GITS Publisher: "never imagined it would be a Japanese actress in the first place.?

[madwarper]

Yes, a cyborg can, but does she? Does Mokoto change her appearance on a regular basis, or does she typically just look like herself? 'Herself' being someone who looks very much Japanese.

Considering her age of getting her complete prosthetic body, it's doubtful she has a self image of what she would look like to maintain.

In SAC, she was moving from one body to another that was the same appearance, and in the transition... Stuff happened.

Though, in the movie, she was put into the body of a small child, since her body got destroyed.
And, in its sequel, she barely appears in physical form.

Well, yes I am. Future Japan or no, it's still based on current Japanese society and written from that perspective.

Considering post-WW4 Japan is an economic juggernaut and rising military power, only held back from being considered a world power by its security pact with the American Empire, it's become more of melting pot than it currently is.

Yes, I know the plot, but I never finshed the anime, which is why I ask. See nothing about the main character being Japanese seemed essential other than making it easier for a Japanese audience to relate to him. I can't see making the guy South-American break down the entire plot.

Then, you know how his appearance makes him immediately recognizable as an immigrant, which is why he often had to seek refuge in the illegal immigrant communities and take work from underworld organizations for protection.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Yes, I know the plot, but I never finshed the anime, which is why I ask. See nothing about the main character being Japanese seemed essential other than making it easier for a Japanese audience to relate to him. I can't see making the guy South-American break down the entire plot.

Then, you know how his appearance makes him immediately recognizable as an immigrant, which is why he often had to seek refuge in the illegal immigrant communities and take work from underworld organizations for protection.

But does he need to be specifically Japanese for that? He could be natively from India and be recognizable as an immigrant just as well. Heck, technically he could be a white American and be considered an immigrant, since it takes place in Germany.

They should obviously keep him Japanese if they were to make a live-action television series, since that's what he was in the source material, but there doesn't seem to be any logical reason why they couldn't change his ethnicity and keep the plot and character motivation intact.

If they make a live-action Akira there's no logical reason why some or all of the characters can't be white and retain their Japanese names, since white people with Japanese names and who speak Japanese do exist. It's future Japan, so the nation could be more multicutural by that point, and their ethicity makes no impact on the story. So they could just as well be white. It's perfectly logical, but it still make no sense.

 

[madwarper]

But does he need to be specifically Japanese for that? He could be natively from India and be recognizable as an immigrant just as well.

It could be possible, you you had asked why he couldn't have been whitewashed, and anyone that was in the know wouldn't have asked.

Heck, technically he could be a white American and be considered an immigrant, since it takes place in Germany.

And, how exactly do you plan on differentiating between a white American speaking fluent German from a white German speaking fluent German?

If they make a live-action Akira there's no logical reason why some or all of the characters can't be white and retain their Japanese names, since white people with Japanese names and who speak Japanese do exist. It's future Japan, so the nation could be more multicutural by that point, and their ethicity makes no impact on the story. So they could just as well be white. It's perfectly logical, but it still make no sense.

You do understand that Akira doesn't take place in the same world as GitS. Appleseed on the other hand...

 

[Zontar]

You do understand that Akira doesn't take place in the same world as GitS. Appleseed on the other hand...

It's the other way, Appleseed and GitS share the same setting while Akira is its own isolated world.

 

[madwarper]

Appleseed and GitS share the same setting while Akira is its own isolated world.

That's what I just said.

Akira doesn't share a world with GitS, Appleseed does.
ie. Akira Appleseed shares a world with GitS

 

[Zontar]

Appleseed and GitS share the same setting while Akira is its own isolated world.

That's what I just said.

Akira doesn't share a world with GitS, Appleseed does.
ie. Akira Appleseed shares a world with GitS

Woops, misread your comment, sorry about that.

 

[Angelblaze]

Appleseed and GitS share the same setting while Akira is its own isolated world.

That's what I just said.

Akira doesn't share a world with GitS, Appleseed does.
ie. Akira Appleseed shares a world with GitS

Which welcomes another issue: I can easily believe Scarlett Johansson is actually Deunan Newt more than I can believe she's Mokoto Kusanagi. EASILY. Plus, to be honest, I'd rather see an American Appleseed then an American GITS.