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[LordOfLore]

Give me the anime if old.

Link.

Scarlett Johansson didn’t play Motoko Kusanagi in the upcoming Ghost in the Shell movie, at least not according to the latest teaser.

Ghost in the Shell stars Major Motoko Kusanagi, a human consciousness stuck inside a mechanical body (in other words, she’s a “ghost” in a “shell” body. Voila, the title now makes a lot more sense). However, it appears that the live-action remake won’t star the same Major fans have come to know.

Here’s why. With a hat tip to Entertainment Weekly, check out the latest footage from the movie:

Yup, you can hear the scientist calling our protagonist “Mira” instead of “Motoko.” The casting of Scarlett Johansson has never really gone over that well anyway. Here’s The Verge’s reporting on the film’s director from November of last year. And Slashfilm from June 2016. Granted, the name chance is a relatively minor detail, all told, but it’s a very clear sidestep to try and avoid accusations of whitewashing that they haven’t been able to sidestep since it came out that Scarlett Johansson would be playing the role in the first place.

As Entertainment Weekly reports, original creator Mamoru Oshii seemed to believe she had the character of Motoko, not Mira. Additionally, here’s their quote from producer Steven Paul, originally via BuzzFeed:

“I don’t think it was just a Japanese story. Ghost in the Shell was a very international story…”

Will the movie change her surname as well? It seems like an obvious choice, especially if the defense here is that it’s an “international story.” Presumably they’ll keep it to a surname starting with K, as they kept the M sound for her first name.

No wonder they’ve also kept calling her just the Major as well, including in the above video’s description; it’s effectively hidden the change until the reveal of this footage.

 

[Slayven]

Who is this movie for?

 

[sixteen-bit]

They probably didn't make the final decision until they decided against doing CGI yellowface

 

[NH Apache]

I swear in one of the old trailers they said Mira, but maybe I'm mistaken.

 

[Armaly]

I was really hesitant about this movie.

 

[Secret Fawful]

Who is this movie for?

It's not for me, that's for sure.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Wasn't that Japanese woman from Wolverine cast as "Mira"

 

[ThreePiMatt]

Who is this movie for?

American audiences.

 

[Arkeband]

I don't see how they could have pulled off ScarJo having a Japanese first and last name. The whitewashing was already done, they can't just pretend she's Japanese.

They should have just referred to her as Major like she's a female Master Chief.

 

[Omadahl]

This is going to bomb like Aeon Flux. Why did anyone think this would work?

 

[Carl2291]

I thought he said Major, not Mira.

Guess I need to watch it again.

Edit - oh, different video completely. Yup that's Mira.

 

[Brianimaniac]

Who is this movie for?

Me.

 

[Fuu]

For the longest time I thought they were going to use the original name. No idea why they weren't upfront about this.

 

[Zoe]

So a Japanese name got replaced with a Japanese name.

I thought he said Major, not Mira.

Guess I need to watch it again.

"Mira" is in the new teaser linked in the OP.

 

[#sorrynotsorry]

I don't see how they could have pulled off ScarJo having a Japanese first and last name. The whitewashing was already done, they can't just pretend she's Japanese.

They should have just referred to her as Major like she's a female Master Chief.

Yup. Name had to change. Would have been weird otherwise.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

Who is this movie for?

Idiots.

 

[_woLf]

Why the fuck are they even bothering making this movie.

I just do not understand.

 

[s_mirage]

Mira Killian. This was leaked a while ago in the description of the art book, but it does rankle that they haven't came right out and stated it. It does look as if they are nervy about fan reaction.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

I dunno how Motoko Kusanagi is too hard to say.

 

[Bronx-Man]

This entire movie is why I don't trust anyone in Hollywood to adapt Akira.

 

[kirblar]

If they had simply Americanized everything like in other international adaptations (both to America and exported out of it), this would have been much less of an issue. But in maintaining the "Hong Kong/Tokyo 20XX" aesthetic but only changing the lead character to white, you get this bizarre dissonance where they're trying to have it both ways.

 

[Anung]

It's not for me, that's for sure.

Nor me.

Can't wait for the Akira adaptation where Akira is a cloud (or blue beam shooting into the sky) and named A.K.I.R.A (Anomalous Kinetic Inertia Reversal Accelorator)

 

[Rodney McKay]

Reminds me a bit of this:

 

[Slayven]

This entire movie is why I don't trust anyone in Hollywood to adapt Akira.

