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Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira whitewash

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

Dusty Ayres said:
Harvey said:
Dusty Ayres said:
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?
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Again, it's simple: they don't have the money. You brought up Toho as a viable production company, but looking at wikipedia, it seems like their most expensive films are budgeted at $20-25 million. There's no way they could produce a live-action version of Akira with that kind of money and have it be comparable to a Hollywood production of the same material.

If the Japanese film industry has been in the business of making films budgeted at $150-200 million, I certainly haven't heard of them. Which is sort of the problem. Can you name any?
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Professor Zoom said:
Dusty Ayres said:
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?
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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.
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The Akira Committee is a group of several companies that came together to do the movie (including Toho itself, IIRC.) If, say, Toho and Shockiku wanted to get together and do a movie, it wouldn't be a problem (much like Paramount and Warner Bros. getting together to make Watchmen, or Touchstone and Tri-Star getting together to make Starship Troopers.)

So again, the question is-What's holding up Toho and the others from doing this?
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SIGH. Because maybe Warner Brothers has EXCLUSIVE LICENSE to the property WORLD WIDE. That may be what is preventing anyone else from making another competing version. It's not about the CASH, it may be about whether or not someone has the RIGHT to produce the movie.

Generally that's what movie studios do when they are buying the license to adapt a movie. For example, Harry Potter, Warner Brothers probably bought the exclusive right to produce it. They wouldn't WANT anything else BUT that. Why would they buy something that only gives them rights in parts of the world? And have someone make a competing movie?
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Wikipedia tells me that the Akira committee was formed because the companies involved couldn't budget the film on their own. It also tells me that the film only cost $11 million. Which sort of proves my point, doesn't it?

I'd also point out that co-productions between studios like the ones you list are pretty rare. In the case of a film like Watchmen, Paramount never set out to co-produce the film with another studio, and the events that led them to do so were pretty complicated.

Of course, Professor Zoom is probably right concerning the legal rights to producing a live-action version of Akira. But even if Warner Bros. hadn't acquired those, the film you suggest probably couldn't happen. I just don't see how the Japanese film industry could afford such a project, and you certainly haven't made a convincing argument that it could. I ask the question again: can you name any Japanese films budgeted at $150-200 million?
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Anime is, and always will be, the very stuff of nightmares. You look at it initially, and wonder why anyone got so far into it’s abysmal lack off value. There is nothing for it to go off of except smut and story lines dedicated to twisting the perception of the viewer. The oldest anime was crudely made and devoid of any originality...

Anime, is to some, better than all other forms of entertainment. These people called ‘otaku’ (who spend an inordinate amount of time watching these lackluster cartoons) don’t seem to realize that they could be better using their hours contributing to a much higher purpose in life. We get to have these wee years in our childhoods for cartoons and toys, before we know any better, then we need to move on to more important matters. A man, especially a man, is nothing, when all he can conceivably do is watch either some vomit-inducing, moe, ecchi, hentai, or play eroge dating games while committing autoerotism in front o his PC storing many GB of pirated data.

Yet, I can see what would get a poor soul into anime. Manga also. It has to do with a lack of acceptance. A huge lack of belonging and desire to interact with other human beings. This mental disorder of delving into an inexcusably tawdry form of escape just goes to show how much it hurts for some people to be alive. I can sympathize, but don’t much care to leave it be that what some people do is acceptable by any social standard. When all a person does is gawk at a screen with animated characters for most of his/her life, they are unmistakably degenerates.
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Dennis said:
Hopefully this will be every bit the outstanding success that the Airbender piece of crap was, and similarly affect the careers of those involved.
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You are quite a nasty little person, aren't you?
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

ObiWanShinobi said:
I love how you guys are playing "Name the Asian!"
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:rommie:

Well, there are some Asian actors whose careers are worth following, but that's more due to something quaint called TALENT than the color of their skin. And I'm sure that's what they're rather be known for as well.

Sometimes I peek at imdb to see what certain actors are up to. Reggie Lee is in the Grimm pilot (hope it gets picked up), Ken Leung had a role on The Good Wife (no thanks), and has Yunjin Kim gone back to acting in Korea?

Anyway, Akira is a lost cause. Let's all switch our attention to making sure Hollywood doesn't forget that Zorro is supposed to be Hispanic. :p

Or should we complain about Johnny Depp being cast as Tonto, considering he's only like 1/64th Native American and certainly doesn't look anything but "mainly white."
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Whofan said:
Anime is, and always will be, the very stuff of nightmares. You look at it initially, and wonder why anyone got so far into it’s abysmal lack off value. There is nothing for it to go off of except smut and story lines dedicated to twisting the perception of the viewer. The oldest anime was crudely made and devoid of any originality...

Anime, is to some, better than all other forms of entertainment. These people called ‘otaku’ (who spend an inordinate amount of time watching these lackluster cartoons) don’t seem to realize that they could be better using their hours contributing to a much higher purpose in life. We get to have these wee years in our childhoods for cartoons and toys, before we know any better, then we need to move on to more important matters. A man, especially a man, is nothing, when all he can conceivably do is watch either some vomit-inducing, moe, ecchi, hentai, or play eroge dating games while committing autoerotism in front o his PC storing many GB of pirated data.

