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[DrunkShogun]

It works best for everyone because the people who weren't bothered about it can carry on and the people who were annoyed that the character was everything Japanese but face which did indeed look odd. The only motoko kusanagi is the Japanese voice actress from the original movie and sac series. Couldn't get into the new series even though the replacement actress was decent.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

And today in "Steven Paul is full of shit"

Again, not mad at the name change. But I find their rationalization laughable. Just say you wanted ScarJo and didn't want the extra headache of a) changing the setting and b) trying to come up with an even dumber reason to keep the original name, like writers of old did in attempts to explain Schwarzenegger's accent on an American character. It's really okay to say those things.

 

[KonradLaw]

Love how the budget excuse always comes up in these discussions.

Can't have an Asian/Arab actor as the lead on a movie this expensive but Hollywood has no problem pissing away $150m+ on a movie trying to make guys like Sam Worthington or Taylor Kitsch a thing.

At least they're somewhat recognizable. and those attempts have crashed and burned, so trying to convince people that arab/asian actors can make 150movies tank just as much is such a great strategy.

And it's not even about race particularly. No way in hell would GITS be made with lesser known white actress. I think it's unlikely this movie would have been greenlit (at least at this budget level) without ScarJo or Jennifer Lawrence as lead.

Plus really, there's very few japanese actresses that work in Hollywood, and picking any other asian or asian-american would be pretty damn offensive on it's own.

 

[Nev]

I'm confused, why can't a caucasian woman have a japanese name? Do these people need other names even if they're actually japanese?

Also some of you need to chill. Hating on a movie because they casted Scarlett Johansson is kind of sad. Moreso when the movie looks like a cool adaptation. 80% of the main cast is asian/black and kept their japanese names –like the Major should–, god forbid they cast a first line well-known actress with international appeal to play a robot who looks exactly like her in a worldwide blockbuster made in Hollywood.

 

[BocoDragon]

I'm confused, why can't a caucasian woman have a japanese name?

This confuses me. How can you not see that it would be a big "WTF" for most of the audience?

I mean if you want to construct a fiction where globalization has gotten to a point where non-Japanese ethnics adopt Japanese names... by all means create that world. But it would be a hard effort in world building and would require specific explanation for the audience.

 

[Nev]

I mean if you want to construct a fiction where globalization has gotten to a point where non-Japanese ethnics adopt Japanese names... by all means create that world. But it would be a hard effort in world building and would require specific explanation for the audience.

Really? In a futuristic world where you can transfer your consciousness to a robot you have to explain that globalization has gotten to a point where physical appareance isn't tied to one's origins anymore? I mean we're almost there already and it's 2017.

 

[opricnik]

Fuck those giving retarded decisions like these.

Studio head probably , they will never learn right? if you dont give creators freedom and respect materials you will never get making licenced movies right.

 

[HotHamBoy]

This entire movie is why I don't trust anyone in Hollywood to adapt Akira.

Katsuhiro Otomo couldn't adapt Akira. The manga is too big, too dense. The movie is entertaining and visually stunning, it has some excellent craft, but it's an incoherent mess.

Akira might work as a TV show, a miniseries, but it will never work as a movie. The Hollywood version, if it ever gets made, is going to be a white-washed embarassment.

 

[twinturbo2]

Oh boy if the leak is real you guys are in for a ride... MGSV all over again.

What leak? Spoiler if needed.

This movie is going to flop so hard. Universal should move up the premiere of Fate of the Furious by two weeks so they can do a mercy killing here.

 

[True Savior]

Katsuhiro Otomo couldn't adapt Akira. The manga is too big, too dense. The movie is entertaining and visually stunning, it has some excellent craft, but it's an incoherent mess.

Akira might work as a TV show, a miniseries, but it will never work as a movie. The Hollywood version, if it ever gets made, is going to be a white-washed embarassment.

Akira is perfectible adaptable. Just not on 2 hours. Either 3 or 2 volumes per movie.

 

[Ratrat]

This confuses me. How can you not see that it would be a big "WTF" for most of the audience?

I mean if you want to construct a fiction where globalization has gotten to a point where non-Japanese ethnics adopt Japanese names... by all means create that world. But it would be a hard effort in world building and would require specific explanation for the audience.

I know lots of biracial people with looks that favour the white parent but have full Japanese names

 

[CryptiK]

Don't see why the needed to change her name. Its not like the Full Metal Alchemist Live action changed the names of the two main characters to Japanese ones.

Also people need to realise this isnt a movie for the fans. This is a movie for the wider public just general movie folk.

 

[BocoDragon]

Really? In a futuristic world where you can transfer your consciousness to a robot you have to explain that globalization has gotten to a point where physical appareance isn't tied to one's origins anymore? I mean we're almost there already and it's 2017.

Yes, you'd have to explain it.

Perhaps you could have a line about her being made by Japanese manufacturers. That could work.

But no you couldn't just have Scarlett Johanssen playing a character with a Japanese name without explaining it. It would leave the audience, and social justice critics, saying "WTF" on a mental loop throughout the movie runtime and beyond.

