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All the latest information about Death Note: reports, gossip, releases, analyses, speculation and discussion.

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Light Yagami - Hero or Villain? Analysis and Discussion (Guest Video by Riconius)

18/2/2016

1 Comment

 

We know Ricardo Arechiga as the erstwhile director of the movie Lawliet.  But in another life, he has a YouTube presence too - hosting a Channel discussing cartoons and other points of popular culture - under the moniker Riconius. 

Created for - and inspired by - Month of Light Yagami on Death Note News, here is Riconius vlogging his thoughts in analysis of whether Kira should be considered a hero or villain.

Watching Riconius at Work - How Editor Matti Glimpsed it Happening

Riconius Channel on YouTube talking about Light Yagami for Death Note News' Month  of Kira
YouTube Channel - Riconius: Cartoons and Stuff.
We've had a great deal of wonderful contributions to Death Note News during our Kira-centric inaugural Month of... event.  So many people have jumped on board, leaving us quite stunned and extraordinarily delighted back here.

From the least to the highest effort - in terms of talent, research or sheer hard work - there's nothing to choose between them all. We have no favouritism. They are equally amazing; on a par in eliciting thankfulness from all writers, translators and organisers here.

However, I have to admit that it was truly exciting to receive content from this latest participant in Month of Light Yagami. Thrilling to behold the process unravelling.

For no better reason than was there, peeping in over his cyber shoulder from the sidelines of Skype, as he researched, recorded, edited and mixed.

Yesterday, Lawliet director Ricardo Arechiga heard about our event for the first time. He was happy for us and wandered away to look at the archived collection of articles so far.  Heads up given, job done, I returned to work preparing for publication the next raft of content coming your way, thinking nothing more about it.  But then Rico was back. He was inspired. Really inspired. He was going to join in.

Through occasional comments passed back and forth via Skype, I witnessed that spark turn into ideas; whittled down into a plan. Then stayed on throughout a (coincidentally) joint all-nighter, wherein his Light Yagami: Hero or Villain vlog gradually came together.  A truly fascinating thing to watch appear piecemeal in cryptic messages - 'just laying down the audio', 'doing the visuals', 'rendering' - when its not a process with which I'm familiar.

The buzz was infectious. When the link came in, I settled back with snacks and deep anticipation to play it.  Like my computer chair and desk were transformed now into front row seats at a theatrical première.  It was indeed fabulous to view completed; one long night after first hearing a musing notion that it might come.

I do hope I haven't over-hyped it.  But I doubt that.   If you haven't already seen it, above is Riconius's opinion driven vlog - analysing Kira's culpability, morality and how we might perceive his actions overall.  Enjoy it.  I did immensely.

Created as part of

Death Note Month of Light Yagami
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Death Note Lawliet Film on Official Hiatus

4/6/2015

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Apologies for the late notice on this one - I've known about it since receiving a heads up on May 22nd. But better late telling you than never, eh?
Lawliet Short Movie Picture
The headline pretty much says all there is to know about the current status of Lawliet - a short Death Note movie hitherto in production over on the US West Coast.

An exploration of L's character, motivation and mindset on the eve of him taking on the Kira case, filmed as live action with Ray Evangelista in the eponymous role.

This project is (or was) the brainchild of Ricardo Arechiga, who kindly came to tell us all about it last September.  When life is slightly less yampy my end, I'll see if I can track him down again find out what's gone so wrong that he's been forced to call a halt.

However, it should be remembered that this was always a labour of love for him, with everything limping along on a shoestring budget, fitted between all the paying demands of real life.

