If the race of one of your beloved character's was changed would you still watch/read it?

[Saiyan Lusitano]

In the recent event of J.K. Rowling making Hermione as a black character, I would like to read what are the opinions of people here if your favourite character of X franchise was changed to a different race/skin colour?

As my username indicates "Saiyan" I'm a long time Dragon Ball fan so if Toei Animation, Shueisha or Akira Toriyama had decided to unexpectedly turn Son Goku to a westerner/white or black character I would respectfully quit watching because at that point it just wouldn't be the character I grew up with. I'd also want to add another aspect, when Toei Animation stops having Masako Nozawa voicing the Son family I might stop watch it altogether (she too is what makes Son Goku and the Son family so great). Simply put, don't change what's already established!

A great example is from the Fantastic Four where Johnny Storm was changed from a white personage to a black one and to some people this was seen as good and diversity but to the fans of the franchise who were accustomed to Johnny Storm being white they didn't take this well. And it's not racist to bring it up but rather how one loved the character that was changed for the PC crowd. Let's not forget Jimmy Olsen too was changed from black to white but instead of modifying the race of a long time character they could bring in new ones, though they don't.

P.S. And like the saying goes; If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

[Muffins]

I don't have a problem with it at all, but the reason Rowling gave was utter bullshit.
She signed off on the book covers (multiple of which have the character as Caucasian) and she signed off on the character who played Hermoine in the movies.
Plus, despite Rowling saying otherwise, in the books she is described as visibly blushing at one point. While African Americans do undergo the same physical effects that cause blushing, it's not visible, skin wise. So...

If you're gonna make your character black, don't act like you have to make an excuse for it. Just say "Yeah, she's black in the play. That was my choice."

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

I don't have a problem with it at all, but the reason Rowling gave was utter bullshit.
She signed off on the book covers (multiple of which have the character as Caucasian) and she signed off on the character who played Hermoine in the movies.
Plus, despite Rowling saying otherwise, in the books she is described as visibly blushing at one point. While African Americans do undergo the same physical effects that cause blushing, it's not visible, skin wise. So...

If you're gonna make your character black, don't act like you have to make an excuse for it. Just say "Yeah, she's black in the play. That was my choice."

So much Political Correctness in your comment, ugh. First off she is not "African American" Noma was born in Swaziland and is an English actress and second, Caucasians are from the Caucasus region which is in the middle of borders of Europe and Asia. Though to be honest, it's not your fault for this PCing since you were taught to think like this but again, one has the ability to think for themselves albeit they may not choose to.

On the books Hermione is referred as white and her design is white just like Harry's so J.K. Rowling could have been honest rather than saying "not specified" which isn't true.

 

[Muffins]

Ugh yourself.

Focus on the content of the comment or don't talk to me at all.

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

Ugh yourself.

Focus on the content of the comment or don't talk to me at all.

Just went to prove my point on you and J.K. Rowling.

 

[Muffins]

No, you didn't prove anything at all.
Well, I take that back. You proved that you didn't actually read my comment and apparently have no comprehension skills, given that I severely excoriated Rowling for saying the character wasn't described as white in the books.
Time to put you on the ignore list.

Annnd done. You are now blocked, and it feels so nice.

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

No, you said that you were fine with it but her reasoning was poorly put together. You're fine with it, that's up to you.

 

[KingVamp]

Wow, this burst into flames quickly.

This is like the Linkle and Link arguments. As long as they give a reason for the change in story or it is a separate story/adaptation altogether, I don't care about the changes as long as it is good.

Random changes in story without explanation would bother me, but it depends in what mood I'm in and how much I like the show to keep watching.
Don't really remember changes like that without reincarnation, reboots/remakes, "passing on the torch",etc tho.

 

[Muffins]

Wow, this burst into flames quickly.

This is like the Linkle and Link arguments. As long as they give a reason for the change in story or it is a separate story/adaption altogether, I don't care about the changes as long as it is good.

Random changes in story without explanation would bother me, but it depends in what mood I'm in and how much I like the show to keep watching.
Don't really remember changes like that without reincarnation, reboots/remakes or "passing on the torch" tho.

Nicely stated!

 

[The Real Jdbye]

There's more to a character than the color of their skin. If their personality was changed along with the color of their skin, then it might be too big of a change and might prompt me to quit watching, but that's another matter entirely.

Sure, it would take some getting used to the main character of a series suddenly being black instead of white, or vice versa, just like it would if they got a new actor to take over the lead role in a series. I'd get used to it, as long as the new actor does an equally good job at portraying the character. That's what matters the most.

 

[Bimmel]

It would feel awkward, that's for sure. Never happened for me.

It depends I suggest. If I like the character it is harder to get used to.

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

There's more to a character than the color of their skin. If their personality was changed along with the color of their skin, then it might be too big of a change and might prompt me to quit watching, but that's another matter entirely.

Sure, it would take some getting used to the main character of a series suddenly being black instead of white, or vice versa, just like it would if they got a new actor to take over the lead role in a series. I'd get used to it, as long as the new actor does an equally good job at portraying the character. That's what matters the most.

Not the fans but casuals who are just in to watch it.

One of the many problems of Dragon Ball Evolution's was that Goku was white and while Goku's an alien, he's produced by the Japanese comic writer Akira Toriyama so it made no sense whatsoever and fans did not like it at all.

