If Isamu Dyson was a real person, who would you cast?

[eosmusashi]

I'm talking physically, not personality-wise. I'm making this project http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=43932 of a more realistic approach to the YF-19, and the next thing in queue is to create Isamu himself. So I want to find good references for his face to make a realistic looking one, not Anime-like. I'm not too worried about the body because he'll be wearing his pilot suit.

According to the Macross wiki, I need to find a fairly young (25 y/o, sorry Bryan Cranston!!) Japanese-European slim guy with angular features. I wouldn't worry about the hair because only God knows how the hell I'm going to do that in Blender.

Height

183 cm

Weight

69.7 kg

Hair Color

Brown

Eye Color

Brown

Age

24;Plus

Birth Date

March 27, 2015

Nationality

Japanese/European

I think the easiest thing is to find male models, not only because that guarantees plenty of shots from different angles to get a precise sculpture, but because they usually look like douchebags in photos and I want that smirky know-it-all attitude.

Some Japanese feature would be awesome since he's supposed to be of a mixed race. Any help would be thanked!!! We could run a thread on other proposals for the rest of the Macross saga if you want!! (Zero, SDF1, Macross II, 7, Frontier, Delta!)

To get the ball rolling, I found this guy on Google Images, Japanese athlete Koji Murofushi (right)

[fhrex]

Excellent first pick! He certainly has that smirk...

[eosmusashi]

Part of me wants to just find a caucasian smirky dude with the same facial features as the anime, and the other part keeps thinking anime characters usually don't portray Japanese features well (unless it's their point that they're Japanese) so the result might not look like Isamu, but it would be "correctly him". I'll keep searching. Feel free to post suggestions and if you find good candidates for other characters (based on their age and supposed ethnicity) feel free to!

[eosmusashi]

I began looking for models but it seems athletes are also a good pick. This is Genki Dean, who's also part Japanese, and who also smiles in that dreamy special way that makes you want to punch him in the face.

Ryu Shichinohe certainly has the hair

And my Japanese friends would kill me, but David Lee McInnis (half Korean, half German-Scottish) has got the face angles

[spanner]

Owen Wilson! LOL!

[eosmusashi]

We have two finalists! Lewis Tan, from British mother and Asian father, 29 y/o. Just look at that smirky face.

And Forrest Kiyoshi Hoffman, quite the handsome fella

I think Isamu should look less pretty and more like an Asian caricature of Maverick, but there are plenty of good photos of this last guy so that would make it super easy to sculpt. Currently leaning towards choosing Lewis Tan as the Isamu model.

[Dynaman]

A young Tom Cruise is the only one that comes to mind. I don't keep track of modern stars anymore...

[slide]

depends... are we casting for looks? or who can play a lovable egotist-prick?

[eosmusashi]

Pro tip: Google for Asian-European male models at home, in private, and not in your spare minutes while exporting shots where other animators can see you staring at pics of sexy almost naked male models and start asking questions. "I'm looking for references" apparently is no good enough of an answer, even in this industry

Leon D, half Japanese American model

Football player Sakai Gotoku

I think I'll run a shortlist now, otherwise this is never going to end (and Isamu is not too visible in the film as I'm planning it, but I thought I'd keep it realistic anyway)

depends... are we casting for looks? or who can play a lovable egotist-prick?

Looks only, this is for an animated shortfilm with a realistic looking Isamu, based on the character data (half Japanese, half European, 24 y/o, slim and with angled features), not on the Anime drawing. The dickhead attitude is just a bonus.

[Dynaman]

depends... are we casting for looks? or who can play a lovable egotist-prick?

First post said for looks, "The SMIRK" in particular.

EDIT - caps not meant to be an insult in any way.

Edited August 12, 2016 by Dynaman

[UN Spacy]

Waiting for A7.

His casting for Macross live action is the stuff made of legend.

[Aries Turner]

Remember the movie `Space Battleship Yamato`? What a disappointment. It felt more as filmed theater overacting and less as movie making. Maybe it is a cultural thing. If the entire cast are to be Japanese, I expect those to have not been raised in Japan. Besides, OP is right: they must be a product of racial pidgin. More so considering some are supposed to be partly Zentraedi. *EVEN* if they only speak Japanese.

[seti88]

Aww we all know who will play him!...and since isamu is supposed to be an old fart now...

His young self does look like isamu too, just scruff up the hair a lil!

It would be a real hoot see the face and the voice together!

Edited August 30, 2016 by seti88

[eosmusashi]

Agree on Bryan Cranston because he's awesome and he's the perfect match to our memories of Isamu speaking in English.

I would totally cast him to be Capt. Gloval with a fantastic moustache if there was ever a Macross movie, and I know for sure he'd be delighted since we all know how much he loves the series.

But in the meantime and for this project's intention, I'm sticking with the character description of Isamu being half Japanese/half European in race.

[arbit]

I don't know who could play Isamu, which is a credit to the creativity of the character designer.

Its a shame Masayuki hasn't done more character designs. His work on Plus was phenomenal.

Edited August 31, 2016 by arbit

[starla]

And my Japanese friends would kill me, but David Lee McInnis (half Korean, half German-Scottish) has got the face angles

HE IS HOT!!!!!!!!!!!! fangirl pick for isamu, for sure