So interesting. It seems anime consumers in Japan consider their characters to be kind of non-Japanese because of their physical characteristics.

*related=http://videosift.com/video/Ghost-in-the-Shell-VFX-Behind-the-Scenes

Ghost in the Shell VFX Behind-the-Scenes has been added as a related post - related requested by lucky760.

Holy cow, I didn't know they were remaking Death Note in America... Cripes, I'm scared they're going to totally ruin that masterpiece, but I need to see it anyway. Principal photography begins in June this year.

That's pretty endearing how oblivious all of them are to the issue initially.

The more I think about it, Scarlett Johansson does have qualities that match the character well. In the Arise series you see that the major once had a much more sensible body prosthetic that was physically more like an average Japanese woman. And you get the sense that the choice of her new body was an ostentatious and personal one. She didn't need to be tall, statuesque and impractically sexy, but that's the persona she choose.

Check out the only still from the movie and tell me she's not physically pretty close, race aside.

http://opus.fm/_assets/entries/scarlett-johanson-ghost-in-the-shell.jpg

*talks

Adding video to channels (Talks) - requested by ant.

Interesting that the interviewees don't see the characters as Japanese (and possibly not even asian?). So in that case, it seems fine if any actor plays an anime character, but certainly asian actors should be considered for the role(s).

I get the issue, but at the same time, is it not just as racist to say that all the characters should be Asian because the source was Anime? I don't think these people are "endearing" or oblivious to important issues... they are just reasonable and level headed.

I mean unsuspecting of the whole idea that it would be an issue, not somehow naive. Yes they're very reasonable, I just find it refreshing that none of them initially care about her race or mention it until the questions go in that direction.

Oblivious to the issue? Or just "there is no issue"?

The exclusion of an Asian actor from auditioning for Death Note strikes me as wrong, but if the director is going for a certain aesthetic, it's hardly racial discrimination.

But irt GITS, Johanssen fits the aesthetic. Most of those asked noted that she resembled anime characters ergo it's fine. Seems to me that the furor is a bunch of white people deciding that because something was made in Japan, that it must be interpreted as "Japanese actors only", when even the Japanese see anime as apart from their own racial distinctiveness...

If the culture that produced the original IP doesn't have a problem with non-Japanese actors playing the role, isn't it a tad presumptuous for white people to get offended about it? \= )

Bit of a storm in a teacup really.

Wait a second....he was told they weren't looking for an Asian actor for the lead role in Death Note...or they weren't looking for 'any' actor for the role?

It seems unlikely that the Death Note film got greenlit without a short list of actors for the lead role. Regardless of whether the actor they choose turns out to be Asian or not, I'm pretty sure they weren't looking for random actors to audition.

Basically, it's not an issue here because while anime characters are culturally Japanese (they speak Japanese, bow, eat with chopsticks, etc.), many times they also live in countries that are clearly NOT Japan. The ambiguous cultural status of the characters lets the writers put them in a variety of both familiar and exotic situations (i.e. going to a public bath vs. going to a high school prom,) which creates interesting tensions.

You see this a lot in anime like the Gundam series in which battles take place over several different countries on earth, as well as across space colonies, and yet everyone involved in the war, whether they have Japanese names or not, acts pretty damned Japanese all the time. Yet, the series incorporates non-Japanese elements as well. The building architecture of the Zeon space colonies, for example, is clearly European-inspired.

So Japanese people are used to the ambiguity of the "nationality" of their anime characters. I don't think Japanese people will have any problem with Scarlett Johansson unless the movie doesn't stay true to the character itself.

Now if a non-Japanese person had been cast to play Ryouma Sakamoto or some other real-life Japanese historical figure, I think there would be a pretty big reaction.

I also recall the main character being a ROBOT and as far as I know robots do not have a race, only an appearance that is easily changeable.....

It's like the states and the Snowden crisis.

The government watches us...OF COURSE THEY DO....THATS THE WAY THINGS ARE.....DON'T PEOPLE KNOW THIS?

Motoko Kusanagi is a Japanese charactor in the manga and anime. She will very likely have a different name in the movie because it wouldn't make any sense for Johansson to be playing a Japanese character. In fact, I'd be very surprised if the movie even takes place in Japan or has any Japanese characters.

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag.(show it anyway)

The idea of a Japanese actor being a "minority" would be pretty weird to them. Japan is one of the most racially homogenous countries in the world.

According to what I've read, her character is now simply named "Major".