The Official Goku/Justin Chatwin Thread

[Legion]

Goku is being played by a white actor to make the movie more marketable, it's easier for people to relate to a character that is similiar to themselves.

They did the same for the Guyver and Fist of the Northstar movies. They made the main characters white, gave them american names, but left their girl friends Asian with their Japanese names.

If it's easier for you to like the character thinking he's white that's fine, but there should be no doubt that Dragon Ball was a Shonen manga meant to entertain young Japanese boys and that the the main character Goku is Japanese or Asian.

As for Goku being an alien, that story was only introduced when Raditz arrived on Earth. Superman is an alien but he is clearly white, probably because his creators were white and they were marketing towards the majority. Akira Toriyama is Japanese and he made a manga for Japanese children. As of yet there is no evidence of humanoids in outerspace, so right now only science fiction writers can decide what "Earthlings" they would resemble.

Goku is based on a Chinese story about the Monkey King, which in Dragon ball, I always thought of Goku being similiar to Hercules, a young boy with exraordinary strength and mystic abilites who was man's saviour in a world where ancient creatures and beliefs meet futuristic technology.

 

[louiebling$]

why can't he be mexican? i know a few light skinned mexicans...

Yea why can't a white skinned mexican play goku! I am mexican and I find that insulting in the fact that he's an alien and has no secure race! And mexicans big db/z fans........

 

[louiebling$]

why can't he be mexican? i know a few light skinned mexicans...

Yea why can't a white skinned mexican play goku! I am mexican and I find that insulting in the fact that he's an alien and has no secure race! And mexicans big db/z fans........

 

[Superwoman Prime]

Goku is being played by a white actor to make the movie more marketable, it's easier for people to relate to a character that is similiar to themselves.

Has absolutely nothing to do with that. If that were the case, Jackie Chan would've never been a hit in American.

 

[Dedpool]

Right, and Universal wouldn't have cast a Chinese actor as Ryu.


........

 

[RED-RAIN]

marketability has nothing to do with it..it is a hollywood movie..that should be explanation enuff

 

[Ibn]

Goku is being played by a white actor to make the movie more marketable, it's easier for people to relate to a character that is similiar to themselves.

They did the same for the Guyver and Fist of the Northstar movies. They made the main characters white, gave them american names, but left their girl friends Asian with their Japanese names.

If it's easier for you to like the character thinking he's white that's fine, but there should be no doubt that Dragon Ball was a Shonen manga meant to entertain young Japanese boys and that the the main character Goku is Japanese or Asian.

As for Goku being an alien, that story was only introduced when Raditz arrived on Earth. Superman is an alien but he is clearly white, probably because his creators were white and they were marketing towards the majority. Akira Toriyama is Japanese and he made a manga for Japanese children. As of yet there is no evidence of humanoids in outerspace, so right now only science fiction writers can decide what "Earthlings" they would resemble.

Goku is based on a Chinese story about the Monkey King, which in Dragon ball, I always thought of Goku being similiar to Hercules, a young boy with exraordinary strength and mystic abilites who was man's saviour in a world where ancient creatures and beliefs meet futuristic technology.

Well said. This whole situation makes me think of that Boondocks episode where (for those who don't watch the show) Huey wrote the play "The Adventures of Black Jesus". He took the story to his principal and the principal said that Jesus couldn't be black. One of his assistants offered her advice, "why not make him white?" then smirked about it. I think this is how Hollywood generally acts toward stuff like this. Those were great examples you gave. Theres also stuff like that DOA debacle, where like.. everybody was white. I do think marketability has something to do with it also. This movie obviously isn't being made for the Japanese audience. So why not make Goku white. Atleast, that's how I think they see it.

 

[huzzah]

I simply dont and wont accept having a white actor makes a film more marketable...and certainly not film that is steeped in in chinese /japanese mythology.

Jet Li
Jackie Chan
Bruce Lee
....

They've all managed to crack the western market...or should their characters have been white males. But saying that I've hardly seen Asian male leads getting their rocks off with their female co-stars. Hmmmm????

