it. It's very popular right now among university students in Japan these days. Kubota Masataka is a perfect Light!

Justin Santiago Aug 31 2015 11:20 am People commenting bullcraps whatsoever, you didnt even watch the latest episodes hahahahhahah

Near Aug 31 2015 12:00 am It is fun to see DN one more time with different actors and story telling.

YummyKen Aug 29 2015 2:53 am Can`t wait to watch episode 9. love this series so much!!!!!! love the twists!!!

L

JoJo Aug 28 2015 7:21 pm Just watched the first episode, not loving it. I don't care whatsoever about the story straying from the source material, it's the general quality of it that brings it down for me. It's overly melodramatic, unrealistic and hammed up to the max. Light getting nervous and desperately trying to erase the first name he writes in the Death Note was an unrealistic reaction, as though he was already convinced it was really a killer note. Then there was the hammy acting by his sister Sayu when she saw her dad was in a hostage situation, and started yelling 'Kill him!' and falling to her knees in a public place. Then Light rushes to the house and hectically writes the criminal's name in the note and starts yelling for the Death Note to kill him. The cause of death of the first guy he wrote in could easily have been an accident, yet already he's absolutely convinced it's a killer note. So the criminal dies, and immediately after he goes to the rooftop to kill himself. Really? That's not normal.

Besides that, Ryuk is quite poorly animated and I find that distracting, but I understand the budget is limited so I can forgive that. In short, it just feels amateur. A poor imitation of the source material. It would have been a lot better if was an entirely original piece loosely based on Death Note, but they still use the same characters and the main plot still follows it closely enough that you generally know what's going to happen before it happens, which takes away any sense of suspense (such as when Light kills the fake L; fans have already seen this scene multiple times in the manga, anime and movies. That scene also felt out of place given that the Light in this series is portrayed as a normal student and not the oddball that the original Light is, not to mention he was just grieving over the people he's killed, and yet he's so quick to kill an innocent man because 'he doesn't understand!').

In short, the whole script feels like online amateur fan fiction.

L Lawliet Aug 27 2015 6:00 pm what's the point to watch this show again if i already know that my favorite character (L) are going to die at the middle/end of the series.

precious Aug 21 2015 6:47 pm can`t wait to watch ep8..yay...

L #L #L

H Aug 20 2015 11:55 pm Masataka killing it with his acting.Face expression,voice all brilliants.I'm glad i'm still sticking in.Can't wait to see L die.

For Yagami Raito/KIRA justice will prevail.

RyuukLovesApples Aug 20 2015 5:43 pm From episode 1-7, I realized that I've develop a love-hate relationship with how the DN story goes. There are so many plot holes and so many mistakes from L/Ryuuga's part.

Perhaps, the only problem with the Death Note drama is the story. Acting ability wise, I would say that Masataka Kubota (Light Yagami) and Kento Yamazaki (L Lawliet) are such superb actors! Especially, Masataka Kubota. His dark expression as Light are just chilling! (I'm sorry, Tatsuya Fujiwara-san, but I think Masataka's version of Light Yagami is tiny bit better than yours. But you're still great though~!)

I hope the DN writers would stop squeezing everything in one episode! Because this drama can be promising!

Faitoo~!

Zistren Aug 19 2015 10:54 pm Everyone, please read the manga if you wish to truly understand this story.

jungle_fish Aug 19 2015 9:58 am What's wrong with the end of ep 7? It just doesnt make sense, when finally L touched the death note finally he can see shinigami rem and get shocked but then he left the death note like nothing happened and Light unintentionally touched it and got his memories back as being kira, I though that when L saw the shijigami he would like being curious of it,he is a genius right, why doesnt he straightly know that he can see 'something' is coz he just touched the death note. He shouldnt just forget it away the evidence. Now Light has remembered all of it again and the war is going to start again.. hah~

L Aug 13 2015 4:35 am Well.. so far so good.. some key parts are missing from the Anime/Manga

Tho it is suppoed to not be like it.. yet still follow some

My fav part in the show is Near. Love him more in the Anime yet he is awesome here as well and I feel like he is the key to L finding Light.. he is 1 step ahead of L when it comes to finding Kira. If not for him, L would not have found Yotsuba Group. Well.. anyway.. interested to see how it develops..

PS: How many episodes will there be in this show?

