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Film ► Ghost in the Shell (2017) - New Trailer



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rac7d

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Does this character look Japanese to you?
Ghost_in_the_Shell_S.A.C._2nd_GIG_Motoko_Kusanagi.png

absolutly, more so then most

though Ive been wondering latly why so many anime characters have western features
 

Shadow Fenix

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

I'm gonna leave this comment I found here, and then wash my hands of this so I don't sound like a broken record:

This is not in defense of "white washing" films, but I mean is it really all that surprising?

You got to remember that these adaptations of Japanese films are risky business. Hollywood is a money machine, and a studio would never put money up to fund a movie, especially one based on Manga, without reason to churn a profit.

Functionally, the only this way this movie would have been made is purely because ScarJo was cast. Personally I think this movie is going to suck loads of shit because it's another money grab, "let's bring something popular in niche circles to the mainstream, and completely alter the story" type of production.

Besides, most people in uproar about this movie have never even watched the actual anime. They see "anime" and "white person" then just flip their shit. People involved in the world of Anime for the most part dont actually give a shit. Again, not in defense of white washing, but the actual character, "Major", had very strong Caucasian features and was a cyborg to begin with. Cyborgs have no race and even her origin is unknown. Her character appearance is ethnically neutral, and nothing about the plot is inherently japanese. Sure it took place in Japan, but so? If you removed the name Mokogo Kusanagi, and called her by the name most people who watch the anime call her (Major) no one would know any better.

Look at the movie adaptation of the anime, Attack on Titan. Aside from like only 1 main character being ethnically Japanese , the entire series was based off a world of FOREIGNERS. But wait, the live action adaptations cast who? ALL JAPANESE. Where's the uproar about "race misrepresentation" there? There isnt. How about Memoirs of a Geisha? It was all Chinese cast about lives of Japanese. Uh oh, get your pitch forks out. [Same goes with the Full Metal Alchemist film coming out: anime takes place in/around Europe, Japanese cast.]

The system is broken, we all know that. However people are failing to understand that shit like this happens for a reason because production companies are afraid of putting up money to something that won't make them money. If this was the 80s and 90s where property like Akira, GITS, X-men, etc, movies could support actors that weren't huge names, it would make sense that they could do it--- but look who is being cast now a days. Stars aren't made starring in super hero movies. You see them just identified as that super hero character. What A- list Asian American actor would have the same draw domestically AND internationally? You dont.

Look at Chris Hemsworth for example-- Thor. Huge box office hit, yet he's not a money maker for films. His character is absolutely, but he doesn't draw masses of people to his other films JUST because he's Chris Hemsworth. Even Julia Roberts for example -- huge movie star, yet she's doing limited release movies. No one cares anymore.

It's truly who is best at filling seats and selling tickets. That's it.
ScarJo is one of the very small handful of people who can sell out films based on her name alone. She fits the strong bad ass female lead very well, and considering the character is a "strong bad ass female", on paper she has a good mix of marketability and a proven track record.

Regardless, the manga publishers gave their okay on this (and even said they didn't have a Japanese actress in mind for the Major anyway) and whether you believe them or not is up to you. To me, this particular film isn't a race issue but a star one.

[video=youtube;eKkp2jjOk88]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKkp2jjOk88&index=3&list=LLpx6FHKSjciNXNvhAg7dbAA[/video]

Better summation.
 
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Oracle Spockanort

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Regardless, the manga publishers gave their okay on this (and even said they didn't have a Japanese actress in mind for the Major anyway) and whether you believe them or not is up to you. To me, this particular film isn't a race issue but a star one.

And yet the evidence mounts up as a race issue, intentional or not. It is institutionalized and internalized in Hollywood. It's not a conscious thing they do, but something they have learned to do over almost 100 years because of how movies first started out.

https://www.facebook.com/Vox/videos/510428462478094/

The examples in that comment you linked are weak. People most certainly did voice their complaints over AoT's Japanese adaption, but there still remains a key difference between Japan and the United States: Japan is majority Japanese whereas the United States is ethnically diverse. In Japan it isn't exactly easy to find non-Japanese actors who speak Japanese fluently, and even when they do those actors tend to actually be foreigners they hired from government agencies across Japan who have taken in expats. These are usually people who have never acted a day in their lives but are hired because they are convenient and all they really have.

In the United States, there are plenty of Asian actors out there that only remain unknown for the fact that Hollywood doesn't hire them, and there is no excuse not to hire them.

The argument that ScarJo was hired to fill seats falls flat in my opinion because once upon a time ScarJo was not a known actress. Somebody had to give her a chance to play in a film for her to become famous. ScarJo doesn't even sell internationally. Besides the Marvel films, films she has been in did not have very strong international box-office numbers.

