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Death Note: The Musical

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Death Note: The Musical
Poster for the 2015 Japanese production
MusicFrank Wildhorn
LyricsJack Murphy
BookIvan Menchell
BasisDeath Note
by Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata
Productions2014 Demo album
2015 Tokyo
2015 Seoul
2017 Seoul
2017 Tokyo
2017 Taichung
2020 Tokyo
2021 Moscow (concert)
2022 Seoul
2022 Rio de Janeiro
2023 Seoul (Encore)
2023 London
2024 Rio de Janeiro (concert)
2025 Seoul

Death Note: The Musical is a musical based on the Japanese manga series of the same name by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Jack Murphy and book by Ivan Menchell.

Development for the musical was announced in December 2013.[1] The musical had its world premiere on April 6, 2015, at the Nissay Theatre in Tokyo, Japan, with a Korean production opening the following July, running through August, at the Opera House of Seongnam Arts Center in Seoul.[2]

Plot

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Act I

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Light Yagami is a brilliant high school student living in Tokyo, Japan, who harbors a deep disdain for criminals and the perceived failures of the justice system. In class, he openly voices his frustration to his law professor, prompting his classmates to rally behind his impassioned critique of societal injustice ("Where Is the Justice?"). Meanwhile, two Shinigami—Ryuk and Rem—converse in the realm of death, lamenting the frailty and insignificance of humanity. Seeking amusement, Ryuk drops a supernatural notebook known as the Death Note into the human world ("They're Only Human").

Light discovers the notebook on the street and, initially treating it as a joke, writes the name of a criminal who is currently holding a group of children hostage (“Change the World”). When the criminal dies exactly as described, Light is initially horrified—yet this shock quickly gives way to resolve. Driven by his hatred of criminals, he decides to use the Death Note to eliminate crime entirely, initiating a global wave of mysterious deaths that soon draws the attention of law enforcement (“Hurricane”). In response, Soichiro Yagami, Light’s father and the chief of Japan’s National Police Agency, reluctantly proposes enlisting the aid of the enigmatic and unconventional detective known only as L.

While examining the Death Note in his bedroom, Light is confronted by Ryuk, who reveals himself as the notebook’s original owner. Ryuk explains that he will eventually write Light’s name in the Death Note when his time comes, and that only those who have touched the notebook can see him—an assertion demonstrated when Light’s younger sister, Sayu, enters the room, completely unaware of Ryuk's presence. After she leaves, Light confides his ambition to eliminate all those he deems morally unworthy of life, thus becoming the world’s savior. He shows Ryuk online forums where the public has begun celebrating the killings under the moniker "Kira," derived from the English word "killer." Amused, Ryuk notes that he did not choose Light for this role, having dropped the notebook purely out of boredom ("Kira").

Shortly thereafter, Light and Sayu attend a concert by popular idol Misa Amane, who dedicates her performance to Kira ("I'm Ready"). When Sayu later confesses her belief that Kira’s actions are wrong, Light asks what she would say if she ever met him. He is taken aback when she replies that she would urge him to stop killing and instead follow her brother’s example. Meanwhile, Misa reflects on her admiration for Kira, whom she views as a heroic figure (“We All Need a Hero”).

The next day, Light watches an international broadcast in which L publicly challenges Kira and vows to capture him. Light immediately writes the man’s name in the Death Note—only to discover that the appearance was a ruse. The man dies, and L’s true voice reveals that the victim was a condemned criminal used as a decoy. L concludes the broadcast by deducing that Kira resides in Japan’s Kantō region, privately acknowledging that his adversary is likely a high school student (“The Game Begins”). Shaken by having fallen into the trap, Light questions Ryuk about the extent to which the Death Note allows manipulation of a victim’s death.

Soichiro later enters Light’s room and discusses the investigation, mentioning L’s deduction that Kira’s killing schedule aligns with that of a student. He expresses moral discomfort with L’s willingness to sacrifice a stand-in during the broadcast and urges Light to act with righteousness, unaware that his own son is Kira (“There Are Lines”).

As L continues his investigation, he deduces that Kira requires both a name and a face to kill. Light, aware that Ryuk can see people’s names and lifespans, asks him to reveal L’s identity should they ever meet. Ryuk instead offers Light his own "Shinigami Eyes" in exchange for half of his remaining lifespan. Light refuses the deal and alters the pattern of killings to imply a connection between Kira and the police, forcing L to scrutinize his own task force. Confident that the investigators will attempt to uncover L’s identity in retaliation, Light contemplates the outcome of their intellectual duel (“Secrets and Lies”).

