Death Note Musical: The Killer Notebook Comes to Life

I have tried to recall and write down as many details as were still fresh in my mind, but please bear with me, as some information might be missing or inaccurate. The descriptions should be true to the series of events, but the order of said scenes might not be exactly right. Obviously, you can expect A LOT of spoilers from hereon. Don't read this article if you haven't seen the anime or read the manga and plan to. You have been warned.

Since he is the main protagonist, let's start by talking a little about Light. Not exactly sure why, but two different men impersonate Light, Kakizawa Hayato and Urai Kenji, and their presence depends on the date and time. The performance we attended had Kakizawa portraying Yagami Light. Initially, I thought that Urai was better looking but I have since changed my mind. And although Urai does resemble Light more, I think Kakizawa has more range and control over his voice. If I had to name one thing that bothered me a little about him, it would be that he was a little out of character, according to my perception of Light. In the original series, although Light has a kind and righteous personality (which he falls back into when he loses his memory), and an almost innocent, naive conception of justice, he is also consumed by the power he acquires and doesn't hesitate to get rid of anyone who stands in his way. Though he falters on occasion, he is usually confident (overly so) and will do anything to fulfill his ambition. But Kakizawa's Light is afraid of Ryuk when he meets him, even tries to give him back the Death Note. Overall, his demeanor and speech are not as proud and conceited as that of the Light we all know and love (to hate). As a result, there isn't such a noticeable difference between the Light before and after the Death Note, and I think that's kind of a shame. But if it's in the script, maybe he didn't have a choice.

Besides, it gets better as the story progresses.

His last stand is particularly impressive.

The musical opens with a forty-second countdown displayed on a large screen accompanied by the ticking of a clock. As most of you probably know, this represents the interval of time that follows the writing of a name and precedes the passing of the Death Note's victims. The cast soon begins to call out Kira's name in a single voice as the beat of the drums fills our ears like a bad omen. This haunting, powerful chant shows the alienation and loyalty of Kira's followers. Absolutely breathtaking. The stage is transformed with each change of scene as platforms rotate and panels come out of every direction. My favorite is probably the introduction of Light's bedroom, when a single structure glides in made of a lighting fixture, study desk and chair on which Light sits.

The next scene takes place at school in a classroom during a lecture. Soon Light along with some of the students begin to talk through a song about the meaning of justice, a conversation that soon turns into a fiery debate. The extras are dressed fashionably, move just right and hit the right notes without breaking into a sweat. Either before or after that, we find ourselves in the shinigami world, where Ryuk is complaining about the monotony of his life as a death god. In the play, his role is like that of a jester. Since he is played by a real person, he can only look so much like the real thing, but his dark clothes, complete with a long cape, and his spiky hair and smoky make-up are sufficiently convincing. It may seem at times like he overreacts, but we have to keep in mind that while in the anime, Ryuk flies around, moves through walls and twists his limbs in every way, the only way his comedian can portray that is by making exaggerated gestures and writhing on the floor. The man's facial expressions are appropriate and he snickers with just the right amount of evil. A convincing interpretation.

When Ryuk drops the note, we can see the shadow of the book on a screen as it falls and lands on the ground with a dull thud. Light picks up the book and flips through it, reading the rules and laughing at what he imagines is just a bad joke. Suddenly, on a different screen, we can see a news report about the criminal who will soon become Light's guinea pig. A nice touch: whenever Light writes down a name in the Death Note, we can see the letters on a large central panel. Just like in the series, the criminal dies and Light is shocked to find that the Death Note is real.

Meanwhile, the police are discussing recent events and trying to figure out the sudden outbreak of heart attacks. As my friend and I didn't understand everything that was said and sung, we might have missed it, but except for Soichiro Yagami, who was played by the same actor as in the live-action movies (Kaga Takeshi), and who stood out as Light's father and the chief of the police department, as well as Aizawa, who mentioned his wife and child, making his identity easy to assume, it was a little hard to say who was who. I am quite fond of Kaga as an actor, though his singing voice was peculiar compared with the others, who were all extremely talented. I can't say whether I liked or disliked it. It certainly had potential, but I felt like it had too much tremolo and sounded a little strained because of it. But it was still nice. What's more, Kaga is an actor before anything else, and he does a wonderful job at it. The brave and zealous policeman who struggles not to let his strong love for his son prevent him from doing his job is an important character who could never have been left out of the musical.

