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INTEREST: Star Trek Actor Petitions Against Akira 'Whitewashing'


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John Casey



Joined: 31 May 2009
Posts: 1853
Location: In My Angry Center
PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:09 pm Reply with quote
:/

Why not Takeshi Kaneshiro? Dude's like super fluent in five different languages...and a damned good actor to boot.
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DoktorZetsubou





PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:25 pm Reply with quote
Please excuse me if I've misunderstood something and come off as insensitive because of it, but I thought this Akira adaptation was set to take place in the US.
I don't think that means it's okay not to have any diversity at all, but if the film is set in the US, doesn't it make sense to have white actors?

I mean, if it was set in Japan and starred entirely non-Japanese actors that'd be one thing, but this strikes me as not that big of an issue outside of pure fanboy rage ("WHAT?! AMERICAN MOVIE OF A JAPANESE CLASSIC?! THEY'LL RUIN IT!")
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Lady Multi



Joined: 11 Dec 2004
Posts: 673
PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:26 pm Reply with quote
I don't care what color they are so long as they're good actors. Picking an actor for their name and not how well they act and represent the character won't do the movie any good.
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NamaeX



Joined: 15 Apr 2005
Posts: 65
Location: The Internet
PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:33 pm Reply with quote
DoktorZetsubou wrote:
Please excuse me if I've misunderstood something and come off as insensitive because of it, but I thought this Akira adaptation was set to take place in the US.
I don't think that means it's okay not to have any diversity at all, but if the film is set in the US, doesn't it make sense to have white actors?

I mean, if it was set in Japan and starred entirely non-Japanese actors that'd be one thing, but this strikes me as not that big of an issue outside of pure fanboy rage ("WHAT?! AMERICAN MOVIE OF A JAPANESE CLASSIC?! THEY'LL RUIN IT!")


Last I checked the US doesn't have only white people living there.
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Ojamajo LimePie



Joined: 09 Nov 2007
Posts: 762
PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:35 pm Reply with quote
DoktorZetsubou wrote:
I don't think that means it's okay not to have any diversity at all, but if the film is set in the US, doesn't it make sense to have white actors?


There are plenty of non-white Americans living in New York City, which where they plan to set the adaption. Actually, there are plenty of non-white Americans, period. What's wrong with having a movie with an Asian-American hero?
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Songdragosa



Joined: 15 Apr 2011
Posts: 31
PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:41 pm Reply with quote
I'm still convinced this movie isn't happening, whitewash wank or not.
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@



Joined: 14 Feb 2006
Posts: 3498
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 11:46 pm Reply with quote
Personally I think a outright boycott of the movie would be more appropriate.
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littlegreenwolf



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 4796
Location: Seattle, WA
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:05 am Reply with quote
DoktorZetsubou wrote:
Please excuse me if I've misunderstood something and come off as insensitive because of it, but I thought this Akira adaptation was set to take place in the US.
I don't think that means it's okay not to have any diversity at all, but if the film is set in the US, doesn't it make sense to have white actors?

I mean, if it was set in Japan and starred entirely non-Japanese actors that'd be one thing, but this strikes me as not that big of an issue outside of pure fanboy rage ("WHAT?! AMERICAN MOVIE OF A JAPANESE CLASSIC?! THEY'LL RUIN IT!")


I agree with you there. Since it's to be "Americanized" with it now taking place in a Futuristic New(whatever) New York, I'm not bothered by a race change. Yeah, it'd be nice to see more cast diversity, and I still have hopes that there will be more (I still don't believe in that short list - what kind of targeted audience are they going for with that?). But for an Americanized Akira, I really don't care if Kaneda and Tetsuo are Japanese or not (Hollywood rarely hires actual Japanese actors to play Japanese - Memoirs of a Geisha anyone - that caused a whole different set of racial problems). A main Asian cast probably wouldn't hold back the movie from doing well, but if they're going for summer block buster there's a set formula that works right for that, and I don't blame them for playing it safe when who knows how many millions are on the line.

