What Japanese Reviewers think of Ghost in the Shell (2017)

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I talk about some of the reviews on Ghost in the Shell on a Japanese movie review site, Yahoo Japan Movies.
Source: movies.yahoo.co.jp/movie/%E3%...

[@JaegerMeister808]

I love how everyone became a Ghost in the Shell expert as soon as this movie was announced.

[@kabrozkabroz]

Well not necessarily, just more like there wasn't much reason to keep talking about it til the film was coming out, and then suddenly all the butt hurt people who aren't even Asian decided *they* were suddenly experts and that the so-called "white washing" somehow offended the Japanese who largely did not give a heck about it.

[@mrpixelator]

Enter 'experts' on Japan who think that polite deference and avoiding the appearance of argument or disagreement means they actually thought Motoko Kusanagi was always white or ScarJo was a good choice.

[@Cinqmil]

Yeah, about the whitewashing... There is some Japanese soap commercial where a black dude gets stuck in a washing machine and comes out white. Japanese don't see this as racist, but I'll bet a lot of Americans would get a heart attack seeing that commercial. It's just skin colour... it doesn't matter.

[@kabrozkabroz]

never once implied that I think they thought she was white or not, I was referring to whether or not they found it offensive and that it's something they wake up in a cold sweat about. Obviously not the case. "what someone thinks" and "what is offensive" are two different things, and this is not offensive.

[@epicdante2709]

@Cinqmil That was a Chinese detergent commercial Qiaobi, not Japanese. It seemingly rips off a similar Italian advert, in which an slim Italian man is washed with "color" detergent and emerges a muscular black man with the slogan "Color is better."

[@bobbywrtm]

American views on Ghost In The Shell : We are triggered because Scarjo casting is outrageous and insulting Japanese people. Japanese views on Ghost In The Shell: The casting of Scarjo is good and she is the best part of this good film. *facepalm

[@ThatJapaneseManYuta]

In your opinion, what's the best Ghost in the Shell anime? There are so many of them.

[@zipperman6045]

That Japanese Man Yuta stand alone complex

[@chessboxing552]

That Japanese Man Yuta So far, I prefer the Stand Alone Complex series over the two Oshii films (the original one from 1995 and 2: Innocence). I have yet to see the Arise series, which also has its own film, and the Hollywood remake so I can't really form an opinion about them.

[@mirinbrah739]

Stand Alone Complex, and Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig. Some here in the US refer to them as season 1 and season 2 of Stand Alone complex, even though that isn't quite accurate. Together they are the best.

[@TMTLive]

I'm surprised to see a bunch of people mentioning SAC, I was under the impression that the 1995 film was more popular. Regardless of these recommendations, I'd start with the film if I were you. It was the biggest cultural influence that came out of the series, and is way better at drawing you into its world than SAC is because of its beautiful visuals and audio. I think the experience of watching SAC is enhanced by having seen the movie first.

[@emilegarcia2369]

from Best to least favorite: Stand Alone Complex Ghost in the Shell 1995 Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig Ghost in the Shell Innocence Arise

[@Spike-hl2mw]

Very grateful for this. Thanks for putting in the work to read and translate these reviews!

[@l3ete1geuse]

Absolutely loved this video. I was looking all over the internet for something like this because I was genuinely curious on what the Japanese had to say about the live action GitS. I had given up on trying to find a Japanese review when this video appeared in my recommended. Thank you so much. BTW, your English is really good. I didn't need the subtitles at all.

[@uunukuuuunuu9526]

Hey Yuta ask Japanese people how they think about Japanese voice actors :D

[@atheistpsyconaut42]

Love you Yuta. Your channel is awesome!

[@animalmother671]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LESSONS!

[@skeetorkiftwon]

Here, I'll write a review of every Manga, anime, video game, comic to movie medium change: "The content was dumbed down, the plot simplified, major aspects of the characters altered, and entire subplots necessary to fully elucidate the intent of the original story removed to squeeze ten to hundreds of hours of content into an hour and a half long film limited by a budget and short attention spans/time." Copy paste that everywhere. Next film Hollywood is going to attempt will be "War and Peace, the Cliffnotes script." Expected reviews will range from, "I didn't understand it" to "They ruined the story."

[@cybercide283]

People need to learn to shut off their brains just enough to enjoy a movie for what it is. If the acting or plot is bad, that's a valid criticism as long as there's no serious comparison to the source material. Let the movie stand or die on its own. I remember all the hate with the LOtR movies. The movies were good despite the criticisms of die hard fans of the books. The Hobbit movies were terrible in comparison, but that's largely due to the constant change in directors.

[@seija8588]

But the script itself is bad. Also why can't it be judged and compared to other GitS media? It has the guts to use the very same title anyway. Weird logic. Use an entirely different name if you don't want to be judged that way then. Just say you're "inspired" or whatever.

[@skeetorkiftwon]

安心院 - Anshin'in Elucidate.

[@yourcurtainsareugly]

No. While many adaptations share some of the same issues, it can be done well. For example, I think the Watchmen movie was a great adaptation from the graphic novel. A lot of it was a shot for shot remake, but they made some major stylistic and plot changes for the adaptation, and I think it worked very well, and it some ways, better than the original. I'm sure you could find some nitpicks here or there, but it kept well in line with the form and spirit of the original. If this was "inspired" by GitS like The Matrix was, that might be fine. But since it held the original name, I'll look at it from the context of the original. It seemed to just copy elements from the first movie and anime series without regard to the substance behind it, and came to the opposite conclusions for no apparent reason other than to follow tired Hollywood tropes. It gutted what, to me, made GitS great, just pandering to fans with a veneer of similarity by a few remade scenes. Take the example of Romeo and Juliet, remade a million different ways. There are tons of reinterpretations of the original, like West Side Story, which totally remixes a lot of things but fundamentally keeps the themes and character. But this new GitS movie was like turning Romeo and Juliet into a "happily ever after" story, destroying the original tragedy. It might very well work as its own thing "inspired by" the original, but if you put the Romeo and Juliet title on it, it would be an affront to the original.

[@ThreadBomb]

+yourcurtainsareugly But anime and manga often remix stories in exactly the way you are complaining about.

