Every time a newbie asks anime recommendation to a veteran Anime watcher their first suggestion is always Death Note. It has become the gateway to anime across the globe. The popularity of the series led to the creation of a live-action movie in 2017. This movie follows the Hollywood pattern of unnecessarily whitewashing characters and is untrue to the subject.
The adaptation brought several changes to the story especially the characters of Light and Misa. In the movie, Light Yagami and Misa Amane become Light Turner and Mia Sutton, respectively. Furthermore, the individual characteristics and circumstances of the characters were changed to fit into the story.
The most notable changes were that Light needed persuasion from others to use the Death Note, Mia had ulterior motives, and Light’s intellectual incapacity. In the movie, Light Turner is an idiot on his best day, unlike the Light Yagami of anime/manga. This is evident from the fact that Turner never attempted to disguise the book and revealed its true nature in the school hallway.
Mia, on the other hand, is a much better-written character with ulterior motives, craves power and manipulates Light to her benefit. Her character has emotional depth that Turner’s doesn’t.
Why Mia Could Have Been The Protagonist Of The Death Note Movie?
As mentioned earlier, Mia’s character desires power and control. She actively seeks out the Death Note, unlike Light Turner who stumbles upon it. She is willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve her goals.
This makes her character interesting and dynamic. Her ambition and ruthlessness are clear from the start, whereas Turner’s motivation feels confused and reactive.
Throughout the movie, her moral stance is clearer than Turner’s although her idea of justice is more black-and-white. Turner’s character is also egoistic which drives him away from the path of justice more often.
Furthermore, Mia’s character arc goes from a normal teenage girl and ends with her being a cold, manipulative monster. It provides a gripping narrative to the story.
You can witness her moral ambiguity go south, as she becomes obsessed with the Death Note’s power. In the anime and manga, Light’s God complex drives the narrative, whereas in the movie, Mia is more interested in real-world power and less about playing God.
Making her the lead, would have given a fresh take on the Death Note story. Her compelling character arc might have created a more memorable and impactful adaptation of the beloved series.
L’s Portrayal In The Movie
In the anime and manga, L is known for his eccentric personality, high intelligence and unusual methods of working. The movie adaptation retains these core elements to some extent ensuring that fans get the L they know and love.
Lakeith Stanfield, who plays L, also embodied the body language and quirkiness of the character. Stanfield’s L sits on the chair in a crouching position and loves sweet, the characteristics anime/ manga fans of the series will notice.
L’s character stays consistent with its anime counterpart throughout the movie unlike Light Turner’s. Although L’s character also had some changes done to it, they fit the narrative and don’t wander away from the source.
One of the most notable changes is the vulnerability in L’s portrayal. The L we know is someone who has his emotions in check, whereas in the movie he loses his composure when things go awry. This adds a layer of humanity to the character making him relatable. It shows that even the smartest people can crack during life-and-death situations.
L and Mia emerge as better-written characters than Light Turner in the movie. While the film made significant changes to the story, Mia and L brought something new to the table.
Their characters’ vulnerability and the actors’ strong performances helped make them more compelling and memorable characters than Light Turner. Despite the film’s flaws, they provided a fresh perspective in an otherwise controversial adaptation
