At its core, Ghost in the Shell is a Japanese story. The original manga, released back in 1989, told the story of an ultra-high-tech anti-terrorist task force fighting against a corrupt government and highly-advanced artificial intelligence — and even throughout the franchise's numerous incarnations, Ghost in the Shell has always been deeply rooted in Japanese culture and politics.
So, when it was announced that a major Hollywood studio (Paramount Pictures) would be producing an adaptation of the series, fans braced themselves for the worst. Many feared that Ghost in the Shell would be the latest in a long line of white-washed anime adaptations ... sadly, those fans weren't wrong, and the cast was soon filled with non-Asian actors and actresses playing Asian characters.
Don't worry — Paramount has just announced that Ghost in the Shell will indeed have an Asian actor in its cast! Sure, it's a small role, and one that'll probably only get a few short minutes of screen time — but going by Hollywood's rules, that still counts!
Just to be clear, the fact that Beat Takeshi is in Ghost in the Shell is great, and he could end up being one of the best parts of the film. It's just that the rest of the film's cast is proving to be yet another example of Hollywood white-washing — something that we, in 2016, should not have to worry about.
Ghost in the Shell is set to hit theaters on March 31, 2017.
