So, in my obsession with blog reading I've come across several blogs that fantasy cast books that they love. I truly enjoy these fantasy cast because they encompass a variety of actors, actresses and let me get to know the book to see if I want to read it or to compel me to want to read it again.
Fantasty casting takes three hobbies I love (reading, writing and cinema) and puts them together in one neat little package of happiness. It let's me take actors from different time periods and mesh them all together into one perfect cast. I'm sure this is why guys enjoy Fantasty Football Leagues so much, they get to have the ultimate team that encompasses the best of the sport!The moment I started reading 1Q84 I wanted to fantasy cast it. What was hindering me was the fact that all the actors had to be Asian...more importantly they had to be Japanese and then I started reading. First I found this and this and was ashamed, this very interesting forum thread at CBR and this very interesting thread from the Reviewing the Kanji forum, helped solidify my thinking about Asian actors, well, all actors for that matter, then I read this and felt ashamed again, then here I realized that people can be pretty darned racist (Keanu Reeves can't be in "47 Ronin" because he's only "1/6 Asian. That's hardly anything and he doesn't look Asian at all."--um, ugh.) and, finally, I read this and realized that no matter what there'd be hot water somewhere, but I couldn't stop thinking about it...so below you will find a fantasy cast with Asian actors, some of which are not Japanese. It's my fantasy...that's all, nothing more...oh, that, and the fact that I find Russell Wong so...um...incredibly..uh...there are no words, really, that I couldn't help thinking about him sitting on a slide staring at two moons.
My other two fantasy cast can be found here and here.
All character descriptions, save the bottom one, are from Wikipedia. Oh, and I didn't cast the Little People, I figured they'd be one person computer-generated into 6 or 7 (like the Oompa Loompas), only their clothes would be different colors...same style.
Tengo
"The second of the novel's point-of-view characters, he is an unpublished novelist who works as a math tutor at a prep school. His mother died when he was very young; his earliest memory is of his mother in bed with a man who was not Tengo's father. His father worked for NHK going door-to-door collecting the network's reception fee, and he used to make Tengo go with him every Sunday."
OK, ok...I know that Russell Wong is slightly too old to play Tengo (and, in real life would be cast as like Tamaru or something), but this is a fantasy cast and Russell Wong is just too dark, deep and handsome to have not crept into my conscious while reading this novel. Although Tengo has cauliflower ears (yes, that is the description of his ears), and Murakami goes out of his way to make him sound big, hulking and unattractive, I'm sure that he is quite attractive.
Aomame
"One of the three point-of-view characters of the novel, Aomame is a thirty-year-old woman working as part of an enigmatic organization for which she commits carefully selected murders. Her full name is Masami Aomame but she goes by her last name which means "green peas". As a child, she was a Jehovah's Witness and distributed religious materials with her family on weekends."
You already know how I feel about how she is portrayed. I just think Aomame is pretty kick-ass and what better way to invision her than with this most kick-ass actress.
Fuka-Eri
"A slight but striking 17-year-old high school student whose manuscript, Kūki Sanagi (空気さなぎ, Air Chrysalis), is entered in a literary contest. She is extremely reticent, with an unusual, abrupt way of speaking, and what seems to be an apathetic view of life. She also suffers from dyslexia and struggles in school. Her pen name is taken from her real name, Eriko Fukada."
Rika Izumi...and, no I don't know why I'm getting the Sailor Moon vibe.
The Dowager
"Her name is Shizue Ogata. She is a wealthy woman in her mid-70s. She lives in the "Willow House" in the Azabu neighborhood and has set up a safe house nearby for women who are victims of domestic violence. Meets Aomame through the sports club she attends, and she later on convinces her to take on the job of taking out targets, men who are guilty of heavy domestic abuse."
Dowager in my head...first time...OK, actually every time. Could someone please tell me how/why this character popped into my head???
The Dowager...second time. I think it's Kieu Chinh's high cheekbones that make me think dowager.
Tamaru
"A 40-year-old man who is the dowager's bodyguard. He is homosexual and he is actually a Korean immigrant who spent part of his young life in an orphanage. Has a fondness for dogs."
Every time there was a scene that involved Tamaru, all I could think about was the character Kimball Cho, in The Mentalist. I understand that Tim Kang is not as broad of shoulder as one might imagine Tamaru to be, but I didn't think Tom Cruise would work as Jack Reacher, either.
The Leader
"He is the founder of Sakigake, and he can hear the voices of the little people. He is also the father of Fuka-Eri, and his real name is Tamotsu Fukada. He acts as a prophet for Sakigake. He suffers from mysterious diseases, which cause him a great deal of pain and stiffness, which sometimes cause his body to become completely rigid and numb."
Um...look at that face. Leader. Master.
Komatsu
"A 45-year-old editor of a publishing company. He lives his daily life on his own schedule, seemingly oblivious to the rhythms of people around him, and often calls Tengo in the middle of the night. Although Komatsu enjoys a good professional reputation for his competence, he is not seen to be an amicable person. Little is known about his private life beyond rumors."
Sure, you're thinking of the amount of 'him' you get to see in The Hangover movies, but we all know he's more than that. As this character we get to see his other side, ruthless editor, who very quickly gets in way over his head.
Ushikawa
"A grotesquely ugly man hired by Sakigake to investigate Tengo and, later, Aomame. He becomes a point-of-view character in part three of the novel. He is tireless in his investigation, but he is not a member of Sakigake himself. He had a wife and two daughters earlier in his life, but he is now divorced and separated from them."
OK, in all truthfullness, I thought of Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's:
How PC is that??? Not at all...and, then I thought of this guy Victor Wong III...perfect as a strangely unattractive soon to be enduring character. This character reminds me of Helen Steeply in IJ...is he really what he seems?
Professor Ebisuno
"A man in his mid 60's who is Fuka-Eri's caretaker. Has an apartment in Shinanomachi. Used to work in Academia alongside Fuka-Eri's father before Mr. Fukada went with 30 of his students to start Sakigake."
Seems innocent enough and then 'bam'...he has his own agenda.
Ayumi
26 year-old police woman who's relationship with Aomami is perfect, as they both use drinking and men to let off steam and as diversions from horrible things that happened in their youths, and not-so-perfect because, well she's a police officer and Aomami is an assassin.
Li Gong looks like a sweet girl who could give Aomame a run for her money. She just so super cute that I can't image her ever having a bad day, but I can also see how she could show Ayumi's darker side.
