While Nat Wolff has been in several romantic comedies and dramas, he's also ventured into other genres like thrillers — though unfortunately, one was quite controversial. The 2017 supernatural thriller "Death Note" was loosely based on the Japanese manga by the same name, and some critics weren't happy that Wolff, a white male, was playing the lead, which was originally written as Japanese.
Hanh Nguyen of Indie Wire wrote: "This story, like many taken from the most popular anime or manga, has cultural significance to Japan. For example, 'Akira' is about post-war Japan, even though it's set in 'Neo Tokyo' ... Setting the story [of 'Death Note'] in Seattle and not having anyone Asian American play the role of Light Yagami, now Light Turner, removed that context."
On the other hand, the creators behind the original "Death Note" had positive things to say about the adaptation. Illustrator Takeshi Obata released a statement that read, "the movie is [a] magnificent A-level thriller masterpiece. The characters are all faithful to satisfying their desires. I've always wanted to write a 'Death Note' like this, as well. Through Netflix, it will reach a global audience, so I hope that the people around the world who didn't know about Death Note will get a chance to discover and enjoy it," via Cinema Blend.
"It exceeded my expectations," said original writer Tsugumi Oba, via Cinema Blend. "There was [a] high level of quality, sophistication, and attention to every detail. This is what a Hollywood 'Death Note' movie should be. Personally, I was engrossed with the ending!"
Wolff and the "Death Note" producer Roy Lee commented on the whitewashing, noting that the movie is a very loose adaptation of the manga and didn't intend to portray white actors as Japanese people. Nonetheless, it serves as a good example of issues with representation in Hollywood.
