Some Notes on “Ghost in the Shell”
- I’m interested in how Japanese audiences (and original creators) reacted to the film vs. Asian American audiences
- Japanese ghosts in white shells – purpose? Does this change anything about the ideas of the source material?
- Heavy Chinese and New Zealand production influences (based on credits)
- Are Kuze and Major the only ones who have the Japanese ghost/white shell combination?
- Was the setting supposed to be a Neo Tokyo or Neo Hong Kong-type setting? If so why was everything so bare in terms of the actual population outside of the non-Asian cast?
- Considering the majority of the cast is non-Asian, is the setting needless?
One extra note on Asian American History: A Very Short Introduction:
- One aspect I found really intriguing that Hsu talked about was the self exoticism that some Asian American entrepreneurs implemented in order to make a living (i.e. Chinatown and how that commodified exoticism, and the conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker)