Here's why I don't like the "Goku isn't really Asian" argument to the awful casting of Justin Chatwin (no offense, dude, but you're no Goku)
1) Goku is in many ways Japanese Superman. Just like Superman isn't really Caucasian, because he's Kryptonian and such, he was written for what was largely a predominantly white, American audience. He was supposed to look like his readers. Then it became he was supposed to look like a country boy from rural Kansas (84% white in 2010, even more so back in WWII era). Similarly, Goku to some sense was supposed to look like his readers/viewers (originally Asian kids). Both characters were drawn that way for decades. But if that's not good enough of a reason for me to be annoyed...
2) So the
DB: Evolution team tries to acknowledge its inherent Asian-ness by casting an Asian Chichi, an Asian Yamcha, an Asian Master Roshi, an Asian Grandpa, but... stupid Hollywood people said no, we will not cast an Asian Goku. Seriously, it almost makes the casting even worse than just casting white everybody, at least in the sense that it says yes, we can have peripheral or supporting Asian actors and characters in the movie, but hero has to be a white boy. Ditto my KoF example: Grandpa can be Asian, Chizuru can be Asian, Mai can be Asian (that was a bad casting job, BTW
), Iori Yagami can be Asian (also ridiculous casting as dude was pushing 40...), but they would not allow the main character to be played by anything but a white guy even though his grandpa is Japanese and his name is Kyo effin' Kusanagi. It screams "your people are not good enough, even to play your people, in a role of consequence." I guess they didn't yellowface, if you need to find a positive out of this...