A subsequent news report announces that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has dispatched agents to Japan. Light manages to identify one of them, Haley Belle, by exploiting information found on his fiancée’s social media accounts. Writing Belle's name in the Death Note, Light orchestrates a scenario in which the agent meets him at Shinjuku Station and is compelled to write the names of his fellow agents on a scrap of the Death Note before committing suicide (“Hurricane (Reprise)”).

When the deaths of the FBI agents become known, the task force is divided between its duty to apprehend Kira and fear for their own lives. Soichiro gives each member the option to withdraw from the investigation, leading one to resign (“Change the World (Reprise)”). From separate locations, Light and L observe the public’s growing support for Kira, as L renews his resolve to bring him to justice. The situation escalates further when a second Death Note falls from the sky and is discovered by Misa, who has narrowly escaped a stalker’s attack (“Where Is the Justice? (Reprise)”).

Act II

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As public adoration for Kira intensifies once more (“Where Is the Justice? (Reprise)”), Rem appears before Misa. She explains that the newly dropped Death Note belonged to another Shinigami, Gelus, who violated Shinigami law by saving Misa’s life from her stalker and consequently disintegrated into sand. Grateful that Kira avenged the murder of her parents, Misa pleads with a reluctant Rem to grant her the Shinigami Eyes so that she may aid him (“Mortals and Fools”).

At the same time, the task force confesses to Soichiro that they no longer fully trust L, suspecting that he himself may be Kira. L soon confronts them and presents his own suspect: Light Yagami. Determined to observe him closely, L meets Light at college, startling the young prodigy by revealing his identity. As the two quietly plot each other’s downfall, Misa records a new song that subtly proclaims her devotion to Kira (“Stalemate”). During the recording, she sends a message to a television station under the alias “the Second Kira,” requesting a meeting with the original Kira in Shibuya. While the message unsettles Light, Ryuk finds the situation amusing (“I’ll Only Love You More”). The broadcast also forces L to confront the seemingly impossible possibility that Shinigami exist (“The Way Things Are”).

The following day in Shibuya, the revelation of two Kiras is met with widespread enthusiasm, as the public hopes the pair will unite (“Where Is the Justice? (Reprise)”). Light and Misa meet in person and introduce their respective Shinigami to one another. When Misa offers her assistance in exchange for becoming Light’s girlfriend, Light manipulates her into revealing the name of a task force member tailing them, horrifying Rem. They agree to meet later on the college campus and depart, leaving Ryuk and Rem to reflect on the situation, with Ryuk cautioning Rem against growing emotionally attached to Misa (“Mortals and Fools (Reprise)”).

Elsewhere, L’s persistent accusations against Light spark a heated confrontation with Soichiro, which culminates in the revelation that the officer assigned to follow Light has committed suicide. Now convinced that the two Kiras are collaborating, L leaves Soichiro grappling with doubts about his son (“Honor Bound”).

Back at the university, L challenges Light to a tennis match, their psychological rivalry spilling into physical competition (“Playing His Game”). After Light wins, he presses L about his suspicions, at which point Misa arrives. Light introduces her to L, allowing Misa to see his true name (“Playing His Game (Reprise)”). However, before she can act on this knowledge, L has her arrested, having traced evidence on the envelope sent to the television station back to her. Blindfolded and restrained, Misa is interrogated and tortured in an attempt to force a confession, but she refuses. Appalled by L’s methods, Soichiro predicts that such cruelty will bring consequences and reiterates his faith in Light (“Borrowed Time”).

Rem visits Misa in captivity and offers to erase her memories of the Death Note, preventing her from implicating Light. Misa accepts, leaving Rem devastated by the cost of her decision (“When Love Comes”). Rem later confronts Light and Ryuk, where Light persuades her to write L’s name in the Death Note. Foreseeing the outcome, Rem agrees and arranges L’s death according to Light’s plan, sacrificing herself in the process to protect Misa.

