When Kojima was asked why there are so few Japanese actors in his latest game, the creator of Death Stranding 2 cited a surprising reason: skin. He says the “beautiful, soft skin” of Asian women and young people is so flawless it’s hard to authentically recreate in video games.
Hideo Kojima has refined his approach to game direction since the days of Metal Gear Solid, and with Death Stranding 2, released on June 26, he’s made a strong GOTY contender for 2024. Fans of Kojima Productions may have noticed that the Japanese director tends to cast more Western actors than fellow Japanese. Now Kojima himself has explained this decision.
The “Skin Problem” of Japanese Actors
Kojima cites two main reasons for the lack of Japanese actors in his projects. The first is the language barrier: Kojima insists on native English-speaking performers, as he emphasized in an interview with IGN Japan. “We recorded with other actors in a studio in Los Angeles, so it’s a problem if they don’t have a native English level.”
“I looked for someone who could speak both Japanese and English at a native level, but it was difficult.” At present, the only Japanese actress in Death Stranding 2 is Shioli Kutsuna, who plays Rainy. “Kutsuna grew up in Australia, speaks English, and when I met her, she seemed like a nice person, so we decided to work together.” While Kojima would like to feature more Japanese actors, he says another, unexpected challenge is their skin.
He explained that the “smooth, perfect” skin of young Japanese actors and actresses—common among Asian faces—often poses a problem for digital scans. This isn’t an issue for older actors or those with freckles, as it allows for more detail and texture in their models. “It’s difficult for Asians to resemble their real-life counterparts in the game. Women and young people in particular have beautiful, very smooth skin. Asians, not just Japanese, are known for their beautiful, smooth skin, so sometimes it ends up looking CG.”
“On the other hand, it’s easier to bring out the details in older people or people with a lot of freckles. I’ve tried using Japanese actors in the past, but it’s difficult to make them look identical to real life. However, this time I used new technology and I’m quite satisfied with the results—though of course, I’d like to improve even more next time.” Kojima also mentions he would like to create a Japan-set game in the future, which would naturally feature Japanese actors.
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