Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira whitewash

[Professor Zoom]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Again, this brings back the question I posed a couple of posts ago; why aren't the Japanese filming this movie? And what's the reason not?

Well, there are several options. They may not own the rights to it any more, they may just not want to, or they may just think there's not much of a market out there for a live-action movie. And who knows, maybe they will film their own version and we can all get enraged that they didn't cast any white people.

Actually, the Akira Committee is still probably around, and could film this movie, and most of the Japanese film companies (my sad attempt at a April Fool's Day prank notwithstanding) are as big as the American ones-big enough to do this movie if needed. So, what's the holdup, Toho? Why not steal this out from under the Americans and make a set in Japan filmed with Japanese actors in Japan movie of this property?

Um. Maybe they don't have the legal right? Perhaps, which ever American film company, bought the WORLD WIDE RIGHTS to make the movie. Somebody made money from selling the rights, you should talk to them.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Wow...this all reminds me of the (thankfully) aborted live-action "Star Blazers" project planned by Disney many years ago when they were going to replace "Space Battleship Yamato" with "Space Battleship Arizona" to cater to American audiences. The irony of it is most of today's youth don't know enough history about WWII to understand the difference between the two, other than the "funny sounding name" of Yamato.

So the insanity continues...

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

I have to keep reminding myself that in the USA 'Asian' means Chinese/Japanese.

Over here Asian means from the Indian sub-continent and Chinese means Chinese and Japanese means Japanese. All the others: Burma, Korea, Vietnam etc are lumped under Southeast Asian.

Asian means people from Asia. Not so difficult.

PS, so much for Chaos, it got cancelled. I doubt that it's because of having a Hispanic lead, but since we're keeping score...

 

[Deckerd]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

You must tell me where Asia is so that I can find it as easy as you do.

 

[Sean Aaron]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

I can't say I'm a big fan of the anime (the manga is classic), but how the hell can the cast not be Japanese when the thing is set in Japan - I mean, why even call it Akira?

I'll ignore it anyway because like the anime it's not going to do justice to the manga, but I do think the protesters have a good point here. I think colourblind casting can work (see "Red" in Shawshank Redemption), but here it really just smacks of racism.

Edit: I just read the article - they're moving the setting to New York City - are you kidding me? Again, why call this film Akira??!!??

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

I have to keep reminding myself that in the USA 'Asian' means Chinese/Japanese.

Over here Asian means from the Indian sub-continent and Chinese means Chinese and Japanese means Japanese. All the others: Burma, Korea, Vietnam etc are lumped under Southeast Asian.

Asian means people from Asia. Not so difficult.

PS, so much for Chaos, it got cancelled. I doubt that it's because of having a Hispanic lead, but since we're keeping score...

Deckard does have a point, as a whole, we Americans typically do not understand that India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the other ...Stans are also part of Asia. most Americans do indeed seem to see Asia as only the Oriental looking peoples. Of course, Deckerd does go too far, IMHO with Aisan only meaning Japanese/Chinese to most Americans. Most of us can't tell one Nationality from another by looking, but, most of us do understand Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Korea, etc are also Asian.

 

[Deckerd]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

The Middle East is also part of Asia. I'm still waiting for Temis to tell me how referring to a third of the population of the world as 'Asian' is somehow acceptable. And not difficult, of course.

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

The Middle East is also part of Asia. I'm still waiting for Temis to tell me how referring to a third of the population of the world as 'Asian' is somehow acceptable. And not difficult, of course.

Hmmm...I've never seen the Middle East being referred to as Asia, only East of Iran

 

[JarodRussell]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

I'm wondering... did any of you complain about Achilles and Odysseus being played by Brad Pitt and Sean Bean? Or, you know, Idris Elba playing a Norse God?

 

[Takeru]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Hmmm...I've never seen the Middle East being referred to as Asia, only East of Iran

Of course it's Asia, what else could it be? It's not Africa or Europe.

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Hmmm...I've never seen the Middle East being referred to as Asia, only East of Iran

Of course it's Asia, what else could it be? It's not Africa or Europe.

It's the Middle East

 

[Kegg]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

I was interested in this when Ruairi Robinson was involved, as he's quite good. Since he seems to have nothing to do with the current production I'll give it a pass.

The Middle East is also part of Asia. I'm still waiting for Temis to tell me how referring to a third of the population of the world as 'Asian' is somehow acceptable. And not difficult, of course.

Hmmm...I've never seen the Middle East being referred to as Asia, only East of Iran

You may not have heard it called so, but it is part of 'Asia'. The word used to mostly mean the Middle East, actually, hence 'Asia Minor' as an old word for what is now most of Turkey.