Yet, I can see what would get a poor soul into anime. Manga also. It has to do with a lack of acceptance. A huge lack of belonging and desire to interact with other human beings. This mental disorder of delving into an inexcusably tawdry form of escape just goes to show how much it hurts for some people to be alive. I can sympathize, but don’t much care to leave it be that what some people do is acceptable by any social standard. When all a person does is gawk at a screen with animated characters for most of his/her life, they are unmistakably degenerates.
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Clearly they should be spending their time insulting people on internet forums dedicated to a tv show while getting just a little too specific to be completely honest.
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Muahaha. I don't get why people insult anime when that doesn't mean anything. Imagine if I judged "books" by Harlequin romances?

"I can't believe those losers who "read". All they want to do is get off on shitty romances involving weak women who are protected by men. Why don't they grow up and join the real world?".
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Venardhi said:
Whofan said:
Anime is, and always will be, the very stuff of nightmares. You look at it initially, and wonder why anyone got so far into it’s abysmal lack off value. There is nothing for it to go off of except smut and story lines dedicated to twisting the perception of the viewer. The oldest anime was crudely made and devoid of any originality...

Anime, is to some, better than all other forms of entertainment. These people called ‘otaku’ (who spend an inordinate amount of time watching these lackluster cartoons) don’t seem to realize that they could be better using their hours contributing to a much higher purpose in life. We get to have these wee years in our childhoods for cartoons and toys, before we know any better, then we need to move on to more important matters. A man, especially a man, is nothing, when all he can conceivably do is watch either some vomit-inducing, moe, ecchi, hentai, or play eroge dating games while committing autoerotism in front o his PC storing many GB of pirated data.

Yet, I can see what would get a poor soul into anime. Manga also. It has to do with a lack of acceptance. A huge lack of belonging and desire to interact with other human beings. This mental disorder of delving into an inexcusably tawdry form of escape just goes to show how much it hurts for some people to be alive. I can sympathize, but don’t much care to leave it be that what some people do is acceptable by any social standard. When all a person does is gawk at a screen with animated characters for most of his/her life, they are unmistakably degenerates.
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Clearly they should be spending their time insulting people on internet forums dedicated to a tv show while getting just a little too specific to be completely honest.
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Yeah, I note that he knows the proper names of different types of anime, something I don't even know or care about.
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Deckerd said:
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.
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In the context of physical appearance people from Southeast Asia, China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Japan, perhaps the Philippines are somewhat similar. A person of "Indian appearance" is dissimilar to the extent that they would not be confused on superficial examination with someone of "Asian appearance".

Again, someone of "Middle-Eastern Appearance" would be dissimilar again, as would someone of "Northern European appearance", "Southern European appearance" etc., ad reductio excruiatingus.

In the context of this thread "Asian" is not a term inclusive of every millimetre of land defined as part of the continent of Asia.
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Corwwyn said:
Deckerd said:
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.
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In the context of physical appearance people from Southeast Asia, China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Japan, perhaps the Philippines are somewhat similar. A person of "Indian appearance" is dissimilar to the extent that they would not be confused on superficial examination with someone of "Asian appearance".

Again, someone of "Middle-Eastern Appearance" would be dissimilar again, as would someone of "Northern European appearance", "Southern European appearance" etc., ad reductio excruiatingus.

In the context of this thread "Asian" is not a term inclusive of every millimetre of land defined as part of the continent of Asia.
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But you'd definitely include Chinese and Japanese looking people as being "Asian-looking," right? That was my original point (to the extent I even remember what my original point was. :rommie:)
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

The PC Police don't necessarily know what they're talking about.
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Corwwyn said:
Deckerd said:
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.
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A person of "Indian appearance" is dissimilar to the extent that they would not be confused on superficial examination with someone of "Asian appearance".
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Well that's clearly problematical since everyone from the Indian sub-continent in the UK refers to themselves as Asian. This is a US blanket generalism which doesn't actually correspond to any other culture's. If you accept it as such and that it is a flawed generalism then fine. Arguing that your generalism is somehow more pure than what Asian people actually call themselves is self-defeating, if I may say so.
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

You guys should love this. Welcome to HONKEYWOOD! :rommie:

Fast Five is our salvation! If Barak Obama were a movie, he'd be that movie. :cool:

The multi-racial cast starred Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson, featured a Rio de Janeiro backdrop and was directed by Justin Lin, who scored the biggest-ever domestic debut for an Asian director.


“‘Fast Five’ is a great example of Hollywood getting it right,” Craig Detweiler, professor of film history at Pepperdine University, told TheWrap. “Its multi-racial cast matches the multi-racial audience. The Rock and Vin Diesel reflect the browning of America, that there is more blurring across races and cultures than ever before. The box office take reflects that.”

Don’t look for anybody ethnic to save the world or make it safe for democracy in “The Green Lantern” or “Cowboys and Aliens.” For that matter, “X-Men: First Class” may preach inclusion, but its cast isn’t exactly a rainbow coalition.
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Boycott that racist competing movie about some Norse god guy. How Hitlerian can you get????!!!! :rommie: However they failed to note that box-office champ Johnny Depp is 1/64th Cherokee. Also, Penelope Cruz is not "Latina." She is WHITE! For frak's sake people, Spain is in Europe last time I checked.

HONKEYVILLE ON PARADE!!!

They showed rather poor judgment by starting out with Chris Evan's chest in the first slide. :drool: After that, I couldn't really focus on whatever their point was...
 
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Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

I have never known Spaniards to refer to themselves as "Hispanic." I've never had the guts to inquire. :rommie:
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

I thought that's where it derived from, the "span" part.
 
Re: Racebending and other Asian-Americans speak up against Akira white

Ah, but the term implies they hail for the former Spanish colonies and are not 100% white. Actual Hispanics who I've been acquainted with tell me they get huffy about that stuff...
 
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