CHFA | Global Languages Senior Colloquium
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
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Major
Japanese Translation & Interpretation
Minor
Linguistics
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Roxane Riegler; Dr. Benjamin Post
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Emma Ward is a senior in the Japanese Translation & Interpretation program with a minor in linguistics. In her spare time, she likes to play video games or read books. She is also a big fan of horror fiction, like Stephen King. After graduation, she plans to continue her education at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio at their graduate program for translation. She hopes to one day do media translations for films or books.
From Cyberpunk Anime to Whitewashed Blockbuster: Mistranslations and Cultural Appropriation in Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Hollywood’s adaptation of Japanese media has long been a subject of controversy, particularly regarding cultural erasure, whitewashing, and the distortion of culture-specific themes. While research on Western misrepresentations of Asian cultures exists, fewer studies specifically analyze how Hollywood’s live-action adaptations of Japanese animated films alter cultural symbols, historical contexts, and character identities to cater to American audiences. This presentation critically examines the 2017 live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell and analyzes the ways in which Hollywood’s reinterpretation compromises the integrity of the source material. Through a review of academic scholarship on cultural appropriation, audience reception, and Japanese discourse on cultural influence, this study identifies key patterns in how Japanese media is reshaped for Western consumption. Additionally, it explores character transformations, omitted cultural elements, and translation choices in the film to illustrate the persistent challenges Hollywood faces in achieving cultural authenticity and accurate representation. The 2017 Ghost in the Shell perpetuates harmful stereotypes of Japanese culture through whitewashing, the imposition of Western themes, and the altering of culturally specific symbolism. The adaptation distorts the original anime’s nuanced commentary on identity, technology, and societal control, ultimately reinforcing Western dominance in media representation while marginalizing authentic Japanese narratives. By exploring these issues, this study highlights the broader implications of cultural erasure in Western cinema and the ethical concerns surrounding the adaptation of non-Western media for American audiences.
Spring Scholars Week 2025
Global Languages Senior Colloquium
From Cyberpunk Anime to Whitewashed Blockbuster: Mistranslations and Cultural Appropriation in Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Emma Ward is a senior in the Japanese Translation & Interpretation program with a minor in linguistics. In her spare time, she likes to play video games or read books. She is also a big fan of horror fiction, like Stephen King. After graduation, she plans to continue her education at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio at their graduate program for translation. She hopes to one day do media translations for films or books.
From Cyberpunk Anime to Whitewashed Blockbuster: Mistranslations and Cultural Appropriation in Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Hollywood’s adaptation of Japanese media has long been a subject of controversy, particularly regarding cultural erasure, whitewashing, and the distortion of culture-specific themes. While research on Western misrepresentations of Asian cultures exists, fewer studies specifically analyze how Hollywood’s live-action adaptations of Japanese animated films alter cultural symbols, historical contexts, and character identities to cater to American audiences. This presentation critically examines the 2017 live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell and analyzes the ways in which Hollywood’s reinterpretation compromises the integrity of the source material. Through a review of academic scholarship on cultural appropriation, audience reception, and Japanese discourse on cultural influence, this study identifies key patterns in how Japanese media is reshaped for Western consumption. Additionally, it explores character transformations, omitted cultural elements, and translation choices in the film to illustrate the persistent challenges Hollywood faces in achieving cultural authenticity and accurate representation. The 2017 Ghost in the Shell perpetuates harmful stereotypes of Japanese culture through whitewashing, the imposition of Western themes, and the altering of culturally specific symbolism. The adaptation distorts the original anime’s nuanced commentary on identity, technology, and societal control, ultimately reinforcing Western dominance in media representation while marginalizing authentic Japanese narratives. By exploring these issues, this study highlights the broader implications of cultural erasure in Western cinema and the ethical concerns surrounding the adaptation of non-Western media for American audiences.