[@rhythmrainbow]

Not a perfect film, but neither was the animated movie. They did a great job.

[@PaulHillierLive]

This was very interesting, thanks for sharing.

[@heilong79]

Thanks Yuta, this was very interesting as it was something I wondered about.

[@Alex-gk3fk]

I'm happy to know that mostly Japanese people liked the movie. I loved it also!

[@ReconWo1f]

yeah but compared to the original... have you seen the original?

[@XLTBlarg]

I actually thought the original was very boring. And the second movie very very convoluted for no apparent reason. In my opinion the SAC anime was so much better.

[@regensyscronos347]

The original is consider boring by many people. This new movie is actually more engaging.

[@ReconWo1f]

yet the new movie is the worst rated in the entire franchise

[@Alex-gk3fk]

I haven't seen the original... This movie actually made me want to watch the anime and read the manga. I can't fully judge the movie though because I'm not a fan of the anime. But in my opinion it's really good.

[@ImmortalRimas]

Visually the film was stunning but the film itself felt like a dumbed down version of the 1995 classic and it ended up borrowing some of it's story from the original 1987 Robocop film that even had a Dick Jones type character and an OCP type corporation. It ended up being just a generic Action Sci-fi movie. Hollywood were very close and almost got it right this time but they panicked and went with a already done to death formula with not much substance. I went in with an open mind and I really wanted this movie to do well but it ended up disappointing me

[@joebilly3719]

errr, not trying to be rude but did you see anything from the GITS universe other than the 95 animation? First, the 95 animation is not a standard for the GITS universe. A good amount of plot points in this live action were borrowed from GITS Arise and GITS Stand Alone COmplex 2gig, and even the tone of the film took from those two as much as the 95 animation and its sequel.

[@ImmortalRimas]

Willians Santos​ I've seen obviously the 1995 Film, the sequel, Arise and not all of the Stand Alone Complex I admit I do need to watch the rest when I have time to get round it. It had the tone sure but also looking @ the GITS Remake as a Film by itself it was a poorly executed, generic and bland Sci-fi Action Movie but if you liked it fair play but it was nothing special as a film to me

[@griffinnunnelee7236]

I completely agree with you. The film felt like the robocop story mixed in with the look of ghost in the shell. Ended up feeling generic. I will say though, I thought they got the relationship between Batou and the Major very good. That's probably the most accurate aspect of the film that they got right from the anime.

[@yourcurtainsareugly]

Honestly I have no idea why they lifted the antagonist's name and barebones backstory from 2nd Gig but pasted him onto the Puppetmaster from the original movie with the plot from an overdone Hollywood trope. I've seen it all, and I was highly disappointed with this; it's not deserving of the Ghost in the Shell name. They seemed to pick things at random from the source, but left behind the substance. To me, this was similar to how the Starship Troopers movie was originally something else, then was adapted to the book in a gross distortion that ended up misunderstanding the original. Yeah, it was way worse than this GitS movie by that measure, and it was supposed to have some elements of mockery, but I think it fell into many of the same traps.

[@joebilly3719]

The director gave an intervew on the matter. They felt they would not be able to work with the puppet master as well a they could work with this new Kuze, simple as that. Kuze was not pasted onto the puppetmaster that much. He had an original goal this time, and his core connection with the Major and the refugees was keeped almost intact. This live action is as good as arise and the new movie, and it has considerably less fanservice than the manga, so it is indeed a fair addition to the franchise. It is as good as the current best anime adaptaion made in Japan (rurouni kenshin trilogy).Now the main addition will be the new anime, which was annouced not much after the film, where people who worked on SAC and Apple seed will be involved (hopefully it will be SAC 3gig).

[@SuperSteinerXXV]

Really interesting to hear the reception in Japan. Great video!

[@scalor]

This video made you appear in my recommendations. Subscribed :)

[@voytek5550]

im glad that many Japanese people enjoyed it regardless of the controversy around it. from their reviews the film seems pretty good so maybe i'll check it out when i have the chance.

[@scoshi6592]

Simply because people in the west always over-react and call everything racist, while the Japanese looked into the acting and the accuracy of the movie and didn't care about the ethnicity of the actress

[@diegoantoniorosariopalomin4977]

Yuri Brainoxious accuracy ?! this movie shits on what gists stands for

[@Illvuan]

'Chance' as in when it's available for illegal online download? The film is set to losing $60 million. It's a flop. www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/ghost-in-the-shell-box-office-loss-60-million-a7671746.html

[@drakan4769]

+Illvuan "when it's available for illegal online download" uhm.. why are you talking like it isn't already? not I would know of course, I never do that

[@voytek5550]

'chance' as in when my schedule allows for it. i dont know yet if i will have work or a social call when the movie is being shown at my local cinema.

[@ElectricOutcast]

2:44 see I thought them allowing Takeshi to speak in his original language was a brilliant idea, it symbolized a move in technology to where we could understand each other no matter what the language.

[@George-mr6fy]

Thank you for translating all these Japanese comments and Japanese reviews.This is such a great video.

[@MisterSamShearon]

Very cool - I enjoyed this very much! Thank you. :-)

[@ZenkaiSlip]

Can we really trust the review of someone called 'bum*****' though? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@delayed_control]

mas*****

[@dianalove60]

ZenkaiSlip lol😂😂

[@catsspat]

I trust bumblebee's review of the movie.

[@anandbala1]

I only trust reviews of people called Bumhole or Bumshit

[@Crunch_Buttsteak]

ZenkaiSlip Ad hominem

[@AlexGarcia-qc3cj]

Off topic but has anyone else seen Your Name? It was amazing and beautiful I went to see it twice in theaters

[@TheDobleQ]

A Boogie wit da Hoodie It was pretty cool but I think 5 centimeters pero second was better.

[@voytek5550]

what's it about?

[@RikiBono]

yes... that was beautiful

[@DoubleCGamesStudios]

Your Name was by far one of Makoto Shinkai's best works. But honestly, I really can't place it before 5cm per Second. Your Name was really astonishing, Shinkai really outdid himself, but I still think 5cm per Second is maybe the best from all of his movies. I really liked it a lot.

[@marksayosmejia7251]

the boy and the beast deserves more recognition. Shinkai films looks good but in terms of writing is Meh imo.

