Tuesday, June 03, 2008
U.S. Death Note Remake? A Good Idea!
There's gonna be a lot of groaning in fandom over the inevitable move to remake Death Note in the U.S.A.
An overachieving Japanese teenager finds the notebook of a death god and uses it to kill criminals and purify this world of "evil". Kira (as in Killer) is the name he is given on the internet. The international community dispatches "L", a brilliant, but eccentric young detective to stop him and the series becomes a battle of wits between the two geniuses.
I read the 12 volume manga after being too impatient to wait once a week for the episodes of the anime on Cartoon Network (now just about on it's final story arc). While I enjoyed both comicbook and cartoon versions (and kinda/sorta the live action Japanese movies), I couldn't help but look at the premise of Death Note with an American perspective.
There were questions that were ignored in the series that I think couldn't/wouldn't be overlooked by a western writer.
Chief among those is the fact that Kira cannot discern the guilty from the innocent (most of the time). He simply kills those who are accused of crimes. The series never shows us the consequences of wrongful deaths (unless you count those who gets in his way). Anti-Kira commentators and police all seem concerned about nothing but the rule of law, not so much about the abuse of power. The pro-Kira folk, nothing but justice. It's a type of simplicity that can only work in Japanese comics, with Steve Ditko (Mr. A) being a remotely possible American exception.
Also, the idea that western governments (particularly the U.S.) would publicly oppose Kira at first, doesn't work, when you consider that (openly) opposing the death penalty is not feasible for politicians running for President. Of course, no government wants to be under the threat of Kira. No effort would be spared in attempting to stop him (quietly), lest they find themselves judged for foreign policy initiatives and other perceived evils.
Fixing these issues doesn't mean the finished product won't suck, though. One never knows till the deed is done.
And can we keep Sara Michelle Gellar away from this? Please? Surely there's other types of movies she could be making.
An overachieving Japanese teenager finds the notebook of a death god and uses it to kill criminals and purify this world of "evil". Kira (as in Killer) is the name he is given on the internet. The international community dispatches "L", a brilliant, but eccentric young detective to stop him and the series becomes a battle of wits between the two geniuses.
I read the 12 volume manga after being too impatient to wait once a week for the episodes of the anime on Cartoon Network (now just about on it's final story arc). While I enjoyed both comicbook and cartoon versions (and kinda/sorta the live action Japanese movies), I couldn't help but look at the premise of Death Note with an American perspective.
There were questions that were ignored in the series that I think couldn't/wouldn't be overlooked by a western writer.
Chief among those is the fact that Kira cannot discern the guilty from the innocent (most of the time). He simply kills those who are accused of crimes. The series never shows us the consequences of wrongful deaths (unless you count those who gets in his way). Anti-Kira commentators and police all seem concerned about nothing but the rule of law, not so much about the abuse of power. The pro-Kira folk, nothing but justice. It's a type of simplicity that can only work in Japanese comics, with Steve Ditko (Mr. A) being a remotely possible American exception.
Also, the idea that western governments (particularly the U.S.) would publicly oppose Kira at first, doesn't work, when you consider that (openly) opposing the death penalty is not feasible for politicians running for President. Of course, no government wants to be under the threat of Kira. No effort would be spared in attempting to stop him (quietly), lest they find themselves judged for foreign policy initiatives and other perceived evils.
Fixing these issues doesn't mean the finished product won't suck, though. One never knows till the deed is done.
And can we keep Sara Michelle Gellar away from this? Please? Surely there's other types of movies she could be making.
Labels: Anime, comics, japanese, movies
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I don't doubt Gellar's skills as an actress. I'll admit to being a Buffy fan. But being known as the go-to girl for remakes of Japanese thrillers can't be doing her career any favors, can it? She should do some indie films. Stretch out a little. But what do I know?
That said, there are a couple of Death Note roles she could do justice to, including Kira's spokeswoman/ex-girlfriend or Raye Pember's (sp?) fiancee. And she does kinda look like Mello. A little.
That said, there are a couple of Death Note roles she could do justice to, including Kira's spokeswoman/ex-girlfriend or Raye Pember's (sp?) fiancee. And she does kinda look like Mello. A little.
I agree, she could do one of those roles, I think penber's fiance espeially beacause she is more troubled than kira's gf, and is a more suitable role, because gellar has a tendency to play less happy-go-lucky people,(imediatly eliminates misa) and that tendency suits her well
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