re: "why are you still mad about gits when japanese people said they have no problem with it?"

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As a Japanese American working in Hollywood, I like to think that I'm allowed to be mad about Ghost in the Shell and to voice my disappointment about the situation because it directly affects me and my job. There's nothing wrong with that youtube video asking Japanese people living in Japan about the whitewashing in GitS. I appreciate seeing their opinions and am not trying to invalidate them. The source material started in that country and so their opinions should be heard too. HOWEVER, the adaptation is being made in the us, where whitewashing and racism are prevalent, and that makes viewpoints radically different.

Some Japanese natives living in Japan don't see a problem with the whitewashing in GitS because they're the majority in their nation. They haven't experienced white supremacy in the same way that Japanese Americans and other racial minorities in the us have. You cannot possibly tell me, a Japanese woman born and raised in the racially diverse (but—make no mistake—predominantly white and not 100% tolerant) US, that I have the same experience and privilege as that of a Japanese woman born and raised in homogenous Japan. There is certainly a Japanese fascination with/admiration for American/western ideals (e.g. cosmetics and fashion campaigns often featuring white models), which is a topic for another day, but think of film and television produced in Japan vs. in the US. In Japan, I would be surrounded by media that features Japanese casts. Now think about my actual life in the US, and think about your own if you're American. How many mainstream Japanese actors in Hollywood can you name off the top of your head? Or Asian actors in general, for that matter? Probably not many. That means that it's rare to see people who look like me in the media, let alone in lead roles, and it's subsequently difficult for me to get roles.

I once saw a comment on some website in which the commenter stated that white actors get cast in these roles because "there are no good Asian actors in Hollywood." You know why you think that, and not just about Asian actots, but other actors of color as well? Because we don't get the opportunities. Because sometimes roles will pop up that are seemingly perfect for me or other actors of color, like Ghost in the Shell, Aloha, Gods of Egypt, Pan, Doctor Strange, The Last Airbender, Death Note, etc., yet these roles don't actually go to us, or worse, we can't even audition for them. People can use "the white actor had the best audition" and "it's just fiction" excuses all they want, but fiction doesn't exist in a vacuum. We don't live in some idyllic world where we're so above discrimination that media has no bearings on society.

And let me get this out of the way because I know someone will inevitably bring it up: yes, I'm half white. But that doesn't mean shit in the US if you're not white passing. No one's going to look at me and assume I'm white and not at all Asian. I cannot tell you how many times I've been asked if my last name—my actual last name given to me at birth, printed on my birth certificate and every other legal document I've ever had—is a stage name to make myself seem less asian. That changing your name to hide your race/ethnicity in order to succeed here is a commonly known practice is telling. I've even undergone it myself, through my first name (see: shortening Minako to Mina). And you want to keep questioning why I'm still mad about whitewashing? Fuck off.

In short: I'm still mad about the Ghost in the Shell adaptation because it took a character that was not explicitly stated to be white and made her white with no regard for the context of the source material. It robbed Japanese actresses of the opportunity to tell a story rooted in Japanese identity and handed it to a white actress. With the US being as diverse as it is, that's just lazy, irresponsible casting.

P.S. Not at all excusing the casting of other white actors in GitS either. Just focused on Motoko because as a Japanese woman in hollywood, it resonates with me the most.