Good Lord.....WHITE Akira remake back on?

[Free-Man]

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/09/08/iron-man-screenwriters-keep-live-action-akira-alive/

Well, they did have something to do on Iron Man, which is pretty good.....but I still have ZERO desire to see this movie done with a bunch of white boys in Manhattan.

[FeminineMystique]

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/09/08/iron-man-screenwriters-keep-live-action-akira-alive/

Well, they did have something to do on Iron Man, which is pretty good.....but I still have ZERO desire to see this movie done with a bunch of white boys in Manhattan.

Agreed. Utterly pointles to remake. I really hope this stays in development hell and doesn't see the light of day

[Tetsuo_man]

I'm pissed off as a fan and as a filmmaker who wants to do an all asian live action film based on Akira and done right (as opposed to a watered down version)! I'm crossing my fingers that since this has been in development hell since the nineties that this will not come to pass.

[Thadeus Thunderwinkle]

I thought the original was over-rated, so I don't have any desire to see this movie anyway.

[Tetsuo_man]

I thought the original was over-rated, so I don't have any desire to see this movie anyway.

What do you think of the manga? As overrated or better?

[Thadeus Thunderwinkle]

What do you think of the manga? As overrated or better?

I haven't read the manga, actually. From what I have heard it is better and the plot is a bit more fleshed out. Maybe I should look into it one of these years.

[7thangel]

yeah, saw this earlier in the morning. just rolled my eyes

[Alan2099]

Eh. It's typical. I'm not seeing what the big deal is. Of course, I don't tend to get worked up with different countries adapt storylines so they take place in their own country. If I did that, I'd be pulling my hair out ever other week.

[AndrewCrossett]

I know! Let's make it a musical!

[FeminineMystique]

I know! Let's make it a musical!

BIG YES

Speaking of which, is it true one dubbed version of the film featured the random line "Men! We're going to the Olympics!"

[40footwolf]

I don't understand this thing where everyone thinks that movie is going to be horrible because it'll have white people.

There have been some really good movies with white people.

[Eliseu Gouveia]

After the Avatar crap, I´m not the least surprised.

[Free-Man]

After the Avatar crap, I´m not the least surprised.

But seriously, if you are going to rape the film of much of it's symbolism by making it about white Americans, why make it at all?

[7thangel]

I don't understand this thing where everyone thinks that movie is going to be horrible because it'll have white people.

There have been some really good movies with white people.
sorry, i had to laugh at this post, not at you but the bolded text. that's not really the argument.

[Alan2099]

sorry, i had to laugh at this post, not at you but the bolded text. that's not really the argument.

It isn't? I thought that's what everybody was complaining about. What am I missing?

... Please don't tell me this is one of those, "everything Japanese is cool automaticaly" topics.

[Cayman]

Where does it say they say all the characters will be white?

[40footwolf]

sorry, i had to laugh at this post, not at you but the bolded text. that's not really the argument.
Well, it was supposed to be funny, so I'm glad that worked.

That seems to be what everyone is complaining about. "It'll have a lot of white people! It won't be as good as if it had a lot of asian people!"

I can't imagine that if the Japanese were adapting, say, Superman into a movie, they wouldn't cast Superman as a Japanese person.

[7thangel]

but here's the thing, are there no Asian americans actors?
could they not, y'know, play the role of the asian characters?
if it really shouldn't matter, then are black, native or latino men being mentioned as the main characters or being offered the part?

should asian american actors wait a couple more years for a part where they might be the lead or just be satisfied as a token, even in movies where the characters were supposed to be asian? (even the true life ones)

[40footwolf]

but here's the thing, are there no Asian americans actors?
could they not, y'know, play the role of the asian characters?
if it really shouldn't matter, then are black, native or latino men being mentioned as the main characters or being offered the part?

should asian american actors wait a couple more years for a part where they might be the lead or just be satisfied as a token, even in movies where the characters were supposed to be asian? (even the true life ones)
You'll notice that the article never says anything about the race makeup of the cast.

[7thangel]

actually it does mention two names and if i remember correctly they had other names attached as potential cast members.

what some people are wary of is another airbender, 21, dbz, speed racer, etc

[Tetsuo_man]

actually it does mention two names and if i remember correctly they had other names attached as potential cast members.

what some people are wary of is another airbender, 21, dbz, speed racer, etc

This(too short)!

[BnL]

I think the objection is that they're taking something from another culture, and then potentially "whitewashing" it, and that rubs a lot of people the wrong way (and I can understand why). There will almost certainly be a mostly white cast, with maybe a couple of black and latino actors thrown in. Hollywood doesn't really trust that audiences will go see a movie with an Asian cast. The result is that it looks like they're being told, "You people have some good ideas, and we'd like to exploit them, but your racial characteristics and certain cultural elements are not desirable to us, so we're going to leave all that stuff out." It's kind of insulting to be told that your race and heritage are not good enough, and it's almost like robbing the original creators of their credit for the concept by removing their cultural stamp from the project.

[friginator]

Making them white is stupid. It just is.

[Tetsuo_man]

It's been posted before but might as well again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jafd97yJFOI

[dupont2005]

http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/09/08/iron-man-screenwriters-keep-live-action-akira-alive/

Well, they did have something to do on Iron Man, which is pretty good.....but I still have ZERO desire to see this movie done with a bunch of white boys in Manhattan.

you remind me of the people that hate the justice league for having too many black people

[spidervenom]

I don't understand this thing where everyone thinks that movie is going to be horrible because it'll have white people.

There have been some really good movies with white people.

It takes place in a future post-apocalyptic tokyo.

[friginator]

you remind me of the people that hate the justice league for having too many black people

Huh? Do people actually have that complaint?

[Alan2099]

It takes place in a future post-apocalyptic tokyo.
Not this time it doesn't.

Huh? Do people actually have that complaint?
Sadly, yes.

Well, it was supposed to be funny, so I'm glad that worked.

That seems to be what everyone is complaining about. "It'll have a lot of white people! It won't be as good as if it had a lot of asian people!"

I can't imagine that if the Japanese were adapting, say, Superman into a movie, they wouldn't cast Superman as a Japanese person.
Well, they did it twice with Spider-man (that I'm aware of). Making him Japanese in both their TV show and in their comics.

[Cayman]

actually it does mention two names and if i remember correctly they had other names attached as potential cast members.

what some people are wary of is another airbender, 21, dbz, speed racer, etc

It mentions an unconfirmed rumor that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is involved.

[40footwolf]

Well, they did it twice with Spider-man (that I'm aware of). Making him Japanese in both their TV show and in their comics.Nobody lost their fucking minds over that, as far as I can tell.

