The Death Note franchise is proving to be ironically long-lived. Starting off as a manga in 2003, the saga of Light Yagami and his supernatural notebook that allows him to kill whoever he wants just be writing down his or her name has been adapted into an anime series and trilogy of live-action films, and there’s even a Death Note musical in the works.
This last Sunday saw the debut of a brand-new Death Note Japanese TV drama, and you can read our personal impressions of the show right here. In the meantime, it looks like the general viewing public was really excited by the premiere episode, but not because of its casting or changes to the original story, but because of a set-decorating coincidence.
During the first episode of the Death Note drama, a criminal, on the run from the police, holes up inside a home. Considering how one of the central themes of the franchise is the morality of using the titular Death Note to single-handedly execute society’s undesirables, we’re guessing the situation doesn’t end well for the crook.
As the camera follows him inside the building, many viewers found their hearts pounding with surprised excitement. But it wasn’t just the anticipation of Light’s swift and terrible justice that had their pulses racing, but the fact that they were seeing their curtains on the screen.
▼ “The curtains where the criminal is hiding out in Death Note and the ones in my room are the same!”
https://twitter.com/86kunn/status/617685899594235904 https://twitter.com/ts1_ksdd/status/617685540226273280It wasn’t just one or two Twitter users was true for, either.
https://twitter.com/rei_075/status/617695732007501824デスノートに出てるカーテンと家のカーテン、一緒だ・・・。 pic.twitter.com/Hzfts8ipc2
— 小之上オノ (@0u0uo) July 5, 2015
So why do so many people have these drapes? Well, it turns out the show’s set designers picked out a pattern from Nitori, one of Japan’s most popular low-priced furniture and interior furnishing chains.
It’s not too much of a stretch to think that many of the viewers who tuned in for the first episode of the Death Note drama were fans of the anime or manga, both of which are generally younger people’s hobbies. At the same time, thanks to its budget-friendly products, a lot of Nitori’s customers are also young adults or college students, meaning there’s potentially a lot of crossover between the demographics of Nitori shoppers and Death Note viewers. And because Nitori touts the drapes’ ability to block out sunlight and keep your home cool during the summer, plenty of Twitter users had them hanging when the drama made its July premiere.
But while plenty of fans were happy to have a connection to the new show, some were a little startled.
▼ “It freaked me out that the curtains in Death Note are the same as mine.”
デスノートと家のカーテンが
— www (@_watyo_) July 5, 2015
同じでびびったwwwwwwwww pic.twitter.com/QdQpiKZK0z
Still, if you’d like to decorate your home with these machine-washable Death Note drapes, you can order them from Nitori right here, with prices starting at just 1,334 yen (US$11). However, we recommend leaving at least one part of your home different from the drama’s set, just to remind yourself that you haven’t actually been sucked into the world of Light’s deadly game.
▼ Drying a bunch of laundry in front of them should do the trick.
https://twitter.com/EyesPureeyes/status/617685612561182720Source: IT Media, Twitter/@86kunn
Insert image: Nitori


Watching the Death Note TV drama? Then death god Ryuk just might be watching you
Hide your name, hide your face – Death Note TV drama set to air this summer!
Netflix’s Death Note director deletes Twitter account, has had it with the fan complaints
Live-action, Western-made Death Note film opening in Japan, but it’s not what anime fans think
Expectations run high as Death Note team begins new series — this time about angels!
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Japanese workers reveal their top five mysterious rules they wish would disappear【Survey】
Japan’s Rabbit Island in danger of becoming Boar Island, tourists asked to follow feeding rules
Stay at a hotel with a bed for your plushie in Japan
A practical guide to freezing your boss’ hat in a block of ice [Photos]
These Japanese contact lenses let you put anime characters on your eyes [Photos]
Japanese gacha machine in Shibuya now sells tiny capsule terrariums
Time-lapse footage shows just how fast rebuilding in Kumamoto can go
Best burger in Tokyo? JB’s serves up a cheap craft burger that not a lot of people know about
Heavyweight ramen-style cheese fried chicken bowl appears in Tokyo, but is it genius or madness?
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
12-year-old foreign tourist missing in Japan, police asking for help finding her [Video]
Studio Ghibli adds new Jiji’s baby plush toy to its anime merchandise range in Japan
The Japanese city where ordering grilled chicken doesn’t guarantee you’ll actually get chicken
Japanese airlines set to cut fuel surcharges for international flights in September and October
Beautiful off-the-beaten-path spot near samurai castle in rural Japan looks like a Monet painting
Tokyo sweets store has a “350% Pudding Soft Serve”, and people are going wild for it
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
New Shinkansen luggage drop-off system begins in Japan, making train travel even easier
Japan now has human refrigerators inspired by Japanese vending machines
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Japanese Shinkansen becomes an overnight hotel for three nights this summer
Hatsune Miku collaborates with Hokusai’s art in new Vocaloid ukiyo-e illustration series [Pics]
Studio Ghibli releases anime T-shirts that pay homage to one of Hayao Miyazaki’s most personal films
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
New Death Note movie coming in autumn this year, main cast revealed!
Petition to boycott Netflix adaption of Death Note reaches Japan, netizens share reactions online
Upcoming live-action Death Note film is now recruiting shinigami Ryuk cosplayers for PR events!