It's Time You Saw Some Of Death Note's Famous Musical

Later this year, the U.S. will see itself brought deeper into Death Note when the series has its [...]

Later this year, the U.S. will see itself brought deeper into Death Note when the series has its live-action debut on Netflix. Adam Wingard was put in-charge of directing the spectacle, and fans have given mixed reactions to the feature so far. Plenty of fans are hesitant about the movie's westernized take, but the movie has also shined some much-deserved light on the thrilling franchise. In the last month, fans have started to dig up lesser-known facts about the Death Note franchise.

So, yes - it is true. Death Note also has a musical, and it's a rather good one to boot.

For anime newcomers, the idea of a series being adapted into a stage play may be weird, but Japan has embraced the idea of anime musicals. Various productions have been made for series such as Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, and more. Attack on Titan was even supposed to get a stage play, but the affair was recently canceled after a performer died during rehearsals.

As for Death Note, the beloved series was adapted into a musical back in April 2015 after being announced two years prior. The play's score was done by Frank Wildhorn who is best known for his composition work on Jekyll & Hyde. Jack Murphy oversaw lyrics while Ivan Menchell penned its story. The overall production was based on the manga/anime created by Tsugumi Ohba which follows two protagonists named Light and L.

To date, the show has come to South Korea at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center. An English concept album for the play was also recording in America with English lyrics, but plans for an off-Broadway take on Death Note: The Musical have yet to be announced.

To date, Death Note: The Musical remains one of Japan's most successful play adaptations of an anime. Fans and critics were impressed by the project's diverse soundtrack, but the musical's set left much to be desire. Critics bemoaned the story's desire to fit 12 manga volumes into a 2.5 hour show.

death-note-musical-Screen Shot 2017-04-27 at 4.03.25 PM
(Photo: Shueisha )

If you are curious about Death Note: The Musical, then you can check out the above commercial which features a sizzle reel of the project. HoriPro created the advert to promote the project's rerun which will come back to Japan in September.

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