[friginator]

Wasn't the Japanese Spider-Man set in Japan, though?

[Alan2099]

Wasn't the Japanese Spider-Man set in Japan, though?

It was and this version of Akira is set in Manhattan.

[friginator]

But is he still named Akira? Why not give him a name that's not blatantly japanese? This sounds pretty dumb, but if it's set in America I can see making them white. Still pointless.

[7thangel]

and again, are there no asian americans in the u.s.a. or specifically, ny?

about the names attached but not firm, this was the same (the lack of any asian actors getting a serious look) when it first was rumored to be made, if i remember correctly. and no different than the movies i mentioned.

why wouldn't people be wary and frustrated? they have a right to be.

first they're told there aren't enough roles for asian actors, except for some questionable shit at times, then when a role comes up that should call for asian casting it gets the racebending treatment. when people point that shit out, all kind of excuses get bandied about and it ends up like 21. people are told, 'next time, meanwhile we may have a stereotype role soon, be ready'. and the cycle continues. in media, asians, especially asian men, are invisible and thus perpetual foreigners

[Cayman]

and again, are there no asian americans in the u.s.a. or specifically, ny?

about the names attached but not firm, this was the same (the lack of any asian actors getting a serious look) when it first was rumored to be made, if i remember correctly. and no different than the movies i mentioned.

why wouldn't people be wary and frustrated? they have a right to be.

first they're told there aren't enough roles for asian actors, except for some questionable shit at times, then when a role comes up that should call for asian casting it gets the racebending treatment. when people point that shit out, all kind of excuses get bandied about and it ends up like 21. people are told, 'next time, meanwhile we may have a stereotype role soon, be ready'. and the cycle continues. in media, asians, especially asian men, are invisible and thus perpetual foreigners

There is no information at all yet about the casting. We don't know who is or isn't being considered for roles in this movie.

[40footwolf]

But is he still named Akira? Why not give him a name that's not blatantly japanese? This sounds pretty dumb, but if it's set in America I can see making them white. Still pointless.
I'll admit, if he's still named Akira he should be played by a Japanese guy. If it's more of an "inspired by the graphic novel" kind of thing, though, I don't think race really matters.

[Alan2099]

Wasn't the Japanese Spider-Man set in Japan, though?

I'll admit, if he's still named Akira he should be played by a Japanese guy. If it's more of an "inspired by the graphic novel" kind of thing, though, I don't think race really matters.

Have you seen Akira? You really don't need an actor to play Akira. Asian or otherwise.

[Cayman]

They need to find an American name that is as fun to shout as "TETSUOOOOOOOOOO!"

[40footwolf]

Have you seen Akira? You really don't need an actor to play Akira. Asian or otherwise.
Right, sorry, TETSUO is the character I was talking about.

[Alan2099]

They need to find an American name that is as fun to shout as "TETSUOOOOOOOOOO!"

That much I can agree with. :biggrin:

I just can't think of any english names that fit the bill.

[40footwolf]

That much I can agree with. :biggrin:

I just can't think of any english names that fit the bill.
Maybe Barnaby?

[dupont2005]

Huh? Do people actually have that complaint?

yes. since i'm not a reader i wouldn't even know they had a shift in ethnic representation if not for people shitting themselves over it

[worstblogever]

Maybe Barnaby?

Not bad. Sticking with three syllables seems important.

[Reverend Smooth]

Eh. It's typical. I'm not seeing what the big deal is. Of course, I don't tend to get worked up with different countries adapt storylines so they take place in their own country.
Asians live in America, too.

[Alan2099]

Asians live in America, too.

There are white people in Japan too, but I didn't see anybody raising a stink about them not being major characters in the anime.

[7thangel]

There are white people in Japan too, but I didn't see anybody raising a stink about them not being major characters in the anime.

wow, it's been said that there are a more white people in media in japan, from tv to ads than there are asian americans, y'know, americans of asian persuasion. millions of under represented people in american media.

yeah, but who cares, name the character johnny and that ought to be the end of it, lord knows teh asians don't have those types of names.

[dupont2005]

wow, it's been said that there are a more white people in media in japan, from tv to ads than there are asian americans, y'know, americans of asian persuasion. millions of under represented people in american media.


well i just read it on an internet forum so it must be true

[7thangel]

well i just read it on an internet forum so it must be true

well, lets see, even those white folk in japan currently protesting against the mr james ad, admit that there's a lot of white positive representation in japan's ads and they're also on tv. i've seen the representation and lack of here, the media capital of the world, with people that are an intrinsic part of this country's history and like others have and are still struggling for better representation and a voice.

[dupont2005]

well, lets see, even those white folk in japan currently protesting against the mr james ad, admit that there's a lot of white positive representation in japan's ads and they're also on tv. i've seen the representation and lack of here, the media capital of the world, with people that are an intrinsic part of this country's history and like others have and are still struggling for better representation and a voice.

so theres white people in ads and on tv? theres asians in ads and on tv out here too. do they make all white casted big budget features in japan to market to the japanese?

[The Xenos]

Well I doubt everyone's gonna be white in Neo Manhattan. Sure they'll toss in some token black and hispanic characters. :rolleyes:

Really, I don't give a crap one way or another about this movie. It's an unnecessary remake. Even if it ignores its Asian origins and is horrible, I'm just going to ignore it and focus on the original. Hell, same with Last Airbender.

[friginator]

The Last Airbender doesn't bother me as much, seeing as how they don't live in any actual region.

[AaronJ]

Do people feel the same way about "Ran" or, the other way, "Star Wars?"

I don't get it. There is this huge cultural landscape, and people are going to take ideas from all over and use them. Why is this a bad thing?

Both Kurosawa and Renoir made a version of "The Lower Depths" for example. I've never heard of anyone complaining about that.

[lexid523]

Do people feel the same way about "Ran" or, the other way, "Star Wars?"

I don't get it. There is this huge cultural landscape, and people are going to take ideas from all over and use them. Why is this a bad thing?

Both Kurosawa and Renoir made a version of "The Lower Depths" for example. I've never heard of anyone complaining about that.

It's like this: When Japan makes a film/book/anime/manga in a post-nuclear apocalypse setting, it carries a lot more meaning.

[Alan Lynch]

I still don't see the point of this project at all. You can't film Akira any better than it already has. Not as a movie anyway.

[jesse_custer]

Well, if it comes out, I probably won't see it, so no harm done.

I am, however, looking forward to the possible Ghost in the Shell live-action remake. The original movie is pretty boring.