And as it happens... no, we're not "there" already. Not at all.

 

[jett]

Yes, you'd have to explain it.

Perhaps you could have a line about her being made by Japanese manufacturers. That could work.

But no you couldn't just have Scarlett Johanssen playing a character with a Japanese name without explaining it. It would leave the audience, and social justice critics, saying "WTF" on a mental loop throughout the movie runtime and beyond.

And as it happens... no, we're not "there" already. Not at all.

It's honestly insane to me that some people think Scarlett Johansson with a Japanese name would be better.

 

[BocoDragon]

It's honestly insane to me that some people think Scarlett Johansson with a Japanese name would be better.

Yeah.. think of the thread in that alternate universe where ScarJo has a Japanese name. Less controversy? Makes more logical sense to people? Haha no.

 

[Whompa02]

Her name in the manga and anime was given to her. It's an alias. She's also not Asian in the anime or manga.

Seriously. People. Read up on the stuff you're lambasting.

I don't know why they'd change her alias though for the love action version. That I'll give to anyone complaining about that. That seems silly.

 

[Aselith]

Her name in the manga and anime was given to her. It's an alias. She's also not Asian in the anime or manga.

Seriously. People. Read up on the stuff you're lambasting.

I don't know why they'd change her alias though for the love action version. That I'll give to anyone complaining about that. That seems silly.

My guess would be that they don't want to antagonize people that are already upset about whitewashing and felt that keeping a Japanese name would further antagonize them so they changed it.

 

[PapaJustify]

Can we maybe give this movie the benefit of the doubt until anyone of us has actually seen it?

 

[Aselith]

The trailer they showed before Logan was a lot better than previous trailers. I actually think the movie looks pretty solid but I never watched the anime so I don't have that baggage.

 

[entremet]

The trailer they showed before Logan was a lot better than previous trailers. I actually think the movie looks pretty solid but I never watched the anime so I don't have that baggage.

I'd agree. Looking forward to watching it. I only watched the original movie.

 

[Skinpop]

She's also not Asian in the anime or manga.

Ive seen no indication that she wouldn't be asian in the anime or manga.

Guess she looks caucasian to you right?

 

[neoism]

meh well still watch high as a motherfucker and well have a good time 🙃☺️

 

[Aselith]

Ive seen no indication that she wouldn't be asian in the anime or manga.

Guess she looks caucasian to you right?

Well, I was looking at that and this post breaks down some stuff about it and points out she is depicted with blue eyes in the anime which is not conclusive since Japanese people could have blue eyes but does point to a possible non Japanese heritage

https://www.quora.com/Is-Major-Motoko-Kusanagi-from-Ghost-in-the-Shell-Caucasian

Plus some additional stuff

The post just points out that she COULD be Caucasian though, the bigger issue is that as pointed out she could be anything and they chose Caucasian for financial reasons not artistic ones and filled in the blanks behind that.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Can we maybe give this movie the benefit of the doubt until anyone of us has actually seen it?

You might be reading too much into what is effectively folks calibrating their expectations of this movie. Nobody owes this film anything and the pushback against the machinery of box office marketing is going to cover a spectrum of the fanbase for VFX-heavy sci fi action. What the producers have been telling and showing us since 2016 has been worrying to people, that's it. I'll probably watch it anyway since I like VFX-heavy sci fi action films and will give this one a fair shot. Sometimes I just like the spectacle. I paid to see Jupter Ascending in theaters after all.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Pretty sure the name of the woman they took her "brain" from was a Japanese woman name Motoko Kusanagi. The trailers are all about how she isn't who she thinks she is or some such, the "Ghost in the shell" being Motoko inside Mira's brain; even if she has no recollection of her past life that person still exists in her or something.

Anyway I don't think it's a big deal.

 

[Jotaka]

Japanese story in Japan ( city of Niihama, Niihama Prefecture ) wrote by a japanese author. The lead is a Caucasian woman lol

The fact that people just can't accept that the whitewashing is a business decision is sad.

 

[Whompa02]

Ive seen no indication that she wouldn't be asian in the anime or manga.

Guess she looks caucasian to you right?

Maybe go read up on what the director of the original movie said. Educate yourself before jumping to conclusions.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Japanese story in Japan ( city of Niihama, Niihama Prefecture ) wrote by a japanese author. The lead is a Caucasian woman lol

The fact that people just can't accept that the whitewashing is a business decision is sad.

What's crazy is the mental gymnastics people use to justify the whitewashing.

Oh, b-but she's a cyborg and can switch bodies!
Her having a Japanese name could be an alias!
The story being set in a city that looks exactly like Tokyo/Hong Kong doesn't mean it's in Asia!

And now they're coming up with more excuses to justify them changing her name to a more Caucasian sounding one

 

[Fox318]

Who is this movie for?

So much this.

Its feels like an Uwe Boll production

 

[LevelNth]

Still not one single legitimate reason has been given for why anyone should care about it this nor why it is bad.

 

[Aselith]

Still not one single legitimate reason has been given for why anyone should care about it this nor why it is bad.