Kira's Bitch Aug 13 2015 4:01 am the first time i watched this, i was like "what the-?", but now i found myself addicted to this series smh. Kubota Masataka-kun's acting was really awesome!!!

Louka Aug 10 2015 9:51 am i think that yagami of the anime is smarter than yagami in the serie... and why did the directors delete the scene that kira send message to L that shinigami love eating apples i think that the serie is booooring without the smart yagami (just opinion)

dark Aug 09 2015 12:49 am the light actor is son anime, from the face to the movements. he's like a living anime.

Pyrro_Lannister Aug 06 2015 5:01 am Hi, all. A huge fan of the anime, not really keen on the movie, but love this new series! I am really surprised at how much I'm enjoying it. Although, I cannot seem to find episode 5 it supposedly aired 4 days ago but I cannot find it. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

KIRA IS JUSTICE!!!

Marj Aug 04 2015 9:23 am At first I was bothered by the small and big differences from the manga, anime, and film... but I am enjoying it right now :) Two thumbs up for the series. And can someone please enlighten me, is N a he or a she? All this time I thought and believed that he is a boy but when I saw the character in the series, she's a girl. I guess it is just one of the changes the series opted to have.

afterdeathnoteiusealias' Aug 04 2015 8:13 am @kirarin I must have missed it the first time through but rereading it I understood her/his point better.

kenaa Aug 04 2015 5:06 am this is the first time i know of kento yamazaki.. when i first saw him i thought he was Kamiki Ryunosuke

Nhylin Aug 04 2015 3:31 am It's an entertaining drama but 4 episodes in, I can't help but feel that this isn't really Death Note made into a new drama series, it's fanfiction based on Death Note made into a drama series. The characters are barely recognisable and while the show attempts to be dark, it's just too cute with too much fanservice to be convincing.

yla Aug 02 2015 11:57 am to those saying that the first few episodes are kinda lackluster and slow, well the same could be said for both anime and manga. the beginning of the anime was just a bunch of set ups for the setting, story, and main plot, much like the manga. though the manga was very repetitive and drawn out. whatever i guess. just trying to say that regardless of if it holds true to one particular series or another (i.e.: L Change the World movie was a separate story in the save universe), it'll still be fun for those who enjoy the serial. if you're really that much of an elitist to be bothered by little details, then why waste your time commenting?

Kirarin Aug 02 2015 4:44 am @afterdeathnoteiusealias' I'm not speaking for @poppy, but I think what she's trying to say is that there are some "petty" fans that have not watched the series, but judged this Death Note from what other people have said...

So she is not making comments about the fans who watched it and "can't stand it," its to the people who just jumped on the bandwagon.. Therfore this discourages new viewers and current fans of the series to not give the drama a chance. I think her review was meant to say that ^^;; (because this is a site for dramas and reviews....)

Also, because of those comments, sometimes it gives people a lens to wear.... Because they wear the lens and find things to not like.. At least thats what happen to me. But in the end if I take away those judgements..... FOR ME...

My review... is that I really like this series afterall!! And if you want to, try it out Death Note fans!!!!! Its something new for some of us Death Note fans but to me, I really like it!!!^^

V Aug 02 2015 2:18 am I started watching the show just to see how they ruin the manga like how they did with the films but I was surprised by how good this drama actually is...now I'm hooked! To be honest, I haven't read or watch the original since it first became popular, which was more than 5 years ago for me so I don't really remember all the details. Thus, due to foggy memory and whatnot, I kind of watched this drama with bias-ness aside and I gotta admit that I really like the direction (as in the drama's director) of this version; the acting is great too. I was surprised that they made Light act like a ordinary person with a average personality in the first episode and you can see how he progresses into Kira.

I read some of the comments here saying that Light's intelligence seems to have been toned down in this version but I have to disagree. All the lines and actions he delivered so that he is very intelligent. I think the problem is that he doesn't seem to have the "charisma" of the character we watched in the anime. Meanwhile, L's geniusness is very apparent in this version as well.

xHadex Aug 02 2015 12:49 am to bh honest. i am disappointed

Messiah Jul 30 2015 1:54 pm The only thing that same to the original manga is Matsuda

Beuroo Jul 29 2015 11:18 pm As the series have now progressed till EP.4, I'm starting to like it more and more. I don't deny, #01 and #02 was really dull..... But things started improving from EP.3, and now EP.4 (the face off between L and Light) was pretty well done. I'm starting to like Light more and more, despite him being a very mediocre undergrad.