[dupont2005]

It's like this: When Japan makes a film/book/anime/manga in a post-nuclear apocalypse setting, it carries a lot more meaning.

japan isn't making it

[AaronJ]

japan isn't making it

Not to mention that one of the greatest films ever made about the (atomic) bombings was not made by Japanese at all.

[NickThompson]

It takes place in a future post-apocalyptic tokyo.
High Fidelity took place in London, the John Cusack movie took place in the US. Good movie.





I have not read Akira, but is there anything major that really stops it from not being changed into an American movie outside of locations and names?

[Duxdoom]

Who is the guy who keeps getting paid to pitch american adaptaions of good anime properties? What's next Cowboy Bebop starring Keannu Reeves? (oh wait...shit...). Or...um...TriGun Starring Zach Efron? Yeah that works.

This is a dumb idea. Just dumb.


I have not read Akira, but is there anything major that really stops it from not being changed into an American movie outside of locations and names?

Not really. Its just that if they directly adapt the Akira movie, then it will only serve to have fans sit there and pick it apart relentlessly for changing the facts when the original still holds up.

[7thangel]

so theres white people in ads and on tv? theres asians in ads and on tv out here too. do they make all white casted big budget features in japan to market to the japanese?

i'm still trying to understand what you're saying here.

[Adam C]

There are white people in Japan too, but I didn't see anybody raising a stink about them not being major characters in the anime.


Both Kurosawa and Renoir made a version of "The Lower Depths" for example. I've never heard of anyone complaining about that.

I turn to a point that Friginator made earlier...

But is he still named Akira? Why not give him a name that's not blatantly japanese? This sounds pretty dumb, but if it's set in America I can see making them white. Still pointless.

Basically no one complains about Kurosawa and Renoir because they did it properly, changing the setting to their respective countries and even changing the names of the characters in question as appropriate to the story. For the longest time that this prospective adaptation has been in the pipe-line they have proposed changing the setting to Manhattan and casting it with white American actors, even while keeping the original Japanese names. (The explanation being that the Japanese rebuilt Manhattan.)

I feel that if you're going to adapt to another culture's story do it properly and remain faithful setting of the story (even if they were speaking a language different to that culture), or change the setting properly like Kurosawa did with Gorky and Shakespeare which meant changing the names of the characters as well in order to properly integrate the story into a new setting. What's been proposed with the live-action Akira just leaves it in an uncomfortable middle ground that smacks of bad storytelling contrivance and even a bit of racism that Kurosawa, Renoir, AND John Sturges' approaches neatly avoided.

The Last Airbender doesn't bother me as much, seeing as how they don't live in any actual region.

Nor did Middle-Earth, but Lord of the Rings was as much a fantasy based on English culture and Anglo-saxon myth as Avatar: the Last Airbender is a myth based on east-Asian cultures and their mythologies (with the Inuit thrown in). As Jeff Yang notes on the casting (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/28/DDMU15ICE4.DTL) it's really contrary to the spirit of the source material to staff it with white actors. (Never mind the unfortunate connotations of making two protagonists from a culture based on the Inuit white while the lead bad-guy is played by a Maori actor.)

[Lester C.]

Not that I care all that much, but isn't this reverse racism. Granted based on past movies that were Anglicized, I can see why you would feel this way, but you are prejudging a moving based on skin color.

[Sound Silence]

Wasn't this the one Leondardo DiCaprio was gonna do?

Eh...white or not, regardless, it's a silly concept. Remakes are rarely that good...unless it serves to get people interested in the old one.


I heard the live-action Cowboy Bebop was greenlit too, from somewhere.

[Lester C.]

I don't think there are a whole lot of white people in Japan actually. 99 percent of the country is Japanese with the other one percent being Korean and Chinese. You have around one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand foreign workers but hardly any of them are citizens. It's actually very, very hard to become a citizen in Japan.

[friginator]

Not that I care all that much, but isn't this reverse racism.

No. It's not. It's REALLY not.

[Lester C.]

No. It's not. It's REALLY not.

We will agree to disagree, but people are panning the movie because the actors are white and that's all they know about it. I really think that is a minor insequential example of reverse racism. Granted most of the people doing the panning are white themselves, but still.

[friginator]

Racism is the belief that one race is inherently superior to another. That's not at all what this is.

[7thangel]

We will agree to disagree, but people are panning the movie because the actors are white and that's all they know about it. I really think that is a minor insequential example of reverse racism. Granted most of the people doing the panning are white themselves, but still.

besides reverse racism being one of those rididculous terms that has gotten legitimacy, you presume way too much.

there's no movie to pan, it's some people (whose backgrounds you know nothing about) that are wary of the hollywood casting and it once again becoming something like airbender, 21, earthsea, speed racer, dbz, etc.

[Adam C]

Not that I care all that much, but isn't this reverse racism. Granted based on past movies that were Anglicized, I can see why you would feel this way, but you are prejudging a moving based on skin color.

My point was never that they can't relocate Akira from Japan to America with the characters' nationality being changed accordingly. Just that doing so while keeping the Japanese names on the basis of a contrived plot explanation is rather awkward rather than going all the-way as Kurosawa did with "King Lear" in Ran or John Sturges did with Kurosawa's Seven Samurai in The Magnificent Seven.

That said I'm starting to wonder about this point myself. I decided to do some back research on the various announcements of the adaptation and while I though I recalled reading something more substantial, but seems unsurprisingly that a lot of this may have been rumours due to Leonardo DiCaprio's production company being involved in the film.

[friginator]

Yeah, reverse racism is a stupid term. Reverse racism would be equality, or something like that. Not white people being afraid to call black or asian people racists, which is generally when the term is used.

[dupont2005]

Racism is the belief that one race is inherently superior to another. That's not at all what this is.

or that one race would be superior at making a movie than another

[dupont2005]

didn't a handful of people shit themselves because the rock played buford pusser in the walking tall remake?

[Free-Man]

or that one race would be superior at making a movie than another

Cool. Good thing I never said that!

[Charles RB]

The Last Airbender doesn't bother me as much, seeing as how they don't live in any actual region.

Airbender actually bothers me more, because at least by transferring Akira to another country you can keep the visual trappings - city, bikes etc - and claim "look, it's got the SPIRIT of Akira!" (even if it doesn't). They're not even doing that for Airbender, something that was deliberately designed to be extremely Asian influenced.

I still don't see the point of this project at all. You can't film Akira any better than it already has. Not as a movie anyway.

That too.

