Hollywood's "Ghost in the Shell"

[A.T. Fish]

^ My problem with it is that they might not set it in America. If they do it's all good as far as I'm concerned, if they don't and most of the movie's cast is white then it will look awful.

[Bagheera]

^ My problem with it is that they might not set it in America. If they do it's all good as far as I'm concerned, if they don't and most of the movie's cast is white then it will look awful.

Honestly, I have no idea why they wouldn't. U.S. movie, U.S. actors, U.S. audience . . . why not set it in the U.S.? Anything else is just making problems that don't need to be there.

[gatotsu911]

Reminder that Oshii's GitS movies are (implicitly) set in Hong Kong yet the main characters are all Japanese

[movieartman]

First pic of Scar Jo as the Major...
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fantasy/f ... nt-a137553

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

Eh........ That hair doesn't suit her at all.

[Ray]

Blech. Well any sliver of hope I had for this movie just died.

[backseatjesus]

To be honest, she just looks meh. Not as bad as I was expecting, but not as good as I hoped. Also, that's a pretty bad teaser image.

[Gendo'sPapa]

Can't get angry about this casting. She's playing a GHOST IN THE SHELL. A living brain that has been put in a cyborg body. The part could be played by a 400 pound black man and it would fit the part. If they do a sequel they can recast the part and it's still canon. Of course, to be honest I don't really care either. I've always felt the Ghost in the Shell series was a bore.

[Blue Monday]

That hair doesn't suit her at all.

I actually think she looks great as a brunette; cut and all.

[Reichu]

Can't get angry about this casting. She's playing a GHOST IN THE SHELL. A living brain that has been put in a cyborg body.

Apparently a Japanese brain, though, since the character is still called "Kusanagi". The implications there are... not good, to say the least.

[Bagheera]

Apparently a Japanese brain, though, since the character is still called "Kusanagi". The implications there are... not good, to say the least.

Though this is probably one of the only properties where you could legitimately get away with that, given the way cyborg bodies work and all. I agree that's just a clumsy rationalization at best though.

[Reichu]

Though this is probably one of the only properties where you could legitimately get away with that, given the way cyborg bodies work and all. I agree that's just a clumsy rationalization at best though.

I understand the rationalization, but the unfortunate implication is basically, "soon as Japanese people can get cyborg bodies, they'll elect for standard white European features". Which is, I suppose, okay if it's actually justified with a specific character, but I'm having a hard time imagining how they could pull it off and not have it seem forced as hell.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

I understand the rationalization, but the unfortunate implication is basically, "soon as Japanese people can get cyborg bodies, they'll elect for standard white European features".

Let's not forget the context in GEndosPapa's original statement:

A living brain that has been put in a cyborg body. The part could be played by a 400 pound black man and it would fit the part. If they do a sequel they can recast the part and it's still canon.

And honestly, a lot of the logic behind what cybernetic body one would have might have everything to do with availability, and not conscious choice. (Both the manga and the animated film highlighted that aspect at the end of the initial volume by placing Kusanagi in a body that was either male or a child's respectively.) And depending on how the globalization of word economy pans out, there might very well be statistically more of once race than another.

However, I do agree that keeping the name "Kusanagi" has some poor implications, especially if this is body that was selected by its host. But that if relies on details from a film that isn't even out yet, so it's a wild assumption at best. You might as well speculate that Shin Eva ends with everyone receiving a free puppy or something.

[Reichu]

However, I do agree that keeping the name "Kusanagi" has some poor implications, especially if this is body that was selected by its host. But that if relies on details from a film that isn't even out yet, (snip)

I'm not sure why it really matters, since the body was selected by the casting people. It was deliberately chosen; it did not happen by accident. This is also a work of fiction, where the details you mention are under someone's conscience control. Your "puppy" example is not terribly germane.

About the smartest they could go with this is take a Jurassic World sort of tack and be self-aware about their own regressiveness, but that's mostly just a Band-Aid solution for the obvious problem.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

I'm not sure why it really matters, since the body was selected by the casting people. It was deliberately chosen; it did not happen by accident.

And yet the motivation still needs to be assumed without evidence. I agree the narrative written in the film is morally messy, but any accusation or discussion formed around such a premise will be equally as morally messy. It dissolves quickly into hearsay and assumptions real fast.

The absolute worse I can accuse the studio of at this point is "Because Money," and even that's an unfounded assumption. It could also be "Because Name-Recognision," or "Because 'X-Number of Pictures' Contract by Studio involving Said Actress."

[Reichu]

And yet the motivation still needs to be assumed without evidence.

Hollywood can reap what it sows. Maybe once it rids itself of its shitty habits and correspondingly shitty reputation, people like me will feel at liberty to give its giant-uddered cash-ins the benefit of the doubt. Until then...

[Reichu]

Oh dear...

‘Ghost in the Shell’ Producers Reportedly Tested Visual Effects That Would Make White Actors Appear Asian

[Bagheera]

That is dumb as hell. If they wanna localize it, fine, if they don't, fine, but if they want freakin' Asians they should hire freakin' Asians. Digital yellowface is just bullshit.

[backseatjesus]

It's been a long time since I've seen the 1995 adaptation, but wasn't it based in Hong Kong?

[Bagheera]

It's been a long time since I've seen the 1995 adaptation, but wasn't it based in Hong Kong?

No, it came out in 1998 and was set in NYC.