Keep Mission Impossible and Twilight the hell away from my anime, PLEASE!

[marvel_phoenix]

I came across an article on CNN regarding the film industry's "tendency" to cast white actors for anime inspired films and such. Two of them they are currently casting/filming for have big names like Tom Cruise and Kristen Stewart... Keep Mission Impossible and Twilight the hell away from my anime, PLEASE!

Joe Peacock, a writer and web designer who owns the worlds’ largest private collection of animation cels from the original “Akira” film, said shift[ing] anime characters into white characters “is annoying to the point of disrespect.” In disrespecting the source material, he said, the studios are alienating the fan base which could make the movie a success[.]

http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/...es/?hpt=hp_mid

[Chigumi]

If Twilight was made into an anime it would be even more girly.

[Anoleis]

I don't care if they are white, black, or yellow, as long as they can act. Choosing an Asian actor just because he is Asian as opposed to a wonderful white actor is asinine, and vice freaking versa.

[marvel_phoenix]

Yeah, but I don't think Vampire jail-bate girl has any business being in Akira. And the bigger the names they choose, the more costs are going to go up, and the more they are going to lady when the "Purists" refuse to have any business with it. At least give some up-and-comers a chance to prove it if they've truly got chops or not.

[Anoleis]

Yeah, but I don't think Vampire jail-bate girl has any business being in Akira. And the bigger the names they choose, the more costs are going to go up, and the more they are going to lady when the "Purists" refuse to have any business with it. At least give some up-and-comers a chance to prove it if they've truly got chops or not.

Because there is a high likelihood that they won't. Again, I wouldn't care if Kirsten Stewart were to play in this movie, as long as her acting was good.

And what do you mean she has no business in this film? It's acting, filming, that's what she gets paid for! It is her business.

[marvel_phoenix]

Because there is a high likelihood that they won't. Again, I wouldn't care if Kirsten Stewart were to play in this movie, as long as her acting was good.

And what do you mean she has no business in this film? It's acting, filming, that's what she gets paid for! It is her business.

Call me a Purist then.

[Xian Jaguar]

noooooooooooo

[Meenah]

Honestly I don't really care that much. If it turns out good, fine. I just want it as that.

[Datenshi]

But then of course, most Japanese adaptations of anime/manga are downright terrible.

Being Japanese myself, I have a mixed perspective on this. If the original work is set in Japan and the setting is pertinent to the plot, it seems a bit silly to arbitrarily change it so it can appeal to a wider Western audience. But I have an open mind when it comes to adapting more culturally ambiguous works into film, for reasons I will discuss below. In fact, what I find immensely more objectionable is when a Western film casts a non-Japanese Asian actor (like a Korean or Chinese person) in a specifically Japanese role (it displays a kind of Western insensitivity; it's like saying, he looks "Asian" enough to our audiences, so what's the difference?).

When you consider film adaptations for anime/manga, you have to keep in mind that a great deal of Japanese anime/manga are heavily influenced by Western pop culture in the first place, and vice versa (the article mentions All You Need is Kill, which any sci-fi reader would immediately recognize is itself basically a Philip K. Dick novel transplanted to Japan in light novel format; it would only make total sense if the same people who worked on PKD films like Minority Report, Johnny Mnemonic, or A Scanner Darkly did the film).

Most film adaptations of anime/manga go awry because they fail to recognize the underlying cross-cultural influences and universal themes at the core of the work, and focus on the superficial instead (like being preoccupied in making the actors or costumes "look" similar to the original characters).

To take a case in point, Akira in essence has a lot more in common with Western films like Mad Max than anything else; they were released in succession around the same time period (the 70's-80's), and the creators shared a similar vision; a reflection of the fear of nuclear/technological disaster under Cold War circumstances. Similarly, the movie that most successfully translates the hallmarks of Japanese animation onto film (in my opinion), is, ironically, not based on any particular anime at all (save maybe GITS, which is in turn obviously influenced by Western sci-fi literature); The Matrix. The important thing is to see through the superficial novelty of the medium (i.e. "Japanese" animation) to the deeper themes and motifs of each particular work.