You see, the problem with the drama version is that most fans don't like how this deferred so much from the manga... Me too. I agree that Light wasn't portrayed the genius he was supposed to be, but as the series progresses, it is definitely obvious you see the genius he is supposed to be. I think genius shows out gradually; it's not something you see almost immediately unless triggered, esp. for such a normal kid who's grown up in a normal environment. I believe the show will progress better and better from here on - but only with our encouragements.

Besides, the actors for L and Light are gettin' on me~! So cute! :D

afterdeathnoteiusealias' Jul 29 2015 1:26 pm @poppy Honestly, death note fans are some of the most open-minded fans I have met. Sometimes the fans who are hard core in one of the specific medias can get really petty but we're note (most of the time) prejudiced (← using This word because open minded is unprejudiced.) First of all prejudiced would mean we said it sucks BEFORE we watched it. Also I love the show. not because I think it is a great installment of the brilliant franchise that is death note, but rather because I find it absolutely ridiculous its amusing.

I do find the angle of "in it to protect people" a refreshing cannon angle but wish it had been developed a little better than the cowering idiot they settled us with. Another thing I like about this version is watching Light's growth from 'cowering , average intelligence university student' to 'Evil genious with a twisted sense of justice and a big case of self-delusion.' I am really dissipointed with L, not because he doesn't reach original L's standard of absolute perfection (←L was awesome and I am a big fan but that doesn't make me biased.), it is more because he is arrogant.

I could say more but I am pressed for time and its already starting to become long.

imie Jul 28 2015 5:44 am Well i really love the characters in death note, specially these series. I really cant wait to watch the next episode of these series.

YamakenLover Jul 28 2015 4:59 am @poppy, I agree!!!...well-said, no need for me to add what`s on my mind. but definitely I love both L and Light , all the actors... to watch `til the last episode...

poppy Jul 27 2015 3:06 am Some Death Note fans will likely tell you that they were disappointed by the direction this particular Death Note series has taken. However other Death Note fans, especially the open-minded ones, and new fans of the series, will tell you otherwise. Despite the differences in both Light and L, where they've seemingly switched personalities, what's absolutely brilliant about Light in this series is that he is a much more realistic depiction of someone who did what he had to do in order to protect the ones that he loves most, and then the world, from those who harm it.

So if you really think about it, what many of the characters make "Kira" out to be.

Don't be discouraged by the many negative and close-minded opinions you see here, it is definitely worth giving a shot and so far, I find myself keeping up every weekend. Light is extremely realistic, in terms of how people like him definitely exist in Japan today, and unlike the comments that have pointed out that he is not a genius, as the series progresses (really, as I am writing this, the 4th episode has just been released), all of Light's traits are definitely there, just not explicitly revealed unless he is fighting with L.

Something to note whilst watching this series is the amount of character development that's been demonstrated in this mini series. The amount they've managed to slot in, without making it seem rushed or forced, some of the moments can really tear at your heart and then some, because we all know in the end Light will die. L is also wonderfully done, it's actually very refreshing. He is charismatic, and actually both characters are in their respective ways!

So rather than just casting this aside, give it a go. I mean if you can't stand it, there's no harm done either! But I'm telling you, it's worth a shot! :)

Erosama Jul 24 2015 3:11 am Well i love the characters development!! Even though Light doesn't appear to be 20 years old genius in the first and second episode, but he got so much better in the third!!! Oh, and i know it's really different from the original work, but please L, keep alive!

congratsmatsuyamakenichiforbabyboy Jul 24 2015 3:00 am jeeeezzz.. just found this today. i thought the poster was ok. but after i zoomed in. oohh wow. they totally destroyed it. they don't potrait L nor Light at all. they do have their "make ups" tho.

yamakenlover Jul 23 2015 7:14 am since I am not a fan of anime or manga, monku zenzen nai!!! not disappointed of course!! a lover of live action jdrama and jmovies, enjoying the series, no complain no what and why... i love the original L and Light, i love the new too... new or original story kankei nai kara ne!!!!!

dento cool Jul 23 2015 5:01 am This drama destroy the image of the real Light and L. I dont care if the plot and story are different, but at least keep the character original personality. I know this drama will be fail when I see Light was not a genius person and clumsy. L is wearing a shoes and SIT PROPERLY??(yes he is sitting like a normal person).WTF man. This drama totally disapointed me. Im sure the fan of the original death note series will agree with me.

