A Korean-language production run of Death Note: The Musical (뮤지컬 데스노트) opened on April 1, 2022, in South Korea at the Chungmu Art Center. It was initially scheduled to run until June 26, 2022, which was its last date at the Chungmu Art Center. After selling out every performance, the production was extended through August 14 and relocated to the opera theater of the Seoul Arts Center beginning July 1, 2022.[2] The production was first announced on November 22, 2021,[3] and rehearsals began on January 26, 2022.[4]
On February 5, 2023, an encore performance was announced with the cast returning. The production will open on April 1, 2023 at the Charlotte Theatre in Seoul, and it will run through June 18, 2023.[5]
It is the third Korean-language production of the musical, after the 2015 and the 2017 South Korea productions, and the sixth production overall. It is the first production of the musical by OD Company, rather than by CJeS Culture which produced the previous South Korean performances.
This run of Death Note: The Musical is "a Non Replica version, meaning that the performances and costumes have been redesigned and redirected instead of reusing sets and props from previous productions."[6]
The main cast were announced on January 24, 2022. Most of the cast are new for this production; returning cast includes Hong Kwang-Ho as Light, Kim Junsu as L, and Kang Hong-Seok as Ryuk. The ensemble and swing cast were announced on February 6, 2022.
This run of the musical has double-cast the five main characters, which is the first production of the musical to do so.
The 2022 production of Death Note: The Musical was nominated in 12 categories for the 7th Korea Musical Awards held on January 16, 2023. It won four awards: Death Note won Best Production over 400 seats, Kang Hong-Seok won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ryuk, Kim Dong-yeon won Best Directing for the production, and Oh Pil-young won Best Stage Art for the production.[7][8]
Award Ceremony
Date
Category
Recipient
Result
The 7th Korea Musical Awards (한국뮤지컬대상)
Jan 16, 2023
Best Production - Over 400 Seats
Death Note
Won
Best Actor
Hong Kwang-Ho (Light)
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Kim Sun-Young (Rem)
Nominated
Best Supporting Actor
Kang Hong-Seok (Ryuk)
Won
Best Supporting Actor
Seo Kyung-Soo (Ryuk)
Nominated
Rookie Award - Women
Ryu In-Ah (Sayu)
Nominated
Ensemble
Death Note
Nominated
Producer
Shin Chun-soo
Nominated
Directing
Kim Dong-yeon
Won
Choreography
Heejin Song
Nominated
Stage Art
Mikyung Kim - Technical Director
Nominated
Stage Art
Oh Pil-young - Stage, Lighting, Video, Prop Design Director
Won
Image gallery[]
General posters[]
First poster, released November 22, 2021
Second poster, released January 24, 2022
First character poster set[]
The first character poster set was released on January 24, 2022, when the main cast were first announced.
Main cast
Main cast
L portrayed by Kim Junsu
L portrayed by Kim Sung-Cheol
Light portrayed by Go Eun-Seong
Light portrayed by Hong Kwang-Ho
Misa portrayed by Jang Min-Je
Misa portrayed by Kei
Rem portrayed by Jang Eun-A
Rem portrayed by Kim Sun-Young
Ryuk portrayed by Kang Hong-Seok
Ryuk portrayed by Seo Kyung-Soo
Second character poster set[]
The second character poster set was released on February 6, 2022.
Light Yagami portrayed by Hong Kwang-Ho
Light Yagami portrayed by Go Eun-Seong
L portrayed by Kim Junsu
L portrayed by Kim Sung-Cheol
Rem portrayed by Kim Sun-Young
Rem portrayed by Jang Eun-A
Ryuk portrayed by Kang Hong-Seok
Ryuk portrayed by Seo Kyung-Soo
Misa Amane portrayed by Kei
Misa Amane portrayed by Jang Min-Je
Soichiro Yagami portrayed by Seo Beom-Seok
Sayu Yagami portrayed by Ryu In-Ah
Ide portrayed by Seo Man-Seok
Mogi portrayed by Hojin Lee
Aizawa portrayed by Won-Tae Maeng
Matsuda portrayed by Wonjong Choi
Ukita portrayed by Jeong Hoe-Yoon
Ensemble cast portrayed by 주홍균
Ensemble cast portrayed by 김시영
Ensemble cast portrayed by 서재홍
Ensemble cast portrayed by 박태경
Ensemble cast portrayed by 최희재
Ensemble cast portrayed by 손지훈
Ensemble cast portrayed by 강경현
Ensemble cast portrayed by 오차연
Ensemble cast portrayed by 김다혜
Ensemble cast portrayed by 기영수
Swing cast portrayed by 한연주
Swing cast portrayed by 김종준
Swing cast portrayed by 김서안
Swing cast portrayed by 박영빈
Cast countdown images[]
Ten days before the open on April 1, 2022, promotional images began to be released daily. These images feature a message and signature from a main cast member, and a countdown to how many days left.
