Hollywood: Lights, Ink, Entertainment!

….

Regal smirked remindingly. "Be sure to take back your comments."

"I am hoping so too."

With that, the first draft was left untouched as Samantha focused on the newer version.

Regal leaned back in his chair, deciding to relax for a while.

….

Immediately after getting Regal's permission, Gwendolyn and Samantha began reading the script [Decent], the title of this latest draft.

Unlike Samantha, Gwendolyn had already read the first version, and now, barely ten pages into this one, she quickly understood why Regal had named the first draft [Trash].

It definitely made sense.

…yep, this is what I was expecting from Regal.

Furthermore, is this boy even the same protagonist from before?

She questioned internally as she spotted the obvious changes in the character named - Light Tuner.

He was no longer timid and dumb - unlike the first version.

If Regal had somehow read Gwendolyn's thoughts, he would have immediately understood why she felt that way.

Because he had the exact same thoughts.

In fact, he still wondered how the adaptation writers assumed fans would just let it slide after reducing Light's character to an absolute fool.

His once-intellectual presence was completely gone.

And whenever faced with any sort of confrontation, he crumbled like a bloody leaf - nothing like the real Light, who exercised brilliance at every turn.

In the anime and manga, Light was a genius.

He had intelligence, looks, and charm - everything a typical wimpy protagonist wanted to be.

But despite all that, the moment he got his hands on the Death Note, he didn't hesitate.

He owned it.

He walked the path of ultimate power, proclaiming himself a God.

Yet here… Regal couldn't understand why this damn script was filled with so much meaningless carnage and what the writers were thinking, playing innovatively with grotesque death scenes.

The kills were so gratuitously gory that, rather than being disturbing, they ended up being unintentionally… laughable.

Regal, as a devoted fan, knew that the original [Death Note] never fixated on the gruesome deaths of its victims.

Kira's hand was swift and decisive.

His victims suffered a heart attack - a silent, terrifying inevitability that served as his calling card. A god of the new world did not need excessive bloodshed to establish dominance.

Light was not some deranged butcher reveling in carnage. He was a calculated executioner, dealing punishment in a manner befitting his own twisted sense of justice.

Those final thirty seconds of agony before death - that was enough.

That was his message.

This script, however? These kills were never worthy of Kira. They didn't align with Light's philosophy, his code of justice however twisted it may be.

….

As time passed, both Gwendolyn and Samantha remained utterly absorbed, oblivious to the fact that more than an hour had already slipped by.

By now, Gwendolyn was completely impressed - and, more importantly, ready to admit her loss in their little challenge.

She had no qualms about conceding after seeing Regal address the most infuriating flaw from the first version -

The Death Note itself.

Fascinating and fantastical as it might be, she had viewed the 'Note' as a survival tool or a means of manipulating one mind - not a grab bag of divine superpowers.

Yet in the first version, Regal had made the cardinal mistake of failing to follow his own rules - using the Note as nothing more than a blunt instrument, wielded recklessly and without restraint.

The moment Light faced a hurdle, no matter how minor, the rules would conveniently change.

As if the writer himself had struggled to keep up with them.

That made it far less compelling.

Then again, it made sense.

The protagonist in that version wasn't bright enough to use it effectively. His social and intellectual shortcomings were too apparent, dragging the entire narrative down with him.

Whereas, in this version, the protagonist was dangerously cunning.

His intelligence was no longer in question. He wasn't floundering or relying on plot conveniences to outmaneuver his enemies.

Yet, even with a team of highly skilled detectives on his tail, his power still lacked true constraints.

And that, Gwendolyn thought, was exactly why the Death Note's rules were so important.

They were the limiting factors, the very things that forced the protagonist to adapt, to refine his strategy, to push his intellect to its limits.

Comparing both versions, she couldn't help but wonder - why even bother writing the first one?

….

Samantha, on the other hand, hadn't read the first version.

So unlike Gwendolyn, she wasn't approaching the script with any comparativeness.

Instead, she was completely immersed in the [Death Note] concept and its central theme.

And, hands down - this was one of the most controversial takes she had ever seen in a script.

What is Justice?

Is it the swift punishment of wrongdoers and the promise of a world without crime? Or is it due process, a system of checks and balances to prevent abuse of power?

No matter how many times she read it, she couldn't fully reconcile her own views on justice, punishment, and authority.

This question was explored not only through the conflict between Kira and the task force but also through the philosophical musings of several other characters.

But, despite being such a morally debatable topic, Regal had handled it with remarkable restraint and maturity - and that is to never give an answer.