[@mrbunnyban]

Thank you, interesting to see the perspective of folks from Japan!

[@benjaminpegley2630]

Thank you for your perspective on this film Yuta, I found your review very interesting.

[@saniwada]

The CGI was beautiful, and scarlet Johnson was perfect for the role, the story however was clearly dumb down.

[@MxMoondoggie]

It was expected really, this is a movie made for a typical movie goer audience over people who like anime so it was always going to have a more simple story than the complex themes explored in the anime. There is just more time to do that with TV shows and multiple movies they had to try to sum things up in a short period without dragging things on and trying to explain concepts that might be boring to casual viewers. It's like with comic book movies they change lots of things and it's not as complicated as comics but it's also worked as a nice entry level way to get into comics too.

[@marksayosmejia7251]

maybe perhaps it is for the wider general audience. however it still has its own charm as a GiTS content that i really liked. So its llike an alternate GiTS in a livea ction adaptation.

[@Votexforxme]

it should be asian actors, using western actors was the worst ever i didnt even watched the movie and i will not, its garbage! and scarlet is fucking ugly!

[@ultraguy14]

Okay, you're obviously just going out of your way to be a hater if you can't admit she's an attractive woman.

[@Votexforxme]

in youre eyes, in my eyes, clearly not.

[@OriginalBoitCrank]

I dislike how they chose the cheapest antagonist of the series to portray. In my opinion, the original puppet master was much interesting.

[@unicron99999]

I found your video very interesting. Thanks.

[@GosiGat]

I don't leave comments often but I have to say this video was awesome. It was nice to enjoy a video with a adult explaining his point of view like an adult. Thanks for the video and you got a new subscriber here.

[@ceresbane]

1:35 is sassy the correct translation? That doesn't sound right. When he later complains that she's emotional. Sassy is a very emotive way to act. What was the actual word used Yuta?

[@ThatJapaneseManYuta]

I think you are right. It's probably not the right translation. The original word is ririshii which can be but I wasn't sure what exactly the reviewer meant by it.

[@ceresbane]

If I were to reinterpret sassy as meaning outspoken. I think it means she's uncompromising. Where as a commander you tend to be somewhat cold and precise and dominating. Which is the opposite of being emotional and in essence vulnerable.

[@arthurchen6464]

Had do some google translating but found this term 凛々しい (ririshii). I hope this is the one you mean the original poster used. It translates to "gallant / manly / dignified / chivalrous / brave / imposing / biting", which I would definitely agree fits Major's character well. In the other shows she's very stoic and commanding. Even with her feminine body, she is clearly the most manly and imposing figure of Section 9.

[@Ketchme17]

Thank you for doing these kinds of videos, Yuta. The West, especially the United States at the moment, has a growing attitude of being upset by anything and everything, and acting like they are offended on behalf of a group of people. It was really upsetting to me to see that so many were saying that the casting of Ghost in the Shell was offensive to Japanese people, while no one seemed to actually listen to the perspective of Japanese people.

[@InfernosReaper]

Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous. It's a lot like the time there were people who were outraged over some exhibit that let people take pictures wearing kimonos. They went on about how offensive it was to the Japanese, yet apparently never bothered to ask the Japanese their opinions because when Japanese people actually voiced their opinions it was typically in favor of the exhibit. It's no less racist to make assumptions about what a people believe & find offensive and that you must champion your interpretation of their will for them

[@Ketchme17]

Porco Rosso No, I must not have finished the video, that's on me; I didn't see the movie yet so I was trying to minimize possible spoilers, but I went back and watched the whole thing. I do understand that there's a very homogeneous environment in Japan, but I still do think of you're talking of the perspective of Japanese people on a subject, it shouldn't just be Japanese-Americans, but also Japanese citizens. I don't like the idea of discounting their feedback because they "don't understand" race relations according to our own personal standards of what race relations should be. Isn't it reasonable to think that the Japanese just don't care that much about it, rather than thinking that all of them are ignorant about the subject?

[@InfernosReaper]

Porco Rosso at the same time, in the US a lot of people are getting a persecution complex and see injustice where it is not. Making an Asian character white is no different from making a white character black. Such changes only really matter is the ethnic background of a character is an integral part of the story. For example, they could remake the movie Predator staring Dwayne Johnson as Dutch(originally played by Arnold Schwarzenegger), it wouldn't matter. However, if they made a movie about Ghandi & cast Terry Crews in the role. While Terry Crews is a charismatic & capable actor, in this case, the ethnic background of the character is actually a vital component to the story. See the difference?

[@thestranger9608]

Well they are not affected by the racism like Asian Americans are and have their own industry which they don't struggle in. They don't speak for Asian Americans. Minorities in other countries don't speak for minorities in America that deal with racism

[@Ketchme17]

The Stranger I think that's a fair point, however the Japanese population in the United States is not very large compared to other Asian populations, and especially not compared to other races in the United States. So for people to be so upset about the casting of a non-Japanese actress, in a country which the Japanese population is quite small (and the number of good Japanese actors is even smaller), I don't think it's a reasonable reaction. Japan has the ability to have high representation of Japanese people because there's and endless supply of great Japanese actors at their disposal. Edit: I wanted to add, that I think that this issue is just a matter of representation based on the actual population of that group. Japan, of course, has had movies/shows that feature non-Asian characters that are played by Japanese actors, because it's just not reasonable for them to find an actor that speaks fluent Japanese, fits the non-Japanese race of the character, and is actually a good actor. Obviously there is less of an extreme population difference in the United States, but I think people just need to think more practically about these things.

[@geyoda64]

I haven't had the chance to watch it yet, but I really enjoyed this video. You should do this as a new format. I would like to know what the Japanese think about certain movies like 7 Samurai or something like Unbroken.

[@M4A1MG42]

Very interesting perspectives on the film!

[@dragonheart2272]

It really bugs me that SJWs created an unneeded controversy that caused a good film to fail at the box office. It sucks that the only Hollywood anime adaptation that actually had effort put into it and attempted to be faithful to the original (while also appealing to the average movie goer) is the one that's getting the ax. The theater that I work at has already stopped showing it. While I'm not saying this was perfect in terms of anime adaptations, I thought it was definitely a big step in the right direction. However, I am glad that those who have actually seen the movie are standing up for it.

[@linnaedolby663]

Lexi Lytle A lot of people who saw it actually didn't like it very much because other than looks and music, it wasn't very faithful to the original anime. Most people feel they dumbed it down for an american audience. I feel anti-Sjws just wanna give it more credit than it deserves to get back at sjws which is dumb. Film goers rated it terribly because it wasn't that good, not over a dumb controvery.

[@MyJourneyConcludes]

LiNnAe DoLbY It's Rotten Tomatoes User Score was 58%. That's not great but it's not terrible. And you're the first person I've come across that's suggested that people only liked it because they wanted to get back at SJWs. That's a bit of an over-reach. Also, the movie not being faithful to the original is literally a staple of every single version that has ever existed. The movie isn't a masterpiece but I think it's faulty to assume the the controversy that came with it had no effect on the over-all score. It's biggest failure is being a mediocre movie. It's not terrible, it's not great, but the whole controversy following it did noticeable damage. It's all very ironic considering it did well in Japan.

[@dragonheart2272]

LiNnAe DoLbY I'm mostly going off by my personal experiences and what Paramount said. Paramount stated that the film tanked domestically because of the controversy. And I'm not saying that every person that has seen it liked it, but based on certain reviews, comments, people I've talked to, and myself, I've mostly heard praise from it. I don't think it was a perfect film, but I do feel it was the only anime adaptation that actually tried and managed to stay faithful. I'm just bummed that all of that hard work and admiration for the source material isn't being rewarded because of an unnecessary controversy about casting Scarlett.

[@linnaedolby663]

Lexi Lytle To be fair, in the early processes of making the film, when it was announced and people were petitioning for a japanese actress, they couldve avoided this. There were tons of japanese actresses who would've loved to have the part. They chose money over accuracy and made up some confusing story-line to cover up for it. Honestly, Paramount did it to themselves Even though I agree with you, they put a lot of effort into this movie, and it was okay, they just didn't put in enough.

[@linnaedolby663]

MJ C I thought it was rated 48%??

[@mikicerise6250]

I completely agree about American films making the message too obvious. I remember the Spanish/American film Ágora, at one point a random guy on top of a stone wall literally stared at the camera and shouted out a detailed explanation of the film's entire message in a tedious monologue, as if the audience were complete and utter idiots. I immediately thought, oh poor Amenábar, I suppose the American executives forced him to add this ridiculous monologue because American test audiences were too stupid to understand the point of the film without it, even though the plot was already about as subtle as a bludgeon.

[@mikicerise6250]

This is the country where the president's office has said that Assad is worse than Hitler because Hitler never use chemical weapons, right? I know it's harsh, and hurts your feelings, but the stereotype does have a basis in repeated observations, like many stereotypes.

[@lb9498]

GiTS (the 1995 film) has extremely long monologues during which Motoko (mostly) explains what the film is all about. Anime in general have those long and boring moments were we get to hear every single thought. Anime are not subtle at all.

[@Akirasloss]

Great video !

[@threeelancer]

Nice transition at the end ;-)

[@Ph33NIXx]

its funny how the only people who seem to care about Scarlett having the role are Americans xD

[@REAL6]

MrPheenox But you can't seem to understand, that most Japanese, Chinese and many other Asian countries have a fascination with white skin and love all things white.

[@SarcasticDuck]

i never looked at her the same way since she got onto a relationship with freaking Hulk!

[@TheEzio1991]

Americans complained because its from a Japanese animated film and thought Japanese should do all the roles. The irony is that anime characters are usually made to look more like western people, so the Japanese liked the casting because she actually looked like the character in their eyes.

[@michaelwolf8690]

Actually these are the most tame compliments I've heard from Japanese folks about Scarlett Johanssen as the Major. The producers knew what they were doing when they cast her in a movie that was going overseas. She's very popular in Japan and China.

[@elvinsolano9114]

Michael Wolf Yeah that's bc young Japanese are brainwashed by white westernized imagines. They rare if ever get to see themselves in American films so what do you expect from them to they internalized themselves as being white not as being Asian. One of many reasons why Japanese women are so fixated with white men and Japanese men are so fixated with blonde hair blue eye white women.

[@Aelazadne]

I think a lot of people are pretentious when it comes to the movie. One, most of the Ghost of the Shells nowadays do not ask any really deep questions. The Laughing man saga was a classic tale of corporate and state collusion. The plot was a government agency used its power to cover up its hand in backing a worthless treatment plan and the fact that first gen cyber brain technology was not yet ready. Stand Alone Complex unlike the 1995 movie was more like Law and Order. While it dealt with issues like the ghost it was nowhere near as deep as the 1995 movie. The biggest moment for insight into the Major was the conversation with Batou when she was escaping Section 9 HQ with him in Episode 24 Annihilation at the 18:27-minute mark. The two have a conversation that is very easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. The entire conversation is why does the Major continue to use a female prosthetic body and her reply is very telling. She simply dismisses him by saying "I change my body and brain case as circumstances require. I will change my memories too.".. This one line shows us that the Major defines herself not by her physical appearance or her past. This gives us the clue that the live action major was based more on the SAC Major than Oshii's Major. The plot of the movie is an homage to Innocence. I am surprised NO ONE GOT THIS. Everyone is claiming they know GiTS so well but they obviously do not. The entire plot of Innocence is a company is abducting women so to copy their ghosts into the companies Companion bots. The plot of the live action movie? Hanka abducted people in their experiments to create the first human cyber brain and combine it with the first prosthetic body. Does the live action answer the issue of the Ghost? Yes, people need to pay attention to Kuze because the story of the Major is about identity. The Story of Kuze is about the Ghost. I have seen critics claim that Kuze offered to merge with the Major and that was an outright falsehood. He never offers to merge with her. He offers her the same proposal that he does in 2nd GIG. For the two to discard their bodies and take their Ghosts into the Network.. The only real weakness to the movie is Cutter who is essentially Kazundo Gouda from 2nd Gig. The CEO being so hands on and being so aggressive in his threats wasn't necessary. They should have made him a leader from an agency of the government that was shielding Hanka instead of making him the CEO. His character is my main source of contention with the movie. Other than that anyone claiming the movie is not a Ghost in the Shell movie is just being a contrarian looking to whine because it did not settle their yellow fever. Liking or disliking the movie doesn't change the fact that they did hit every point of a ghost in the shell series and if anyone wants to say "it wasn't like the 1995 movie!" well neither was the series and Shirow Masamune is probably throwing up right now to know that everyone judges his work by Oshii's work. Shirow Masamune hated the 1995 movie. He hated it so much he told the production movie to rename the movie and that it should have no ties to his work.