[dupont2005]

Cool. Good thing I never said that!

then what are you saying, if not that the movie would be better off if the cast were strictly a race of your choosing? sounds to me exactly like the people who think the justice leage is better off with an all white cast, or that grand theft auto doesn't need a black lead character

[Free-Man]

then what are you saying, if not that the movie would be better off if the cast were strictly a race of your choosing? sounds to me exactly like the people who think the justice leage is better off with an all white cast, or that grand theft auto doesn't need a black lead character

I feel that moving it into a Japanese-inspired New York and giving the Japanese names to white actors is stupid and racist. If you are going to remake the movie, then fine. Just don't call it Akira, get rid of the Japanese names, and get rid of all the Hiroshima/Nagasaki symbolism.

[dupont2005]

I feel that moving it into a Japanese-inspired New York and giving the Japanese names to white actors is stupid and racist. If you are going to remake the movie, then fine. Just don't call it Akira, get rid of the Japanese names, and get rid of all the Hiroshima/Nagasaki symbolism.

how do you know the new york will be "japanese inspired?"

how do you know white actors will be given japanese names?

[Free-Man]

how do you know the new york will be "japanese inspired?"

how do you know white actors will be given japanese names?

Because all the stuff I've read about the script treatments set it in a futuristic Manhattan that is rebuilt by the Japanese. There have been repeated reports of Joseph Gordn Levitt (WHITE GUY) playing Tetsuo. Hell, the movie itself is named AKIRA. Not STEVE.

[7thangel]

then what are you saying, if not that the movie would be better off if the cast were strictly a race of your choosing? sounds to me exactly like the people who think the justice leage is better off with an all white cast, or that grand theft auto doesn't need a black lead character

really?

hoping an asian character is played by an asian american actor is racist?

hoping that hollywood not purposely cast asian characters (or other marginalized characters that don't get much representation in media) using white actors, specifically for the main leads, is racist?

[dupont2005]

really?

hoping an asian character is played by an asian american actor is racist?

hoping that hollywood not purposely cast asian characters (or other marginalized characters that don't get much representation in media) using white actors, specifically for the main leads, is racist?

yes it is. one reason is that it may or may not be an "asian character" in the remake. if they painted a white guy yellow and taped his eyelids down, that would be cause for uproar, if they rewrite some old manga into an americanized story and cast it with american actors, not really a big deal at all. and until now the argument was not that the MAIN CHARACTER should be asian, but that EVERYONE ON CAMERA should be asian, and yes, that is racist. you need to remember this property was optioned in order to turn a profit, and taking a bunch of no-name asians and putting them on screen for a big budget hollywood film is just asking for disaster. short of a handful of anime fanatics, otakus, and japanophiles, nobody is going to care (or notice) if tetsuo is changed into ken, also, i seriously doubt an all asian cast would have made speed racer any better.



even if they did paint a white guy yellow, it wouldn't be the first time hollywood had chosen a white actor to play a minority role, and the times it has been done that i can remember off the top of my head, there was much less outrage than there is now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIX8KnIzrJM
in this movie they took a white guy and gave him brown skin and broken english so he could play a mexican american. as far as i know nobody has ever complained. of course it was 30 years ago

[Charles RB]

taking a bunch of no-name asians and putting them on screen for a big budget hollywood film is just asking for disaster. short of a handful of anime fanatics, otakus, and japanophiles, nobody is going to care (or notice) if tetsuo is changed into ken

a) Nobody said shit about "no-name" actors. You're complaining about racism, but you're the one inherently linking "Asian actor" to "no-name".

b) Akira was released in multiple countries theatrically, has done repeatedly well on video and DVD, and is critically acclaimed. It is not an unknown property - a number of non-nerds will have heard of it and know it's a cartoon from Japan. (This is why Hollywood wants to remake it) Which means a number of people will go "hey, I thought this was Japanese, why are they white Americans now?".

it wouldn't be the first time hollywood had chosen a white actor to play a minority role

And that's been complained about for years now. It is not a new phenomenon.

[Spiffy]

I'm not as upset by a "white" remake of Akira on the same scale as white-ifying something like Avatar (aka "The Last Airbender").

Its been years since I've seen it, but I don't recall Akira being something SO immersed in its culture of origin that it couldn't be changed up a bit. Gang warfare and post-apocalyptic stuff is pretty universal.

Versus Airbender, which seemed pretty rooted philosophically and with characters with distinct races which always made the most sense as Asian. Thus the assertions of racism held some water there (that and the fact that the casting agent for it had some really boneheaded racial statements on public record).

To me, some remakes are essentially rooted in their base cultures and some are like... Shakespeare. Adaptable and okay to reinterpret. Fun even, when that's done (assuming its done well). We waste our outrage a bit getting upset at those.

Of course this logic is complete different from arguing it SHOULD be remade. It could well be one of those things which is perfect as it is and ANY remake would be a waste of time. I'm just saying, I think outrage over the race issue might be wasted here, unless they actually intend on keeping all the Japanese names and locations. If they are simply recycling the plot? So what. Big deal.

[dupont2005]

a) Nobody said shit about "no-name" actors. You're complaining about racism, but you're the one inherently linking "Asian actor" to "no-name".


are there enough asian american "big name" actors to fill a movie cast?

of course they would have to be "japanese american" because casting chinese or korean actors as japanese characters would be racist:rolleyes:

[Charles RB]

To me, some remakes are essentially rooted in their base cultures and some are like... Shakespeare. Adaptable and okay to reinterpret. Fun even, when that's done (assuming its done well).

But as Adam's pointing out, they're doing it in a half-arsed way.

[dupont2005]

Which means a number of people will go "hey, I thought this was Japanese, why are they white Americans now?".


we'll see how many people say that, outside of message boards with a manga/anime section that is....

it's not like japan hasn't had 20 years to go ahead and do it themselves if they wanted a japanese setting and cast

[Free-Man]

are there enough asian american "big name" actors to fill a movie cast?

of course they would have to be "japanese american" because casting chinese or korean actors as japanese characters would be racist:rolleyes:

You're joking right? There is a HUGE difference between casting a Korean as a Japanese and a German-American as a Japanese person.

[dupont2005]

You're joking right? There is a HUGE difference between casting a Korean as a Japanese and a German-American as a Japanese person.

regardless, which "big name asian american actor" do you suggest play tetsuo? for the life of me i can't name a single big name male asian actor of suitable age that has a good handle on the english language, and jackie chan and jet li aren't even japanese, or american


and as far as we know, they aren't casting a "japanese person"

they are cassting an american, to play a role based on a japanese manga. that is all

[Free-Man]

regardless, which "big name asian american actor" do you suggest play tetsuo? for the life of me i can't name a single big name male asian actor in their 20's that has a good handle on the english language, and jackie chan and jet li aren't even japanese, or american

Jay Chou
Rain
Aaron Yoo

[dupont2005]

Jay Chou
Rain
Aaron Yoo

yeah real big name actors


i never heard of a single one of them, and i bet the vast majority of american moviegoers haven't either.

just out of curiosity, if they made a captain america movie and cast a black man, would you be upset?

