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Scarlett Johansson offered lead role in Ghost in the Shell live action film

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DOWN

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1. I don't know if that's really true. I've been in Japan. I dated a Japanese girl for 3 years. They're generally pretty pale actually. Actually, I feel that Caucasians tend to be a bit more "rosy" with our flush cheeks and blushing and whatnot.

2. Regardless of the reality, that's their ideal of beauty. So saying "how come Japanese heroines are pale when they tend to be various hues?" is a little like saying "how come American heroines are fit when they tend to be chubby?".

Regardless of these details, accept the understanding that light skin in Japanese fantasy has almost 0% to do with being Caucasian. These are the features they'd be highlighting regardless of European influence. If you read it as "white", I guarantee you you are viewing it through an ethno-centric lens.

1. I think you misinterpreted the line. I am not saying light skin is uncommon, I am saying light skin suited to their ideals in the anime pairings with multiple light eye colors and hair colors being predominant (whether in anime that limits itself to natural shades of hair colors or clearly dyed such as purple, blue, etc.) makes the confirmation of Japanese ethnicity far less apparent to me based on visuals

2. I didn't ask why they are pale. When it is an ideal of beauty, of course it is common in media. It was tied with the list of things that were all present in combination.

And I am not saying they look white. To repeat, I said I don't see how they visually represent one race and look like a blend of Asian and Caucasian features to me. That's not saying white. I just gave a centuries old Japanese example of valuing white skin and you again are trying to say that I called that ideal a 'white' racial influence.

You don't get the outrage in reaching for contrived reasons to make someone named "Motoko Kusanagi" a white character?

Again, I don't mind them doing an Edge of Tomorrow and moving the setting to a western one and renaming the characters. You can call her Margaret Kowalski if you want. But to say "character of Japanese ethnicity played by white person is okay!" doesn't sit right with me.

They said they aren't changing names?
 

webkatt

Member
I think Olivia Munn could pull it off. She seems like a nice mix. I'm not familiar with her acting chops though.
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
1. I think you misinterpreted the line. I am not saying light skin is uncommon, I am saying light skin suited to their ideals in the anime pairings with multiple light eye colors and hair colors being predominant (whether in anime that limits itself to natural shades of hair colors or clearly dyed such as purple, blue, etc.) makes the confirmation of Japanese ethnicity far less apparent to me based on visuals

Less apparent to you... But I would say Japanese would not have this same perception (see below).

2. I didn't ask why they are pale. When it is an ideal of beauty, of course it is common in media. It was tied with the list of things that were all present in combination.

And I am not saying they look white. To repeat, I said I don't see how they visually represent one race and look like a blend of Asian and Caucasian features to me. That's not saying white. I just gave a centuries old Japanese example of valuing white skin and you again are trying to say that I called that ideal a 'white' racial influence.

I'm not invested in saying "gotcha" and debating what I think you said. I think you're debating in good faith, actually.

I'm just making the point: Lightning is a character that I think Japanese would see as not far from representing Japanese features. Even as I agree that FF design has incorporated a Caucasian-Asian hybrid appeal, I want to make the point that it's quite possible that everyone in Japan could easily see Lightning as a Japanese character. She's quite in line with the Japanese self-image.
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Why are they making something 2D 3D? That's the wrong way round. We should be striving for a 2D world!
 

Forkball

Member
GAF casting flowchart:

Does the actor look like the character?
YES -> Cast immediately
NO -> Garbage-tier decision

If GAF had their way, we would've had the dude from THE MUMMY to play Oberyn instead of the delectable Pedro Pascal because Oded Fehr KINDA LOOKS LIKE HIM MAYBE.

ScarJo is a talented actress. We all know this GitS is going to be a far cry from the Japanese versions and will only take what it wants from the original source material(s). It would be nice to have the film set in Japan with Japanese actors as Asian actors and actresses are minimalized in Hollywood, but relocation happens all the time in remakes. Were people mad that Samara wasn't Japanese in The Ring remake?
 

Woz

Member
I'd like a GITS adaptation made by David Fincher.
With the soundtrack by Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross.
 

lepi

Neo Member
Most of the actresses in the top 40 IMBD list are Chinese. Is it normal to have Chinese actresses in Japanese live action movies? Also, I can't think of too many Chinese leads in anime series either. Except maybe Darker than black? Anyway, never been be a fan of live actions. Hope they don't spoil it. #dragonball
 

Chuckie

Member
Most of the actresses in the top 40 IMBD list are Chinese. Is it normal to have Chinese actresses in Japanese live action movies? Also, I can't think of too many Chinese leads in anime series either. Except maybe Darker than black? Anyway, never been be a fan of live actions. Hope they don't spoil it. #dragonball

Huh? What list are you talking about? Top 40 Asian actresses?
 

Akainu

Member
Um no. They just don't look like they are Japanese. Anime looks pretty stylized to me, but the often big eyes, variety of eye colors, almost nonexistent noses, and extremely varied hair colors are just some of the things that make it unclear to me how they have a definite race other than being told they do. Otherwise it's something I'm unaware of that the nationality of anime is simply wherever it was drawn to whoever drew it. I just don't get the confirmed race thing when they don't look Japanese or even Asian to me in many cases in the film.

That is exactly a "anime characters look white to me" thing.
 