With events set in motion, L meets Light at an abandoned warehouse on Daikoku Wharf (“The Way Things Are (Reprise)”). Upon arrival, L holds Light at gunpoint, prompting Light to confess his crimes and reveal both the Death Note and Ryuk. Believing he has secured victory, Light explains that Rem has already written L’s name in the Death Note (“The Way It Ends”). L shoots Light, but this proves to be part of Light’s strategy: he intends to convince Soichiro that L was Kira and attempted to murder him, allowing Light to assume control of the task force. Before succumbing to the Death Note’s effects, L warns that the game is not truly over and is compelled to commit suicide.

While Light proclaims his ultimate victory, Ryuk laments that life will return to a boring routine without L as a worthy adversary. Declaring the "game" complete, Ryuk writes Light’s name in the Death Note, just as the Shinigami had warned when they first met. Light pleads for his life, proclaiming himself the “God of the New World” before dying (“Hurricane (Reprise)”). Ryuk departs, remarking that everyone’s efforts were ultimately meaningless.

In an epilogue, we see the public mourn the loss of Kira. Soichiro and Sayu learn of Light's death, but never learn the truth about his fate. Elsewhere, Misa finds Rem’s remains and scatters them, marking the Shinigami’s death and bringing the story to a close (“Requiem”).

Productions

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Wildhorn was approached to write the musical back in 2013, and prior to this, he had not heard about the series until his son convinced him to accept.[3] The musical received a New York workshop in April 2014 in anticipation of the Tokyo premiere. The New York workshop cast included Andy Kelso, Robert Cuccioli and Adrienne Warren.[4] An English concept album was recorded in December 2014 featuring Jeremy Jordan as Light, Jarrod Spector as L, Eric Anderson as Ryuk, Carrie Manolakos as Rem, Michael Lanning as Soichiro, Adrienne Warren as Misa, and Laura Osnes as Sayu. Eight songs from the album were released online in early 2015. As of 2024, 19 songs have been released from this concept album.

The musical premiered on April 6, 2015, and ran until April 29, 2015, at the Nissay Theatre in Tokyo, with Kenji Urai and Hayato Kakizawa sharing the role of Light, Teppei Koike as L, Kotaro Yoshida as Ryuk, Fuka Yuduki as Misa, Megumi Hamada as Rem, Takeshi Kaga as Soichiro, and Ami Maeshima as Sayu.[5]

A Korean-language production ran in Seoul from July 11, 2015, to August 11, 2015. The cast featured Hong Kwang-ho as Light and Kim Junsu as L.

Another Korean production opened again at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center, running from January 3 to January 26, 2017. The majority of the actors from the 2015 production reprised their roles, save for the roles of Light and Misa; which were taken over by musical actor Han Ji-Sang, and pop singer, BEN.[needs update] It was announced that this production of Death Note would be Kim Junsu's last performance before he began his mandatory military service in the South Korean army. From July 21, 2017, to July 23, 2017, a short 4-show run was performed at the National Taichung Theater in Taichung, Taiwan featuring much of the cast from the Tokyo production, subtitled in Chinese.[6]

Another Japanese tour, which will act as a potential springboard for future international productions,[7] premiered on January 20, 2020, at the Toshima Ward Arts & Culture Theater in Tokyo. This production features Ryouta Murai and Shouma Kai as Light, Fu Takahashi as L, Sakura Kiryu as Misa, Eiji Yokota as Ryuk, Park Hye-na, reprising her role from the Korean productions, as Rem, Kiyotaka Imai as Soichiro, and Hirari Nishida as Sayu, and is directed by Tamiya Kuriyama, reprising his role from helming the previous Japanese and Korean productions.[8][9][10]

A Russian concert performance premiered on April 17, 2021, at the MIR Concert Hall, directed by Anton Presnov and Mariam Barskaya.[11]

In 2022, on April 1 to June 26, it was once again revived in Korea with some main cast members from the 2015 production reprising their roles. Hong Kwang-ho and Kim Junsu are joined by Ko Eun-sung as Light and Kim Sung-cheol as L.[12][13] The production received positive responses from audiences and was nominated for twelve awards at the 7th Korea Musical Awards, ultimately winning four. On February 5, 2023, a remount of the 2022 production was announced and ran from April 1 to June 18 at Charlotte Theatre, with all members of the cast returning to reprise their roles.[14]

A Brazilian academic adaptation started a run on July 20, 2022, at the Clara Nunes Theater, Rio de Janeiro.[15]

