Wednesday, March 15, 2017

T5W#83-Top 5 Fantasy Actors for Live Action Anime

This coming Friday will commence the two week countdown to the long awaited, heavily anticipated arrival of Ghost in the Shell, Hollywoods latest attempts at making a live action Anime.  I’ll be talking a bit more about that in the coming weeks.  Today I wanted to go back to an old mini game every Anime fan used to play when they were younger.  Everytime you saw an Anime on screen, you’d always wonder which actor could play a specific character on screen.  Well today, I’m playing that game again.  Now, granted these casting may not be the most ideal (especially given the controversy surrounding Scarlett Johannson’s casting as The Major in Ghost in the Shell).  But this is strictly for fun, with only one or two options id actually recommend for the real thing.  So here we go, my Top 5 Actors for Live Action Anime.
 

#5-Rinko Kikuchi as Soi Fon (Bleach)
Starting it off with an actress who so deserves a live action Anime role.  I even once thought of Rinko Kikuchi as a potential choice for Motoko in the Ghost in the Shell film (the little bit of blue and purple in her hair in Pacific Rim helped a lot).  However, in lew of the obvious casting already, I think she would make a great Soi Fon.  Rinko seems the sort of the perfect mix of aggressive and beautiful that molds Soi Fon into the sexy bad ass ninja she is in Bleach.  This actress has a lot of potential in her and I’d like to see her get her due outside of Pacific Rim in an actual anime adapation.  She could just be the secret weapon this movement needs to really get peoples attention.
 

#4-Marie Avgeropoulos as Revy (Black Lagoon)

I just recently started watching The 100 on CW.  Each character has a particular effect on me but it’s Marie Avergopoulos’ (if she’s reading this I apologize in advance if I ever meet her and totally butcher her last name, I am ashamed) as Octavia Blake that made me think of a certain foul mouthed pirate on the high seas.  Seeing Marie evolve from stowaway into a hardened, ready to kill on sight warrior like Octavia makes me think she’d be a solid choice for Revy, the lead character of Black Lagoon.  Just trade her swords for guns and allow her to let loose with as much harsh language as she wants and you’ve got her near perfect. 
 

#3-Matt Damon as Saitama (One Punch Man)

As I brace for the inevitable backlash on this one…I’ll try to defend myself.  Firstly, it was that little snippet from the latest Jason Bourne flick that got me to watch One Punch Man in the first place, you know the part where he literally knocks a guy down in ONE PUNCH.  Factor in Saitama’s laid back, “I don’t give a crap” attitude and how Matt Damon can play a role like that in his sleep…and he doesn’t look half bad bald, as seen in Elysium, and the One Punch Man could become a reality one day.  Oh wait…he kind of has.

 

#2-Jet Li as Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z)

This is the classic.  When you do a wish list like this, you remember how every kid wanted this to be a real thing.  And I still do.  Jet Li’s martial arts prowness pretty much guarantees him a spot in a CORRECTLY DONE Dragon Ball Z movie.  But Vegeta is the role we all want him in.  His ferocity in his action scenes screams Vegeta’s blood rage.  And you can just hear him shouting, “KAKAROTOOOO!!!!” at the top of his lungs and I guarantee the fanboy scream will justify any tickets sold.  Hollywood, besides the next option, if any casting on this list should come true, please make it this one: I’ve been waiting since 5th grade for this to happen.
 

#1-Benedict Cumberbatch as Spike Spiegel (Cowboy Bebop) 
I’ll admit, this guy is kind of my man crush.  I doubt there’s a role Benedict Cumberbatch couldn’t pull off.  We all know him as the sarcastically brilliant Sherlock or the mystically powered Doctor Strange.  But given his height, build, acting quality, and ability to charm the ladies, doesn’t that remind you of anyone else?  Everytime I think of this option, I can see Spike’s hairdo on him, along with the tacky but still stylish suit.  And who says Benedict Cumberbatch couldn’t master Jeet Kun Do?  Whatever, I think it makes more sense than the Keanu Reeves casting that was rumored years ago…even if he can do Kung Fu.  Benedict Cumberbatch in an Anime adaptation (specifically Cowboy Bebop).  Hollywood, please get to it.

No comments:

Post a Comment