Do We Need a Live-Action Death Note Series?

Anime fans are no strangers to terrible live-action remakes of their favourite shows. Perhaps live-actions are quite the cash cows because the entertainment industry can't seem to get enough of them.

While a live-action adaptation announcement is not much of a surprise, this particular one does stand out. Firstly, because Death Note already has a live-action movie, and secondly, because the show will be produced by the Duffer Brothers, the creators of Stranger Things.

The Duffer Brothers will produce the show through their new company, Upside Down Pictures. They want the series to be an entirely new take on the anime we all know and love.

This is definitely exciting news. Stranger Things has created quite the stir recently, and the Duffer Brothers deserve a lot of the credit for it. So that means the Death Note Live-Action series is in good hands, right?

Well I, and most of the Death Note fandom, have our concerns regarding this new live-action adaptation.

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Should live-action anime adaptations exist?

Let's start with the last live-action attempt for Death Note. The one by Netflix.

A large portion of the fandom probably does not even know of its existence. The few people who did know about its existence either did not watch the movie or even if they did, they were not too pleased with it.

If you tell people that the creators of Stranger Things are creating a live-action Death Note series, I'm confident you'll get some mixed opinions. Stranger Things fans may be excited by the idea or think the Duffer Brothers are not the right people for the adaptation. Others may feel indifferent to it. Many might not even know about it, though live-action adaptation announcements would circulate pretty fast a few years ago.

Perhaps the seemingly apathetic response to the live-action series is owing to the previous, disastrous attempt by Netflix. The characters were completely butchered, the fantasy aspects were made convenient to suit the movie's plot, and at many points, it felt as if we were watching a high school romance instead of a psychological thriller. 

The movie had wiped out everything we loved about the original series.

The fact that the Duffer Brothers plan on taking a completely new angle for the live-action series makes me cautiously optimistic – it will either be a hit or miss. Copying from the original source material entirely will make the live-action series seem rather boring. Skewering or not including the aspects we love will not go too well with fans either.

Another question that needs to be answered is, what will this show add to Death Note and how will it enhance our experience? Because if it does not expand on, or enrich the original, it probably will not be worth watching. 

All in all, it will be a huge challenge for the Duffer Brothers to pull off the live-action Death Note series they promised. While they are hot names in the entertainment industry right now, there is considerable apathy towards the announcement of a live-action.

What are your predictions for the live action? Let Zaheen know at instagram.com/tasfiazuhair.