Hideo Kojima, the legendary game developer behind the Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding series, has long been regarded as an individual with a profound fascination with Western culture. Kojima’s love for Western films, music, and actors is often evident through his social media, and this preference has sparked conversations regarding the lack of Asian actors, particularly Japanese, in his games.
In a recent interview with IGN Japan, Kojima finally addressed this long-standing question. Kojima shared that there are concrete reasons behind his casting choices, especially in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
Hideo Kojima & Asian Talent
The first reason, he says, is language. Since the motion capture and voice recording for his games typically take place in Los Angeles, The creator tends to work with actors who are fluent in English at a native level. Unfortunately, finding Japanese actors who meet that criteria has proven to be a challenge.
This was part of the rationale behind casting Shioli Kutsuna, a Japanese-Australian actress who grew up in Australia and is fully fluent in English. Kojima also emphasised her talent and kindness as key reasons for her inclusion in the cast.
The second reason he gave is more unconventional. He noted that the skin of Asian stars tend to be so smooth and flawless that it becomes difficult to replicate in digital form without looking artificial. According to Kojima, such features can inadvertently make characters resemble CG renderings rather than realistic portrayals, which complicates his pursuit of photorealism.
However, he noted that advancements in technology are beginning to bridge that gap. He expressed enthusiasm about the possibilities this opens up, saying that he is now more interested than ever in working with Japanese actors and even developing a game set entirely in Japan; however, that idea remains in the conceptual phase for now.
Kojima is currently juggling multiple major projects. He is collaborating with Microsoft on the mysterious OD and with Sony on a new title codenamed Physint. His latest project, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is now available.
