DISQUS

Karah · 6 months ago

Hmmm... tried to "comment" this already. Didn't seem to take.

Anyway, you might have mentioned that the original show was set in an "Asian fantasy world" inhabited by heroes and villains of obviously Pacific Rim descent. The film on the other hand, has decided to cast all heroes with white actors, the villains with anyone who has dark skin and thrown some East Asians (and Africans) in the background for "diversity"

Already, 3,000+ fans have joined the facebookgroup, 200+ sent hardcopy letters to Paramount, nearly 6,000 signed the petition and over 20 posted videos specifically to the racebending youtube page, all protesting this movie. This is yet another example of institutionalized Hollywood racism, no other way to put it. Supporting this movie is no less than supporting antiquated notions of racial hierarchy.

Search "racebending" for more information on how you can let the studios know, that this is not okay and you're money won't support it.

StevooGer · 6 months ago

i never get why everybody has such a desperate need for asian actors in it...cause i dont think the charakters look asian at all..they look typical american/european teen with some latine touch...just like dragonball or street figther (despite that the movies are crap)... evrybody wants asian actors...I dont see one bit asian in their looks...dunno...i dont mind if its some dude who at least looks like...thats more important to me...then they just say in movie like in comic/cartoon, they are in/from there and there and fine for me

rex · 6 months ago

street fighter they casted an asian and the characters in Avatar are asian they are clearly not white. 3 white heroes vs people of color thats f-ing great cinema right there.

Karah · 6 months ago

First, there are plenty of websites and books that explain that yes, indeed characters drawn in an anime or anime-like (such as Avatar) style are not inherently white.
Second, have you seen Monk Gyatso? Or for that matter, any character over middle-age? I really have trouble believing anyone could mistake those characters for whites.
Third, two names: Sokka & Katara. What color, literally color, were they in the show? That's blunt, but it's fact, unlike Jackson Rathbone and Nicola Peltz who play them in the movie, neither Sokka, Katara or any of the other Water tribe characters could ever be mistaken for white. So, if they aren't white, live in homes and use tools like Inuit and Yupik people, and even look like them (Gran Gran is most obvious but look at some of the warriors as well) does it make any sense for the actors to be white? Oh, and still live like Inuits/Yupiks?

terry · 6 months ago

its amazing that Noah Ringer is a white kid but his stunt double is played by an Asian woman name Jade Quon. if they did not want an Asian as the lead why have an Asian to be an stunt double for this chubby little kid as Aang

movieboy · 6 months ago

is it me but does America film studios hate Asians who live in Anerica. this movie seems really out of order it showing all the heroes are white and the villains are indian and middle eastern the casting for the lead should of been more diverse.

thank god in Britain with our films we have more diverse casting in the lead roles

StevooGer · 6 months ago

i never get why everybody wants so deperate asian actors for it...cause i dont think the charakters look asian at all..they look typical american/european teen with some latine touch...just like dragonball or street figther (despite that the movies are crap)... evrybody wants asian actors...by dont see one bit asian in their looks...dunno...i dont mind if its some dude who at least looks like...thats more important to me...then they just say in movie like in comic/cartoon, they are in/from there and there and fine for me

locke · 6 months ago

so you telling me once again another white hero based on Asian Culture for fuck sake. Lord of The Rings is an fastasy world but all the lead roles are played by white actors now this is based on Asian Culture and the lead is white too is American film studio got something really against asian people in America

duke · 6 months ago

oh my god people....who cares if they use an asian guy or a white guy in a live action adaption of an anime? most animes actually portray white guys living in asia...dont you guys actualy watch animes?

dr_no · 6 months ago

you are an idiot

duke · 6 months ago

um, ok thanks, but no i am not. i am japanese and live in japan and hey i watch anime so yeah. and avatar the last air bender isnt even japanese, it is american, it was created for americans who like animes... and i actualy know what i am talkng about.

dr_no · 6 months ago

so explain the live action of Dragonball its Japanese and they cast an white guy to play Goku. what about Guyver thats Japanese and they cast another white guy for the role, etc.

duke · 6 months ago

in the original guyver he is white, in dragon ball they figured goku is alien so fuck it...i thought the american dragonball was better than our live action one, but it realy isnt dragon ball, like your godzilla will never be our godzilla.

Nemogbr · 6 months ago

Son Goku is an alien, so he must be white???

zel · 5 months ago

Goku is an alien, so no one fucking cares whether he is white or not. Now stfu and gtfo.

easye · 5 months ago

Do you mean a guy in a rubber suit?

goodfreakinjob · 6 months ago

Uh, no. I don't know many white American students/people who wear uniforms to public schools, let alone stay after to clean them themselves, eat rice with every meal, take off their shoes before entering homes or sleep on futons and have tatami in their homes. Most actions that Anime characters make, unless super, super fantasy, are based on observations the mangaka or the animation studio see every day. They make day to day actions of Japanese people, not Americans, who, if you watch a lot of anime, are portrayed as ugly, improper and foul mouthed.

Hope this clears things up for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKTvFhRbBt8

dennis · 6 months ago

never seen a white kid monk in asia before ??? WTF have you ??