[Spiffy]

But as Adam's pointing out, they're doing it in a half-arsed way.

Well then that's the problem moreso than it just being "racist" to use white folk.

Its the lack of respect for the quality of the original that's at issue, not the fact that its possible to rewrite the story for any culture (which is actually a good thing in many ways).

[Free-Man]

yeah real big name actors


i never heard of a single one of them, and i bet the vast majority of american moviegoers haven't either.

just out of curiosity, if they made a captain america movie and cast a black man, would you be upset?

Why does the movie need big name actors anyway?

And unless they made the movie based on Truth, then yes, I would have a problem.

[Tommy]

You're joking right? There is a HUGE difference between casting a Korean as a Japanese and a German-American as a Japanese person.

Remember Memoirs of a Geisha?

[Charles RB]

we'll see how many people say that, outside of message boards with a manga/anime section that is....

Again, I say: Akira was released in multiple countries theatrically, has done repeatedly well on video and DVD, and is critically acclaimed. That's why Hollywood wants to remake it - it has a Name.

it's not like japan hasn't had 20 years to go ahead and do it themselves

They DID. What do you think is being remade, exactly?

[7thangel]

are there enough asian american "big name" actors to fill a movie cast?

of course they would have to be "japanese american" because casting chinese or korean actors as japanese characters would be racist:rolleyes:

you're quite foolish, and quite ignorant. and i'll fling back that charge you're implying right back at you based on your own words.

and yes, people have been rightfully complaining about yellowface, brownface and redface, it's obvious you don't pay attention.

and to your answer 'yes it is', no it's not

and finally, just with a little google http://edopeno.com/2008/12/22/top-10-asian-american-actors-in-2008/
http://www.cinematical.com/2007/11/29/cinematical-seven-asian-american-actors-ready-to-break-out/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfBQpklkoSk

[Spiffy]

Not that I care all that much, but isn't this reverse racism. Granted based on past movies that were Anglicized, I can see why you would feel this way, but you are prejudging a moving based on skin color.
Probably neither point of view (making it "white" or objecting to making it "white") meets the burden of racism. But they are racial. And I don't see the sense in it if the story is a relatively race neutral story.

Is it racist to make non-German versions of Brother's Grimm stories? To make non-British version of Shakespeare? Of course not.

As I said, I can kind of see the case where a culture seems to be an inherent part of a story. Even if its a "fake" culture like in "Last Airbender", because clearly EVERYTHING about that property centers around the notion of echoing Asian cultures. But Akira? What about it does? Am I remembering it THAT badly and it does?

[Free-Man]

Remember Memoirs of a Geisha?

You are right, there was contreversy from Japanese people who didn't like the idea of a Chinese woman playing a Geisha. But China and Japan are still Asian countries, and frankly, it was a little ridiculous. Even some prominent asians spoke out against the naysayers.

[friginator]

Which is a perfect example. As long as the person LOOKS Asian they work as a japanese character. If a white or black person could pull it off, they should be able to do that too.

[tejpis]

Is being Asian integral to the plot of Akira? I fell asleep watching the anime so I don't really know...

[The Xenos]

You are right, there was contreversy from Japanese people who didn't like the idea of a Chinese woman playing a Geisha. But China and Japan are still Asian countries, and frankly, it was a little ridiculous. Even some prominent asians spoke out against the naysayers. Which is a perfect example. As long as the person LOOKS Asian they work as a japanese character. If a white or black person could pull it off, they should be able to do that too.
All Asians are the same, right? :rolleyes:

Really, study up on Asian cultures and Asian history and you'll see why there is a biiiiig issue of casting or mixing nationalities. Not that I'm saying the excessive nationalism is a good thing, but here in America we tend to think of Asian nationalities as interchangeable. It's a really wrongheaded view point.

Hell just look at the Last Airbender casting director who told Koreans to dress in their native garb of Kimonos. Yeah, after Korea was invaded by Japan and had thousands of their women forded into slavery, it's nice of Americans to think of them as Japanese without a second thought.

Plus really, imagine if someone said that America and Mexico or England were interchangeable. Hell, imagine someone saying that Texas is the same as California or Massachusetts. ( Or if someone called someone from America a dirty Canadian instead of an American. :tongue: )

Is being Asian integral to the plot of Akira? I fell asleep watching the anime so I don't really know... Well considering it takes place in Neo-Tokyo, has Japanese culture and history as a strong part of the setting, and it's very much a statement about Japan by the author.. Yes.

Imgaine if we took out the Japanese influences from Blade Runner. Or if we took out the Chinese from Firefly.

Or if Hollywood took out the samurai from the Seven Samurai. ... Oh.. wait a minute...

[Free-Man]

All Asians are the same, right? :rolleyes:

Really, study up on Asian cultures and Asian history and you'll see why there is a biiiiig issue of casting or mixing nationalities. Not that I'm saying the excessive nationalism is a good thing, but here in America we tend to think of Asian nationalities as interchangeable. It's a really wrongheaded view point.

Hell just look at the Last Airbender casting director who told Koreans to dress in their native garb of Kimonos. Yeah, after Korea was invaded by Japan and had thousands of their women forded into slavery, it's nice of Americans to think of them as Japanese without a second thought.

Plus really, imagine if someone said that America and Mexico or England were interchangeable. Hell, imagine someone saying that Texas is the same as California or Massachusetts. ( Or if someone called someone from America a dirty Canadian instead of an American. :tongue: )

Well considering it takes place in Neo-Tokyo, has Japanese culture and history as a strong part of the setting, and it's very much a statement about Japan by the author.. Yes.

Imgaine if we took out the Japanese influences from Blade Runner. Or if we took out the Chinese from Firefly.

Or if Hollywood took out the samurai from the Seven Samurai. ... Oh.. wait a minute...

I am in no way saying all asians are the same, I'm just saying that the whole "chinese can't play Japanese" is a bit of a slippery sloped argument. I mean, do we really get all up in arms when a german American actor plays an American with a last name like O'Riley?

[7thangel]

Imgaine if we took out the Japanese influences from Blade Runner. Or if we took out the Chinese from Firefly.

Or if Hollywood took out the samurai from the Seven Samurai. ... Oh.. wait a minute...

were there any chinese or any other asians in firefly?

[Spiffy]

Well considering it takes place in Neo-Tokyo, has Japanese culture and history as a strong part of the setting,
You said it. SETTING. Are they essential plot elements?