I hope - for his sake as much as ours - that Lawliet will be back on track sooner rather than later. But in the meantime, here is the official hiatus message, as announced on the Death Note short film's Facebook page:

Lawliet Short Film Hiatus Message
Screenshot from Facebook (May 22nd 2015)
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New Lawliet Movie Poster Released

3/9/2014

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Lawliet  Movie Poster - Death Note inspired
As director Rico Arechiga intimated last week, this officially classifies the L movie short as 'coming soon'.  Beautiful artwork though, reminiscent of the Death Note manga cover art.
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A Chat with Lawliet Director Rico Arechiga

1/9/2014

4 Comments

 
Ricardo Arechiga director Lawliet
Last Thursday, I had the very great pleasure of chatting with Lawliet director Ricardo Arechiga about his Death Note movie.

The image isn't really him by the way. It's a character from one of his animations, as Rico is a graphic artist by profession.

All of this came about because Logan set me on the quest to discover more about a movie about L. The initial findings were described in:
Lawliet - Short Movie About Death Note's L.

On the assumption that you've already read that, I won't repeat myself here. I will mention that there were one or two minor details that were awry. With thanks to Rico for pointing them out, I've already been back to edit those into accuracy.

So now to have our questions answered!

First let me say that Rico is a wonderful conversationalist. As you can tell, I took that screenshot after chatting with him for well over an hour, nor had we finished then! Yet he's so passionate about Death Note, and insightful about the issues raised within, that it all felt like no time at all. If he's like that just discussing it, I really can't wait to view his film about L.


Rico rather apologetically informed me that his movie Lawliet has not been given the official rubber stamp by Ohba and Obata. But then again, he hasn't asked for one!  By that token, this Death Note movie short will be technically fan-made on a shoe-string budget.

But when I think of fan-made movies, I tend to imagine so-so quality. At the very best, it will be hit and miss. Here we actually do have qualified film-makers delving into a subject which inspires them greatly. "I really wanted to do (L) justice. As a fan, I want something. I want to see more live action."

Basically, Rico and his colleagues are here to fill the gap left by indifferent studio executives. As fans, they want it. As talented individuals, they can deliver it.  Let's see that trailer again.

Death Note Movie Short - Lawliet Official Teaser Trailer

That emphasis on quality explains why we still don't have the movie in September 2014, despite it being due for release in July.  It is largely completed and it could be on our screens right now. But Rico isn't absolutely thrilled by some aspects. The perfectionist in him wants it to be the best he can deliver with his resources.

He felt rather bad about this, though I personally think it's a good thing. He did wish to highlight that Lawliet is being produced around his paid commissions. It's a labour of love, not profit.

I know that I'm not an official spokesperson for the whole Death Note fandom, but I'm certain that I spoke for all of us, when I assured him that we could wait. We'd prefer the moment of greatness to that of potential, and we'd like the director to be happy with his work. After all, we've been waiting forever for Shane Black/Gus van Sant to get on with it!

So what can we expect when Lawliet finally arrives?

Rico has written a script which explores the character of L. I don't mean that in the sense of 'fictitious character', though of course that is true too, but in what makes this person tick. Where did he come from? What motivates him? And most of all, how does L come to terms with the notion that he could be killed on this case?

Lawliet is a movie short, which takes place right on the eve of L's entrance into the Death Note world.
He's already working on the Kira case, but has not yet revealed as much to the Interpol meeting. It captures a moment when L understands the danger, yet he is on the verge of committing to it anyway.

Most of the long conversation between myself and Rico was about the inner workings of L's mind (and, to a lesser extent, the other Wammy House kids too). I can confirm that this writer/director has contemplated the issues long and hard.
He's considered the darkness that lies at the heart of the orphanage, which currently are addresses in the movie. Though that segment may not make the final cut (Rico is refining parts of the script).

With all of my fan-fiction, I thought I'd contemplated much of what there was to say about that institution. But Rico certainly introduced several elements that had escaped me. Particularly in regard to the dangers of chasing Kira. Or, as Rico put it, if the Wammy kids weren't careful, "they would become what they've been brought up to stop."


In Rico's opinion, L is a hero, who knew very well that he would die, but predicted how that would end up. He knew from the beginning that Kira would be defeated, and the entire of Death Note merely plays out L's ultimate plan.
Then, at the end, L wins.

