NYCC: ‘Death Note: The Musical’ Delivers the Manga Through a New Medium

Notetakers, there’s another way to interact with your favorite Death Note characters (and it’s not through the manga, anime, or two live-action films). This time, fans can follow Ryuk, Light, L, Rem, Misa, Sayu, and Soichiro’s dark adventures in a musical format. At New York Comic Con (NYCC), fans of the manga had a chance to learn more about the production and hear some of the music live during the Death Note: The Musical panel, presented by Playbill.

Death Note: The Musical is based on the Japanese manga series Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The stage show includes arcs, lines, and locations from the manga and anime. 

Some of the creative team behind the stage production are familiar with adapting anime titles to musical theater productions, including Frank Wildhorn, who wrote the score. Death Note: The Musical features lyrics by Jack Murphy, a book by Ivan Menchell, and orchestrations and arrangements by Jason Howland. Now, Death Note-lovers can continue to immerse themselves in the Death Note universe.  

While the musical first premiered in Japan in 2015, and a Korean production recently won Best Musical at the 2022 Korea Musical Awards, the English-language debut recently took place in London. The production in London featured Adam Pascal as Ryuk, Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Light, Dean John Wilson as L, Aimie Atkinson as Rem, Frances Mayli McCann as Misa, Rachel Clare Chan as Sayu, and Christian Ray Marbella as Soichiro.

If you’re a huge fan of Death Note but not super familiar with musicals, you’ll be pleased to know that those names have extended experience in bringing characters to life on stage. 

The NYCC panel featured Adam Pascal (Ryuk), Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Light), and Dean John Wilson (L). Book writer Ivan Menchell, producer Jamie Chapman Dixon, producer Yuzo Kajiyama, and his translator also attended the panel. 

The English-language debut of Death Note: The Musical was originally slated to have two concert-style performances at the London Palladium, but ticket sales resulted in an additional six performances at London’s Lyric Theatre in September. Death Note: The Musical in Concert concluded with 9 total performances.

At NYCC, the panelists noted that the merchandise for the musical often sold out during the performances. They also mentioned that several fans cosplayed as their favorite Death Note character at the London concert premiere, and there’s no doubt that Death Note-lovers in different cities would do the same. 

During the panel, the book writer and producers acknowledged the weight of the task. Turning a well-loved, complex manga and anime into a live stage show is not an easy thing to do. However, they made it clear that staying true to the source material and producing a musical that Death Note fans will love was a top priority. 

Of course, it’s difficult to wrap numerous stories and arcs from 12 volumes of manga into two acts. As a result, Ivan Menchell stated during the panel that the ending he created for the musical received approval from the creators of the original manga. For all you manga fans, you understand the importance of this confirmation!

Panel attendees were treated to a peak into Death Note: The Musical, as the actors portraying Ryuk, Light, and L in the stage show sang previews of two songs in the production.

At NYCC, the Playbill Store booth featured Death Note: The Musical merchandise, sold exclusively through Playbill. Hats, posters, T-shirts, and buttons showcasing the iconic apple and the title of the production are featured in the collection. 

At the moment, the next step in Death Note: The Musical’s journey is a concept album. The 17-track album will be released by Ghostlight Records and feature the vocalists from the Palladium concert. A release date has yet to be revealed. 

Until then, you can find Death Note: The Musical merch at the link below and contemplate what you would do if you came face-to-face with Ryuk.