[RescueCat]

I don't want scientologists in my films.

[Screwby]

I don't want scientologists in my films.

I don't see how your nonacceptance of a person's belief (no matter how stupid it is) should affect if you want to watch a movie or not.

Same with a person's race. As long as the film's main themes get across and keeps the same feeling as the manga/anime I don't mind who plays the characters as long as they do some good acting. I don't mind Tom Cruise as I think he can do well in some roles but I'm generally against Kristen Stewart as I think she isn't that good of an actress.
Though I agree that they could at least give some lesser known Japanese actors a chance with some of the movies to try to get them to be better known in the west.

[Cantelope]

I can see why this is a big issue, because we all know that the way people look is much more important than the role they play.

[RescueCat]

lol. Do you even know what scientology is? Do you even know what they do? They've driven two twelve year old girls to kill themselves after they asked to leave the "church" of scientology, as they were then banned from speaking to other members, including their parents, they had harrassing phone calls nearly 24/7. They plastered negative things about a woman who left in newspapers, in banners around her town etc.

There's a reason I don't want more money going towards them.

I spoke to my dad about this last night.
They're keeping the Japanese names.
Making the actors all american.
And it set in Manhattan.

If it's american people, in america, why give them ALL japanese names? I think they should leave Akira alone anyway. The film is still avaliable.

[TheWired]

1) to me English dub casting matters not, since I only listen to Japanese audio w/ English subs.
2) I really appreciate Datenshi's post. I've never read someone of Japanese origin taking a stance, very cool.

[Assiduous✡Aristocrat]

Again, I wouldn't care if Kirsten Stewart were to play in this movie, as long as her acting was good.

She has like two facial expressions.
She'd be terrible.

Call me a Purist then.

I know that feel.

[DeathBlade/13.666]

They will become animes. Just like every movie has a game for it. And there's nothing you can do to stop it!

NOOO!

[Kaitou Ace]

I'm going to say that unless the show is set in a way that requires Japanese actors (Edo era or similar) there is nothing wrong with casting Hollywood actors in a Hollywood production. It's to be expected, and really for post-apocalyptic things like Battle Angel or Akira, or futuristic sci-fi like Cowboy Bebop, ethnicity of the actors matters a lot less then their ability to act.

Now I am still not overly thrilled in general because of how bad live action anime tends to be, but that doesn't have a lot to do with who is cast, but with the translation of the show into a live action medium.

[marvel_phoenix]

It's to be expected, and really for post-apocalyptic things like Battle Angel or Akira, or futuristic sci-fi like Cowboy Bebop, ethnicity of the actors matters a lot less then their ability to act.

Now I am still not overly thrilled in general because of how bad live action anime tends to be, but that doesn't have a lot to do with who is cast, but with the translation of the show into a live action medium.

I understand what you are getting at. And like was said before, as long as they keep some of the under-lying themes to story, and do them correctly, then it keeps some respect. I haven't seen Akira in years, so I don't remember much about it, and what I do remember my be combined with another anime as well.. :X As for anime turned into bad live action, I think just about all of us think of Avatar: The last Air Bender... probably a good example of an adult having never actually watched/understood the series he made the movie after.

Magnificent Seven kept with the story of Kurasawa's Seven Samurai somewhat well (Original movie is in my Netflix queue, so I will watch for first time soon!) - the main points anyway, small village being taken advantage of, residents had enough and hire "ronin" fighters to fight for them. If the live-action depiction of Akira keeps to many of the main points, and translates some of the necessary ones to tie things in, yet still make plenty of sense, then there may be hope. I just don't like Kristen Stewart. I'm sorry. Find some other chick.

I am curious about what they have in mind for Bubblegum Crisis when they finally get around to finishing it... (I haven't found too many details on it, unfortunately ) There are 6 different countries tied into the project, and "American" (Australian/European/South African actors with voice training do not count as "American" - sorry Hugh Laurie ) and Asian actors supposedly going to be cast for it, but again I haven't heard too much. Hopefully it doesn't dead-end like the supposed sequel to 2040... I have my fingers crossed that they will do something with it like how Serenity did for Firefly: a respectable end for a good, but brief, run.