Movie

The Manga adaptation starring Nat Wolff is swamped with backlash from anime fans for having all-white cast members.

• Mar 23, 2017

AceShowbiz - Netflix comes under fire over its anime adaptation "Death Note". Backlash is flooding the internet soon after a teaser trailer is released. Just like Manga adaptation "Ghost in the Shell" which is slammed for casting Scarlett Johansson as a female lead, "Death Note" is also criticized for having an all-white cast.

"Without the Japanese setting Death Note is just another story about a white boy serial killer," a fan tweeted. Another commented, "Yes, #DeathNote could be set in Seattle. But would it be so hard to cast an Asian actor? Seriously. #whitewashing." A similar criticism read, "It's an AMERICAN version. YEAH as if Japanese American people don't exist. Because being American means they HAVE to be white."

While the original story revolves around a Japanese high schooler, the live-action version centers on a Seattle teen named Light Turner played by Nat Wolff. He discovers a supernatural notebook through which he could kill a person simply by writing down the person's name, and so decides to use it to clean the world from criminals.

The project was originally developed by Warner Brothers, but now it will exclusively premiere on Netflix on August 25. Shea Whigham, Margaret Qualley and Willem Dafoe are among the cast members.

It's not the first time Netflix is accused of whitewashing. The streaming service is also criticized for casting a white actor, Finn Jones, for "Marvel's Iron Fist".

without the Japanese setting Death Note is just another story about a white boy serial killer

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— shampainpoppy (@thoneycombs) March 22, 2017

Yes, #DeathNote could be set in Seattle. But would it be so hard to cast an Asian actor? Seriously. #whitewashing

— Ruthanne Reid (@RuthanneReid) March 22, 2017

~Death Note. "It's an AMERICAN version" YEAH as if Japanese American people don't exist. Because being American means they HAVE to be white.

— ⚔️LIS⚔️ (@aqilahnaqlis) March 22, 2017

after seeing the death note trailer pic.twitter.com/wxguv8JUrW

— Reb ✨ (@serinide) March 22, 2017