No. Just NO.

I had heard, vaguely, that Warner Bros. is in talks for the rights to a live-action movie of Bleach.

inkstone found some choice comments (amongst, I should note, other people rightfully saying "Oh Hollywood no!") about the prospect:

Alright, just calm down. Look, this does not need Asian actors. There's nothing particularly Asian about the show except for the names, and those can be changed. A good cast and well-executed plot does not depend on racial preference. If it's going to suck, it'll suck just as much with Asian actors who can pronounce "the original" names as opposed to anybody else.

I'm not saying that the characters aren't Japanese, but there's nothing important to the plot that is so distinctly Japanese that it can't be easily changed. Sure, if you want to get down to it, many of the elements are based in random bits of Japanese spiritualism, but the end product is not distinctly foreign in its undertaking. That would be like saying that a Japanese based on Batman would have to use Caucasian actors.

No, actually, "if it's going to suck," it will be because of attitudes like this person's, which enable studios to get away with whitewashing and appropriation scot-free, and rake in the cash doing it.

inkstone and the commenters there have done a great job of unpacking all the things wrong with these sentences, so go read them.

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Elsewhere on the Internet, Amanda FUCKING Palmer hates product placement, thinks Lady Gaga's songwriting is "terrible" and…wait for it…says that

@JoanArkham ironic product placement is only ok if you take no money & beyond that give all the income to something ironic. like the Klan.

Dear Amanda Palmer,

This shit is not ironic. Nor is it cool or edgy. And neither are you.


The link goes to a graphic, potentially triggering post by sparkymonster comparing product placement with the actual deeds of the KKK. Read it if you think you can. ETA: la_vie_noire picks out a great comment by hotcoffeems at this post.

(First link via inkstone, here.)