 

[Superwoman Prime]

I guess lethal asian guys are too busy wiping the floor with white boys to have much sex.

 

[Legion]

Has absolutely nothing to do with that. If that were the case, Jackie Chan would've never been a hit in American.

Right..and Jackie Chan's movies are geared towards children, they aren't selling Rush Hour video games, action figures, trading cards, etc. In that series they also paired him up with Chris Tucker, Shanghai Noon and it's sequel with Owen Wilson, Hollywood attempts to bring in a bigger crowd.

 

[MoPlaYa]

Who cares that Goku is white...People need to get over it

 

[DorkyFresh]

Goku is being played by a white actor to make the movie more marketable, it's easier for people to relate to a character that is similiar to themselves.

They did the same for the Guyver and Fist of the Northstar movies. They made the main characters white, gave them american names, but left their girl friends Asian with their Japanese names.

If it's easier for you to like the character thinking he's white that's fine, but there should be no doubt that Dragon Ball was a Shonen manga meant to entertain young Japanese boys and that the the main character Goku is Japanese or Asian.

As for Goku being an alien, that story was only introduced when Raditz arrived on Earth. Superman is an alien but he is clearly white, probably because his creators were white and they were marketing towards the majority. Akira Toriyama is Japanese and he made a manga for Japanese children. As of yet there is no evidence of humanoids in outerspace, so right now only science fiction writers can decide what "Earthlings" they would resemble.

Goku is based on a Chinese story about the Monkey King, which in Dragon ball, I always thought of Goku being similiar to Hercules, a young boy with exraordinary strength and mystic abilites who was man's saviour in a world where ancient creatures and beliefs meet futuristic technology.

totally agreed! one of the best posts on these boards yet.

Has absolutely nothing to do with that. If that were the case, Jackie Chan would've never been a hit in American.

yeah...i guess that's why he's so popular in America right now.

Right, and Universal wouldn't have cast a Chinese actor as Ryu.


........

there's a reason that Guile, not Ryu, was the main character in that Street Fighter flick.

marketability has nothing to do with it..it is a hollywood movie..that should be explanation enuff

exactly...it's a Hollywood movie, that's the market. the market for Hollywood is based on AMERICANS....not Asians. if they were targeting the Asian audience they would've cast an Asian as Goku, but they're targeting the American audience...so they went with a white guy. they practically used the same formula for the Jet Li/Jackie Chan movie, Forbidden Kingdom....and guess what? *gasp* it's an American-made movie!

I simply dont and wont accept having a white actor makes a film more marketable...and certainly not film that is steeped in in chinese /japanese mythology.

when it's geared towards Americans, yes, it makes it more marketable. that's just the nature of it all. like i said in my response to RED-RAIN, there's a reason why the Forbidden Kingdom has a white guy as the lead actor while Jet Li & Jackie Chan are just the attractions.

Jet Li
Jackie Chan
Bruce Lee
....

They've all managed to crack the western market...or should their characters have been white males.

Bruce Lee was the only one who stood a chance at being a star in America the way Arnold or Stallone were. Jackie Chan and Jet Li have had successful American movies, but in each of those movies they were the CO-star....not THE star. Romeo Must Die had Aaliyah, Rush Hour had Chris Tucker, and Shanghai Noon had Owen Wilson.

don't gimme this crap that casting American actors doesn't make for better marketing towards Americans. that's like saying Asian actors don't make for better marketing towards Asians.

Who cares that Goku is white...People need to get over it

obviously a lot of people care. if you don't care then stay out of it. telling people to 'get over it' shows your intolerance for differing opinions.

 

[DorkyFresh]

Just my personal outlook, but it seems that in one Akira Toriyama interview it's noted that Dragonball was inspired by a trip to China. In another interview he confirms this in his own words... twice, even!

In the second interview linked above he also mentions the very Asian stylized Heaven and Hell.