To Samantha, that was absolutely brilliant.

Regal wasn't trying to declare who was right or wrong - and even if he had tried, she doubted it would ever be a settled question.

Instead, it was a question that persisted throughout his writing, woven into every turn of the story.

And there was more.

The opposing theories of justice weren't just abstract concepts - they were embodied in the two central figures of the script: Light and L.

Even with their constant clashes, their characters weren't simply set up as opposites.

If anything, they were parallels.

More similar than different.

Each other's only intellectual equal.

Each had their own definition of justice, their own unwavering conviction.

And it was this pursuit, their relentless drive to see their justice prevail, that fueled their inevitable conflict.

For Samantha, this entire dynamic was exceptionally well-written.

But now, as she turned another page, she found herself wondering - how does this end?

….

On the other hand, Gwendolyn was still in her zone, constantly comparing the two versions.

Hm, her character was definitely changed, and definitely for the better. Gwendolyn frowned as she read through the rewritten version of Misa's character.

But why did she seem to become… so passive?

The first version had been a complete disaster.

Misa had been little more than a convenient scapegoat - a tool for the protagonist to lean on whenever he was cornered or forced to make a tough decision.

But this new version?

Now, she was no longer a mere plot device.

But, despite that, she still didn't feel like a fully realized character.

She lacked presence.

She lacked depth.

She didn't seem to have much of a personality beyond loving Light, coming off as a self-centered airhead.

But Gwendolyn also considered that maybe that was just the kind of character she was meant to be.

Perhaps her personality wasn't missing - it was simply shallow by design.

If Regal had heard Gwendolyn describe one of his favorite waifus like that, he would have chuckled - then promptly brushed it off.

Because to him, Misa was lovable.

She was an icon.

Regal still clearly remembered how many people had loved cosplaying as the beloved idol-turned-killer.

And why wouldn't they?

She was blissfully ignorant of the knight in shining armor's cruel intentions, yet sweet as sugar in her unwavering devotion.

That charm, that endearing ignorance, was what made her so memorable.

What did the adaptation do to ruin that?

He didn't even want to talk about it.

Sure, Misa wasn't an airhead, but she also wasn't given a real backstory.

Her characterization didn't go beyond murderous hot chick.

The moment she learned about the Death Note, she was all in.

She played the anchor for Light, the one who reassured him whenever he faltered.

But why?

Despite being a central character, a love interest, and arguably the closest thing the film had to an antagonist, the script never explored her motivations.

Her interests. Her internal struggles.

She existed for one clear purpose: to divert any blame from Light.

And because of that -

Light never fully broke bad.

Regal still remembers some of the darkest choices Light made in the anime - like the premeditated murder of an entire FBI team, which were also some of the most important moments in Kira's development of a self-conception as a harsh and unyielding God.

When Light chose to kill Agent Raye Penber and then use him to eliminate the rest of the team, it marked a clear departure from the boy who once claimed he only wanted to rid the world of true criminals.

Even though he had already attempted to kill L, the calculated murder of twelve FBI agents hit different.

It was a turning point.

It was a defining moment for Kira - proof that he was willing to eliminate enemies, not just criminals.

That was the moment Light stopped justifying his actions with idealism.

That was when he truly became Kira.

From then on, anyone who stood in his way, not just L, was an enemy of justice.

But in the film?

Light never went there.

Misa did it for him. Misa killed the FBI agents. Misa killed Watari. Misa even wanted to kill Light's own father.

It was a complete contrast to the original.

….

"Okay, I think it got late, ladies."

Regal finally called out, glancing up from his seat.

The two women before him were still glued to the script in their hands, completely absorbed.

Samantha was the first to snap out of it. "Huh!?" She blinked, then quickly shook her head. "Sorry about that… the script was just too good."

"Well, thank you." Regal smiled, brushing it off.

Meanwhile, Gwendolyn was still in another dimension. The flip of the paper echoed through the room as she finally shut it, her gaze lifting to Regal with a look of pure anticipation.

Regal knew that look.

He had seen it too many times before.

"…Sigh… what is it?"

"Nahhhh… Regal." She took a step forward, clasping her hands together and tilting her head just enough to play cute.

"Why don't you just make a boo–!"

"Nope. Not happening." Regal shut it down immediately.

"You didn't even let me finish."

"Gwen, you are a really greedy publisher, you know that."

"So? What about it? You don't like it?"

In the background, Samantha gave Regal a knowing nod before quietly slipping out of the room, leaving him to deal with the conversation she knew was coming.

.

….

[To be continued…]

★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★

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