Asia is pretty much the landmass east of the Ural Mountains in Russia and south of the Caucasus, spreading from Turkey and Turkmenistan to Thailand and Taiwan... and that's just some things beginning with the letter T.

However, it's true that 'Asian' is a pretty arbitrary marker of identity - it's basically just the vast majority of the Eurasian continent that's not the bit called 'Europe', and the idea Europe is its own continent has never struck me as very tenable.

 

[Sindatur]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

I was interested in this when Ruairi Robinson was involved, as he's quite good. Since he seems to have nothing to do with the current production I'll give it a pass.

The Middle East is also part of Asia. I'm still waiting for Temis to tell me how referring to a third of the population of the world as 'Asian' is somehow acceptable. And not difficult, of course.

Hmmm...I've never seen the Middle East being referred to as Asia, only East of Iran

You may not have heard it called so, but it is part of 'Asia'. The word used to mostly mean the Middle East, actually, hence 'Asia Minor' as an old word for what is now most of Turkey.

Asia is pretty much the landmass east of the Ural Mountains in Russia and south of the Caucasus, spreading from Turkey and Turkmenistan to Thailand and Taiwan... and that's just some things beginning with the letter T.

However, it's true that 'Asian' is a pretty arbitrary marker of identity - it's basically just the vast majority of the Eurasian continent that's not the bit called 'Europe', and the idea Europe is its own continent has never struck me as very tenable.

Ah, OK, yea, that whole continent thing never made sense, especially considering Europe, and aren't the neighboring islands of Australia part of the Australian Continent?

Back on topic, as far as Avatar: The Last Airbender, a great deal of the characters in the show, aren't even Oriental, and it's an American show to begin with.

 

[JarodRussell]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Hmmm...I've never seen the Middle East being referred to as Asia, only East of Iran

Of course it's Asia, what else could it be? It's not Africa or Europe.

It's the Middle East

It's the Arabian Subcontinent. Eqypt and stuff belongs to the African plate. But actually, the "Middle East" is officially a region that contains parts of "Western Asia" and "North Africa".

 

[Cicero]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

So why aren't they protesting against all "racebending?" Why is it that only Asian "racebending" is a crime against humanity?

What was the last American-made movie you saw with an Asian star? Or even a strong supporting role? How about one that didn't have "martial artist" as a defining trait?

Rise: Blood Hunter, starring Lucy Liu as a reporter turned reluctant vampire. I seem to see a lot of Lucy Liu movies and tv shows. Her (great) role in Lucky Number Slevin was also martial-artist free.

Another tv show with a lead of Asian ancestry that I haven't seen mentioned is Nikita, which stars Maggie Q as the eponymous character.

 

[Forbin]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Re: Grace Park and Daniel Day Kim on 5-0. Note that they are both Koreans playing Hawaiians. Neither actor is actually Polynesian/Hawaiian. Racebending? Racism? Just Hollywood?

 

[IndyJones]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Re: Grace Park and Daniel Day Kim on 5-0. Note that they are both Koreans playing Hawaiians. Neither actor is actually Polynesian/Hawaiian. Racebending? Racism? Just Hollywood?

Or just hiring actors that you think will help your show?


Besides, there are plenty of Koreans living in Hawaii.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Re: Grace Park and Daniel Day Kim on 5-0. Note that they are both Koreans playing Hawaiians. Neither actor is actually Polynesian/Hawaiian. Racebending? Racism? Just Hollywood?

I don't think they are supposed to be playing Polynesian.

How many Polynesian's are named Chin?

Of course, his last name is Kelly. So maybe he's Irish.

May favorite Asian race bending is John Cho, Korean American, playing Sulu, Japanese American....

 

[Level 2 Diagnostic]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

May favorite Asian race bending is John Cho, Korean American, playing Sulu, Japanese American....

How about Zoe Saldana (Dominican/Puerto Rican) playing an African character?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

You must tell me where Asia is so that I can find it as easy as you do.

Map? Google? Wikipedia?

I'm still waiting for Temis to tell me how referring to a third of the population of the world as 'Asian' is somehow acceptable.

Is there some rule that says a third of the population of the globe can't be Asian? What's so "unacceptable" about that? Is Asia some fictional place that doesn't really exist after all? However you care to define it, China and Japan are certainly part of it.

Deckard does have a point, as a whole, we Americans typically do not understand that India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the other ...Stans are also part of Asia.

I can't recall ever running across Americans who don't know that India, Afghanistan and Pakistan are part of Asia.

This is certainly one of the weirder issues I've ever seen raised around here, and I've been here a while...