Scotland is the setting for Macbeth (its even referred to as "The Scottish Play" by superstitious actors). Does that preclude remakes/reinterpretations in other settings?

A Christmas Carol is VERY much grounded in England. And yet TONS of remakes and pastiches have been set elsewhere.

Pygmalion (which most people know as "My Fair Lady") is not only VERY much set in a certain time and place in English history, and was ALSO intended by its author as a statement about that time and place. And yet once again, there are endless remakes and reinterpretations, many quite successful, in other settings.

Why the double standard?

[Free-Man]

were there any chinese or any other asians in firefly?

It's a blatant ripoff of Oulaw Star.

[Free-Man]

You said it. SETTING. Are they essential plot elements?

Scotland is the setting for Macbeth (its even referred to as "The Scottish Play" by superstitious actors)? Does that preclude remakes/reinterpretations in other settings?

There is a huge amount of symbolism involving Buddism, the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the burst of growth Japan experienced after WW2.

[The Xenos]

It's a blatant ripoff of Oulaw Star.
Oh wow. People are still saying that? Funny, I don't see any gorram arms on the Serenity. Mind you, I love Outlaw Star, and the other anime accuse it of ripping off, Cowboy Bebop. Yet I cannot call it a rip off. All three are just in the same sub genre of space cowboy epics. Sure it has the mysterious girl found in a box trope, but I still wouldn't call it a rip off.

There is a huge amount of symbolism involving Buddism, the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the burst of growth Japan experienced after WW2.
What they said. Setting is often, though not always, an influence on plot. Numerous stories have integral settings. Akira is one of those.

[Spiffy]

There is a huge amount of symbolism involving Buddism, the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the burst of growth Japan experienced after WW2.

A double standard is a double standard.

Those examples I gave ALL have massive subtext specific to their original settings. Stuff the writers considered socially important.

And yet reinterpretations have been done successfully without hue and cry.

Yes, some of them lose that subtext. Sometimes its completely ditched, sometimes its adapted to similar elements in other cultures. Sometimes its a big deal and sometimes not.

Complaining that it would be some kind of violation of Akira's artistic integrity to yank it out of its setting is on that level. Sure, the setting brings extra notes to the story. But it isn't the story. Different subtext could be added for another environment. Unless the fear is that nobody could do it justice. But that's an entirely different argument than "you shouldn't do that because it HAS to be in Japan".

[Free-Man]

A double standard is a double standard.

Those examples I gave ALL have massive subtext specific to their original settings. Stuff the writers considered socially important.

And yet reinterpretations have been done successfully without hue and cry.

Yes, some of them lose that subtext. Sometimes its completely ditched, sometimes its adapted to similar elements in other cultures. Sometimes its a big deal and sometimes not.

Complaining that it would be some kind of violation of Akira's artistic integrity to yank it out of its setting is on that level. Sure, the setting brings extra notes to the story. But it isn't the story. Different subtext could be added for another environment. Unless the fear is that nobody could do it justice. But that's an entirely different argument than "you shouldn't do that because it HAS to be in Japan".

Fine. But if they choose to ditch all the Hiroshima and Nagasaki context, then they can't call it Akira. Shit, call it Steve, but don't call it Akira.

[Spiffy]

Fine. But if they choose to ditch all the Hiroshima and Nagasaki context, then they can't call it Akira. Shit, call it Steve, but don't call it Akira.
I think that's pretty standard. I mean "Scrooged"? Sure, it sort of sounds like "Scrooge" but they renamed it specifically so it wasn't "A Christmas Carol". More importantly, the main character is "Frank Cross". I don't think anyone's going to be confusing him with "Ebenezer Scrooge". Which would seem like a weird name in a modern American version, so they didn't use it.

Or "West Side Story" is a complete rip of "Romeo and Juliet". But "Tony" and "Maria" DO sound a bit more proper for a modern Italian-American character, and a Puerto Rican.

[The Xenos]

Yeah, but I don't see DiCaprio having the balls to make or star in such a remake that resets the seeing. Imagine taking Romeo and Juliet and setting it in Verona Beach, California. Or taking a Hong Kong cop thriller and setting it in Boston.

Oh.. wait a minute.. Damn. That's like half his career doing that. :rolleyes:

[Adam C]

Airbender actually bothers me more, because at least by transferring Akira to another country you can keep the visual trappings - city, bikes etc - and claim "look, it's got the SPIRIT of Akira!" (even if it doesn't). They're not even doing that for Airbender, something that was deliberately designed to be extremely Asian influenced.

Ditto, the story for Airbender cannot be excised from the setting (as with most fantasies). Akira's urban setting and anxieties about disaster, social disorder, and identity are more translatable across cultures. (Though in that case I'd say it would be more logical to switch the action to the L.A.)

we'll see how many people say that, outside of message boards with a manga/anime section that is....

And what do appeals to popularity (hypothetical popularity in this case) have to do with the mechanics of how to properly adapt a story?

[Tetsuo_man]

Well when the live action remake was going to originally be made in the nineties it was going to take place in Neo-Los Angles.

[friginator]

All Asians are the same, right? :rolleyes:

Really, study up on Asian cultures and Asian history and you'll see why there is a biiiiig issue of casting or mixing nationalities. Not that I'm saying the excessive nationalism is a good thing, but here in America we tend to think of Asian nationalities as interchangeable. It's a really wrongheaded view point.

Hell just look at the Last Airbender casting director who told Koreans to dress in their native garb of Kimonos. Yeah, after Korea was invaded by Japan and had thousands of their women forded into slavery, it's nice of Americans to think of them as Japanese without a second thought.

Plus really, imagine if someone said that America and Mexico or England were interchangeable. Hell, imagine someone saying that Texas is the same as California or Massachusetts. ( Or if someone called someone from America a dirty Canadian instead of an American. :tongue: )

People from England and Britain play Americans all the time. People from California or Massachusetts are the same. Yes, there are differences, but a Chinese person, at least in the Geisha example, can pass for a Japanese person.

[Alan Lynch]

I honestly don't see the fuss over the casting, setting etc. I really don't. They'll do explosions, bike chase, shouting and a dumbed-down, spelled out ending.

Which all misses a huge chunk of why Akira works. I'm not saying the bikes and the fighting aren't cool - because they really are - but there's a lot going on I don't think will come close to making the transition. Even the anime struggled to fit half of the book's subtlety in, and it was done by the damn author. That's why I think this is a horrible idea; the only thing it can add is an American cast.

Now a live-action mini-series I could get behind.