But I digress. Let's get back to the story.

L's name pops up in discussions, but he isn't introduced officially until late in the first part of the play. His voice is not altered like in the movie and anime, and instead of his signature gothic black letter on white, he is represented by the outline of his body on screen. When his actor walks on stage, even before the detective begins to investigate with the task force, he sits on the floor in his typical position with a mosaic of screens behind him. At the same time, a song comes on to accompany his introduction. Although somewhat different, it is a tune that sounds awfully similar to what we have all come to know as L's theme. The combination of all of these hints, little details so familiar, made my friend and I lose our cool, to say the least. What can I say: we love him.

Koike Teppei, who is actually a famous singer and actor, does a splendid job. In terms of acting, I don't think it could have been possible for any other human being to behave in a way that resembled the quirky detective more than he did. The way he walks and climbs on his chair before squatting down in his signature pose, the way he holds things up by the tip of his two fingers, the way he talks in that matter-of-factly impassive voice and the poker face he sports at all times, even when he says something witty and tinged with humor, is pure delight. Scrawny, almost spider-like, he is the two-dimensional character come-to-life. None of his gestures are lacking, misplaced or superfluous. Every sidelong glances, every tip of the head, every wriggle of his toes.

Everything is carefully calculated.

There is no mention of Watari and his character is absent from the play. Personally, I think we could have done without Sayu, but Watari is a key character whose presence would have been a great addition to the show without affecting the length of it (considering the restricted time). Such a shame they left him out.

The killings continue as Kira gains new disciples. After showing himself to Light in his bedroom, much like in the anime, Ryuk goes over the rules binding the user of the Death Note and his shinigami. The eye deal is mentioned, but Light refuses like we expect him to. He continues passing judgment, aspiring to be the god of a new world. Even when the police, aided by L's insightful analysis, begin to suspect that Kira is a student, something which he finds out by hacking his way into their database, Light never relents. He experiments with the Death Note, unknowingly giving them hints to work with. Thanks to L, the police reach new conclusions.

Comes at last the scene that we are all waiting for: the confrontation on TV. This was very well executed. The stage is divided in three, with Light's bedroom on one side, the television set in the back doing a live broadcast of Lind L. Taylor's speech and the investigation team on the other side. After L's stand-in falls dead on the floor, Light thinks that L is out of the picture, but his troubles are only starting. The real L makes himself known and reveals what he has fount out about Kira's identity and whereabouts.

Life goes on at the Yagamis, despite the father and son being involved in a dangerous manhunt. If anything, Light is getting good at judging criminals and refining his methods. Sayu expresses her disapproval in regards to Kira's methods and wishes that they were more like... oh the irony, her brother. She begins to sing about her wonderful sibling who is like a hero to her. No offence, but I did not feel like this was necessary. While she is somewhat important, considering that Light never stops caring for his family even when the Death Note transforms him into a monster, we did not need to hear it in the musical. So many scenes did not make the cut, and I have no idea why this one did. Give us Watari nao.

Something else that I thought was missing in the musical: L's thorough investigation of Light with the tapping and video surveillance of his bedroom, for one. Although it might have been mentioned in the talk segments or in one of the songs, nevertheless, I felt like it should have been given more stage time. Needless to say, the potato chip scene was not performed, o disappointment. The ridiculous was kept to a minimum and there was much emphasis on the tragic.

No handcuffs either. Sorry girls.

There was also no bus jacking incident. Though Naomi Misora never shows up (she may as well not even exist in that universe), Light meets with Raye Penber on the metro (train?) at Shinjuku Station (which is clearly identified by the familiar JR sign). But instead of hiding his face and instructing the FBI agent through a toy walkie-talkie, Light simply hands over the papers to Penber after introducing himself as Kira and ordering him to write the names of his coworkers. Somehow, I couldn't picture Penber surrendering to Kira that easily, no matter how much of a threat he might have appeared. Maybe I just missed the point.

Misa is introduced when Sayu takes Light to her concert somewhat against his will. The audience is treated to a mini J-Pop concert as the starlet bounces around in her colorful (and horribly mismatched) outfit, which includes her signature blonde pig tails, knee-high neon green stockings and a light pink hooded long-sleeved vest. Still, Misa's actress looks exactly like her. Her voice, too, bears an uncanny resemblance to that of the anime.

