At least they would have, if they weren't being given away for free. All five hundred of them, handed out to fans set to fill the audience seats at Seoul's Floating Island auditorium on June 1st 2015.
Seoul sold out - soul sold (to shinigamis in order to become the God of this New World and/or get one up on rivals). Out performing said rivals - performing songs from the show. Get it?
Honestly there was way too little headline room for the wealth of dual meanings here. I nearly ran with S(e)oul Full Songs from Light and L (scroll to the end for them), but for the fact that their performances aren't soulful as much as rock belted out from the heart. Plus I ran into Kira's problem - adding L messes up your note.
Nevertheless, Seoul was full. Practically as soon as event places became available, the venue was filled.
The popularity of these hot tickets was in part due to the fact that it's Death Note - let's face it, we'd have been first in line, if this was happening in our 'hoods - and also because they were free. Any undecided theatre-goer might take a punt on 'free tickets', not to mention random passers-by looking for a cheap night out.
But both of those factors paled into consideration next to the fact that Korean boy band mega-star JYJ Junsu is playing L. The clamor for tickets was downright swamped by his fans, hence the give-away lasting mere moments before any more chances to attend were gone.
The lovely Mr Junsu aside, what were they rushing for the opportunity to see anyway? Something quite exciting for us all - even those nowhere near Korea.
Live Broadcast from Seoul - Death Note the Musical, Prologue Part 2: Showcase
Some news sources are reporting that it's the whole theatrical performance of Death Note that we're about to view. But that's highly improbable. Not if the promoters actually plan to sell tickets for the actual showings.
More likely it will be what's sketched out elsewhere - a scattering of scenes complete with tunes belted out by attendant Korean cast members; the actors - and possibly director, composer, promoters and others behind the scenes - involved in a Q&A session; audience participation segments; and other stunts designed to whet our appetite for the real thing.
If you do happen to speak (or at least read) Korean fluently, then some clues may reside in this extensive poster for the event:
That happened, but it was much more low key. It was an exhibition. Basically some pop up stands shoved up and staffed by promoters - no word on if any of the cast were even there - providing information about the show.
I guess you had to be there at the time. I mean literally, because no-one was beaming that live around the world.
And finally in today's Death Note Musical Korean news...
Korea's Musical Kira Sings Death Note
To my ears, the arrangement sounds much rockier than its Japanese equivalent (second song in the first video), hard-hitting and dark as befits Kira.
Is that just me?
However no-one in Korea will care, because by all accounts they'll be too enthralled by his colleague's performance to notice anything nor anyone else. Prepare yourself to bounce around, screaming in your seat.
Ready? Here's JYJ Junsu!!!!! Or L, as us old fogey, non-Korean Death Note fans will forever know him.
Korea's L Sings Let the Game Begin
Great voice though, and again a much more intense rendering than we've heard before in either the Japanese or English demo versions. I like it. How about you?