[@ThatJapaneseManYuta]

Isn't the only and truly original Ghost in the Shell the manga? From my understanding, the anime versions are more like derivatives based on the interpretation of manga by each creator. So unless you read the manga (which I haven't) I don't think you can really say, 'This is not Ghost in the Shell'.

[@Aelazadne]

Yes, and the 1995 movie that everyone raves about deviated the furthest of all from the works. The Anime series were closer to the source material than Oshii's movie. Oshii's movie is more influenced by Blade Runner than it is the Manga.

[@Gillsing]

If the 1995 movie was the 'most derivative', doesn't that mean that it should be the closest to the manga, seeing as the definition of a derivative work is that it's based on an earlier work? So "most derivative" = "most based on the manga". I think you mean that it _deviates_ the most from the manga?

[@Aelazadne]

Sorry, that is my fault I got the words mixed up. It deviates the most. SAC at first had people mumbling because the story was so different due to it was based on the Manga.

[@anxez]

Hold up. Where can I watch the subbed version of the Japanese dubbed version? I feel like that may drastically improve my viewing experience.

[@stevengordon2145]

I really enjoy your channel as it gives an insight into japanese life that we would never get.. in the west unless we visited your country! I've enjoyed movies and music and art from Japan sinice I was a child... and as regards your comments on ghost in a shell movie I totaly agree to turly understand a film like this you need to be able to speak Japanese... is. turly the "language of the infinite" and ultimately a lot of context gets lost in translation when adapted for Hollywood or Japanese movie subtitled to English or just simply dubed with English voice overs! I remember when I first watched akira and I never forget felling that something was missing, then I realised that the subtitles never corresponded to the context on screen keep up the great work 👏😁👍

[@acester5]

I think the whole issue with white washing compared to how people in Japan see it, is that here in the US there are actual people who can't get jobs because of white washing. Asians in the US have the lowest percentage of being casted. So even though people in Japan are ok with it, I still don't think it makes it ok in the US. especially for the people that can't even get casted because people thought it'd be better movie with name brand actor/actress.

[@ThatJapaneseManYuta]

Donte Debose I agree with everything you said. The interesting thing about this one is that their casting choice seemed to have backfired in the US. If the point of casting a white actress was to have a more box office success, it has defeated its own purpose.

[@jonathany10]

JormungandR That's fine and all except that's not how it actually works in Hollywood. Actors specifically get denied the ability to audition due to their race. Like, the girl in Agents of Shield Chloe Bennet changed her last name from Wang because nobody would give her a chance at a role specifically because she's half. Steven Yeun was one of the bright points on The Walking Dead but he hasn't been given any roles outside of voice acting.

[@ruedelta]

JormungandR You cannot look anyone straight in the eyes and say that Aang in The Last Airbender was the best actor for the job. He didn't even know any martial arts!

[@InfernosReaper]

As the same time, not everything is actually "whitewashed," especially a cybernetic person in a future that was written when Japan was in an era of declining birthrates. The main issue with Hollywood though is they tend to go for big names when they can afford them, often in the hopes a big name can make up for a mediocre or bad movie. This is the same industry where the awards aren't given based on merit but on whose turn it is to get one. That said, I do wonder what Hollywood would look like if the actor rosters more closely matched population demographics. It may actually end up being worse than it is now, though.

[@mikicerise6250]

That's a real problem, but what I don't get is why you feel Asian Americans should be allocated special Asian roles, as if they are foreigners? Why shouldn't Asian Americans get American roles in any American film playing as Americans, instead of playing as foreigners? And what then has all of that to do with Ghost in the Shell in particular?

[@kz_kanmuru4269]

The Japanese voice actor for GITS are pretty iconic so that probably made the experience so much less torturing..

[@NefariousDreary]

Thank you got sharing this. Very cool

[@CrimRui]

Thank you for this input.

[@critz6719]

I find it hypocritical how Japanese people would be okay with a white person to play Mokoto Kusanagi but would be outraged if it was a Korean or a Chinese that was cast for Major. There was a Japanese person that said he knew Americans wanted a Asian American but another Asian that isn't Japanese would be worse and it's better they have a white person. Like does he not know Japanese Americans exist and why do white people get a pass but say a Korean or Chinese doesn't. Them excusing whitewashing doesn't help considering how white Hollywood already is and Asian American actors get rejected and people always ignore them, that supposedly there not the real Asians, that there opinion doesn't matter. Hollywood is the biggest media in the world, there movies get shown everywhere not just America and in Hollywood Asians always play stereotypical racist roles, don't Japanese people not care or know about this. Why do they always excuse and give a pass to white people? Say if Memoirs of Geisha cast a white person instead of a Chinese, would that be better and Japanese people would be totally fine with it because for them white people will always get a pass. Movies casting a Chinese for a Japanese role is worse than a white person supposedly. double standard much?

[@herrdoktornapy6835]

Claire Riri Japanese people are not very fond of the Koreans and the Chinese. I wouldn't call it double standards. more of, "historical conflict makes me hate you." I think you're reading to far into it.

[@wind7519]

Which makes little sense because it was white people who BOMBED and KILLED many of them in the past. I think it mostly has to do with current region issues. But since China and Korea are very much in Japan's radar today, of course they would have a problem with them. I'm sure Okinawans share a different opinion, considering the unkept and savage behavior of U.S. servicemen there.