Besides, a white washed cast will make it easier for me to separate whatever this movie will be from the actual Akira I know and love.

Sooner people realize this isn't going to be live action adaption of Akira, the better, because no matter what happens you're just setting yourself up for disappointment. Boycotts won't change anything (when it happened with Airbender it was laughable).


Last edited by littlegreenwolf on Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:08 am; edited 1 time in total
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SnaphappyFMA



Joined: 14 Jan 2009
Posts: 216
Location: California
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:06 am Reply with quote
Good for you, George Takei! Smile On the heels of the Last Airbender fiasco, we don't need more whitewashing. Hollywood tends to go to the "default to white" option all too often.

Akira is such a Japanese story - it will be difficult to watch it being transposed to an American setting to begin with. Sad
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anemayfan



Joined: 31 Jul 2007
Posts: 66
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:09 am Reply with quote
Lady Multi wrote:
I don't care what color they are so long as they're good actors. Picking an actor for their name and not how well they act and represent the character won't do the movie any good.
Pretty much sums up how I feel about it. Don't really care what color/race Tetsuo or Kaneda are in the live action so long as they capture the spirit of the characters.
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RoverTX



Joined: 17 Dec 2008
Posts: 424
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:15 am Reply with quote
This just in: The Hollywood Remake of Akira is now know as "Andy"!

In all seriousness though, Total white washing seems to be mostly reserved when there trying to hit the widest audience possible, ie they might be wanting to turn it into a summer block buster, sit and don't have a moment of thought or emotion action movie. On the flip side at least that means it will have a big budget.....maybe..... At least the white washing in this isn't as absurd as Dragon Ball Z Evolution's was......


Last edited by RoverTX on Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:19 am; edited 1 time in total
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Rukiia



Joined: 30 Aug 2010
Posts: 1897
Location: British Columbia, Canada
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:18 am Reply with quote
Quote:
The list included a variety of actors for the roles of Kaneda and Tetsuo, all of whom are white, including Twilight star Robert Pattinson, singer Justin Timberlake, and Star Trek film star Chris Pine.

Now that would be a splendid way to ruin the movie. Good on Takei for opposing to this.

As for the race of an actor, I could care less as long as they are good at acting.
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DoktorZetsubou





PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:21 am Reply with quote
NamaeX wrote:
Last I checked the US doesn't have only white people living there.


Ojamajo LimePie wrote:

There are plenty of non-white Americans living in New York City, which where they plan to set the adaption. Actually, there are plenty of non-white Americans, period. What's wrong with having a movie with an Asian-American hero?


Hence why I said "I don't think that means it's okay not to have any diversity at all".
Hollywood being caucasian-dominated is a broad issue, no question. My point, though, is that there are /plenty/ of movies coming out lately where you could look at the cast and say, "there are only white people in this! That's terrible!"
I don't see why people are zeroing in on this movie in particular.
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TitanXL



Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Posts: 4036
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:29 am Reply with quote
Who cares?

I'm serious, why do people care so much? We all know this movie is going to be horrid anyway - no matter actor ethnicity. It'll only be remembered through Riff Trax. Did we forget Dragonball Evolution and Speed Racer? Just ignore anything America does when it comes to anime stuff, that's what I do. Confused I love AKira and don't care one bit about some Hollywood flick remake.
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SpeedyAlchemist



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:59 am Reply with quote
Gosh, it's just a flipping movie adaption. We all KNOW they never work out. (Aside from the LOTR Trilogy and the occasional one that's not half bad.)

I hate what the Racebenders stand for, I'm sure there are nice people involved with the site who think they're only doing what they think is right. But personally I think it's just stupid to petition a movie for "Racial" reasons when this generation should be passed that by now. It's not the dark ages people, there are a lot fewer racists around, stop bringing the subject up it does more harm than good. Anime hyper
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