Yeah, you heard me. I'm tired of the yellow-washing that goes on in Japan's film studios! Fine, call the movie Uchuu Senkyan Yamato, whatever you want. The name is a concession I'm willing to make. The trailer is here (in Japanese; movie website here.)
I do however disagree with the casting, which appears to be all Asian. "But it was a Japanese cartoon!" you object. Yes, but the characters were clearly Caucasian (with one exception noted below). I have explained this repeatedly to Japanese people MANY TIMES and my patience is wearing thin, so here it is ONE LAST TIME you goofs.
To wit:
1) Nova (Yuki) is blonde.
2) They all have big round eyes even by Caucasian standards, except Sandor. Sandor is presumably East Asian or Polynesian, and you find out in one episode that he's from an island in the Pacific, so this is internally consistent.
3) Derek Wildstar's hair is wavy as all hell. Yes, lots of Japanese guys have those dumb host-boy wavy haircuts, but do you think they're putting on hair gel on the way to Iskandar? No. It's Caucasian hair buddy. (While on the topic of Japanese hair products I do have to admit that Gatsby Moving-Rubber stuff is awesome and thank goodness for Nijiya Markets or I don't know where else I'd find it in the States.)
4) Yes I know they're on a sunken WWII Imperial Navy battleship. Walking on board a Japanese ship doesn't magically make you Japanese, especially if you have blonde and/or very wavy hair. Or a huge thick Caucasian beard or mustache, like the Captain and that bald marine guy.
5) Speaking of which, did I mention that Nova is blonde?
Listen, you got a problem with all the human characters in the cartoon being Caucasian, take it up with the artists, not with me. I'm just pointing out the obvious. Yellow-washing!
But hey. In this crazy world we can all come together on two things: 1) the theme song is cool and 2) metal is cool.
or maybe it's called Yamato because that was the actual name? And maybe they cast Japanese actors because it's being made in Japan where most of the available actors are, in fact, Japanese?
ReplyDeleteListen P-Dog, what I'm seeing here is a lot of excuses. The job of these people is simple: make the movie as much like my specific childhood recollections and imaginings as possible. Not yours. Not Japanese kids'. Mine. Me me me me. Why is that so difficult to understand? And if they decide to make it in Japan instead of in Pennsylvania, where I was watching it in 1979, well that's their problem to solve, isn't it. And I can tell you they would have no problem casting white people in Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous: you're right, I shouldn't have complained when they repurpose Yamato by making the cast Japanese. I am grateful for the rebuke.
ReplyDeleteI see this is very old. But I thought I'd just interject, the characters had Japanese names (in the original version, of course)like Susumu Kodai (Wildstar) and they all came from "The Great Island" which I would assume is a reference to Japan. Also, the Yamato was sunk in Japanese waters, and in the show the ship is visible from below ground where they live, implying Japan.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, just stopping bye.
Steve www.reelsteve.com
Dude, you rawk. I agree completely (only because my childhood visualization of the series matches mine). WHY can't they see that?
ReplyDeleteFr. Raphael