[@mikicerise6250]

Claire Riri What is wrong with just being Americans? American Asians are American, and that's perfectly fine. Why do you make such a big deal over it? Why do you feel so entitled, if you have an issue with Hollywood, to Japan's support? If people want better representation in the USA​ as an AMERICAN because they feel AMERICAN, then what does this have to do with getting Japanese roles and whining to Japan? Surely then it means they should be seeking AMERICAN role and recognition as AMERICANS, not Japanese. I think they are just trying too hard not to be lumped in with "white" because in the US this is now not fashionable with your peers, to be "white", for same reasons as the "anti-German" cult in Germany. But guess what. The world is not the US and nobody cares about your particular social tribes and identities. So stop pushing it in everyone's faces all the time and forcing it on us and demanding that the whole world should think about identity like an American. If you really want to distinguish yourself from ignorant people start by behaving as an open-mind world citizen, and leave behind that evangelizing Protestant zeal that so characterizes Americans of all political opinions, sexes and ethnic backgrounds.

[@wind7519]

Miki Cerise I agree with what you said wholeheartedly, but you do realize your mindset is in the extreme minority of what the average American thinks, right? In fact, the exact opposite of what you express is more representative of what is usually thought of because to be "American" means only white American to a good portion of the country. That's why we need commentary like the OP's to move the conversation along in order to have more open-minded world citizens that you idealized.

[@luluchan9946]

Claire Riri just a wild guess..thinking your most likely not Japanese

[@KurniaSurmidianti]

I watched this movie last month and I enjoyed it

[@ab-ul1yz]

Kurnia Surmidianti I watched it too with a person that is half Japanese, we both loved it!

[@Nevalopo]

Does Japan have anything similar to Myanimelist or imdb? A huge place where everyone talks about certain movies/animes?

[@jellybeans5081]

I have never been so early! Nice !

[@Uradamus]

Scarlett was great on the looks front, she greatly resembled the Major, but her voice and acting are entirely wrong for the role, which totally ruins it for me. The actor chosen for Batou was a horrible choice as well, he looked totally wrong for the part. The changes to the story really irked me as well, since I am a big fan of the original movies and tv series. They really did basically try to make it a female Robocop movie while piggybacking on the success and brand recognition of Ghost in the Shell.

[@omar.abdullahmasoud360]

wouldn't really get much into GITS cause it feels like a Blade runner ripoff with a downgraded detective story and more AeonFlux action, it's not really that of a unique Japanese IP to be considered that authentic source for people to criticize the live action's job, they brought the buck by sticking Scarlet in the cast and that was all their job.

[@galenmarek7107]

It's nothing like you described lol.

[@DeusSalis]

I like the background music in your videos.

[@Rikuphi]

Thank you Yuta for this video! I've been wondering what Japanese people, generally speaking, thought of the Ghost in the Shell movie for a while now!

[@genma986]

15 minutes into the movie I was bored and wanted it to end.

[@Julortizw]

I watched this film and I got absolutedly bored. I enjoyed far more the original one.

[@Ihaskittay]

Julortiz i got a little bored with the original

[@Slashplite]

its something different. I didnt expect to be the same as original anime

[@JaegerMeister808]

Just watched the original yesterday. It was a lot more bizarre than i remember.

[@JaegerMeister808]

Except it wasn't a remake. More an abridged version that also stands in its own universe.

[@MyJourneyConcludes]

I found the original boring at first and started to enjoy it a lot more later. People hold the original as this masterpiece but many people tend to forget that it itself had a lot of problems. It was psychological but sometimes it put that theme of psychology above telling a coherent story, and in the end the pacing of the original is quite strange. I still love it but stopping half way through a movie to show the city and some psychologically relevant things (major looking at other versions of herself) is somewhat abrupt. I understand why they did it (after like the 5th time watching it) but I can't deny that perhaps it could've been done better. Movies like Inception or Seven prove that you can make something as psychological as it is entertaining so I don't see that as an excuse and I especially don't see Hollywood taking this almost arthouse type film approach while at the same time spending over 100 million to make the movie

[@SilverKM03]

Great video. If it's not any trouble, could you do this for 47 Ronin (2013)? I remember people saying that was offensive too. But I don't understand how the style of the storytelling is any different from 300.

[@Laban510]

Thanks for the review, this makes me more excited to watch the Ghost In The Shell Movie, I might go watch it later in the week.

[@SamBassComedy]

I personally didn't like it. I'm not a fan of Scarlett Johansson. Every time I see her in an action role, she seems to be trying to go for that serious look, have a little charm, but I just don't buy the acting. She comes off as fake to me. Don't like her in action roles so far.

[@yitzu48]

S.J. Bass I don't like it either in action roles but this time for someone who has no sensitive in her body and no memories, her lack of acting felt perfect for the rol. In the end I loved her actin or non acting in the movie

[@runnerhigh]

NADS IQ She actually had a surgery to reduce the size of her breast, you fucking dumbass.

[@oliverhann6815]

below average. Get out of your basement buddy

[@dagda3000]

Haven't seen the movie - but Kitano >>>>>> Johansson

[@StealthMaster5k]

Huh came across Yuta years ago, glad hes still growing

[@jaiyapapaya]

Should I watch GiTS? If so, which one first?

[@luna1515]

It was exactly what I expected it to be. As a fan of the GITS franchise I can tell you that this film was a shell without a ghost. It's the result of neither embracing GITS enough nor stirring it in your own direction enough. They dumbed down the material to a Robocop origin story they weren't even creative enough to come up with interesting new stuff even if they strayed away. It was overall a boring generic sci fi action flick. Without a shadow of a doubt I believe this is the worst addition and link to the franchise. I fucking hate Scarlet Johnson, she was a miscast, i hate her voice, I hate her acting, her performance is as generic as you can get, all the characters she plays feel the exact fuckin same.

[@SilentOcalypz]

I agree completely.

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

Agree totally.Also, as you said, Robocop origin story, topped with a ridiculous villain who has no purpose or objective, except being eeeevvillll. Sure, he SAYS he needs Motoko (it's just another idiotic think in this movie that they treat her military RANK as if it was her NAME, she's NOT called "Major") to save his company's finances, but then forgets that entirely just to try to kill her and everyone else. It was really painful to sit through, and not only because I'm a fan of GitS, but because the movie itself, by itself, was horrendous. And the worst parts for me where those when they would just copy scenes of the anime nearly frame by frame or thrown in lines of the original without any real tie-in to the story or context whatsoever, just so they could look and sound as if they were adapting the original.

