Ghost in the Shell | March 31, 2017 | Scarlett Johansson | Paramount | New Trailer on page 43!!!

[RaidensSword]

Except she's japanese and japanese don't look like Scarjo. Stop justifying the whitewashing by dubious statement. How convenient "she's japanese, created by japanese but she doesn't have to be japanese looking so whitewashing is all right"...That's the same excuse every time foreign material is whitewashed for the masses consumption. I don't miss the point of the character, it's not because she's a cyborg that it makes automatically cool to wash her character ethnically to make her white by default for pseudo-commercial reasons.

If they adapt everything from the ground up from characters names to settings just keeping the title, well okay it's a new interpretation of the original material but keeping the names, the settings and everything that makes it clearly it's a japanese product set in Japan and put Scarjo in the lead is just awful and baffling.

What if it's set in San Fransokyo?

[grey ghost]

I'd say the fact that Ghost in the Shell is cyberpunk set in the future is more important than whether the androids have Asian or white faces.

[dashrendar44]

I'd say the fact that Ghost in the Shell is cyberpunk set in the future is more important than whether the androids have Asian or white faces.

Of course, it's never important unless it's Johnny Storm right.

[CoolioD1]

I still doubt this is actually set in Japan but I dunno. people should like, wait for details before they get outraged.

[grey ghost]

Of course, it's never important unless it's Johnny Storm right.

 

 

The Major has been portrayed with blue eyes in the anime film. There's no reason a blue eyed actress can't portray her.

 

[The Futurist]

To be honest, I never knew what kinda of ethnicity the manga look was supposed to aim for with those giant eye balls ...

[Klingo]

I still doubt this is actually set in Japan but I dunno. people should like, wait for details before they get outraged.

Who knows, maybe they won't even mention what city its in since its the future and probably unrecognizable.

[Klingo]

To be honest, I never knew what kinda of ethnicity the manga look was supposed to aim for with those giant eye balls ...

What race you think he is?

[The Futurist]

Dunno.

[Klingo]

Dunno.

[dashrendar44]

The Major has been portrayed with blue eyes in the anime film. There's no reason a blue eyed actress can't portray her.

 

 

"She got blue eyes on the drawing hence she's white"...Jeez.

 

A triangle shaped face with unreal big eyes. Goes to show how much people project their bias onto characters.

 

Japanese draw themselves like that. Motoko is a japanese cyborg. The colored eyes are like artificial retinas to show that she's a AI in a human body, not something about being white.That doesn't mean GITS are caucasian characters.

 

That's how she looks in the first movie, what caucasian sport red-ish eyes?

 

Do a caucasian make over all you want but don't justify it by make believe it is actually supported by the material wherein fact it's not at all..

Edited April 25, 2015 by MADash Rendar

[Charism]

Jesus, that american dubbing for anime is horrible.   

Anywawy this guy looks like a Russian.

[BadAtGender]

Pretty much everyone in GitS is Japanese. (Batou and Paz might be multi-ethnic, but the backstories of most characters isn't delved into too deeply.)

 

While it's cyberpunk, it's a very Japanese take on the genre. It's very culturally informed and even the entire premise of section 9 is structured around the unique military setup that Japan has with the JSDF. Much like in Akira, Japan is intrinsic to the makeup of the story.

 

This leads to two possible implications of the ScarJo casting:

 

1) They're keeping the Japanese setting, which means that she's either Japanese in a white woman's body, or she's a white woman in Japan. Neither of these are good.

 

2) They're moving it to another setting. While this changes the whitewashing from horrific to unfortunate, it also means that any of the cultural nuance is lost. It kinda stops being Ghost in the Shell.

 

However, between those two options, I'd much prefer the second because it's far less squicky. Also, given the people involved in this (Arad, Sanders, and producer Steven Paul) I highly doubt nuance is going to show up in any regard. Might as well just bypass that entirely.

 

It's sad, because GitS could make a fantastic sci-fi movie: both engaging and smart.

[grey ghost]

"She got blue eyes on the drawing hence she's white"...Jeez.

A triangle shaped face with unreal big eyes. Goes to show how much people project their bias onto characters.

Japanese draw themselves like that. Motoko is a japanese cyborg. The colored eyes are like artificial retinas to show that she's a IA in a human body, not something about being white.That doesn't mean GITS are caucasian characters.

That's how she looks in the first movie, what caucasian sport red-ish eyes?

Do a caucasian make over all you want but don't justify it by make believe it is actually supported by the material.

Their minds are Japanese. Their bodies can be any race they choose.

If anything, a Caucasian body and face in a Japanese setting emphasizes that the appearance is purely synthetic shell they wear like clothing.

Edited April 26, 2015 by grey ghost

[RaidensSword]

Their minds are Japanese. Their bodies can be any race they choose.

If anything, a Caucasian body and face in a Japanese setting emphasizes that the appearance is purely synthetic shell they where like clothing.

I agree with this. To be honest there is another level to this discussion. Even if they cast asian looking actors, would they speak Japanese? No, it would be in English. So then if its in English, who are we to say that Scarletts character isn't a Japanese who looks white and speaks English?

Appearance doesnt define your nationality.

Edited April 26, 2015 by RaidensSword

[BadAtGender]

Wow. This thread.

[Orestes]

Why do people think ScarJo is going to play a Japanese person, or that this will be set in Japan at all? They can keep the central conceit, while changing setting and character. That's why it's an adaptation. Just look at Edge of Tomorrow/All You Need is Kill or Throne of Blood/Macbeth or Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven or Unforgiven/Unforgiven.

[Chewy]

Idk, maybe it's because big budget action movies with female leads are still so rare, but I'm really not getting the outrage around this one. Pretty cool that it's happening. Seems like they're taking some material and adapting it for a different setting

 

I'm not remotely familiar with the material tho, so maybe I'd feel differently if I were

[CoolioD1]

 

2) They're moving it to another setting. While this changes the whitewashing from horrific to unfortunate, it also means that any of the cultural nuance is lost. It kinda stops being Ghost in the Shell.

I'm with you that this won't be a good movie because of who's involved but just in general this is a super dumb point. 

[The Futurist]

But are we sure the director cast Scarjo for her talent this time because last time ahem...

Joking...