Gtyme · 6 months ago

The question isn't about whether white or Asian actors should be used.
The main question is
When have we ever seen an American made movie with an all Asian cast.???
I think never...its time for a change

kat · 6 months ago

There are a few. I can't think of them off the bat.. oh like Memoirs of a Geisha. But I agree that there isn't enough. I'm not particularly looking for an all asian cast per say.. but a movie with an asian main protagonist. And I think it's coming around. But really slowly... it does need to speed up though.

Sakura · 4 months ago

Still didnt get that film right. Using chinese actresses for the Geishas who are from the Japanese culture...Add more to insult during that time period Chinese women were forced as sex slaves by Japanese troops. LOL many thought oh well typical Hollywood thinking every East Asian is the same :S

duke · 6 months ago

the same can be said for asian movie, we see americans every once in a while, but we have all asian cast, same with english or french films, its just what each natinality is used to, like if we made friday the 13th for our theatres, jason would be asian not white, and more than likley a ninja, but they already made him a ninja in the remake,,,,the question isnt why a white guy in an adaption of an anime, but the question is, why does....M. Night Shyamalan still make movies, all of his sucked, the sixth sence, unbreakable, signs, the village, lady in the whater, the happening....all horse shit movies, i can crap and it could make a better movie than M. Night Shyamalan.......WHAT A TWIST!

Nemogbr · 6 months ago

Japan mainly consists of Japanese people.
Britain has a minority of non-Europeans and they are mostly based in the cities.
Why do we keep getting posters who seem to insist that Asian Americans do not exist?
There are 14 million Asian Americans and 4 million Native Americans.
Actors from those ethnicities could have been picked. They're as American as those of European descent and some even more so.

santa · 5 months ago

I'm native american....truthfully, there aren't very many actors of NA ethnicity just because there aren't that many actors....straight up numbers on that one. Some people who claim to be native american aren't...like the chief w/ a tear from the no littering commercial. He claims he is native when he is european w/ a makeover. Really though, I don't care. So long as the acting/martial arts are sufficient. Maybe there were more 'asian looking' kids, but they weren't as good at the acting or maybe not as good at the martial arts. The noah kid looks like aang in the pics. Why should people force this issue on a fictional character. If they cast a white person as an egyptian queen or a chinese emperor that is one thing....this is a CARTOON that is pure fiction. get over it. oh and facebook petitions are stupid!

scooby · 5 months ago

I like you a lot duke. You have made the most sense out of this whole post! I do have to say that M Night sucks...I did like the 6th sense but I was like 12 when I watched it. Keep posting! Oh, and I'm guessing you watch robot chicken? WHAT A TWIST!

goodfreakinjob · 6 months ago

[youtube JKTvFhRbBt8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKTvFhRbBt8 youtube]
This should settle the anime/manga characters being white subject.
Uh, guess what?
THEY AREN'T.
Ignorant idiots.

I don't think White American kids take off their shoes before entering their homes, eat rice daily, sleep on futons in houses with tatami mats, or wear uniforms to public schools unless dress code is a real problem. Most actions Anime characters make are based on real observations of Japanese society. Despite the magic in a lot of anime, most of them are quite true to their culture.

Nemogbr · 6 months ago

As has been commented upon, is that the reporter didn't do a proper job. Probably hasn't even seen an episode of ATLA.

First we hear that Noah Ringer is a karateka, now he is supposed to be in Tae Kwon Do.

They couldn't find anyone with Shaolin martial arts or even more specifically Baguazhang?

Kat · 6 months ago

I think that the actors should have been chosen by what the actual characters look like. In the animated series [to me anyway], aang looked like a white asian mix, katara and soka looked like inuits or native american-ish with their bone structure and skin tone, and zuko [for the love of god tell me i'm WRONG] looks completely 100% asian. Now I can see why the director's choices are making such scandal, but I will also take into consideration the fact that it might have been a coincidence. [like a .0001% chance but...] It could also be that the director wanted to mix things up a bit. Making a rendition doesnt exactly require for it to be identical to the original. Just that his choices are slightly questionable. But from what i've heard, Dev isnt at all bothered by the character choice. It could just be that the director thought Dev was perfect for the role, and he just happened to be middle eastern. He does have a black belt or something like that..
I guess I'll feel slightly better if the actors actually are made up to look like the original characters in the movie... we'll see.
but until i see the movie, or get more information, i don't want to sling around accusations...

suPerviLLaineSs · 5 months ago

kats totally right.. again i love dev- ive seen him fight- formidable he wont dissapoinbt- im sure noah is good too- honestly i wasn sure about this film but seeing that picture of noah actually brought some hope- i really think he looks like aang.. i know aang mite be an asian name (i doubt its any other origin) but he looks a little asian there.... his arrow isnt blue anuff:( maybe that cg haha :D

Fredthelog · 5 months ago

I absolutley loved the Cartoon, so I have high expectations for this movie. Who really gives a shit about the actors. It's doesnt really matter because the human race sucks. But whatever its going to be a good movie.

Ash · 5 months ago

Ummm StevooGer? wtf? you think katara and sokka look white and not eskimo (asian)? They look nothing like their characters.

superstarseven · 4 months ago

Duke sure writes perfect English for a native Japanese person who still lives in Japan.
Also Avatar wasn't made for people who like Anime, try and look into the actual history behind the show and then talk.