That sketch I drew as tribute to Pacific Rim the other day was pretty weak… so I deleted it. Here’s something much nicer, along with my thoughts on the movie from that previous post:

Much of what I liked (aside from all of the callouts to anime, godzilla, and the eye candy) about Pacific Rim was the way Mako Mori’s character was cast.

It’s pretty sad, but how often are women, especially asian women, ever portrayed as anything more than a sexual conquest in American movies? The sci-fi and fantasy genres are especially plagued by this chauvinistic pandering.

(There are a few minor spoilers ahead, so beware).

Mako is generally treated as an equal to the male Jaeger pilots throughout the movie, and the conflicts she faces are just as human and well-written (if not better) as those of the male lead, Raleigh.

The most provocative thing she ever wore was a tanktop and cargo pants, no different than the men in the movie. Instead of immediate sexual tension and impossibly rapid sexual advances between her and Raleigh, we are instead treated to a relationship that builds on respect for one another’s ability, and eventually, camaraderie. There are mild hints that Raleigh has begun to think about their future as a result of his developing companionship with Mako, but the focus remains on the crisis at hand.

Pacific Rim wasn’t anything profoundly deep as far it’s story went, but it’s writing and casting of Rinko Kikuchi as Mako was a shining example of how far we have come since… well, something like Michelle Yeoh’s role in “Tomorrow Never Dies”.

I hope J.J. Abrams is paying attention, because the Star Trek movies have a lot to learn from this example.