In light of the fact that DreamWorks Studios owns a license to create a live-action version of the anime for American and international release, what are your thoughts on Scarlett Johansson playing Motoko Kusanagi? Does it strike you as problematic that the studio is currently going ahead with having a white actress play a Japanese character?
What are your broader thoughts about the processes of so-called "race-bending" and/or "whitewashing" characters in adaptations of media? Consider the switcheroo audiences got in the live-action film The Last Airbender, for example. Or Johnny Depp's portrayal of Tonto in The Lone Ranger. Or what about approaches that take a hitherto white character and make them a Person of Color, like the possibility of having Idris Elba play James Bond, or Samuel L. Jackson's stint as Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (e.g. Iron Man, The Avengers, Captain America...).
An additional point might be given for tactfully and respectfully commenting upon a classmate's response. You guys can disagree, but let's be sure to keep it civil.