Props to her for doing such a great job.

Later, Misa is walking in the street at night when she encounters a stalker, whom she runs away from. This is when she finds her Death Note and meets Rem for the first time. Though there is a large debate on Rem's gender, I believe her being a female is quite obvious, and as such, the actor behind the shinigami is a woman. As opposed to Ryuk, Rem's outfit is immaculate and white. Ghostly yet beautiful, her face is extremely pale and her hair is tinged with light blue. She looks ethereal and absolutely gorgeous. I found the relationship between Misa and her to be one of the most fascinating and heart-warming of all. Though in the series, we are made to think that Rem is in love with Misa, in the musical, her affection is like that of a mother, as she continuously touches the blonde gently and keeps her in a protective embrace. Normally, I am not a fan of female characters, and Rem and Misa are no exception, but for some reason, I was touched by the chemistry between them. 

Now, don't get me started on Rem's voice... (Though I will still address the subject anyway.) Hers is by far the best out of every member of the cast, which is no small feat, since they are all very gifted. Needing no introduction, Megumi Hamada is one of the best female musical actresses in Japan and she is known for her versatile acting and singing, having landed lead roles in a plethora of musicals, including Wicked not too long ago. No wonder she gave such a solid performance. She is by no means a newbie.

As more and more criminals fall victim to the killing notebook, the task force and L start working more closely. Under suspicion that someone related to the police is responsible for the deaths, L (who is never referred to as Ryuzaki or any other name, for that matter) muses that there is a 5% chance that Soichiro Yagami's son is their man. He then announces that he will meet him on campus.

The curtains are drawn and the opening ceremony at Tokyo University begins. An elderly woman calls out Light and L's names (who goes by Ryuga Hideki) and the two of them walk to the stage where they are expected to give their speech. While the woman introduces them (or rather pretends to, by making gestures and moving her lips, as no word leaves her mouth), "Ryuga" tells Light what he knows about him and reveals his true identity. L then walks up to the microphone to give his speech, though we cannot hear him. Instead, we get a reaction from Light as he begins to sing his thoughts on the sudden confession. Soon, L returns while Light takes his place and the little game resumes. I thought this was brilliant. This scene made a strong impression on me.

While news of the Second Kira surface, Misa performs a love ballad about her god and wanting to meet him as soon as possible. Her message to Kira is revealed in the broadcast and she watches on as the task force does the same. In another corner of the stage, Sayu bursts into her brother's bedroom who is talking to Ryuk and almost dies of a heart attack at the intrusion (no pun intended) when she comes in without knocking. She asks him if he wants to accompany her to Misa-Misa's concert and he accepts unwillingly. Following this scene, L has a solo where (I think) he expresses his feelings towards his recent discoveries, like the existence of death gods, which he has no other choice but to acknowledge thanks to Misa.

Next, we find ourselves in Shibuya where they have reproduced the famous crossing on the screens and brought in a statue of Hachiko. Kira's supremacy is well established now and people in the street sing about his greatness. This was very well done. The pedestrians are looking at their cellphones and move backwards, changing direction every other step. Very cool choreography.

After her big announcement, Misa goes to Aoyama to meet Kira, having obtained the shinigami eyes. Rem does try to stop her, but nothing can make her change her mind. She quickly locates Light who is the only person whose lifespan she cannot see. However, what happens next differs greatly from the manga. I'm not too clear about it either. Before Misa can go home, satisfied with knowing Kira's name for now - a wise decision -, Light spots her when he overhears her reading his name above his head. After correcting her - it's not "Tsuki" (moon) but "Light", he asks her how she knows his name, and she answers that she can see it. It doesn't take more for the genius to figure out that she is the Second Kira and that she has the eyes. The two of them exchange notebooks and information, and meet each other's death gods. They decide to work together and Light establishes his conditions. Misa swears to do anything he says. Despite Rem's protests in her attempt to protect her, Ryuk tells her not to interfere. Rem's actions speak louder than words - her affection for the girl goes well beyond what feelings there may be between a human and a shinigami, but it is too late to go back. Before Rem's desperation, Ryuk chuckles in utter amusement.

At headquarters, L is convinced that Light is Kira and he tells Soichiro Yagami as such in harsh words (something like 息子はキラ。難しいですか？> "Your son is Kira. Is it difficult (to understand)?"). As nothing else could hit him harder than this, the police department chief conveys his feelings through a heartfelt song about his unchanging love for his offspring, whom he believes to be a good person, no matter what. This is so heartbreaking.

