Actor Kim Sung-cheol brought the house down in his first performance of the new run of the musical "Death Note", proving once again why his take on L is the stuff of legend.
Based on the hit Japanese manga, "Death Note" follows Light Yagami, a genius high schooler who stumbles upon a shinigami’s notebook that can kill anyone whose name is written in it. As Light sets out to purge the world of evil, he’s pursued by the enigmatic master detective known only as L, igniting a high-stakes battle of wits.
Kim first stepped into L’s shoes in the 2022 premiere and amped up the charisma in 2023. Now, three years later, he’s back for a third run―and sharper than ever.
In previous seasons, Kim’s L―aloof, razor-smart, and unreadable―ignited a full-on "Death Note" frenzy, drawing raves from audiences and critics alike. His ability to slice through the case with surgical intuition kept the tension dialed all the way up.
This season, he doubles down. With cooler calculation, a hawk-like focus, and even more precise physicality―every glance and gesture loaded with purpose―Kim commands the stage. He also lets L’s fierce competitive streak peek through, cranking the dramatic stakes to a fever pitch.
His veteran polish shows in the details. During character study, Kim noted L’s formal speech patterns in the source material and wove that into the performance, refining cadence and diction to sharpen the character’s intellect. The result: a performance that balances icy logic with explosive vocal power, building emotion beat by beat while keeping L’s stoic core intact.
Audiences were all in: “I thought last season was legendary, but he just topped himself. This is peak Kim Sung-cheol as L,” one fan gushed.
"Death Note", starring Kim Sung-cheol, runs through May 10, 2026, at the D-Cube Link Art Center. Tickets are available via NOL Ticket and Ticketlink.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)