[@Gillsing]

I didn't like the 'Robocop' take either, but at least it opened up for the mother, which was interesting. I'm fine with re-purposing scenes from the 1995 movie though. Stand Alone Complex would sometimes do the same things with scenes from the manga, and I think it worked quite well there too. My brother said he was interested in seeing what scenes from the first movie would look like with better technology, so I guess there must be some interest in that among people who watch movies. And probably among the people _making_ movies.

[@domnicaable]

Jun Jin can we please also mention her HORRIBLE way of walking? what the actual fuck? she looks like a broken robot for fuck's sake

[@XMH_020]

Funny that people in the western side, made a fuss about this while the japanese themselves those people tried to "protect" doesn't really care infact most of them loved it, and this isn't the first time this happens. In my opinion the Major in this Movie, is the equivalent of Superman in Man of Steel when they both just started on their path of what made them their characters.

[@Sephajinami]

The casting of ScarJo was never perceived as a threat or insult to the Japanese, but rather Asian-Americans. Japanese people in their home country are surrounded by media and advertisement filled with Japanese actors so of course they don't have an issue. But Asian-Americans don't get that kind of representation. It can be very difficult when it feels like you're not a part of your own country.

[@bullettrain9637]

Well, that's the trade off of living in a western country. And yes, western does mean majority white/white culture.

[@Sephajinami]

It' a western country with a huge amount of diversity that isn't getting any representation. Being unrecognized in your own country is not something that just just be accepted like that.

[@XMH_020]

Kira Suzuki Yeah, i don't know how it feels because i'm not half, and i am a Indonesian, that honestly living in this country is boring to see sea of black hairs, if i have enough money someday, will travel abroad just for variety.

[@MyJourneyConcludes]

+Kira Suzuki You say that Asian-americans aren't getting represented but have you actually looked at the statistics of Asians in Hollywood and compared it to the actual population dynamics of the country? It's actually very similar. So the percentage of Asians in the top Hollywood movies is actually similar to the percentage of Asians in the country.

[@MIERDAENELESPACIO2]

I found this video becuase im a Ghost in the Shell fan. But i have a cuestión for Yuta or every one who know the answer. There is a APP to take Japanese characters pics and translate to others lenguages? Thank you.

[@marckymadao9192]

have you watched the monogatari series? i really love it

[@user-px6hf8zs6b]

I think Yuta is selling out..

[@Laxhoop]

It was a middle finger to the original.

[@ShoegazeSage]

Spencer Whiteway How?

[@joebilly3719]

And by original, I hope you don't mean the 95 animation, because that would be incredibly innacurate since this movie never intended to be a remake of the 95 animation, and because the original is actually the manga which is quite different from the 95 animation. This live action fits well on the GITS universe, where we have things like the somewhat sometimes silliness of the manga and the more action packed Arise series.

[@ReiAyanami366]

Not really. The original is a manga. This movie was mostly made up from bits of the animated movies and episodes of a TV show and what transpires from it is a clear will to be a kind of visual hommage to Oshii's movie (I assume people in the staff were probably die-hard fans of his work on GitS) wrapping a somewhat common US scifimovie plot rather than an adaptation of the comic (despite the mention of being based on it).

[@yourcurtainsareugly]

Willians, I think it is a legitimate position, as it was heavily marketed using the remade scenes from the original movie, and partially follows the same plot. And I think it's charitable in this context to allow that Spencer meant the movie.

[@joebilly3719]

All the offical sinopsis point it is a new entry in the GITS universe, not a remake. And the trailers had Kuze and the Major dressed with her red jacket from Arise, so unless people don't know the actual GITS universe (just saw the 95 animation), it would be clear it is not a remake.

[@lliatto]

pretty insightful video! also.. do you really teach japanese for free??

[@RumpleGold]

Sir you have my utmost respect. Thankyou You are amazing, Instant fan

[@maggzm4258]

I hope one day that you all realize castings like this actually hurt people and make lasting social impacts. Yes it may be simple whining to you but it's affects Asian Americans regardless. Japanese people of course don't have a problem with it, but as an American produced film it had more to do with the feelings and experiences of Americans who happen to have Asian lineage. How can you know what it feels like to grow up with little representation when you get it every day? Ofc some Asian-Americans don't mind but that doesn't erase the feelings of others nor make it okay. The most common representation we see with Asian Americans is as a side character or a mafia/villain (take Lucy for example). It may seem insignificant but this actually can shape our perceptions of others and even ourselves. No, by the content of the anime she didn't HAVE to be Asian but it would've been nice at least... Even Johansson would've had a hard time gaining popularity if not given proper opportunity.

[@anthonyclark5849]

why are you asking to be represented in someone else's movie

[@killer987able]

Maggz M tbh it wouldnt make of an impact if in the movie major was asian and then found out her mum is asian plusi think it goes well with the story of major being 'white'

[@TenshiNoAme]

Man up. Stop whinning. Stop looking for identification in fiction. Start lookin up to real people. Its more sane. I'm polynesian. Representation in movie? 0.0000000000000000000001% But i'm not crying all over the place because i don't see someone of my ethnicity.

[@1001011011010]

Maggz M Your problem I'd trying to fit what movies say. They're fiction. They don't matter. If you want to see more Asian Americans in movies, have more Asian Americans become Hollywood actors. Asian Americans make up, what, 7% of the population of America? Of course there aren't that many. If the characters were chosen of just Asians, then there would be complaints they aren't all Japanese Americans, which is probably actually impossible. Look to reality, where in America Asians make the most money of any ethnic group on average.

[@arthurwild6563]

What representation? Who are you talking to? Do you think all white people are the same? Think polish people feel represented when an american is on screen? Are you that ignorant? If you care about the representation of asians so much, why are you watching hollywood movies? Why not chinese, or korean or japanese movies? You know, where the asians are. Have you ever seen a white person in china complain about the lack of caucasians in chinese movies? Or do you simply not care and think those rules should only apply to western countries? You didn't even bother watching the movie, otherwise you'd know that Kusanagi was indeed played by an asian woman.