JJ Jul 22 2015 8:30 pm I personally am bothered by how they changed Light, but hear me out. I hated Light originally, however without him being overly perfect I feel like it's almost impossible for the series to remain with realistic characters and still not have Light get caught immediately, if not extremely difficult, still I'm kind of interested to see this twist, and see if I can come to like it. I'm willing to continue watching and give it a chance.

jack Jul 22 2015 7:30 am I was very disappointed with this series.I know Death Note very well. Same name, same characters, but different sroty. why they still use the characters of Light. Here in this series he is rather clumsy, not genius (translate death note with dictionaries, WTF). If use different story and twist, why they don't change their character, not use Light, L, and Near. This series broke image of Light Yagami and L.

syah Jul 21 2015 3:07 pm whats with mio yuki aka the white cloth girl? its kinda creepy with her attitude and doll

Katia Jul 21 2015 8:33 am I cant wait to see Near! So far, it is a decent show. I mean, its not the big deal, if you want to watch something while you clean up your room.

joy Jul 20 2015 8:16 pm for me, DeathNote 2015 is doing great so far,for a change, I love the new story, new twists, and of course new characters/actors eps Yamaken aka L. i love the live action movies too... i don`t mind being compared Yamaken and masa to Matsuyama and Fujiwara san since i love them all,, we have different likings and opinions ... nothing to compare... all of them are my cups of teas except bashing coz I hate such!!! hahaha.

L

Mary Jul 19 2015 3:53 pm Hi guys! Well about this new live action i'm a little bit disappointed, i saw the anime and i read the manga so i know Death Note very well and it's not like i don't like this serie for the plot or for the changes they made but I think that the personalities of the characters are completely different, L is too arrogant, in my opinion, i really liked him but now i hate him. And the new Light ahahah is an idiot but if you think about it like a completely different story it's not that bad, and now after the second episode i'm really curious about what is going to happen. So guys watch it! But don't expect anything special. (sorry for my bad english ahah:3)

Casshern Jul 19 2015 4:43 am Yeah guys. What's with all the negativity? They have changed the plot a little, sure, but up till now they all look like good changes. And what's wrong with having a different Light and L? We already have a live adaptation and I think this new adaptation brings a refreshing side to Death Note. Love Masataka and YamaKen :3

Ruki Jul 19 2015 4:34 am I agree with Yume. Stop being so close minded Bs. I'm a fan of the manga, anime and movie. This adaptation is refreshing and brings new to Death Note. Plus the actor did a great job on their part.

mac Jul 18 2015 10:53 pm The first Death Note (2006) is still the best though. Kenichi Matsuyama portrays L's character perfectly.

Yume Jul 18 2015 6:07 pm @Bs: Stop being SO f*cking critical!

Bs Jul 17 2015 3:15 am Bad script. Bad drama. F*cking light as a p*ssy a*s b*tch. No just stop this.

S.L.S. Jul 16 2015 2:14 pm Every thing is good but that demon is a bit off. I expevted a more realistic thing. Well I think if the role of the demon was done by an actor (human) would be better than a not good 3d model.

Kira Jul 16 2015 8:29 am I think yamazaki kento doesn't suit with role L. Somehow i feel yamazaki kento like a host not a genius det.

mirai Jul 16 2015 3:14 am Quite disappointed on its screenplay and directing. Also Hinako as Misa, I think she needs to do more acting workshop.

sayu Jul 15 2015 1:17 am For the cast, I think MatsuKen and Tatsuya Fujiwara are still the best. MatsuKen as L is great. Maybe I should watch this drama first to compare Kento Yamazaki and MatsuKen.

hard core otaku Jul 13 2015 11:14 pm how can any one not like this take on death note it was awesome it maybe different but it is a more real. On the other hand my boy friend said that they compressed to much into one episode. I have many otaku friends at work as well and we all agree that the new take on light Yagami is for the better; instead of pretty much accepting that death note and using it off the start to gradually getting used to it. Don't get me wrong I love the manga and anime but this drama so far takes the #1 position

Yagami Light Jul 13 2015 9:27 pm Stop your production worst thing ever i have watch..

