Netflix managed to once more leap straight into the centre of a major whitewashing debate with its latest original film, an adaptation of the insanely popular manga, Death Note.
Netflix’s Death Note, however, is a westernised adaptation in the vein of the US version of The Ring or The Grudge, completely relocating the action to Seattle.
After its release in 2003, Death Note became a huge hit both locally and across the globe; in Japan, it spawned an anime series, four live-action Japanese films, a TV drama, and even a musical.
Furthermore, it’s yet to be seen how Netflix’s Death Note will handle the Willem Dafoe-voiced Ryuk, who in the original manga is a Shinigami, a death spirit particular to Japanese religion and culture; will he remain a Shinigami in the new adaptation?