"Akira" Live Action Anime Adaption Looks a Bit Too White

"Akira" was a huge cult hit when it first hit American shores in the 80s. Its dark gritty sci-fi story set in post-apocalyptic Japan introduced viewers to psychotic motorcycle gangs, psychic attacks guaranteed to blow one's mind, and enough gore to show that not all animation is kid's stuff. I never could really understand what was going on since it is never easy to cram six large volumes of comics into a two hour movie-comic book film adaptations take note-but I knew that there was something special about "Akira that would continue to last after more than 20 years.

And by "special," I mean "Hollywood will notice its popularity and try to cash in on it with its own adaptation." Look what they did to "Dragonball."

Just when it looked like the Hollywood adaptation of the Japanese anime classic "Akira" is about to exit development hell thanks to having a script, the Hollywood "Akira" pulls itself back in with its choice of actors. Who would be better to play Japanese-sounding lead characters Tetsuo and Kaneda than the likes of Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield , James McAvoy, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix?

And even though the lead characters keep their Japanese names, the white recast is conveniently okay thanks to relocating Neo-Tokyo to Neo-Manhattan.

The big names would surely bring more people to watch the film, the whitewashed casting choice is gaining several boos from anime fans and the Asian community. As both, I agree. The anime fan in me is already cynical of Hollywood adapting anything Asian and either tossing in irrelevant white characters too stupid to avoid getting sucked into the plot or recasting everyone as white. Most of the time the adaptation lacks the qualities that made the Asian original good like subtlety, pacing, and acting. Okay, "The Ring" may be the only exception to the rule but "The Ring 2" undoes that accomplishment. The Asian in me feels Asian actors cannot get a break even when there are big budget productions that would make perfect springboards for Asian actors like "Akira."

Marketing ultimately decided why Asians would be excluded from most Hollywood films. Asians actors don't generate buzz to fill theater seats. So for now, this "Akira" will hedge its bets by using an A-list white cast while alienating the original core audience who liked "Akira" in the first place.

And a white cast in an adapted version of Asian inspired cartoons worked SO well for that "Avatar: The Last Airbender" movie.