[dupont2005]

Again, I say: Akira was released in multiple countries theatrically, has done repeatedly well on video and DVD, and is critically acclaimed. That's why Hollywood wants to remake it - it has a Name.



They DID. What do you think is being remade, exactly?

so there is a live action akira with an all japanese cast?

[dupont2005]

you're quite foolish, and quite ignorant. and i'll fling back that charge you're implying right back at you based on your own words.

and yes, people have been rightfully complaining about yellowface, brownface and redface, it's obvious you don't pay attention.

and to your answer 'yes it is', no it's not

and finally, just with a little google http://edopeno.com/2008/12/22/top-10-asian-american-actors-in-2008/
http://www.cinematical.com/2007/11/29/cinematical-seven-asian-american-actors-ready-to-break-out/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfBQpklkoSk
i don't remember calling you foolish or ignorant, but now that you bring out the big guns, i do think you are a racist. like i stated before, you are EXACTLY like the people that complain about a comic book team having too many blacks, a video game switching from an italian character to a black character in it's sequel, or someone who does not think a minority can play a role originally assigned to a white man. you have no idea if this movie will be set in a "japanese inspired" new york, if the main character will be named tetsuo, or if there will be any hiroshima references. i agree with you the movie will most likely be crap, but making everyone asian won't change that.

[Free-Man]

i don't remember calling you foolish or ignorant, but now that you bring out the big guns, i do think you are a racist. like i stated before, you are EXACTLY like the people that complain about a comic book team having too many blacks, a video game switching from an italian character to a black character in it's sequel, or someone who does not think a minority can play a role originally assigned to a white man. you have no idea if this movie will be set in a "japanese inspired" new york, if the main character will be named tetsuo, or if there will be any hiroshima references. i agree with you the movie will most likely be crap, but making everyone asian won't change that.

Except I was the one who said those things. And if you even go to the article in the OP, they mention talking to Joseph Gordon Levitt about playing TETSUO. Not Terrence. Not John. But TETSUO.

[Sean Whitmore]

Hell, imagine someone saying that Texas is the same as California or Massachusetts.

Yeah, remember when that Texan actor played that Californian character and all those people whined about it?


Hollywood took out the samurai from the Seven Samurai. ... Oh.. wait a minute...

Was that complete sentence going to be, "Oh.. wait a minute...they made a fantastic cowboy movie out of it"?


SEAN

[dupont2005]

Except I was the one who said those things. And if you even go to the article in the OP, they mention talking to Joseph Gordon Levitt about playing TETSUO. Not Terrence. Not John. But TETSUO.

yeah, if they said he was playing josh anyone who had ever heard of the manga would say "who's josh?" does not mean his name will not be josh when the movie opens

at this point i wonder if they even have a script?

[Alan Lynch]

yeah, if they said he was playing josh anyone who had ever heard of the manga would say "who's josh?" does not mean his name will not be josh when the movie opens

at this point i wonder if they even have a script?
Apparently there was one doing the rounds, but no idea if they're basing anything on that or starting from scratch.

[carabas]

Or if Hollywood took out the samurai from the Seven Samurai. ... Oh.. wait a minute...It'd have been daft if they still would have called their cowboy version "The Seven Samurai", which they didn't.

On the other hand, a film with a white cast playing characters called Kaneda or Tetsuo....

[Charles RB]

so there is a live action akira with an all japanese cast?

No, they didn't. Because that's expensive, and there was no point since they already had an Akira film with a Japanese cast. They'd already done it. It was done.

"it's not like japan hasn't had 20 years to go ahead and do it themselves" is an argument that only works if we assume live action is inherently superior to animation.

[Adam C]

"it's not like japan hasn't had 20 years to go ahead and do it themselves" is an argument that only works if we assume live action is inherently superior to animation.

Frankly the biggest impediment to me watching a live-action Akira besides Hollywood's inconsistent quality is that original film adaptation makes full use of the medium to create a unique and powerful aesthetic statement. I'd easily place it up there with the best live-action cinema like The Seven Samurai or 2001. (Heck Akira is comparable to 2001 as a perfect example of how a soundtrack can be absolutely integral to the experience of watching the film.) For this reason any new cinematic take on the story, even if it draws more directly on Katsuhiro Otomo's original manga which I've heard (http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/02/20/its-official-live-action-akira-confirmed-already-for-2009/) is what the proposed live action will do, is going to being suffer against that the first film.

That said they have brought Otomo on board (http://ifmagazine.com/new.asp?article=8393) as an executive producer and consultant so the prospects of the live action version being good have improved in my eyes.

[7thangel]

i don't remember calling you foolish or ignorant, but now that you bring out the big guns, i do think you are a racist. like i stated before, you are EXACTLY like the people that complain about a comic book team having too many blacks, a video game switching from an italian character to a black character in it's sequel, or someone who does not think a minority can play a role originally assigned to a white man. you have no idea if this movie will be set in a "japanese inspired" new york, if the main character will be named tetsuo, or if there will be any hiroshima references. i agree with you the movie will most likely be crap, but making everyone asian won't change that.

and this is why you're ignorant and you already implied that anybody that hopes that a part of an asian character, as few as they are, would actually go to an asian. you're ignorant because you don't know the history of representation in hollywood and media for marginalized groups. how hard it was just to get a black man or woman to even headline a major release as the lead, get the same amount of theaters to have the movie and get promo. and still someone like tyler perry has to fund his own shit and fight for everything just to get into theaters because of a black cast in spite of the box office numbers. asians are nowhere near that position.

you're ignorant and foolish with your statement about no-name actors without doing a google search or using your brain. you used the tired excuse that it won't sell without a big name actor, and yet district 9 did just that, oh, and wait, harold and kumar did too, imagine that.

have you bothered to find out the issues and casting problems of black, asian, native, latino/a, and arab actors have? shit, how about women? the parts they're forced to take?

you're ignorant because i never said a damn thing about it probably being shit or about which influence it ends up taking or discarding. i'm talking about casting. period. and how it can still star an asian american in the lead even if it's in new york, even if he's renamed steve. if an asian american actor shouldn't hope to play a character known to be asian (and not the typical stereotype) and are barely getting roles as it is, then what, should they wait and be happy with playing the invading chinese army in the upcoming red dawn remake? in the next true life story of an asian they should be happy and settle for a bit role like 21?

the fact that you continue to try to connect me and others to the bs of those that were calling the jla the minority league because it dared to actually be more diverse, or some ridiculous complaint about changing characters for gta (not a sequel by the way) shows your lack of knowledge.

and funny you should mention non-whites getting supporting roles made for whites or undetermined (which in hollywood terms is still white) in tv/film, it's the very fact that casting has practically made it impossible in some cases and it took constant pressure from groups, actors and audiences just to get some studios to open casting for those parts for some non-whites (in a move for reality or diversity, take your pick), why it's important that an adaption of something that involves an asian or black or native, etc in a lead role at the very least be open to actually have casting that has an asian or black or native, etc.

you calling me a racist means shit to me. your own bs words speaks volumes. have you found any asian actor worthy of your praise yet or have you even looked?

