Social Media Is Not Reacting Well To Netflix’s ‘Death Note’

Movies by Tae Hong
(Netflix's "Death Note")

Netflix is adapting “Death Note,” the popular Japanese manga of the same name, into a live-action film…and it’s cast non-Asian actors in the leading roles and tweaked character names.

A trailer for the film, to be released in August, was released Wednesday. It shows Nat Wolff (“The Fault in Our Stars”) as Light, who in the original series has the last name Yagami but who in this adaptation is a Turner; Keith Stanfield (“Straight Outta Compton”) as L; Margaret Qualley (“The Leftovers”) as Mia Sutton, who is otherwise known to longtime manga fans as Misa Amane; and Willem Dafoe, who will voice the death spirit Ryuk.

The only Asian faces on the cast are Paul Nakauchi, playing L’s assistant, and Masi Oka, of “Heroes” fame.

The story surrounds Light, a young student who finds a mysterious notebook with the power to kill anyone whose name is written into its pages.

Hollywood has long faced widespread criticism for whitewashing Asian characters and stories. The most recent example is the Scarlett Johansson-led “Ghost in the Shell,” also adapted from a Japanese manga.

That’s not including the backlash directed at the streaming giant this year for its Marvel series “Iron Fist,” for which fans had advocated for an Asian American actor, but who instead received Finn Jones, in a role that many criticize for espousing the white savior trope.

Here’s a look at some Twitter reactions to the trailer:

 

Up Next
Latest News