During Anime Las Vegas, the cast of Death Note, reunited for an hour-long panel on the main stage. The panel was hosted by California-based cosplayer Michelle Maka.
The panel was comprised of the following cast members:
- Ryuk: Brian Drummond – Ryuk
- Light Yagami: Brad Swaile
- L: Alessandro Juliani
- Misa Amane: Shannon Chan-Kent
Death Note: Anime LV Panel
The panel started with Michelle getting right to the questions, with her first being, “Since Death Note has become a significant part of anime culture, how does the cast feel about being part of a series with such a long-lasting legacy?”
Alessandro Juliani, answered first, sharing that nothing could’ve prepared him 20 years ago, for when he did the dub. He, alongside the rest of the cast, would still be talking about Death Note in 2025. Brad Swaile added that it was interesting to see that, as a society, we still experience the same ethical dilemmas almost two decades later.
On a lighter note, Michelle asked how the voice actors would spend their days with their Death Note characters, aside from using the Death Note itself. Shannon Chan-Kent had the perfect answer.
“Misa’s a pop star,” Chan-Kent said, “We would go shopping, then to the concert.”
Michelle’s closing question was inquiring what the cast had to say to the fans who have supported the show for so long and kept Death Note alive. Brian Drummond urged fans to keep creating, claiming that the future of anime and animation will be because of the creativity of fans and artists in communities like the anime community.
After Michelle’s questions, the floor was opened to fans.
Fan Questions:
The first audience question was directed towards Alessandro Juliani, asking if there is any overlap between the characters he plays, like the world’s greatest detective, L, to any of his other roles.
“There are so many kids who have grown up with my voice in that way, who have learned which spoon to use first,” Juliani said. “Then, when they’re a little older and watch Death Note, they are strangely drawn to a character like L, but they can’t tell why. It was very deep in their subconscious; I was there. The overlap is that obviously both characters are me, but it’s just one of my favorite things.”
The next fan asked a more creative question. They asked the cast to assign Death Note characters to characters from DC, specifically in the Gotham universe. The cast starts by comparing Watari to Alfred, before Juliani asks if L is a regular detective or an enemy of Batman. Drummond said Ryuk would be the same but gliding alongside Batman. Chan-Kent said Misa would be Catwoman, and Swaile said Light is most like Batman, with their need for justice. Although, his fellow castmates said Light was Two-Face or Penguin.
Another fan asked about the cast’s favorite lines that their characters have said. Brian Drummond stated, “Apples are to me what cigarettes and alcohol are to humans, I go into withdrawals without them.” Shannon Chan-Kent said the classic Misa Amane quote of, “If I see you with another girl, I’ll kill her.” Brad Swaile said, “I’ll take a potato chip and eat it,” claiming it was the most beneficial, since he got so many free bags of chips since the dub was released. Alessandro Juliani’s favorite L line responds to Misa Amane’s line, “I can’t imagine a life without Light,” where L responds with, “Yes, that would be dark.”
Wrapping up the panel, the final fan asked about potential Death Note crossovers, wondering what the cast would want to see done in the future. Brian Drummond wants to see a potential spin-off of Death Note focusing on the Shinigami Realm and the characters within. The series teased us with very little of the other shinigamis, leaving Drummond with numerous questions about the realm.
With that, the panel ended after an hour of the cast taking numerous other questions from Michelle and the fans. However, the panel didn’t end without Brian Drummond, Brad Swaile, Alessandro Juliani, and Shannon Chan-Kent thanking everyone for their support throughout the years.
Want to see more of the Death Note cast? Three of the four are on social media, with Brad Swaile claiming he might open an Instagram soon!
- Panel host, Michelle Maka(@michellemaka_)
- Brian Drummond (@briandrummondvo)
- Shannon Chan-Kent (@shannonckent)
- Alessandro Juliani (@realalessandrojuliani)
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