On Tuesday, it was announced that Skydance Television's Sword Art Online live-action series has officially been sold to Netflix. We also have quites from series writer and executive producer Laeta Kalogridis, who confirms that "Kirito and Asuna will be played by Asian actors."
Kalogridis made a similar comment to the Philippine Daily Inquirer in January. "I recently sold “SAO” (Sword Art Online) to Netflix," she said, "and part of the agreement was that Kitty Cat Asuna would remain Asian." (Note: Kalogridis most likely said "Kirito and Asuna.")
Down below is Kalogridis' full comment to Collider, in response to a question about what she would like to see in a live-action English version of Sword Art Online:
Well, let's get the obvious bit out of the way, right away. SAO is an essentially Japanese property, in which Kirito and Asuna, who are the two leads, are Japanese. In the television show, Kirito and Asuna will be played by Asian actors. Whether or not that was the question underneath your question, it's not a conversation about whitewashing. When I sold it to Netflix, we were all on the same page. They are not interested in whitewashing it, and I am not interested in whitewashing it. In terms of the secondary characters, because the game is meant to be global, the way it's presented in the anime and in the light novels, there are secondary characters that clearly are from other parts of the world, like Klein and Agil. To me, it's very obvious when you watch it that you're meant to take that this game spans the globe, but Kirito and Asuna are very clearly located as kids from Japan, and Tokyo, if I'm not mistaken. That is what we will be doing because that is the story. They are, in my mind anyway, much like Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell, defined in part by being seminal characters in an Asian piece of art. That's the first and biggest thing.
Kalogridis signed on to write the script for the live-action Ghost in the Shell film in 2009, but did not write the final version for the film that debuted last year. She has also penned a script for the upcoming Alita: Battle Angel film.
Skydance announced the series adaptation of Reki Kawahara's Sword Art Online light novels in August 2016. Skydance Interactive is also planning a Sword Art Online virtual reality experience after the television series. Skydance Media CEO David Ellison said at the time of the announcement that the company is planning "a full-scale and wide-ranging set of live action franchise extensions across our business verticals."
What are your thoughts on the announcements? Do you think that it will do well as a Netflix series? What are your thoughts on the Asian lead actors? Let us know your answers and your thoughts down in the comments below!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the
Sword Art Online franchise, here is the official trailer of the series for your viewing pleasure!
Sword Art Online Synopsis: In the near future, a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online RPG called Sword Art Online has been released where players control their avatars with their bodies using a piece of technology called: Nerve Gear. One day, players discover they cannot log out, as the game creator is holding them captive unless they reach the 100th floor of the game's tower and defeat the final boss. Their struggle for survival starts now.