Shinji Potter?

[Jammrock]

I found this rather humurous:

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/432/432931p1.html

The simple fact that someone is trying to make a live-action Neon Genesis Evangelion movie is funny enough, but casting the Harry Potter kid to play the 14-year old, Japanese, Shinji Ikari is even funnier.



Jammrock

[Ribbit]

Originally posted by Jammrock
...but casting the Harry Potter kid to play the 14-year old, Japanese, Shinji Ikari is even funnier.

You're right, he would make a much better Kensuke.

[Gurm]

Umm... why? Are you SERIOUSLY expecting me to buy into this "oh yeah everyone in Anime is really Japanese?"

PUH-LEEZE! They go out of their way to Americanize half the characters.

Rei is OBVIOUSLY a Japanese archetype. Asuka is obviously "American".

This started AGES ago. I don't know if Macross pioneered it, but it happened there as well. Half the characters have Japanese analogues, and the other half don't. Minmei is obviously Japanese, so is her whole family including her drunken cousin. Risa Hayase (funny Japanizing of an American name) is obviously American.

Etc. etc.

So don't go on with the "oh, everyone has to be Japanese" bit. In fact, the only live-action I've ever seen of an Anime was ... *ahem* LA Blue Girl, and that was just SILLY.

Gpar_

[Sasq]

Risa is actually a japanese name as far as I recall.

But Shinji should be Japanese. His whole character is very shy Japanese boyish.

[Evildead666]

Maybe they could use the guy who did the title role in Battle Royale...?

[Gurm]

Originally posted by Sasq
Risa is actually a japanese name as far as I recall.

But Shinji should be Japanese. His whole character is very shy Japanese boyish.

I always saw it as "withdrawn conflicted teenager". Not as particularly Japanese. But you're the expert, living there and all...

Gpar_

[Jammrock]

Shinji Ikari is Japanese. The animated movies make it very clear that his parents were Japanese scientists.

Asuka is German. Or half German half Japanese. Something like that, but she lived in Germany before coming to NERV.

Rei is ... well ... complex, but basically Japanese.

They never really discuss the nationality of the rest of the cast, but some of them are assumed American or Japanese and not much else.

Jammrock

[Gurm]

I never said anything about their "official" nationalities. I was referring to who they were as characters.

Anime has a real tendency to mix 'n' match nationalistic stereotypes. Obviously anyone with blonde hair and blue eyes isn't REALLY Japanese. The cocky/brash/bold/scruffy/yet loveable characters are definitely also NOT a Japanese stereotype, although the troublemaker/sidekick/pal CAN be.

I'll bow to pressure on this one that Shinji may very well be a classic Japanese teen-boy type, since I'm not very familiar with that group.

My point was simply that it wouldn't be TOTALLY out of line to have Radcliffe play him. It WOULD be totally out of line to have someone like Emma Watson play Rei, and that IS my point.

Gpar_

[Jon P. Inghram]

What's the difference? All Anime looks the same anyway...

[KvHagedorn]

Most anime characters look like they could be either Asian or European. I dunno what the ones with blue hair are supposed to be though.

[Sasq]

Freek's, watching a High School drama here the other day (a lot like Neighbours for those that know it) had one 16 year old girl on it with green hair, and bad attitude.

[Ribbit]

Go to http://www.kampo.co.jp/kyoto-journal.../animated.html and read the third section ("Ethnic Bleaching").