 

[dimmidice]

rowling didn't make hermione black. rowling said that hermione's skin color has been left ambiguous. nothing ambiguous about it IMO, she's been called tanned when she got a tan, she's been called white faced, she's blond, and her race was never specified, unlike every other person in the books who wasn't white. race unspecified = white in HP really.

this is just rowling spouting nonsense on twitter like she's spouted nonsense in interviews in the past (and on twitter before too). voldemort fetus form anyone? (another bit of nonsense she said in an interview)

she needs to learn to leave well enough alone. you can't please everyone nor should you try.

as for your question of course i'd be annoyed. i like continuity in my shows/books/movies. just changing a characters race for no reason is shite. i'd stop watching/reading if the story turned to shit as well. but i'd be very annoyed about it.

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

It would feel awkward, that's for sure. Never happened for me.

It depends I suggest. If I like the character it is harder to get used to.

Surely if Hollywood decided to make a movie about Malcolm X (it would still consist as a character role) played by Tom Hardy no one would complain.

 

[Lucifer666]

You make "appealing to the PC crowd" sound like a bad thing

there's a reason people want it. and that reason is underrepresentation. i'm all for a black hermione and while its dumb to praise rowling for it (she didn't really do much apart from say "yeah wow thats cool" and lie about making hermione's race ambiguous throughout the books [she didn't really..]) i agree with her current support for the concept. i think its great

also, @Muffins use of the word 'Caucasian' is correct. "Caucasians are from the Caucasus region which is in the middle of borders of Europe and Asia" yeah OK but you do realise that the term encompasses white people as a whole since while they have migrated to colonised many lands, that's where they originated and is therefore correct to describe them ethnically

stop being overly nitpicky and pedantic about any flaw you can find (even incorrectly so) in the name of True and Correct Politics™ so as to bash who you perceive to be one of the damned "Social Justice Warriors" (does anyone even self-identify as that anymore?)

I think that even if a person sees no need for a race change, if they actually have a problem with it as opposed to just being neutral then there's no discernible reason apart from racism

 

[Issac]

OP, you're quite clearly someone on the far right on the political spectrum. Or as Amos Oz would say: a fanatic. I can see this topic derailing quite quickly.

To the question at hand though: If Hermione would turn black (or asian, or latino, or...) in the movies, I would dislike it. Just for the lack of continuation. Like Crabbe in the movies, he was replaced by a black actor. Those things bother me.

This, on the other hand, is a play. It won't be the same actors at all, and has nothing to do with the movies, so that's fine.
The same goes for any adaptation that isn't directly related.

Great Teacher Onizuka, in the manga and anime he has bleached hair. In the drama and movies, he's black haired. I don't mind at all.

 

[Lucifer666]

Like Crabbe in the movies, he was replaced by a black actor. Those things bother me.

OK but they were gonna replace the actor anyway, shouldn't that in itself bother you more than the fact that the new one's black?

i like continuity in my shows/books/movies. just changing a characters race for no reason is shite. i'd stop watching/reading if the story turned to shit as well. but i'd be very annoyed about it.

the movies and Cursed Child are completely separate universes anyway, theres no reason to be this upset

 

[dimmidice]

OK but they were gonna replace the actor anyway, shouldn't that in itself bother you more than the fact that the new one's black?



the movies and Cursed Child are completely separate universes anyway, theres no reason to be this upset

i'm not upset? i couldn't give a rats ass about the theatre play at all.
i was saying how i'd feel if a character i liked in a show or book was suddenly turned into another race (or another anything really)
characters are alive in a manner of speaking. you get to know the character, if they suddenly change it for no reason that ruins immersion and diminishes the character and the entire book/show as a result.

as for crabbe being replaced of course that annoys people. but it's less bad if you pick a new actor that resembles the old one. if i take your apple and hand you back another apple you're less likely to be annoyed than if i gave you a pear.

 

[Saiyan Lusitano]

OP, you're quite clearly someone on the far right on the political spectrum. Or as Amos Oz would say: a fanatic. I can see this topic derailing quite quickly.

Not really. I just hate Political Correctness.

To the question at hand though: If Hermione would turn black (or asian, or latino, or...) in the movies, I would dislike it. Just for the lack of continuation. Like Crabbe in the movies, he was replaced by a black actor. Those things bother me.

What about Blade being played by a white actor, wouldn't that bother you too?

Hollywood is making a movie about Ghost in the Shell with Scarlett Johansson and it shouldn't. GitS is a Japanese franchise so if anything, Motoko should be played by a Japanese actress or at least an Asian actress not a white or black actress.

This, on the other hand, is a play. It won't be the same actors at all, and has nothing to do with the movies, so that's fine.
The same goes for any adaptation that isn't directly related

On the books Hermione is white and on the movies she's played by Emma Watson so making Hermione black out of thin air just doesn't make sense.

 

[Issac]

OK but they were gonna replace the actor anyway, shouldn't that in itself bother you more than the fact that the new one's black?

Not really, if they'd use a similar looking actor. I mean, people grow, and change apperance, which could justify a different actor (that still looks somewhat the same). No one changes skin color when they grow up though (except Michael Jackson)

I could just as well say that I don't like that Crabbe went from chubby to tall and slender, since he's described like this:
"Crabbe is large and very fat, with a thick neck. He has gorilla-like arms and a flat nose, and wears a pudding bowl-style haircut. He is very mean and very stupid, which makes him little more than a "follower" of Malfoy. However, in spite of his overweight, fat physique, he is an avid runner."

Now to have him slender, black, short, hairy, or whatever in an adaptation wouldn't bother me - but when the actor is changed midway, then it bothers me a little.

Dumbledore's actor change was alright since the actor died, and was replaced with a somewhat similar actor.