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GATSU
Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 16399
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 Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 10:31 am |
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Will the lead actress be Asian?
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Hi-Chan
Joined: 11 Oct 2007
Posts: 153
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 10:40 am |
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| GATSU wrote: | | Will the lead actress be Asian? |
Why should any of the characters race matter to a story taking place in a fictional world .Just because the source material is japanese.,Unless the the setting itself is Japan i I see no reason to put any restrictions on casting..
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GATSU
Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 16399
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 10:58 am |
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She was Asian in the live-action movie.
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Alphael
Joined: 19 Jun 2025
Posts: 74
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 11:00 am |
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| Hi-Chan wrote: | | Why should any of the characters race matter to a story taking place in a fictional world .Just because the source material is japanese.,Unless the the setting itself is Japan i I see no reason to put any restrictions on casting.. |
I will never understand why people who are into anime have this irrational fear of seeing Asian actors in adaptions of Japan's work.
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Flared
Joined: 08 Sep 2013
Posts: 114
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 11:32 am |
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| GATSU wrote: | | Will the lead actress be Asian? |
Seeing as this is the BBC, I can see them casting a non-East Asian or non-Caucasian actress for the role and causing a sh*tstorm online.
Last edited by Flared on Tue Jun 16, 2026 11:37 am; edited 1 time in total
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fausti
Joined: 14 Feb 2008
Posts: 72
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 11:36 am |
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What is the setting in the Kiki novels? Miyazaki set the movie in an unknown European seaside, but the book setting may specifically be Japan. If the BBC goes with a European or British setting like the movie, Kiki may be British or white. If the book is set in Japan or it doesn't say, they may set it more in Japan or non-distinct setting and Kiki may be Japanese or Asian at least.
My guess is a British setting and a White/European Kiki.
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OtomeGay
Joined: 14 Oct 2021
Posts: 263
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 12:45 pm |
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Very curious what this'll be like! The original novels are very different than the Ghibli films the majority of people are most familiar with, and I hope people understand that and don't act like this is "changing things" by following the books and not the film.
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Hopeless Weeb
Joined: 10 Oct 2022
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 2:53 pm |
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| fausti wrote: | | What is the setting in the Kiki novels? Miyazaki set the movie in an unknown European seaside, but the book setting may specifically be Japan. |
Ain't the visuals of Ghibli-adaptation specifically based on Visby in Sweden?
My two öre to add to this debate is that both the names Kiki and Jiji, though spelled Kicki and Jijji, aren't out of place if the BBC would go with a Swedish setting hehe.
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Hi-Chan
Joined: 11 Oct 2007
Posts: 153
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 3:09 pm |
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| Alphael wrote: | | Hi-Chan wrote: | | Why should any of the characters race matter to a story taking place in a fictional world .Just because the source material is japanese.,Unless the the setting itself is Japan i I see no reason to put any restrictions on casting.. |
I will never understand why people who are into anime have this irrational fear of seeing Asian actors in adaptions of Japan's work. |
I don't .I actually prefer watching anime subbed and for live action also with an all Japanese cast. It just for non Japan productions. I believe the people putting up the money should have the discretion to cast for fantasy setttings whoever they want. If the story is to have Japan as it's location an all japanese cast would be something I hope the right holders would insist on.
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GATS2
Joined: 28 May 2026
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 4:34 pm |
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Also, how do you make 10 episodes out of such a short book? Are they trying to pull a Hobbit?
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nargun
Joined: 29 Mar 2006
Posts: 940
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 5:05 pm |
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| GATS2 wrote: | | Also, how do you make 10 episodes out of such a short book? Are they trying to pull a Hobbit? |
I am assuming you make 10 episodes by making each of the book's strongly-episodic 11 chapters an episode but merging the first two shorter lnked chapters, reshuffling as needed.
Rough count on my copy of the puffin hardcover gets ~250 words / page over 195 pages less illustrations &c, so say ~4500 words an episode. Not an expert but this seems ample for a half-hour chldren's show.
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Ashen Phoenix
Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 3038
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 5:19 pm |
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This sounds so exciting. I'm hoping it will be a lovely adaptation of the story, however they choose to cast it.
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residentgrigo
Joined: 23 Dec 2007
Posts: 2766
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 6:42 pm |
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The Ghibli film´s setting isn´t far off from the novel. The characters are overall fantasy European, not Asian, but Japanese names are in the mix. Akiko Hayashi´s original art supports this. The 2014 film's all-Japanese cast isn´t the issue with it. It's the film´s lack of quality. Can the BBC swing this one? Who knows and expects a race-blind casting, as is tradition and frankly needed if the setting is present-day Europe Tm, but I would have gone with animation or a series of comics. The potential is there and these are strictly kids´ books. The only adults targeted will be those with children. At least it´s not a Burger ad this time.
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lufia2rocks
Joined: 22 Aug 2025
Posts: 66
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 7:23 pm |
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| GATSU wrote: | | Will the lead actress be Asian? |
How often do any western live-action anime adaptions have an Asian lead character?
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GATS2
Joined: 28 May 2026
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2026 10:52 pm |
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Lufia: Saint Seiya did.
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