What follows is easily one of my favorite parts.

The importance of this scene may be underestimated. In truth, it is quite necessary, as it showcases the similarities between L and Light's personalities. It is a direct confrontation hidden under what appears to be just a friendly tennis match. As the two geniuses get ready to spar, bystanders gather around them. Two girls argue over which of the two is their type and a group of boys, alerted by the commotion, watch the champions' confrontation with admiration. L seizes his chance to make the first move, to which Light protests ("Never heard of warming up?), calling a "fifteen love" (which means the score is now 15-0). Though this is an actual tennis term, it sounds hilarious coming out of the quirky detective's mouth. XD

The match starts as L and Light begin to sing. This song is by far one of my favorite of all. It's aggressive and catchy, and grows in intensity as the tension between the rivals goes up. Each whack of the racket is integrated in the music's percussion, making the face-off all the more exciting. A circular platform on which L and Light are standing rotates as they play, showing one or the other depending on who has the lead vocals. Finally, their voices come together as one during the chorus as their admirers cheer for them. A simple exchange of a ball soon turns into a fierce battle of wits and pride, and it is very theatrically performed. Highly energizing.

After the game, of which Light was the victor, the two geniuses sit down to talk, exhausted and out of breath. L confesses to Light that he is the first friend he has ever had, to which humorously Ryuk comments "Ah, youth!". Light retorts that although they are friends, L still suspects him of being a murderer. He asks the detective if he looks like a criminal to him, something that the older man confirms. Misa chooses that moment to make her appearance. "This is your chance!" Ryuk informs the young man who is well aware of that fact. The timing is perfect. After Misa introduces herself to L, who gives her his pseudonym, the model is confused to find that it differs from the one she can see with her shinigami eyes. Having recognized the celebrity, L, who is a big fan of hers, expresses his envy to Light for going out with her. When the pop singer is spotted by fans, she is forced to leave. But no matter. If only Light could have some alone time with Misa, she could tell him the name that was floating over the panda-eyed investigator's head and that he is dying to find out, and Light would win at last.

And so he sings his victory, convinced that his moment of glory has come, but as we know, Light's attempt to contact Misa through her cellphone meets a dead-end as the device was "dropped" in the commotion. (Though we all know that L took it from her, the performance was exempt of any form of butt-touching.) In any case, L picks up Misa's phone, a moment we had all been waiting for, which leads to much hilarity on our part. He informs Light that Misa has been apprehended on suspicion of being the second Kira.

Now detained by the world-renowned detective, bound and blindfolded, Misa expresses her desperation through another song. She is determined not to say a word about what she knows, but seeing no way out of this, she claims that she would rather die than take this any longer. Throughout the song, she is interrogated by L and she vehemently denies his accusations and defends Kira's ways. Finally, after begging Rem to kill her, she gives up ownership of the Death Note and loses her memories. Fuka truly shines in this heartfelt performance. Whether you like Misa or cannot stand her little crazy blonde head, it's impossible not to be touched by her loyalty and resolve. As if this wasn't enough, the melody is beautiful and the singer's delivery authentic and poignant. During the bridge, it seemed like she would not be able to finish the song as her voice broke and quivered weakly. Mind-blowing.

This is followed by another gorgeous performance by Ms. Hamada who, kneeling by Misa's side, takes her bare foot in her hands and cradles it gently. This is yet another proof of the shinigami's strong affection for the girl. Again, no one tries to explain or justify the female death god's actions. The nature of her feelings is not questioned. There is no need to label her love, whether it be romantic, motherly or platonic. It just is, and there is no need for excuses. As I said before, again, I was deeply touched by their strong connection. A job well done.

True to himself, Light manages to convince Rem to write L's name in her Death Note, against Ryuk's opinion that she should not do as he says. She is, after all, a death god, and there is no reason why she should follow a human's orders.

It was difficult for me to understand the end.

L and Light are convinced that the time has come to settle this. Both parties seem to think that they have won. Which isn't that far from the truth. In fact, there is no doubt in L's mind that Light is Kira, but the god-to-be knows that his rival's end is near. One last time, they face each other, refusing to yield or back down. But instead of denying L's accusations, Light admits what he has suspected all along. What's more, he tells him how he did it, and to what end. "You can't win. Actually, there was another shinigami. That shinigami had a Death Note and she wrote your name in it. You're finished. Checkmate." These lines are sung by Light who, despite being certain of his victory, sounds like he is on the verge of tears. My heart did a few backflips at this, but it soon became obvious that if he was simply distraught, and very much insane.

