Is ‘Death Note: The Musical’ proof that more anime belongs on stage?’

Anime and manga have been officially mainstream for ages now and, though Western enthusiasm still pales in comparison to the white-hot Japanese fandoms, each year seems to break new boundaries. Just this week we’ve seen the rapturous reception to Netflix’s One Piece, which has succeeded where other Western live-action adaptations have failed (I’m looking at you, Cowboy Bebop).

Even so, there’s one key part of anime and manga that’s huge in Japan but has so far had little impact in the West: live-action shows and musicals adapting top properties. Japan has seen hit theater shows based on Naruto, Attack on Titan, Bleach, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, Hunter X Hunter, and One Piece (with many other examples out there).

Now on-stage anime/manga may finally be about to blossom into Western theater. London seems to be the epicenter, with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2022 adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro instantly selling out, opening to universal rave reviews, and returning for an extended run later this year (I saw it, and every word of praise it got was deserved) and next year Les Misérables director John Caird will bring a blockbuster adaptation of Spirited Away to the London Coliseum.

But there’s another contender tearing up the West End right now – Death Note: The Musical.

Now let the Death Note play its part / And become a work of art

Death Note: The Musical premiered in Japan in 2015. A 2016 Korean production, though like most anime/manga adaptations, it wasn’t ever considered for a Western run. Things have changed and, after a sold-out two-night run in the London Palladium, it’s now playing at London’s Lyric Theater until the 10th.

I went along last night (and, for the record, paid full price for my ticket) and had a blast. There’s no feasible way to tell the entire Death Note saga in one stage show, so some key events are condensed, but anyone who’s thrilled about the battle of wits between Light and L will find a lot to love.

It’s soon clear why Death Note makes for such a great musical: Light and L each have clearly defined personalities and a tendency to monologue, which is just a small step away from singing them. Shinigami gods Ryuk and Rem are of course also along for the ride, and their supernatural outside perspective and extravagant costumes mean they slot extremely neatly into a musical.

Other characters have been tweaked. The smartest change is making Misa Amane into a pop idol rather than a model, opening the door for two catchy numbers performed alongside a quartet of pink-haired pigtailed dancers (the crowd went absolutely bananas for these songs).

Judging by the number of cosplayers in the audience, I’m guessing most people there were die-hard Death Note fans and were already familiar with the story. Whether anyone experiencing Death Note for the first time would be able to follow the narrative is a different matter, as the show skates quickly over the Note’s many rules and why L is so respected.

The show also trims down the story so substantially that the ending comes at you fast, though to be fair, Death Note gets quite convoluted, and trying to crowbar in third-act characters Near and Mello isn’t going to work in a two-hour-ish show.

But while story beats may be missing, the thematic core of the story is unaltered, and watching Light and L’s conflicting philosophies of justice and the legal process collide is as fun in song as it was on the page, in animated form, and in live-action (well, maybe not the Netflix live-action one).

Killing indirectly / Pen and ink and paper / Writing is the gun, I only have to aim

If you’re a Death Note fan, all of the above should have you hyped. The only problem is that unless you live in London, can be free before Sunday, and can figure out a way to get into a sold-out show, you’re out of luck.

For now anyway. Though this run ends after just six performances, Death Note: The Musical seems like it’s going places. The cast is set for an appearance at Comic-Con to promote the show’s future and after selling out, extra performances had to be added, so I imagine this isn’t the end.

Whether this London success will mean a leap to Broadway remains to be seen, though the global popularity of Death Note should mean it’d sell out a New York run just as quickly as in London. It’s also notable that (according to the show’s promoter) four-fifths of the audience had never set foot in a theater before, so if producers are looking for a show that’ll bring a fresh audience through the doors, this may be it.

I’m hoping Death Note: The Musical encourages some of the other extravagant Japanese anime/manga stage shows to transfer to Western theaters. What else is there left to say, other than “This show Ryuks!”.