Original 'Death Note' Artist Takeshi Obata Releases Official Artwork of Nat Wolff as Light Turner

Recently, Japanese entertainment website Comic Natalie released an exclusive interview piece on Death Note creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, in light (pun intended) of the upcoming Netflix adaptation of their hit manga and anime series. The interview came with an amazing illustration of Nat Wolff as Light Turner, courtesy of manga artist Takeshi Obata and (inarguably) Adam Wingard’s newest fan.

Check out the artwork below:

It’s interesting to note how this version of Nat Wolff’s Light actually looks nothing like Light Turner and more like the Light we’re accustomed to from the original #anime series. The blond highlights are gone, as is the distinctive side-swept punk hairstyle. Instead, Obata replaced it with Light Yagami’s trademark 'do and distinctive glare (that was missing from the trailers).

Big Words From a Big Fan

Takeshi Obata is noted to have said:

“The characters all stayed true to their motivations. It’s just like what I intended 'Death Note' to be. This is the kind of 'Death Note' I wanted to draw.”

This is obviously a massive statement for a film so easily controversial. The original iteration of Light Yagami is internationally acclaimed, and agreed by many as one of the best fictional characters of all time. It’s hard to imagine a version of #DeathNote with someone other than the Light we all love to hate. It’s even harder to accept a version of it where artist Takeshi Obata prefers Nat Wolff’s Light over Mamoru Miyano’s and Brad Swaile’s (which are both equally iconic). It just seems completely unthinkable to have the character any other way.

At least we can agree on one thing: That manga illustration of Nat Wolff as Light is pretty much the stuff of legends. Fans might disagree with him on the authenticity of the Netflix film, but on a purely artistic level, Takeshi Obata never disappoints.