Tesseract

Banned
cool, she'll need to beef up a bit for the role. red dress tier scarjo with significant muscle definition should get the job done.
 
Probably 1 percent chance in being as good as the original. I am not even interested at the moment.

I have no real opinion on Scarlett Johansson in the main role. I think it is casting against type, but that is rife in Hollywood. It is the name not necessarily the suitability.
 

Kuroyume

Banned
Scarlett is poor choice.

tumblr_mcyck5Iq2q1rq0uuuo1_1280.jpg


tumblr_mvfopmzf8U1r21i5xo1_1280.jpg

She does a shit job acting as an action hero with Black Widow. How is she going to pull of the major?

If we're going to whitewash go with:


It's obvious they chose her only for the name. Not whether she can pull it off.
 

jett

D-Member
I think people should probably be more concerned about how the narrative/thematic content will be handled over who has been cast in the lead role when it comes to this property.

Someone mentioned Charlize Theron's Aeon Flux. That's the narrative quality I expect out of this project. :lol
 

Blader

Member
Scarlett is poor choice.



She does a shit job acting as an action hero with Black Widow. How is she going to pull of the major?

If we're going to whitewash go with:



It's obvious they chose her only for the name. Not whether she can pull it off.

Scarlett can't act, but Faora would be a good pick? Lol ok.
 

Zoe

Member
Since FFX I would say that the generic FF look has been consciously crafted to have traits that are half-asian/half-caucasian. Tidus is a blonde Okinawan, so that's pretty clearly half-white/half-Asian.

There are certain characters where it's less ambiguous. Snow is definitely Caucasian. Sazh is definitely black.

But if you had to put a gun to my head over Lightning (and Serah) and said "choose one", I'd say Asian. She is not far off from how Japanese see themselves. They really do not put emphasis on the distinctiveness of Asian eyes in their own self-image, and (despite what I said about blonde Tidus) hair color goes out the window in fantasy fiction.

Tidus bleaches his hair. He has dark hair when younger.

Serah definitely looks Asian when she cries :lol Think they forgot to adjust her mocap model in that one scene...
 

Dali

Member
1IuSs9j.jpg


I am more than ok with this.
Every single solitary one of her fight scenes in every movie she stars as Widow suuuucked. They weren't believable in the least. I can't imagine her wrecking a guy convincingly on screen like kusunagi did in the knife fight scene.
 

neorej

ERMYGERD!
Honestly, I don't care what race the actrice is or what setting/locale they use, as long as the core philosophy of the story remains intact. Considering the physical attributes of the character, I'd pick an actress with actual martial arts experience, basically a female version of Tony Jaa or Iko Uwais.

ScarJo has never impressed me in melee combat scenes, and I'm not even talking about the hairwhip, that's on the choreographer and DOP. She's eye-candy and she can act pretty good, but a martial artist, she is not.
 
I always get that "cosplay" effect whenever I see Scarlet in an action role. I never, for a second, bought her as Black Widow. In any case, as others have said, the director is the larger problem here.
 

y2dvd

Member
Every single solitary one of her fight scenes in every movie she stars as Widow suuuucked. They weren't believable in the least. I can't imagine her wrecking a guy convincingly on screen like kusunagi did in the knife fight scene.

I was wincing when she took out those gobs in her first Avengers scene so I think it's possible.
 

Mexen

Member
Oh, man.

Motoko Kusanagi is my favourite female manga/anime character. Scarjo
LOL
is one of my favourite actresses. I am conflicted. I am very, very conflicted.
But, no, Hollywood is not ready to make a live-action Ghost in the Shell film.
 
First the excuse was "women can't sell big-budget action movies."

Then, when that was thoroughly proven wrong, the excuse I guess is now, "Asian women can't sell big-budget action movies."

Would be nice if studios had the balls to prove that one just as wrong.

Uh..

it's not about the race.

It's unknown actor vs super famous actor.

That's why studios hire Harrison Ford, or Tom Cruise or Nicole Kidman or any other big name stars. Because they are big name stars and attract mainstream attention. So much it's worth it to pay $20 millions to just one guy, because with just his presence they recover $30 millions more.
 
I don't get how these are Asians:
the-puppet-master.jpg

517584466_fabc4285c1_z.jpg

batou%5B5%5D.jpg


Is it confirmed? This reminds me of when the live action DBZ was cast and it got clarified that there wasn't an assigned race for the DBZ characters despite audience outrage over their interpretation of the characters as Asian.

EDIT: Isn't anime supposed to be a nondescript spin of European and Asian appearance, often considered to use features common of white people?

All of them are full body cyborgs, I suppose they can have whatever physical features that are in on the setting. They don't have to be asian models, they never comment on that.
 

Blader

Member
Every single solitary one of her fight scenes in every movie she stars as Widow suuuucked. They weren't believable in the least. I can't imagine her wrecking a guy convincingly on screen like kusunagi did in the knife fight scene.

What does it matter? Motoko has no muscle mass, her body is artificial.
 

kmax

Member
My personal dream cast for the Ghost in the Shell movie.

Mary_Elizabeth_Winstead_1.jpg


Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Motoko


798914_008.jpg


Ron Perlman as Batou

0405866e0c813967314bff3efcb29380.JPG


Come on Hollywood. Make it happen.
 
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