Anime and manga needs a Feige

 

[Kraftwerk]

This entire movie is why I don't trust anyone in Hollywood to adapt Akira.

CANADA!

 

[cdyhybrid]

Too little too late

 

[Kalentan]

I thought they were just calling her, The Major, in the movie.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Who is this movie for?

American audiences.

If they had simply Americanized everything like in other international adaptations (both to America and exported out of it), this would have been much less of an issue. But in maintaining the "Hong Kong/Tokyo 20XX" aesthetic but only changing the lead character to white, you get this bizarre dissonance where they're trying to have it both ways.

I see what you're saying but its a bi-product of two competing forces - trying to keep it true to the source material, and the fact that the only reason a high-budget Ghost in the Shell live-action movie exists is because Scarlett Johannson was attached to the project.

 

[SeanC]

Yeah, I don't know how last minute but going into principal photography her name in the script I read was Motoko Kusanagi. Noticeably here she says "Mira" off camera, you don't see her lips move. Easy ADR/editing change. Then again, I don't remember every line of dialogue from the script so whatever, it was years ago.

Gonna be interesting, curious if they made the change during shooting or not.

 

[collige]

I thought they were just calling her, The Major, in the movie.

Yeah, this.

 

[Bronx-Man]

Anime and manga needs a Feige

Between anime movies, DC, and all the other cinematic universe non-starters (Amazing Spiderman, Dracula Untold, etc), I've accepted that Feige is a major exception to the rule.

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

Who is this movie for?

The lowest common denominator.

 

[Aske]

I dunno how Motoko Kusanagi is too hard to say.

"MOTOROLA COOSAWUTNAO? AH THOUGHT THIS WUZ AN AMERICAN MOOVIE! AH DIDN'T PAY GOOD MONEY TA HEAR SCARLEET JOHNSON SPOUT THIS GIB'REESH!"

 

[anaron]

She hasn't ever been officially called Motoko and yet just "Major" wasn't good enough for some of you?

 

[kirblar]

Between anime movies, DC, and all the other cinematic universe non-starters (Amazing Spiderman, Dracula Untold, etc), I've accepted that Feige is a major exception to the rule.

Feige, A24, and Annapurna Pictures are showing how much producers matter w/ filmmaking.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Change the name, fine.

But don't feed us bullshit while you do it.

"I don’t think it was just a Japanese story"

 

[RangerBAD]

This entire movie is why I don't trust anyone in Hollywood to adapt Akira.

Or any manga/anime live action adaptation.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

So that's the catch. That's what Hollywood execs had issue with. Lol so funny.

 

[Slayven]

Between anime movies, DC, and all the other cinematic universe non-starters (Amazing Spiderman, Dracula Untold, etc), I've accepted that Feige is a major exception to the rule.

He is truly a treasure. You think folks would learn

 

[Theorry]

I dont care really. If they keep Major its fine by me.

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

I dunno how Motoko Kusanagi is too hard to say.

I think they're changing it cause Mira is less Japanese sounding. I'm for it. I don't want a white woman playing someone named "Motoko Kusanagi" Better to name her a more ethnically ambiguous name rather than unmistakably Japanese and then be white.

 

[Chumley]

Idiots.

What a lame thing to say. Take the high horse elsewhere.

 

[kirblar]

I think they're changing it cause Mira is less Japanese sounding. I'm for it. I don't want a white woman playing someone named "Motoko Kusanagi" Better to name her a more ethnically ambiguous name rather than unmistakably Japanese and then be white.

Mira's also a female name outside of Japan, so it works w/ their attempt to do the hybrid "San Fransokyo" thing.

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Im taking this to mean Motoko was originally an adult Japanese woman and then got the White woman artificial body.

 

[Frozenprince]

This entire movie is why I don't trust anyone in Hollywood to adapt Akira.

They did already anyway, it's called Chronicle.

 

[Jackpot]

They called her Montana Kristofferson when they first announced it.

 

[Lifeline]

Idiots.

The trailer and visuals look pretty cool and something I would watch.


Guess I'm an idiot.

 

[MrChocolate]

Oh boy if the leak is real you guys are in for a ride... MGSV all over again.

 

[anaron]

Im taking this to mean Motoko was originally an adult Japanese woman and then got the White woman artificial body.

I've been assumingng they were going to go with that since the whole lost past thing.

 

[ZealousD]

I don't see how they could have pulled off ScarJo having a Japanese first and last name. The whitewashing was already done, they can't just pretend she's Japanese.

Ishikawa's black in this movie and they're keeping his name.