Disney is a well-oiled machine of highly imaginative and talented creatives, but why is it that for the past decade, the studio is investing millions of dollars into simply remaking our beloved animated classics into live-action films?
Sometimes an adaption can actually work if we don't get too serious. We don't need to over-think the series or the hundreds of episodes that came before it. By cutting out large chunks of the backstory and mythology, Death Note's not entirely beholden to the original work. This gives us a fresh representation of a first-encounter creature feature, and the film's strength lies in building on the source material without going overly in depth. Instead it relies on grounding the film on its core concepts and simplifying the plot just enough to engage.
The first two sagas are set to come to Netflix on June 12, and serve as great introductions to the anime before the 10-episode live-action adaption drops, also on Netflix.