On May 24, 2023, a London production was announced. It was a concert staging at the London Palladium that ran from August 21 to the 22nd, becoming the first English production of the musical.[16] The cast featured Joaquin Pedro Valdes, Dean John-Wilson, and Frances Mayli McCann as Light, L, and Misa, respectively,[17] as well as Adam Pascal as Ryuk and Aimie Atkinson as Rem.[18] After its run at the London Palladium, the production transferred to the Lyric Theatre where it had a limited run from September 7 to the 10th.[19] Notable cast changes for the Lyric Theatre production included George Maguire replacing Pascal as Ryuk and Jessica Lee taking over for Mayli McCann as Misa.[20] A cast recording of the Palladium cast was announced in October 2023, with a release date yet to be announced.[21]

A concert production happened at Rio de Janeiro on February 29, 2024, once again at the Clara Nunes Theatre with part of the 2022 cast reprising their roles.

In April 2024, in an interview with WhatsOnStage during the press call for Your Lie in April, Wildhorn teased that Death Note, alongside Your Lie in April and his other show Fist of the North Star could receive full productions in the UK soon, followed shortly thereafter by a New York run.[22]

Songs

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[23]

Casts

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Role US Workshop (2014) US Concept Album (2014) Tokyo
(2015)
[24] 		Japan/Taiwan Tour (2017) Japan Tour (2020) Seoul (2015)
[25] 		Seoul
(2017)
[26] 		Seoul
(2022)
[27] 		Moscow (2021)[28][29] Rio de Janeiro (2022)[30] London Palladium/Lyric Theatre (2023)[17][31] Tokyo & Japan Tour (2025)
Light Yagami Andy Kelso Jeremy Jordan Kenji Urai, Hayato Kakizawa Ryouta Murai, Shouma Kai Hong Kwang-ho Han Ji-sang Hong Kwang-ho,
Ko Eun-sung 		Aleksandr Kazmin Paulo Mendes / Gustavo Daniel Joaquin Pedro Valdes Seishiro Kato, Ao Watanabe
L Drew Gehling Jarrod Spector Teppei Koike Fū Takahashi Kim Junsu Kim Junsu,
Kim Sung-cheol 		Yaroslav Bayarunas Arthur Salerno / Luiz Gustavo Lopes Dean John-Wilson / Carl Lee (alternate) Hiroki Miura
Ryuk Eric Anderson Kōtarō Yoshida Kazutaka Ishii Eiji Yokota Kang Hong-seok Kang Hong-seok,
Seo Kyung-soo 		Kirill Gordeev Júlia Perré / Bernardo Mastena Adam Pascal / George Maguire Kenji Urai
Rem Jackie Burns Carrie Manolakos Megumi Hamada Park Hye-na Kim Sun-young,
Jang Eun-ah 		Elena Gazaeva Gabriela Barbosa / Isabela Canle Aimie Atkinson Megumi Hamada
Misa Adrienne Warren Fuka Yuduki Sakura Kiryu Jung Sun-ah Ben Kei,
Jang Min-je 		Vera Sveshnikova Yasmin Ziganshin / Anna Paula Guimarães Frances Mayli McCann / Jessica Lee Riho Sayashi
Soichiro Robert Cuccioli Michael Lanning Takeshi Kaga Tetsuya Bessho Kiyotaka Imai Lee Jong-moon Seo Young-ju Seo Beom-seok Aleksandr Marakulin Davi Garnier / Gabriel Villas Boas Christian Rey Marbella Kiyotaka Imai
Sayu Laura Osnes Ami Maeshima Karin Takahashi Hirari Nishida Lee Su-bin Ryu In-ah Evdokiya Malevskaya Camila Duarte / Rayssa Gomes Rachel Clare Chan Riko (from HUNNY BEE)

Critical response

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The musical was one of the most highly anticipated musicals of the year in Japan and Korea. The Korean production received positive reviews from critics. Hong Kwang-ho and Kim Junsu were universally praised for their "powerhouse voices" and "brilliant, subtle acting;" while Park Hye-na and Kang Hong-suk, as the Shinigami Ryuk and Rem, were praised for "practically stealing the show." Wildhorn's score was also praised, while the story was criticized for trying to cram 12 volumes of the manga into a two-and-a-half hour musical. The staging was also criticized for being very simplistic and lacking in visual spectacle.[32]

The London concert production received positive reviews from critics for its cast, music, and set design but was criticized for fast pacing and technical issues.[33]

