Last time I was in Seattle, there was quite a few Asian people there. In a cast of 24 there is one light skinned black female, one very Euro looking Asian male, and one brown skinned male who plays a "Demon Soldier". Maybe this series should take place in future Sweden instead, though Sweden is currently more diverse than this cast.
But seriously, this is what youre going to get with any MTV production. Im actually surprised the visuals and CGI looks as good as it does, and overall the pilot episode I just watched was very decent. Better than I expected, despite the barbie/ken doll actors who are indeed all too pretty and look somewhat out of place (especially the blonde 'hero' guy, but at least the constant look on his modelesque face matches the dimwittedness of the character he plays).
Lmao I thought the same thing. I was not surprised when I found out it was produced by MTV. I was like oh now it all makes sense why the cast are all so glossy.
Pretty much all modern Fantasy is based on Lord of the Rings. Lord of the Rings was based on European folklore and Medieval European inspired settings. There were mostly white people back then. That is why.
This show SPECIFICALLY places itself in NW USA around the Washington state area. They show this in the intro and in other scenes. Thus what medieavel Europe looked like does not apply.
It places itself in the Four Lands hundreds (if not thousands) of years into a future that includes multiple races (and not in our traditional sense), demons, magic, etc.
I think trying to compare it to any modern day region is pretty pointless.
America isnt ready for a gay mexican chicken sandwich - Poultrygeist
Except you aren't paying attention to the argument that Fantasy is BASED on European folklore. That folklore was white. Therefore elves were white. This isn't that hard to comprehend.
Of course. Because people like to see others who look like themselves on screen when there has traditionally been a dearth of such people portrayed as lead characters on TV. And if you don't care about that, then because a more diverse cast = a more diverse, larger audience which positively impacts the ratings + financial bottom line.
But this is a fantasy universe. We have Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Demons, etc...does it really matter if the actors are white, black, or polka-dotted?
That's exactly why this a terrific opportunity for non-traditional casting that is more inclusive of other races and ethnicities, and not in a tokenistic way.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
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Of course. Because people like to see others who look like themselves on screen when there has traditionally been a dearth of such people portrayed as lead characters on TV.
You're absolutely right! I personally can't wait to see a fat lead character who beats the bad guy and gets the girl!
A man never truly knows what happiness is until he gets married... and by then it's too late. reply share
I wish other shows were as undiverse as this one. I have zero interest in seeing the token black, asian and gay/lesbian anywhere. I prefer attractive actors who can articulate when they speak.
this is honestly such a stupid bloody argument and i see it a lot in these types of discussions, that someone can't just have a genuine criticism of fantasy 'not enough diverse characters' so someone has to come in with WELL BACK IN THE DAY EVERYONE WAS WHITE SO. it's stupid! same with people discussing the role of women. i read a discussion about brienne from game of thrones and people throwing a hissy fit at that not being realistic for ''women in that time period'' WHAT FREAKIN TIME PERIOD? it's not HISTORICAL fiction! it's not set on EARTH! just silly. i see nothing wrong with someone wanting more diversity in their programmes. i prefer a diverse cast. not only in terms of ethnicity.
Lots of fantasy is based off old pulps like Conan which had a lot of diverse characters since he got around a lot. But they did a Conan series some years back that didn't showcase that at all. Sometimes they should just leave well enough alone...
Ugh? The Lord of the Rings takes place in middleearth, an entirely fictional world, complete with it's own set of gods that created everything. Shannara Chronicles takes places in a postapocalyptic version of our EARTH on the north american continent - you actually see rusting wrecks of helicopters, trains and stuff!
that's a completely ridiculous argument, this isn't high fantasy, this is pretty much urban fantasy set in america, so bringing out the dumb as heck lord of the rings medieval europe argument just doesn't fly.
No, he most certainly doesn't look more Maori than pakeha. Indeed, there haven't been any full-blooded Maori for about a century now. But if you look at natives of nearby Polynesian Islands, you'll see that Manu Bennett looks far more European than Polynesian.
Oh no, nothing of the sort. It's just that everyone's a racist piece of *beep* and no one wants to see dark skinned people cluttering up their TV screens.
Oh I'm sorry, was I the one that decided to insert the personal as political? That's really the only reason someone actually asks a question like this, and it's obnoxious. Of course, that's what the show is doing already, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
It's still a much safer, nicer place than many places in the US. Looks like it's working out just fine. I know people that live there and they love it.
Yeah, those Nordic countries sure has become hell on earth after all them furriners arrived. Funny how Norway, Denmark, Sweden etc still ranks in the top 5 places to live.
It's not like we've actually seen a whole host of humans so far. I think so far there's been, what, seven and a half humans, total? The one species we've seen the most of is elves.
A man never truly knows what happiness is until he gets married... and by then it's too late.