How Netflix’s Atrocious Whitewashing Ruined Stranger Things Star Finn Wolfhard’s Favorite Anime
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is out now on Netflix, with Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler. The role has opened up many roles for him, including Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. In a 2022 interview with Wired, alongside the legendary director, Wolfhard reveals that his favorite anime is Death Note. However, he might not be pleased with what Netflix has done to it.
Adam Wingard directed the 2017 live-action adaptation of Death Note for Netflix. Unfortunately, it did not stick to the source, written by Tsugumi Ohba. It completely changed the races of the characters, erasing the Asian representation it could’ve brought to Hollywood with the original characters. It also failed to capture what made Death Note so thrilling.
Netflix’s Live-Action Death Note Was an Insult to the Original
As soon as the 2017 movie’s cast was revealed, Death Note fans knew it would be a disaster. First, the setting changed to Seattle, Washington, rather than Tokyo, Japan. This was expected by Netflix, which hadn’t fully figured out the live-action formula. The main cast, however, didn’t consist of Asian or Asian-American actors.
Nat Wolff was chosen to play the protagonist and anti-hero, Light Yagami, but his name was changed to Light Turner. His personality was nothing like Light’s ruthlessness and sociopathic tendencies, which was another strike, apart from erasing his Asian roots. Moreover, they chose LaKeith Stanfield to play his rival and iconic detective, L, an African-American actor.
It’s almost as if Netflix wanted to fill the quota of actors who are people of color, but refused to cast an Asian-American in a prominent role. Even Light’s love interest, Misa Amane, is changed to Mia Sutton, who emulates Light Yagami’s true personality and manipulates Wolff’s character instead. The only cast member who was Japanese was Watari. Here’s the full cast of Death Note:
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CharacterName in the 2017 Live-ActionActor/ActressLight YagamiLight TurnerNat WolffL/L Lawliet L/Lebensborn AtubiaLaKeith StanfieldMisa AmaneMia SuttonMargaret QualleySoichiro Yagami James TurnerShea WhighamWatari/Quillsh WammyWatariPaul Nakauchi RyukRyukWillem Dafoe
Other than Paul Nakauchi’s Watari, the closest casting to the original is Willem Dafoe’s Ryuk. Still, it doesn’t make sense for Netflix to create a localized version of Death Note and then retain the Japanese mythology aspect, which only complicates the lore.
Wingard could’ve made an American movie inspired by the manga and written an incredible suspense thriller. Most of these actors have excelled in thriller roles, specifically Qualley in The Substance and Stanfield in Get Out, The Changeling, and Knives Out. However, the 2017 movie deliberately isolates Asian actors from representing their own story, a phenomenon that has happened too often.
Will the Stranger Things Creators Do Justice to Death Note?
Light Yagami and L from Death Note. [Credit: Madhouse]
The creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers (who consist of twin brothers, Matt and Ross), launched their production company, Upside Down Pictures, in July 2022 following Season 4’s premiere. The duo planned several new projects, including a live-action television adaptation of Death Note.
Now that Season 5 has begun, and Stranger Things is coming to a close, we will likely hear more about the adaptation. So far, the only news is that Halia Abdel-Meguid is the writer. Recently, the Duffer Brothers also signed a 4-year deal with Paramount Pictures, and they will be exiting Netflix in April 2026.
Thus, Death Note will at least be safe from Netflix’s clutches. The bar isn’t high for the adaptation. Most Death Note fans just don’t want to see the 2017 movie’s mistakes repeated. It would be great to see Asian representation in the main cast, while keeping Death Note’s brilliance intact. Regardless, it’s best to keep expectations low as the series could be a hit or a massive miss.
What did you think of the 2017 Death Note movie? Was it as bad as fans think it is, or an overreaction? Let us know in the comments below!
Death Note can currently be streamed on Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll.
