I’m with you. I totally hear ya.

White washing. Hrm. I get that. And I’ve followed the conversations around it. But when Hollywood makes a movie – it is instantly and almost always a Caucasian lead. Or even better put, an AMERICAN doing the lead. Is this ok? To appropriate a Japanese idea and forklift it into USA? I don’t know. We’ve been doing it for so long.

Personally adore International films and love subtitles, and enjoy the experience of them. But Americans, on the whole, do not. Definitely. I’ve heard people say, “Really? If I wanted to read I’d get a book… and believe me, I don’t want to read.” Which baffles the mind really. But then again, we just elected Trump, so I take that all back. So yeah, it’s appropriated. But Scarlett. Right. She really can pwn.

And yeah, it does look like it is running with the original idea from Ghost, which makes sense. (Funny to hear you refer to the anime as the original, when my original are the books. But I get it.) It’s such a fantastically good storyline. So I’m fine with that. So much to plumb there. Anyway, I do have my fingers crossed. Begging for a fantastic screenplay – it all hinges on the screenplay – and I don’t know Jammie Moss at all. So, who knows. That worries me more than the Rupert play… but I really dug Snow White. So who knows. I’ll definitely be there opening night regardless.

Other than being perfectly awesome in every way, the common thread has always been super-intelligent writing and direction. It’s almost like GITS is revered in Japan and no one wants to be the one who makes a bad version. But when I found out about the white washing, well, I was sad because I thought it could ruin it… but then, Scarlett Johannson, so maybe everything will be okay. But then, the director of Snow White and the Huntsman… ummm… well, maaaybe just maybe it will be okay. I’m scared, which is unlike me, but this is a huge deal.

This trailer makes it look like they’re going to stick with the story from the first anime, more or less, which would be safe. I just hope that when it all comes together that all the elements that were just so perfect for the first anime will be there: high sci-fi brain bending concepts, deep philosophical pondering, daring imagery and cinematography, perfect pacing (mix of dialog and action), and epic music. Because without all that, it’s just not Ghost in the Shell.

p.s. I really really want the original manga, but it’s so expensive! Someday…