Hideo Kojima, the mind behind Death Stranding, recently opened up about why his games rarely feature many Japanese actors despite Kojima Productions being based in Tokyo. It turns out, there are a few practical hurdles behind this casting trend that might surprise you.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach just launched on PS5, continuing the trend of mostly Western actors like Norman Reedus and Elle Fanning. The exception? Shioli Kutsuna, a Japanese actor who plays Rainy. Kojima explained in an interview with IGN Japan that finding Japanese actors who can perform at a native-level English is challenging, as recordings often take place in Los Angeles. Kutsuna, who grew up in Australia, fit the bill perfectly.
“We record with other actors in a studio in Los Angeles, so it’s a bit of a problem if they don’t have native-level English skills,” Kojima said. “I searched for someone who could speak Japanese and also native-level English, but it was difficult. Kutsuna grew up in Australia, can speak English, and when I met her, I found her to be a nice person, so we decided to work together.”
There’s more to it than language, though. Kojima also shared that technical issues make it hard to scan Japanese actors realistically. “It’s difficult to make Asians look like their real-life counterparts,” he said. “Women and young people in particular have such beautiful, smooth skin. Asians, and not just Japanese people, are known for their beautiful, smooth skin, so it ends up looking like CG.” Yikes, right? He added that older actors or those with more freckles are easier to capture authentically on camera, which might explain the casting leanings.
He admitted trying to include more Japanese actors before but struggled to get their in-game likenesses just right. However, with new technology used in Death Stranding 2, Kojima feels the results are improved and hopes to do even better next time. He also expressed a desire to work more closely with Japanese talent and possibly set a future game in Japan—a rare move for him, as most of his titles take place abroad.
What do you think about Kojima’s casting approach? Should he push harder to include more Japanese actors, or is the balance he’s found okay? Let me know in the comments below!