Why whitewashing is bad or?

 

[Tom_Cody]

Sorry but this clip alone should be enough to earn a ton of goodwill

This clip gets me so pumped up for the film. I can't wait.

 

[AnathemicOne]

Lol I'm actively rooting for this movie to crash and burn. I mean how fucking hard is it to do an adaptation where

A) You tailor the adaptation to the source material

Or

B) You tailor the adaptation to the audience you are bringing it to

You can't fucking go and whitewash the main lead, claim "international" interpretation, and then have scenery, environment, and the rest of the cast explicitly based on Japanese themes and imagery.

 

[V_Arnold]

Lol I'm actively rooting for this movie to crash and burn. I mean how fucking hard is it to do an adaptation where

A) You tailor the adaptation to the source material

Or

B) You tailor the adaptation to the audience you are bringing it to

You can't fucking go and whitewash the main lead, claim "international" interpretation, and then have scenery, environment, and the rest of the cast explicitly based on Japanese themselves and imagery.

Turns out, you can. This movie does it.

 

[soundscream]

Im just surprised this got made before Akira. I just think it would have been simpler to adapt.

 

[Muzy72]

 

[BanGy.nz]

I don't get it.

 

[Haly]

I don't get it.

Asian cultural product reinterpreted in the whitest way possible.

 

[Aaron Strife]

This entire movie is why I don't trust anyone in Hollywood to adapt Akira.

Coming soon to theatres:

ARCHIE

 

[Poor GRIMES]

Maybe go read up on what the director of the original movie said. Educate yourself before jumping to conclusions.

Why treat the original director's word as Gospel when he lives in Japan? His opinion doesn't really mean shit in this discussion when the effects of casting a major White actress will not affect his way of living at all.

 

[Aselith]

Why treat the original director's word as Gospel when he lives in Japan? His opinion doesn't really mean shit in this discussion when the effects of casting a major White actress will not affect his way of living at all.

Wait, what? I thought this whole thing was about being true to the creators vision. Is the argument really just because it takes place in Japan that the character should be Japanese regardless of the original character?

 

[jett]

Asian cultural product reinterpreted in the whitest way possible.

I'm Peruvian. Are they also appropriating my quinoa? :O Do I have grounds for meaningless outrage here?

 

[kmax]

I honestly don't care at this point. I cared when there was a possiblity that they'd cast an Asian for the role, but at this point, they might as well do whatever.

I think with adaptions like this, you need to separate it from its source and let it be its own thing. Having had that mindset has helped me immensely with this movie.

 

[Philippo]

This is ridiculous, the character in the same, some scenes are the same, yet they change a name to clearly avoid accusations? Ridiculous.

 

[Erigu]

Her name in the manga and anime was given to her. It's an alias. She's also not Asian in the anime or manga.
Seriously. People. Read up on the stuff you're lambasting.

[citation needed]

 

[Skinpop]

Well, I was looking at that and this post breaks down some stuff about it and points out she is depicted with blue eyes in the anime which is not conclusive since Japanese people could have blue eyes but does point to a possible non Japanese heritage

https://www.quora.com/Is-Major-Motoko-Kusanagi-from-Ghost-in-the-Shell-Caucasian

Plus some additional stuff

The post just points out that she COULD be Caucasian though, the bigger issue is that as pointed out she could be anything and they chose Caucasian for financial reasons not artistic ones and filled in the blanks behind that.

Many Japanese carry colored contact lenses. Using that as some kind of proof is as ridiculous as saying that manga characters with blonde hair can't be Asian.

I won't argue with your last point. that's just how shitty hollywood is, especially considering star power and profitability are poorly correlated according to statistics.
I don't really care that Scar-Jo is playing the major in this movie, it will 99% be shit anyway and would have been so no matter the actor. What bothers be is how thick people are to not realize what they are doing when they make the leap from ambiguous ethnicity to white.

Maybe go read up on what the director of the original movie said. Educate yourself before jumping to conclusions.

So provide a source then.
I've read many things but nothing that would rule out her being Asian.

People feel the same way about the death note series right?

what?

 

[CryptiK]

People feel the same way about the death note series right?

 

[Faiz]

I have no idea what Oshii did or did not say on the issue of ScarJo and whitewashing.

But I also don't care, because while he made a great movie, again, he didn't create the property or the character.

 

[old manatee]

Can we maybe give this movie the benefit of the doubt until anyone of us has actually seen it?

Yeah, everyone go buy tickets to the whitewashed movie and we'll discuss it online later.

 

[MrChocolate]

What leak? Spoiler if needed.

This movie is going to flop so hard. Universal should move up the premiere of Fate of the Furious by two weeks so they can do a mercy killing here.

Can't remember right now, and maybe it has been debunked by now but here it goes:

Spoiler

Major is dead (apparently) and ScarJo is sort of a copy of the Major. Another actress will play the actual Major. The name "Mira", comes from Mirror, which would explain about ScarJo "being the Major".

I hope above is actually real though... would be a nice twist.