Rico tells us that his movie will be 'sweet, humorous and dark'. Pretty much what all Death Note fans love then!


He'll pop back for a proper interview, when Lawliet is ready for release.
If you do have any questions for him, then leave them in the comments here and I'll be sure to include them then.

Incidentally, this is a movie by
Identity Entertainment working with KA Films. Power On was just an early iteration of Identity Entertainment, but they decided they didn't like the name after all.  Bit generic...

And finally, when we do come to watch Lawliet, Rico says to watch out for Easter Eggs. He's included some for us die-hard fans.
Challenge accepted!

4 Comments

Lawliet - Short Movie About Death Note's L

22/8/2014

2 Comments

 
Poster for Lawliet Movie Death Note
Well, I'm back from the wilds of North Wales. But while I may have been slacking on keeping up with the Death Note news this week, one of our readers has not.

Logan has discovered that a short film about L is being made!

Lawliet is billed viewing in July 2014, but its IMDb page still has it listed as 'not yet released'.

Starring Ray Evangelista as the eponymous L Lawliet, the blarb about this movie short reads:

Alone, he struggles with a decision. How will he face death? Lawliet ponders on the topic of death as he sits alone in his room. What will his conclusion be? Especially once he is visited by a Reaper?
Also cast are Ricardo 'Rico' Arechiga as Ryuk; John Khouri as Quillsh Wammy; and Austin Hively as Light Yagami.

All three are there as voice actors.  According to IMDb, this is John's first role, while the other two have a couple of bit parts in professional, albeit small scale, film productions to their credit.

That - coupled with the fact that all information about the L film contains phrases like 'inspired by' or 'based upon' works by Tsugami Ohba and Takeshi Obata - makes me think that Lawliet is not an officially authorized Death Note short movie.

But if it is a fan-made endeavour, then the quality is extremely high.

Lawliet Official Trailer for Death Note Movie Short

Lawliet is being made by Power On Films, a production company based in California, USA. The Death Note inspired movie constitutes its only offering to date.

Both appear to be the brainchild of Ryuk voice actor Ricardo Arechiga, who is billed as writer and director of Lawliet, as well as its cinematographer. His name is down as producer too, though that's a task he'll be sharing with fellow up-and-coming filmmaker Kazuki Abika.

Fans they may be (and aren't we all?), yet there is genuine talent behind this particular collaboration. From their self-penned biographies on IMDb, we learn that Rico and Kazuki are students.  Rico won an excellence award from his Theater Arts class in his final year at High School, while Kazuki is currently attending
New York University for Tisch School of the Arts. He is majoring in Film and Television.

They are still teenagers - Rico turns 20 in September and Kazuki in December - but have gained plenty of experience in all aspects of film-making.

Not only from their courses either.  Kazuki has already produced several movie shorts and documentaries (there are seven listed on IMDb, including Lawliet), which has led to some recognition within the Indy Mogul internet-based independent movie-making community.  Meanwhile Rico has established himself, along with L actor Ray Evangelista, as the YouTube channel duo Rico and Ray.
Their official Facebook page for Lawliet has the poster pictured right as its most recent.

It is slightly confusing, insofar as the production company is now listed as Identity Entertainment in conjunction with KA Films. (I'm assuming that the latter denotes Kazuki Akiba's involvement, given that those are his initials.) Though everywhere else, including the Lawliet film website, tells us that Power On Films is creating this picture.

I wonder if the change in production companies explains the delay in releasing the L short movie.

I guess we'll have to wait and see!  Though in the meantime I will do some digging, and maybe even see if those behind the movie would be willing to come and chat with us about their project. It sounds like exciting times anyway!

UPDATE:  Our questions are answered here: 
A Chat with Lawliet Director Rico Arechiga.
Death Note Lawliet Movie Poster
2 Comments
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