[@jtomtl]

A pathetic clone of the first ghost in the shell animated movie:/

[@marebear19]

thanks for this video, you added a deeper understanding to my view of this subject. I wrote an article about this movie coming out and at the time I was very torn between what I perceived as the Japanese/american concern about the movie. I hadn't seen much concern from a Japanese perspective, but that is because native and American Japanese (or people that have moved to America) have very different experiences, especially when it comes to Hollywood. So that subject is very deep, but at the same time I couldn't help but be excited about the movie getting a live action adaptation, and also I wasn't completely happy with the choice of Johnson either. Anyway, you always show a very good spectrum of opinions and that's what makes me continue to watch your videos, thanks again

[@AlecVannoy]

I don't know why you have subtitles your English is perfect , plus great video 👹

[@nvmeverlou5494]

It was stupid making this movie about race. Major has blue eyes. She is not asian, she looks more like a white girl with hair dyed black. And isn't she a robot? Can robots even be asian?

[@demon212]

IIRC, she never even had an original body, shes just always had an android body since she was born. It doesnt make any sense for people to be mad about what race she is. Especially since the creator said he never viewed the major as japanese either

[@lovelypinkx]

According to the profile, her ethnicity is Japanese. Just because she has blue eyes doesn't mean she's not Japanese. There's white guy with blue eyes that's Korean on TV that was documented. It's the same all over the world.

[@SNinjaQK]

People are stupid for saying that it's whiewashed and i bet they don't even understand the anime's/manga's complex story

[@mnbr6884]

"Can robots even be Asian?" And therein lies the problem. Due to limited representation, you have locked in your image of Asians as being a certain way to the extent that you can't even imagine Asian robots. This is exactly why activists are calling for varied representations of people of colour. Btw, GITS does have Asian robots. Their Asian robots look less human than the white androids which is a problem also because it adds to the dehumanisation of Asians.

[@mnbr6884]

@Atari, Exactly.

[@diegoa137]

so it was mostly the weeaboos that were upset

[@kaisoldier6]

diegoa137 *SJW's

[@shinmusashi44]

Actually NO! It was clueless SJW that never saw Ghost in the shell.

[@MrRdlv]

so called, movie reviewers

[@TheBleachj16]

Ahmad Ridwan movie reviewers barely mentioned the casting.

[@Palmroxx]

Just Saying : Japanese are also complaining about the new american Death Note because it's not set in Japan and the two actors don't look like themselves. This same channel interviewed japanese people on the street about it and they are quite universally pissed off about it. "This is not Death Note"

[@minutekanji7082]

it's really interesting to hear about other point of views

[@baqikenny]

nice proposal at the end haha!

[@LarsAgerbk]

anybody knows if there will be a dubbed audio track on the bluray?

[@AlanVByrnes]

Yuta there is a Japanese Dub version they got over there? I think I would like to see the film that way :D

[@Cinqmil]

I'm not Japanese. I think the original Ghost in the Shell is one of the best philosophical stories out there. It is deep and exciting. The 2017 version doesn't come near it at all, but it is all in all not a bad film. I hope people watching the 2017 movie are interested enough to go watch the anime and be blown away. Even now, the anime is ahead of its time.

[@MrDarthvader2101]

Would anyone know of any scholarly articles or studies that would get into why the reception from both countries is so different?

[@stylomojo]

Can someone give me link of GiTS in Japan Dubbing? I bet the movie experience is stellar

[@nataliakhokhlova7376]

Thank you for this video, I really wanted to know what Japanese thought of the film. I enjoyed it.

[@PixelGod240]

Ur English is better than mine! Great job!

[@peterfmodel]

This is an excellent review and i totally agree with them, especially the comment about Kitano-san not speaking Japanese clearly, my Japanese is not good but i can normally follow it - not Kitano-san - i though at one time he was speaking shanghai-wa. I had to rely on the subtitles. Very strange.

[@MarceloKuroi]

Did they do that film?

[@MarilynTam]

Thanks for sharing. I watch with a friend who didn't know about ghost in the shell but she was impressed. I hope ghost in the shell fans can appreciate the essence of the story was well kept in the movie instead of judging what was lost.

[@stuchly1]

finally! Yes! Aramaki speaking japanese and everyone else speaking english and everyoine understanding each other really stood out to me and I don't think the english reviews mentioned that at all, I'm so glad I'm not alone in this.

[@NoName-bt3oy]

So how long before Ben Stiller plays Tetsuo in Akira?

[@Recon911PDW]

BGM from Skyward Sword?

[@sartori69]

If you do watch the original anime, please post your thoughts and compare to the live action. Thanks!

[@paulboakes3680]

I haven't seen the film yet but the series introduced me to Yoko Kanno. I think that she is the most brilliant song writer that Japan has produced. She is Japan's Lennon/McCartney. When I heard the song for Fukushima I loved it and then I found out that it was her's. Is she still writing ? Did she write the music for the film ? Love ur clips

[@meldmagic]

Did the movie have that cute spider robot thingie?

[@priestmorrison6564]

very good piece

[@Iggsy81]

4:38 totally agree, i found the plot easier to follow with this version than i ever did with the anime

[@InugamiTheHound]

I love ghost in shell anime(stand alone complex and 2nd gig) on adult swim. I'm not huge GITS fan but i appreciate the anime and I would love to go back and watch it again.

[@jhc3115]

Please do one with Alita when is release!!

[@digimon916]

Glad you and many others mentioned the mother. she did so well that i was hoping theyd show he again later with the major revealing who is really is.

[@Viscupelo]

Wait, there is a dubbed version with the Japanese VA's from the original film? Holy hell I want to watch that.

[@ThatJapaneseManYuta]

I would be interested if you watched the dubbed version with English subtitles hahaha

[@SpookMrsSpooky]

I'm very glad to hear this! I LOVE Ghost in the Shell, but even though Hollywood has done a good job with some adaptations of Japanese properties, their record with adapting anime has been abysmal. Apparently they're also talking about adapting Death Note now. Not thrilled about that at all, but maybe I'll check out GitS when it comes out on home video. Thanks for this!

[@japzone]

Thanks for this. It's hard to get foreign perspectives when you can't easily read the language. Looking forward to the Japanese impressions of the Power Rangers movie.