All in all I will give you 1/10, 1 because at least you tried your best.

Violet Jul 12 2015 12:28 am I just watch the 1 episode and its AMAZING!!! I've been a huge fan of death like 9 years now. Saw the anime, read all the manga, watch all the movie and now am going to watch this drama. I can't wait to watch more and also am a huge fan of L.I just love so much and death note.

Faye Jul 11 2015 8:18 am I have watched it. Well, I'm not a faithful Death Note's fan so I think the drama is quite interesting. I don't mind some differences and most of it because Masataka Kubota's acting is excellent at this drama. I thought he would be similar in Algernon, but he could act serious role very good. And his voice reminds me of some seiyuu...

byulbit Jul 10 2015 9:07 am WHAT?! YAMAZAKI KENTO? Ok, I'm so done... I'm crying:")

esatt Jul 09 2015 9:37 pm @beniak it's mirai moriyama http://asianwiki.com/Mirai_Moriyama

very japanese face. you probably know him from water boys.

Beniak Jul 09 2015 6:18 pm Does anyone know what is the name of Light's friend that gets harassed by that motorcycle dude in the beginning? And who is playing him? He looks awfully similar, I think I've already seen him somewhere.

banzai Jul 08 2015 9:40 pm quite painful watching masataka trying to act, the over dramatics that work well in anime character does not translate well into live action character.

ji ahn Jul 08 2015 6:03 am I really like kento yamazaki he ia really cute for his character as L however L is different here from the movie and anime the way he sit, eating chocolates and by the looks.. i hope on the next episode it can be better! Looking forward to this! Fighting!!!!

Rui Jul 07 2015 8:37 pm 9/10: First episode is really good and really intense. I did not expect that. The actors played their role convincingly. I'm not bother about the changes in this adaptation but I hope it will not go downhill. Looking forward to 2nd episode. Fans of Kento Yamazaki must really watch the first ep. Hihi :p

Faye Jul 07 2015 1:37 am Is it true that the drama is full of comedies? And so much differences than the movie? I haven't watch it yet, though. But I hope it will be fresh. The truth is, already confused when they made Kubota Masataka as Light. He's a funny man in Algernon, so it wouldn't suit him to play "cool" Light Yagami. And so is become the TV series now, huh? Well, I hope he will be good in serious situation too.

sinopsis drama asia Jul 06 2015 8:18 pm The manga, anime, and movie is so wow. I like so much. so i hope the drama too

Xenon Lights Manufacturer Jul 03 2015 2:46 am Looking forward to Live action Death Note series. Fan of original anime series.

Gen-chan Jun 23 2015 9:57 am Looking forward for this~!

D

Sayu Yagami~ undercare of Mitsushima Hikari

zaizai Jun 23 2015 6:55 am Will definitely wait for this, there will be a lot of comparison but the writers already told that it's a very different story from the movie that only these actors can do what they needed to do and for that I'm gonna root for Yamazaki Kento, L is a very good character and I'm sooooooo happy he's been chosen kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Yuki Jun 19 2015 11:02 am Even I look forward to begin this drama, the characters do not quite understand phase, that can Misa-Misa is not so important now, but Mello seems just as important a character as "N". Anyway, I hope that these actors to cope with such roles remains to be seen. :)

Berceuse Jun 07 2015 8:49 pm Yeay yeay yeay

M Jun 04 2015 5:03 am Cant wait for this to come out... Always been a fan of N and L... do hope they manage to get in Mello to.

Love the fact a girl play N, since in the japanese and english anime, he is voiced by a woman.

orin Jun 03 2015 6:03 am kyaaaa >< I can't wait to watch this! kento <3

ranranchan Jun 02 2015 7:22 am Omg can't wait! ><

Eri May 28 2015 9:05 am Can't wait for this! I recently got into Japanese dramas and I wanted to see a drama of this since I don't want to watch the movies. Plus Kento Yamazaki is REALLY cute <3

Windy May 25 2015 6:52 pm wow.. I can't wait to watch this!

kurousagi May 25 2015 12:19 pm love the story & the cast.. can't wait!!!

ARVIN G May 25 2015 11:00 am gotta watch this for already watched the trilogy (death note, last name, and L change the world) I wonder who will be misa amane???

chi May 25 2015 4:29 am i like both of the actor and i love death note. so can't wait to see this.

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Death Note (Japanese Drama)

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