Forum - View topicNEWS: Live-Action Death Note Film's Producer Responds to Whitewashing Controversy
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Ambimunch
 Posts: 2012 |
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Ehh, people just need something to complain about. They see white actors, they complain. They see black actors, they complain. They see a normal cast, they complain that the story isn't faithful. This series is already a failure even before release because the "fans" hate it already.
They probably just didn't look the part. Appearance matters. |
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pluvia33
 Posts: 196 Location: Dayton, OH, USA |
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That's a bit of a close-minded look on the franchise and ignores how small the world is now as a whole, due to the internet and such. A large chunk of the people who would watch this movie would already be familiar with the series; it DOES exist already in western markets. But, something that Netflix could have easily done is license the Japanese live action movies and have them available on the site before the US movie comes out. Last edited by pluvia33 on Thu Apr 27, 2017 6:59 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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Please don't make me dig up those photos of a Japanese variety show cast in blackface. I'd rather not. But it happens, and "disrespectful" is the nicest term for it...
I also think he should have kept his mouth shut until after the movie premiered. Then, he should respond carefully based on its critical and popular reception. If it bombed based on its own merits as a film (or lack thereof), don't say anything at all and be glad Netflix already paid you. If it does well, play up how great this opportunity has been for the actors, especially the actors playing L and Watari. Making a statement like this before the film's debut is shortsighted and counter productive. It just sounds defensive and dismissive to the critics.
Uh...I don't think Light's character is supposed to be Jewish. Now if they make an Israeli version, that would be interesting! (And way too hot-button. Let's not go there!) |
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BadNewsBlues
Posts: 6204 |
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But these people aren't necessarily the audience for whom this adaptation was commissioned for. You would still have an audience who've never watched or read any version of the series who effectively would not understand any of the continuity of this proposed spin-off.
As a manga/anime series that's falls into something of a niche medium. Unless we're specifically talking about the Netflix work which of course hasn't premiered yet.
....And would've only realistically been watched by the people "already" familiar with either the anime or the manga. And who likely already saw those movies anyway. |
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AnimeLordLuis
 Posts: 1626 Location: The Borderlands of Pandora |
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Yeah the complaints about this movie being called "white washing" are completely idiotic especially when you take into account other American adaptations of Japanese properties such as Godzilla 1998 and 2014, Edge of Tomorrow, The Ring etc.
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Primus
 Posts: 2802 Location: Toronto |
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I'm disappointed by how Viz seems to completely not care about the newer Japanese live action Death Note productions. I don't hold any of the prior live action films in high regard and didn't really like what I've seen of the TV drama, but still. Even Australia got the fourth movie last year. With this movie coming out relatively soon, you'd think they'd jump at the chance to get as much DN material out there as possible. Part of me wonders if they just don't want any blowback for not getting Ocean to dub them and are waiting until people no longer care.
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic... FWIW, I don't think it would be that difficult to write a largely standalone Death Note story about a new set of characters in the west. There's not a lot of baggage you need to get through. Supernatural entity drops notebook that gives you the ability to kill people. You could make vague references to things that happened in Japan. The obvious cat and mouse plot has been told lots of times, but I think it's a hook that could lend itself to other stories.
That's just me shitposting about how if you're going to play the identity politics game, maybe you shouldn't say a Jewish person is white because there are a lot of Jewish people who'd take offense at that. |
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Kon'Doriano
 Posts: 552 |
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Ayy dios mio again with the whitewashing nonsense. All I care about is whether the film will be good or not. The louts throwing a fit over this need to understand what the word "adaptation" means and see how the film progresses, then scrutinize what they see from the trailers and the film. I get why some would complain over improper casting, for the sake of the accuracy casting someone of the appropriate race is a necessity depending on the context of the story. However, the staff of this film are changing things around and made it so that it takes place in the U.S and not at Japan. Many film creators have done that in the past so this should be no exception.
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pluvia33
Posts: 196 Location: Dayton, OH, USA |
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Something that I felt would go without saying, but apparently it does need saying: A well-made spin-off can stand on its own without need to be fully familiar with the original. Death Note is a rather simple concept that can be re-explained in this version. The references to the Japanese Kira events would just work to make the world feel more real and full and make those who have have not watched any of the old version interested in seeing, at the least, the Japanese live action movies.
It may be a niche medium, but Death Note is easily one of the most well known non-shounen-adventure anime in the last ten years.
I'd speculate that the live action movies may have issues with a smooth release in the US due to it having connections to Warner Bros. in Japan and maybe the US division causing some snags. Totally wild speculation, though. |
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bleachj0j
 Posts: 926 |
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I mean, has this been a controversy? Sometimes people exaggerate how much the outrage is. Like I saw more complaining about L being black than Light being white.
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Zimmer
Posts: 195 |
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The real reason to complain is they missed the opportunity to cast Zac Efron as Light and Samuel L Jackson as L.
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MagusGuardian
 Posts: 592 |
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meh if I had netflix I'd give it a shot but since I don't I won't wast the time, energy, and effort in getting irked
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Primus
Posts: 2802 Location: Toronto |
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I think Efron's a little too old for this role now. A shame too, since I think he'd be able to do the role justice and certainly looks the part. My biggest complaint about Wolff (so far) is that he doesn't look like a pretty boy you'd least expect to become Kira. Like someone in this thread said, he kind of looks like someone who'd read Death Note. 
WB Japan was involved with the three prior Japanese Death Note films and Viz was able to get those out in the US pretty quickly. I'm sure WB operates in Australia and they got last year's movie. |
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SilverTalon01
Posts: 2413 |
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So apparently they tried to find an Asian actor. Is the race of the actor really more important to people than how well they fit / perform the role? Isn't there suppose to be a problem with using a person's race as the primary factor when making a decision?
Of course people are going to say that she is lying because how could it be that hard... well the actors themselves have to be available and interested, and I don't think the pool of Japanese actors with lead role experience is especially large.
You want to point to JK Rowling while ignoring all of the equally poorly researched usages of Christian folklore by Japan? Or are you one of those that doesn't believe it is possible to appropriate European culture? |
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Lenks
Posts: 139 |
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https://youtu.be/_ldEz5h4RMU |
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Crzykido
Posts: 12 |
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I feel that it would have been better to have an american setting vs using the Japanese charterers and "westernizing" them. IMO it would be more interesting to see how a new OC, who gets a death note in America and his/her style of use differs from Light. It would be great that they acknowledge the existence of death notes in Japan, and how s/he will use it differently. Also I would like to add for those who disagree with the casting of L, you have to realized that he is cast for L and not Ryuzaki. Anyone can take up the mantle of L, like how Near was to be the next "L".
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