Let me be the first to tell you that, I’m not that guy. Yes,
I am a black man but I’m not some Afrocentric, super pro black person. I’m just
me, I do what I want, say what I feel needs to be said if and when I want to
say it. That being said, I can understand and empathize when I see that another
ethnicity is getting shafted by, “the white man”. For those who know me
personally, they are aware that I am not only a huge cyberpunk fanatic; I am a
huge Ghost in the Shell fan. I frequently read the manga, watch the first movie
and the Stand Alone Complex anime. So while I tend to stay detached from these
sorts of controversy, I would have words this time ‘round. For those who don’t know, Ghost in the Shell is
a Japanese manga created by Shriow Masamune that has inspired and influenced
many post GITS cyberpunk work like The Matrix.
Now this isn’t going to be an attack on white people or Hollywood,
I’m just going to express my personal opinions on what's happening. Feel free to
disagree (you’re probably wrong) but here’s my two cents on the matter. The
movie itself isn't something we ever needed to begin with. These types of
adaptations of Japanese origin are usually poorly handled and poorly interpreted
in America. That being said, this is one of the few stories that I do believe
could be a great manga/anime to live film adaptation if done properly. It could
work, I believe that, but history is against them and I believe this movie is
doomed to fail already.
Scarlett Johansson has been chosen to play Major Matoko Kusanagi of Section 9. Oh boy, okay. Now it's Hollywood. They are going to
whitewash any and everything that's just the way it is, we won't be getting the
proper Asian casting the film deserves, I’m sorry. I’m not surprised in the
slightest and neither should you be, but I understand your frustrations. ScarJo
is a terrible choice in my opinion as I don’t even think she’s a good actor.
Lucy had her as the lead in that movie, it was horrible and she couldn’t carry
the movie well. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t think Marvel needs a solo
Black Widow movie. Based off the image we have, she doesn't suit the role or look the part either. Poor casting choice.
Now, while I disagree with it, I think I
understand the reasoning behind it. It’s a smart business move in my opinion.
Think about all the people out there who have no idea what Ghost in the Shell
is. They need a reason to want to even give this movie a second thought and
Johansson would be the reason. She’s a good looking, well known actress that
would attract viewers. ScarJo being the lead actress will give regular people a
reason to go see this movie and despite the major complaints a lot of anime fans have, they'll probably go see it too. I may not agree, but I do think I get it.
But fuck the weabs and the hordes of fake angry people who
don’t actually care. I personally sympathize with the Asian folks who heard
about this movie and were generally excited to see themselves be represented in
such an iconic narrative. They would get to see a female Japanese character on
the big screen or at least an Asian American (preferably with Japanese blood) actor of some sort. That's exciting, believe me I get it, it's why I'm stoked for Civil War, I want to see Black Panther on the big screen. But yeah, Ghost in the
Shell is a Japanese story, with Japanese characters and mostly takes place in
Japan. So, unless they are deliberately going for some sort of Americanized take on
the series and not an adaptation of the source material, there was no good
reason for this. If the movie takes place in America then fine, do your own interpretation
of the series.
Now I see a lot of arguments in support of Scarlett and
listen, I’m not even disagreeing. I mean, Matoko’s nationality is actually
Japanese, and in the SAC she was human for a while before cybernetic
transformation, so you really can’t argue that she’s NOT Japanese. Matoko was born IN JAPAN. But yes, she’s a cyborg and can technically look like any number
of people so it shouldn’t really matter how she looks. Not to mention she’s
supposed to be kind of androgynous anyways though she IS a gynoid. It’s like
the Goku argument for Dragon Ball Evolution. Goku isn’t Japanese; he’s an alien
so anyone could play him. Kusanagi is a “machine” so anyone could play her.
But it’s not even about that. I have had someone tell me she
looks the part (she doesn’t) and that Scar is a great actor (well she’s not among
the worst). But you’re not seeing the real issue here. “Whitewashing” a
franchise, an iconic series and a beloved character. Asian American actors are already
underrepresented and there were tons of great, female, Asian actors they could
have gotten for the role. It’s not uncommon for this to happen but I feel like
if we continue to just let it, it’ll continue. If this is meant to properly
emulate the source material then it’s off to a terrible start.
Ultimately, I absolutely disagree with the choices being made
here both as a fan of the series and as someone who can actually sympathize
with seeing an ethnicity/race being mis-portrayed or not portrayed on the big
screen. I never wanted this movie to happen in the first
place, I don’t think Scarlett Johansson is a good actor or can lead a movie and
I think the actor should have been Japanese as Scarlett looks horrible. But, at the end of the day, I just want the movie to be good so if it’s good,
I’ll eat my words and take six shots of anti-freeze. Scarlett Johansson is NOT my
Matoko Kusanagi but then again, this is just my opinion.
Written by: Nyamekye Hemmings, follow me at @LolitaZenpie
