Why ScarJo as the Major? Because she basically already is the Major.

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

The thing about this is that it shouldn't even be an issue. Ethnicity of a cyborg is irrelevant. She's only Japanese in the original because the Japanese made the bloody thing. If Hollywood wants to make her white it's their business. It's not whitewashing when it's not about any historic character or when the ethnicity wasn't relevant in the first place. It's a made up issue by a bunch of nonentities on the internet who don't have the first clue what the fuck they're talking about.

 

[ilexuki]

the thing i'm concerned with, is ghost in the shell isn't purely an action anime. in fact most of the time spent in the shows are spent building characters and exploring different concepts of what it means to be human. most likely, the hollywood live action production is gonna be largely a action movie, with some thin and probably retarded plot (like the aeon flux movie). scarlett jo won't really make a difference since i doubt any of the writer understand or care about the source material.

 

[Nerexor]

It seems weird to protest the ethnicity of someone playing a part of someone in a prosthetic body. Technically Kusanagi doesn't really have an ethnicity unless you count "cyborg." Also, most of the cast of stand alone complex look more multinational than Japanese.

As for the "western look and eastern name" issue, they barely even say her name most of the time. She's just "the major." I could see this as an issue in other series, but given the philosophies and themes in GitS, getting hung up on the external appearance of Major Kusanagi Motoko is kind of missing the point.

 

[carnex]

I really don't care who plays major but I don't want Rinko acting the role. Only movie of hers I watched was Pacific rim and I found her acting appalling (but her character which was equally bad to say the least helped me lot to dislike her acting). If I would go for a Asian actress i would go for Eihi Shiina. Watched more movies with her, ahd at least the same acting skill. Looks much more imposing and threatening, and action B movie shlock is her kind of thing so, hell yea.

BTW, there are Asian looking characters in Ghost in the shell. But Section 9 team was purposely drawn NOT to look Asian. If I remember correctly, Makoto's body was modeled more after Caucasian type body because It's military hardware and being Caucasian has best psychological effect on the field on both opponents and friendlies.

As for nationalities I envisioned...

Makoto Kusanagi, The Major - none, she is a concept of humanity in my mind. Caucasian body.
Batou - USA/Canada?
Ishikawa - USS of R
Saito - East Asian, 100%
Paz - South east Asian of southern South American. Maybe even Spanish/Portugalian.
Bouma - stereotypical Japanese, so, Japanese, maybe Mongolian with withdrawn personality
Togusa - I think his official story is that he is half Japanese, half Caucasian, couldn't agree more

And that's How I would like to see them in the movie too. So, Scarlet is OK,

 

[lee1287]

i have a strong dislike for ScarJo, just because Under the skin was so damn bad. Same goes with Gosling and only god forgives. Anyway, sure she'll do OK in this, she likes action, action likes her. Win win.

 

[Mister K]

My problem with screen version of GitS isn't Johanson. I don't want it to exist because Holywood can't make smart blockbusters. A philosophical story about whether a person is still human or already machine, about slow and methodical investigations with effective finaly will be turned into action movie with (possibly) cebernetic T&A.