"Death Note: Light Up The New World" is the fourth live-action adaptation of popular Japanese manga, "Death Note". It was released in Japan last October 26 and has raked around $4.47 million dollars on its opening week. "Death Note: Light Up The New World" beat out the anime film "your name" which was the top film for nine consecutive weeks.
"Death Note; Light Up The New World" is set ten years after the events of the second live-action adaptation, "Death Note 2: The Last Name". In the 2016 live-action adaptation of "Death Note", there are three main leads, Tsukuru Mishima(Masahiro Higashide), Ryuzaki(Sosuke Ikematsu) and Yuki Shien (Masaki Suda). Tsukuru Mishima is a police officer who has to work with the successor of L, Ryuzaki, in order to stop cyber-terrorist and so-called successor of Kira/Light Yagami, Yuki Shien.
The whole premise of "Death Note: Light Up The New World" revolves around the "Death Note" rule that only a total of six death notes can be present in the world. The three main leads scramble to find the six death notes first. Conflicts arise between Tsukuru Mishima and Rhyuzaki, although working on the same side, and Yuki Shien who would do anything to get the six death notes.
Of course, some of the death notes falls into the hands of people with questionable character who commit mass murders just on their whims. Erika Toda, Nakamura Shido II and Miyuki Sawashiro reprises their roles as Misa Amane, the voice actor for Shinigami Ryuk and voice actress for Shinigami Arma respectively. Kenichi Matsuyama and Tatsuya Fujiwara makes a cameo as their characters L and Kira/Light Yagami respectively.
"Death Note: Light Up The New World" is a fast-paced and exciting movie. It was able to bring the "Death Note" franchise into the modern and technology-dependent society of today. The inclusion of Wall Street and the threat of the Kira Virus attest to that.
The one thing that "Death Note: Light Up The New World" lacks is the intellectual machinations and intrigues that is classic to "Death Note". Ryuzaki and Yuki Shien, although unique on their own, doesn't really live up to being the successors of L and Kira/Light Yagami respectively.
The improvement on the look and feel of the Shinigamis reflect how far computer graphics technology has come. It is a great addition to the "Death Note" franchise. The overall look and feel of "Death Note: Light Up The New World" is modern and clean, very Japanese.
Overall, "Death Note: Light Up The New World" is a great movie on its own. With its connection to the "Death Note" franchise, the original fans of the "Death Note" manga, anime and the previous live-action adaptations would surely boost its popularity. It is also a great way for new fans to discover "Death Note".