[Alan2099]

It'd have been daft if they still would have called their cowboy version "The Seven Samurai", which they didn't.
There was a De Niro movie called Ronin that didn't have any masterless samurai in it. I don't see the problem.

[Tommy]

All Asians are the same, right? :rolleyes:

Really, study up on Asian cultures and Asian history and you'll see why there is a biiiiig issue of casting or mixing nationalities.

So, because of a long history of ethnocentrism (or racism) between the various Asian ethnic groups, a talented Chinese actress can't play a Japanese woman? Really, I don't think coddling racism is a good justification for policy.

Not that I'm saying the excessive nationalism is a good thing, but here in America we tend to think of Asian nationalities as interchangeable. It's a really wrongheaded view point.

No more interchangable than we consider all other ethnicities. When you hear complaints about cross ethnic casting for every other race, they almost always are about bad accents. Not that those actors aren't *gasp* the same ethnicity as the character.

Plus really, imagine if someone said that America and Mexico or England were interchangeable. Hell, imagine someone saying that Texas is the same as California or Massachusetts. ( Or if someone called someone from America a dirty Canadian instead of an American. :tongue: )

That would be a lack of facts. And people from Mexico, Canada, and England play Americans all the time. Just like people from America play English, Canadian, and Mexican all the time.

[Adam C]

There was a De Niro movie called Ronin that didn't have any masterless samurai in it. I don't see the problem.

In the case of Akira the title refers to the name of an actual character in the story on whom much of the action hinges, much in the way that The Seven Samurai hinges in the acts of a group of seven samurai. The title Ronin on the other hand is a metaphor, likening the unemployed agents left over from the Cold War to masterless Samurai. (The movie even has a scene explaining the metaphor.) So I wouldn't say that the two are strictly comparable.

[Tobias March]

In the case of Akira the title refers to the name of an actual character in the story on whom much of the action hinges, much in the way that The Seven Samurai hinges in the acts of a group of seven samurai. The title Ronin on the other hand is a metaphor, likening the unemployed agents left over from the Cold War to masterless Samurai. (The movie even has a scene explaining the metaphor.) So I wouldn't say that the two are strictly comparable.

Shhh. You'll ruin the surprise when people rent out Dolly Parton's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

[Adam C]

Shhh. You'll ruin the surprise when people rent out Dolly Parton's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Whut? You mean it's actually about a Whorehouse? IN TEXAS.

...damn, next you'll say that Gene Kelly's Singin' in the Rain actually has Gene Kelly dancing around in the rain and singing.

[Spiffy]

In the case of Akira the title refers to the name of an actual character in the story on whom much of the action hinges, much in the way that The Seven Samurai hinges in the acts of a group of seven samurai. The title Ronin on the other hand is a metaphor, likening the unemployed agents left over from the Cold War to masterless Samurai. (The movie even has a scene explaining the metaphor.) So I wouldn't say that the two are strictly comparable.
That said, the character in question could have been named Shecky and it wouldn't have changed the character's purpose.

I honestly have been assuming that if Akira is westernized, that the names will all be changed. To NOT do so would be idiotic, I think.

[Adam C]

I honestly have been assuming that if Akira is westernized, that the names will all be changed.

Well SUPPOSEDLY the original treatments for the live-action version had a devastated Manhattan rebuilt by the Japanese and as a consequence that's why the main characters are white despite having names like 'Kaneda' and 'Tetsuo'. However, my attempts at digging been attempting up sources have turned up little more than the point about Manhattan being rebuilt with Japanese money which makes me wonder how much there was to the latter point. However...

To NOT do so would be idiotic, I think.

Yes, and when has that stopped Hollywood? :tongue:

[Alan Lynch]

"it's not like japan hasn't had 20 years to go ahead and do it themselves" is an argument that only works if we assume live action is inherently superior to animation.
And this is Hollywood, who worship the Oscars. The same Oscars who themselves don't think animated films can possibly be as good as live action. I wouldn't be surprised if some executive somewhere is using this as justifaction for their Akira remake.

[Gumbo Maximillian]

Racism is the belief that one race is inherently superior to another. That's not at all what this is.

I thought Racism was just making a judgement based on someone's skin color without taking in consideration any individual aspects of them as a person?

[friginator]

That's not the definition of racism, no.

[Venom Melendez]

It was and this version of Akira is set in Manhattan.

Just because it's Manhanttan doesn't mean the lead has to be white.

[Alan2099]

Just because it's Manhanttan doesn't mean the lead has to be white.
It doesn't. On that note, just because the story has a white character that lives in Manhattan isn't a reason to throw a hissy fit like some people here are doing.

Really though, what all do we know about the movie right now?

It's based on Akira.
It's set in the US.
The lead character is probably going to be a white person.

Did I leave anything out?

[Venom Melendez]

It doesn't. On that note, just because the story has a white character that lives in Manhattan isn't a reason to throw a hissy fit like some people here are doing.

Really though, what all do we know about the movie right now?

It's based on Akira.
It's set in the US.
The lead character is probably going to be a white person.

Did I leave anything out?

There is the fact that there is more than just white folk in manhattan(and NY in general.

They could at least change the name since it has nothing to do with the source material.

[Alan2099]

There is the fact that there is more than just white folk in manhattan(and NY in general.

They could at least change the name since it has nothing to do with the source material.
Two questions.
1) What does the fact that there are people who aren't white have to do with the fact that one character is?
2) How do you get that it's not going to have anything to do with the soruce material, when it's an adaption of the source material?

[friginator]

It's an adaptation that couldn't be called "Akira" and still make much sense. Why would a white kid in New York be named Akira?

[Spiffy]

It's an adaptation that couldn't be called "Akira" and still make much sense. Why would a white kid in New York be named Akira?
Why would Akira have to be a white kid in New York? Akira isn't the character people starting complaining about originally. Akira could still be Asian, thus granting the film's title, and Tetsuo (HOPEFULLY renamed) could be Whitey McWhiterson the White Boy. It wouldn't be ideal, but it would make some amount of sense if they want to keep the film title. Also there's the character of Kaneda. Another main character who the film isn't named after who could be anything (again, hopefully renamed).