Sources

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  1. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (2013-12-16). "Death Note Is Being Turned into a Musical". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  2. ^ Davis, Lauren (2015-02-27). "Death Note Is Now A Musical, And Here Are The First English Songs". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  3. ^ Hernon, Matthew (2015-04-02). "Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn brings life to hit manga 'Death Note' on stage". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  4. ^ Hetrick, Adam (2014-04-17). "Frank Wildhorn Musical Death Note Has NYC Reading With Andy Kelso, Robert Cuccioli and Adrienne Warren Prior to Japanese Premiere". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2022-05-31.
  5. ^ Death Note: The Musical Cast Archived 2016-03-16 at archive.today the-newshub.com
  6. ^ "臺中國家歌劇院 National Taichung Theater". en.npac-ntt.org. Archived from the original on 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
  7. ^ Tanaka, Yukari (2020-01-10). "Yoshitaka Hori: The man on a mission to export Japanese musicals". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  8. ^ Steen, Emma (2019-11-20). "'Death Note: The Musical' makes a comeback in January 2020". TimeOut. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  9. ^ Mateo, Alex (2019-08-05). "Death Note Musical 2020 Unveils New Visual". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  10. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (2020-01-20). "Check Out Photos from Death Note The Musical 2020 with All-new Cast Members". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  11. ^ "ПЦ "Пентаграмма"". pentagramltd.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  12. ^ "Kim Junsu, Kim Sung Cheol, Lovelyz's Kei, And More Cast In Musical "Death Note"". soompi.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  13. ^ "'Death Note' the musical reveals the full cast lineup including Kei and Junsu". allkpop.com. 23 January 2022. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  14. ^ "뮤지컬 '데스노트' 앵콜 공연 확정…"이영미, 장지후 등 뉴캐스트 합류"". sctoday.co.kr. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  15. ^ "'Death Note: O Musical' chega ao Rio de Janeiro em julho". JBox (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2022-05-23. Archived from the original on 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  16. ^ Gans, Andrew (2023-05-24). "Frank Wildhorn's Death Note: The Musical to Play 2 Concerts at London Palladium". Playbill. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  17. ^ a b Wood, Alex (2023-06-01). "Death Note musical announces lead casting for European premiere". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  18. ^ Millward, Tom (2023-07-23). "Death Note The Musical – final casting revealed". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  19. ^ Gans, Andrew (2023-07-28). "Following Palladium Concerts, Death Note the Musical Will Transfer to London's Lyric". Playbill. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  20. ^ Wood, Alex (2023-08-21). "Death Note musical announces full casting for Lyric Theatre run". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  21. ^ Gans, Andrew (October 3, 2023). "Death Note the Musical Cast Album, With Adam Pascal, Joaquin Pedro Valdes, More, to Be Released by Ghostlight". Playbill. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  22. ^ "Frank Wildhorn on Death Note, Your Lie in April, and more Manga musicals". YouTube. WhatsOnStage. 5 April 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  23. ^ Ivan Menchell [@ivanmenchell] (17 March 2017). "@KylaraEris here you go. #deathnotemusical musical numbers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  24. ^ 2015 Japanese Cast Archived 2016-03-16 at archive.today the-newshub.com
  25. ^ 2015 Korean Cast Archived 2015-12-17 at the Wayback Machine iamkoream.com
  26. ^ "데스노트". PlayDB (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  27. ^ "뮤지컬 데스노트 (The Musical Death Note)". Interpark (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  28. ^ 2021 Death Note: The Concert
  29. ^ "«Тетрадь смерти» в «Мире»: концертная версия мюзикла". musecube (in Russian). 2021-04-22. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  30. ^ "'Death Note: O Musical' mostra que a série ainda tem fôlego no Brasil | Artigo". JBox (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2022-07-27. Archived from the original on 2022-08-01. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  31. ^ Wild, Stephi. "Adam Pascal, Aimie Atkinson, and More Join the Cast of DEATH NOTE THE MUSICAL In Concert". Broadway World. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
  32. ^ Mee-yoo, Kwon (2015-07-01). "Hong, Kim clash in 'Death Note' musical". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  33. ^ Al-Hassan, Aliya (2023-08-22). "Review Roundup: What Did the Critics Think of DEATH NOTE THE MUSICAL, in Concert at the London Palladium?". Retrieved 2023-09-22.
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