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 10
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 9
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 8
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 7
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 6
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 5
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 4
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 3
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 2
Cast message, countdown to open, Day 1
Other promotional images[]
Photo spot
Photo spot
Photo spot
Korea Musical Awards images[]
OD Company released several images in celebration of their wins for the 7th Korea Musical Awards.
Death Note Won Best Production over 400+ seats
Kang Hong-Seok (Ryuk) Won Best Supporting Actor
Kim Dong-yeon Won Best Directing
Oh Pil-young Won Best Stage Art
Video gallery[]
General videos[]
Teaser trailer November 21, 2022
Introducing the cast February 6, 2022
1st trailer February 8, 2022
2nd trailer May 19, 2022
Performance Highlights July 19, 2022
Video interviews[]
The main cast did short video interviews that were released on February 15, 2022.
Interview with Jang Min-Je (Misa) February 15, 2022
Interview with Kei (Misa) February 15, 2022
Interview with Seo Kyung-Soo (Ryuk) February 15, 2022
Interview with Kang Hong-Seok (Ryuk) February 15, 2022
Interview with Jang Eun-A (Rem) February 15, 2022
Interview with Kim Sun-Young (Rem) February 15, 2022
Interview with Kim Sung-Cheol (L) February 15, 2022
Interview with Go Eun-Seong (Light) February 15, 2022
Interview with Kim Junsu (L) February 15, 2022
Interview with Hong Kwang-Ho (Light) February 15, 2022
Additional interviews with other cast were release later:
Interview with Seo Beom-Seok (Soichiro) and Ryu In-Ah (Sayu), March 2, 2022
Character motion posters[]
A series of "motion poster" videos were released for the main characters. These are essentially poster-styled videos of just a few seconds each.
Misa (Jang Min-Je)
Misa (Kei)
Ryuk (Seo Kyung-Soo)
Ryuk (Kang Hong-Seok)
Rem (Jang Eun-A)
Rem (Kim Sun-Young)
L (Kim Sung-Cheol)
Light (Go Eun-Seong)
L (Kim Junsu)
Light (Hong Kwang-Ho)
Trivia[]
Minor plot elements and changes added to this production:
Hong Kwang-ho as Light; his expression following Haley Belle's death differs between productions. Top is 2015; bottom is 2022.
During We All Need a Hero, Light uses a red handkerchief to cover Sayu's seat when the two of them sit on a bench. Interestingly, the same handkerchief is used to dress his gunshot wound after L shoots him following The Way It Ends.
Various scenes are extended, primarily to add comic relief, such as an extended scene of Ryuk first appearing to Light during a thunderstorm (as a nod to Ryuk's introduction in the anime), only for Light to accidentally sit on Ryuk and club him with the notebook, or Light scaring L by pretending to be dead after being shot.
Following the first reprise of Death Note, Light initially reacts in horror and screams after he kills Haley Belle and the other FBI agents (as opposed to laughing manically in the 2015 version), demonstrating a rare moment of internal conflict before reclaiming his resolve to continue his mission as he sings the reprise of Where is the Justice.
Light's death is portrayed a bit more sympathetically than in previous productions, with Light appearing much more sorrowful and grief-stricken after he fails to stop Ryuk from writing his name in the notebook; this is a possible nod to his demeanor in the anime's final episode.
When Soichiro finds Light's body after Ryuk kills him, Soichiro finds a pen nearby, but because he does not know about the Death Note in this continuity, he is left confused as to why the pen is there.
↑Korean Social and Cultural News (Konest): ミュージカル「デスノート」 毎公演完売で８月まで延長決定 (Musical "Death Note" sold out every performance and will be extended until August). May 9, 2022.
↑Book-writer Ivan Menchell posted on Twitter that "Rehearsal begins tomorrow in Seoul for a brand new production of Death Note Musical!" January 25, 2022.