And think of all of the films that have 1) had Asian actors and 2) did not have box office names but became well known. Pacific Rim comes to mind instantly as one such film that did well despite not having the most famous actors out there to sell the film. Idris Elba certainly wasn't a seat filler at that time in his career, but after the film he definitely started growing in popularity.

"nothing about the plot is inherently japanese"

Ghost in the Shell was born of the era when Japan was the leading country for technology, and it plays into the idea of a futuristic Japan where cybercrime is one of the country's worst issues.

"Sure it took place in Japan, but so?"

So if I decided to adapt The Great Gatsby, but based it in 1920's India, that's cool? I mean, sure it took place in America, but so? That "dream" thing in the plot is not really inherently American.

"If you removed the name Mokogo Kusanagi, and called her by the name most people who watch the anime call her (Major) no one would know any better."

By changing her name, that essentially is erasing a part of who she is. She isn't just "the Major" but she IS Motoko Kusanagi. That is her name. That is her identity. She is a Japanese woman who has a cybernetic body. She grew up in Japan, lived in Japan, was Japanese in all ways except for the fact that her body was not organic.
 

redcrown

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

This does make me wonder though. What certain anime, if adapted into film, would it not matter if the casting wasn't majorly or fully Japanese?

I don't really watch much anime myself so I wouldn't know, but off the top of my head a few of Hayao Miyazaki's films that take place in or are largely influenced by Europe, like Howl's Moving Castle or Kiki's Delivery Service, it probably wouldn't really matter as much if they didn't or barely had any Asian or Japanese actors. But ones that are heavily influenced or set in Japan like Spirited Away or Princess Monoke, would feel pretty whitewashed if it wasn't mostly played by Asian actors.

(Though I'm not sure about Princess Monoke. I personally interpreted San as Caucasian, but that's probably just me projecting, and her very American sounding voice actress didn't help.)

also I'm tired of ScarJoh being in every movie with an action or superhero girl. Do you know how many other actresses would love to fill those roles instead?
 
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XIII Heartless

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Also trying to figure out how you think stars aren't made starring in big budget action films? Boseman's about to star in Civil War and Black Panther. Hemsworth was a nobody when Thor dropped. You rectify the newcomer issue by surrounding them with popular, established stars. This isn't a star issue.
 

Zettaflare

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

I'd like to her Scarlett's thoughts on the matter. Has she already publicly spoken her feelings on the criticism she has been receiving
 

Audo

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

I don't know what good hearing her thoughts will do. She obviously wasn't concerned with the idea if she auditioned/accepted the role, and it's not like she's going to advocate for herself being replaced, either. It'll likely either be totally empty PR speak, or comments that will just make the situation worse. :/
 

redcrown

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

For some reason I can see that girl from Cloud Atlas playing the role of Major.
(keep in mind that I don't know a thing about GitS, I just noticed the similarity of a futuristic dystopian Japan with an Asian American actress lead.)
 

Oracle Spockanort

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

For some reason I can see that girl from Cloud Atlas playing the role of Major.
(keep in mind that I don't know a thing about GitS, I just noticed the similarity of a futuristic dystopian Japan with an Asian American actress lead.)

Doona Bae?
 

Nazo

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

I forgot that I never put my two cents into this thread. Well, I have seen Ghost in the Shell before and I thought it was great. Hence, when I found out Scarlett was cast as the lead, my immediate reaction was "Wait, seriously? Why cast a white person for a blatantly Asian role?"

Now, do I think she'll act the part well? Sure. She's been good in pretty much everything I've ever seen her in, and she can probably emulate Mokoto's personality just fine. But honestly there is no reason they could not have cast an Asian actor for this. Like, I'm all for taking creative liberties as needed when adapting to the big screen, but you can't tell me there aren't Asian actors just as well-equipped to play this part as ScarJo.

Now, to also play devil's advocate to myself, you could reason that Hollywood made the call to increase overall interest in the movie. Get a well-known MCU actor to star in a more niche film and it'll increase ticket sales. Like Lucy. ScarJo being the lead was a draw for that movie in addition to it's premise. So, I'm assuming similar logic was used here, since they're probably trying to increase the market appeal to those beyond the anime crowd and make it for the general audience rather than just the anime crowd who will obviously go see it.

But come on, man. This is just dumb, I think. Like when you imagine a GitS live-action feature, pretty much the first thing that springs to mind is an Asian female lead. No one watches GitS and thinks "Yeah, we definitely need a white person for this role."
 

redcrown

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2DhoBuU1Dtc[/video]

I'm not posting this to counter anyone's valid crirism and stance on this, but I just thought this was interesting.
 

Oracle Spockanort

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

[video=youtube;HapT0SKcyfY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HapT0SKcyfY[/video]

[video=youtube;q7Tm73m0VZs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Tm73m0VZs[/video]

 

Chuman

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Re: Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Let it die please. Thanks for your cooperation.
 
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