Now that's the Light we all know and love!

Brandishing a pistol, L aims for his alter ego, who falls victim to his bullet… Or so we think. And yet, despite being shot, Light gets back up on his feet. Maybe this was supposed to be taken as a metaphor and not literally (like it did not really happen), but I was very confused by this part. It seems like I wasn't the only one, because Ryuk did not seem to get it either. Did L miss on purpose? Had Light already reached a godly state where physical wounds did not affect him anymore? That seems unlikely. Nevertheless, he was not killed on the spot. Unfortunately, Light's explanations after that were beyond my understanding... but he seemed far gone at that point. As we all know, sanity is not his forte.

In any case, the two of them continue their conversation, and this time, when L points his gun at Light, the other man takes his hand and turns it around before pulling the trigger and claiming his sworn enemy’s life. For reasons unknown, L does not fall right away. Frozen, still he stands, until Light nudges him on the shoulder and he collapses in a heap of limbs. It is done. They’re all gone.

All of those who stood in the way of justice.

All of those who dared oppose a god.

Only Light remains to make this world right.

He tells Ryuk as much, that it’s just the two of them now. Just like old times. And he laughs, because it’s just so funny. Ryuk chuckles a bit, and it seems now like nothing can go wrong. But Ryuk has not had his last word. Though Light thinks he has achieved his goal, Ryuk has other plans for him. He says that it’s not fun anymore. That Light’s game has gotten boring.

Remember what I said, Light? That in the end, you could neither go to Heaven nor Hell, and that I would be the one to write your name in my Death Note. That in death, only darkness awaited you, a great void… an abyss for eternity.

Kira will never reign over his "new world". Ryuk makes sure of that.

When he understands what is happening to him, Light does not want to accept his fate. He tells Ryuk to stop, stop, STOP! and tries to take the notebook away from him, though it is already too late. There is no going back. It's over. In a frenzy, the damned protagonist begins to trash on the floor as he tries to escape his demise, screaming at the top of his lungs that he is Kira, the god of this world. His voice becomes shrill as his panic escalates. Soon his cries become howls of pain and terror. "I don't want to die", he laments as his body continues to jerk and twist in his agony. After forty painful seconds, his voice suddenly vanishes into thin air and Light Yagami crumples on the floor, lifeless.

He's dead. He's gone.

I would like to apologize for questioning (if only a tiny little bit) the skills of Light's actor. This scene was so genuine, scarily accurate and resembled that of the anime greatly. It kept me sitting on the edge of my chair and holding my breath for as long as it lasted. I think my heart might have stopped beating. And yet, as explosive as the performance was, it never looked fake or overplayed.

Someone give this man an oscar.

After Light falls into nothingness, Ryuk says a few words and leaves, making room for the complete cast, who return to the stage to sing a requiem for the Great Kira who is no more. This last piece is haunting and stays with you a while after the play is over.

Here is a promotional video of the musical:

And rehearsal:

And highlights:

Needless to say, I was unable to function properly for the rest of the day, and now, a week later, I still haven't completely recovered and suspect I may never. Only now do I fully realize just how much my life was changed by this anime. I am so thankful for it.

And so I think...

No matter how much I hate him for being responsible for L's death, I have always found Light's death hard to stomach. As far as I am concerned, to claim that he did not completely deserve this would be a blatant lie, and yet, though I think pity would be wasted on him, I can't help but think of what a great man he could have become. By no means does this excuse the countless murders he caused, of course. My beliefs do not lead me to think that he should be forgiven for his crimes. It is true that power can change a person and most of us are not above its influence, and yet...

This makes me wonder, despite how good of a person he seemed prior to finding the Death Note, if there wasn't something terribly wrong with Light from the beginning. There are so many interesting theories out there and one of the main reasons why I love this series so much is its depth and symbolism, the intricacy of its plot and the complexity of the questions it raises. 

Death Note is a brilliant series that everyone should explore at least once in their life. As for me, this was not the first time, and will definitely not be the last. I will never forget this day.

Would see again and again and again.