From this point on, the only way a studio is going to get away with adapting a manga or anime to live action is by holding look alike contests for human versions of the characters. In a twist on the white-washing scandal that befell Scarlett Johannson in ‘Ghost In the Shell’, fans are now condemning ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ For casting a Japanese actor as Edward Elric. Before we go any further, check out the new trailers.
So, now that you’ve seen them, the blonde dude is Elric, and in the Manga and anime, he’s pretty white. Because this is the internet and it’s not a day with a “y” in it if someone isn’t pissed about something, people are now calling this “yellow-washing” because a Japanese actor was picked for a role that many people perceive to be white.
My thoughts on this are pretty simple. In America, we get mad when Americans white wash roles because there are not enough good roles out there for talented Asian actors. In Japan (where most of the current anger is) people are pissed off because the main role was given to a Japanese actor, so he doesn’t look enough like the source material. In the end, both sides have some validity to them, but none of them really matter. If you don’t like it, don’t go see it. If the studio doesn’t make any money on the film, they won’t make another. If you want to see films that are more accurate and that feature less cultural appropriation and white (or yellow) washing, support the film makers who will make those films.