So, considering that Akira Toriyama wrote the original Dragonball story with heavy Asian influences in mind and was selling the stuff to a purely-Asian audience, it's safe to assume that someone with a name like Son Goku is probably Asian.

So, should've Goku been Asian in the new movie? I personally would prefer it. I mean... Chatwin looks more like a "Steve" or something, anyway. Does that mean that Goku can't be portrayed by a Caucasian? Definitely not. Ian Corlett and Peter Kelamis did a damn good job voicing Goku back in the original DBZ dub.

another great post that reiterates exactly how i feel...

 

[MoPlaYa]

If Dragonball was being made in Japan then an Asian actor would have been cast as Goku

 

[Gotenks]

Goku is being played by a white actor to make the movie more marketable, it's easier for people to relate to a character that is similiar to themselves.

Wow.

 

[DorkyFresh]

wow, what? it's true...you don't see exactly see Brad Pitt or Tom Hanks doing Asian films do you?

 

[Gotenks]

I see asian actors doing American films.

 

[Raiden]

Goku is based on a Chinese story about the Monkey King, which in Dragon ball, I always thought of Goku being similiar to Hercules, a young boy with exraordinary strength and mystic abilites who was man's saviour in a world where ancient creatures and beliefs meet futuristic technology.

Son Goku is actually the real Chinese name of the monkey king from the famous Chinese story Journey to the East, from which Dragonball was inspired by.

 

[DorkyFresh]

I see asian actors doing American films.

oh? how many Asian actors are currently THE MAIN CHARACTER in the films they're doing for America?

 

[StylishHokie21]

oh? how many Asian actors are currently THE MAIN CHARACTER in the films they're doing for America?

I can only think of two. Haha! I do agree though. There aren't that many.

 

[barnface]

Do any of you guys remember along time ago when Goku was cast as a white guy and no matter how much people complained, it wasn't going to change?

Yeah I remember that also

 

[MoPlaYa]

Whats done is done...They arent going to recast Goku...So why cry over spilt milk...I personally like the casting choice for Goku...This is the movie that will make Chatwin a star

 

[DorkyFresh]

I can only think of two. Haha! I do agree though. There aren't that many.

hmm...funny cuz i can't think of any Asian actors that have recently played the main character of a successful American-made film. if you can, please tell...

Do any of you guys remember along time ago when Goku was cast as a white guy and no matter how much people complained, it wasn't going to change?

Yeah I remember that also

Whats done is done...They arent going to recast Goku...So why cry over spilt milk...I personally like the casting choice for Goku...This is the movie that will make Chatwin a star

i dunno what you guys are reading but no one here is complaining. we've been discussing, but my complaints were done w/my first post on this thread. everything sense has been DISCUSSION...not crying or complaining. i know they won't recast, but this is the Goku thread and we're allowed to talk about anything Goku regardless of Chatwin already being cast. that includes Goku's ethnicity. like i said....when you make comments like "there's no reason to complain when the decision has already been made" it shows your intolerance for those with differing opinions. if that's the case, once again....stay out of the topic.

 

[Legion]

Whats done is done...They arent going to recast Goku...So why cry over spilt milk...I personally like the casting choice for Goku...This is the movie that will make Chatwin a star

I'm not crying about it. I expected the casting of a white American actor even when the Dragon Ball movie was way back in the rumor stages and I'm still excited about the movie. I however can accept the reasons for why Goku was cast the way he was.

I would have preferred a more faithful film adaptation of some of my favorite characters and appreciation of Japanese culture; but Chatwin will do if he buffs up some.

I'd also like to mention that The Departed, The Ring, The Grudge, and Dark Water were all Japanese movies that caught enough attention to be brought over seas but needed to be remade with American actors in order to sell them.

Also no actor playing an American Anime character has become a star. So don't get your hopes up.

 

[MoPlaYa]

Goku is an alien...So it doesnt matter what race he is..I dont understand why some people think he should be played by an asian actor..I think Fox has a done a good job casting people for this film and they all look like they will fit their parts very well