'Death Note' Is Missing One Of The Anime's Best Scenes
08/28/2017 05:58 pm EDT
If you are a fan of the Death Note anime, then you likely heard Netflix just took its own stab at the franchise. The streaming site released its live-action adaptation of Death Note over the weekend, but its reception has been mixed at best. And, like many expected, the gritty film failed to include one of the anime's most famous scenes.
For better or worse, director Adam Wingard made the executive decision to cut out Death Note's infamous 'Potato Chip' scene. Casual fans may not be aware of the heralded clip, but longtime otakus will be very familiar with the Death Note staple - and it's time fans talked about it.
As you can see above, the Death Note scene is an odd one to say at the least. The overly dramatic clip focuses on Light Yagami as the high school student orchestrates his murders from his bedroom. With the police and L looking over his shoulder, Light uses his genius intellect to find a way around the observation put upon him, and the boy finds reprieve in a bag of salty potato chips.
No, really.
The 'Potato Chip' scene shows Light as he opens a bag of tamped snacks to find a miniature TV hidden amongst some crisps.
"I already have deaths written in the Death Note for up to three weeks from now, but L knows that Kira can control the time of death," Light notes.
Since he knows he's under investigation, the boy wants to off criminals in the present; If the deaths occur while Light is under observation, the boy will shake off L's scrutiny so long as he looks innocent. The scene is a smart one that illustrates just how meticulous Light truly is, but its over-the-top cinematography and soundtrack prompted the scene to become a meme.
Death Note chose to leave out the ever-popular scene, but fans should not be surprised by the omission. The 'Potato Chip' scene is a campy one that doesn't translate well to Western entertainment standards, but its loss did have one major consequence in Death Note. The film failed to establish Light Turner as a character capable of carrying out a sophisticated murder pact because his intellect wasn't shown to be prodigal one. The Death Note franchise hooked fans because its sociopathic lead was as intelligent as he was misguided; However, Netflix's take on the murderer just painted Light as an ideological misfit.
What if you had the power to decide who lives and who dies? We suggest you obey the rules. Based on the famous Japanese manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, Death Note follows a high school student who comes across a supernatural notebook, realizing it holds within it a great power; if the owner inscribes someone's name into it while picturing their face, he or she will die. Intoxicated with his new godlike abilities, the young man begins to kill those he deems unworthy of life.
Death Note is available on Netflix now. Give the film your personal rating below!
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