cyberpunk orientalism examples in media
The Matrix
Made by the Wachowskis in 1999, deals with the same Orientalist narratives prominent in cyberpunk media. The techno-orientalism in the Matrix have a more hidden presence than in other cyberpunk media.
The most present narrative in The Matrix would be the "machine society" which symbolizes east Asians. The metahor of a machine society as a model minority group of labor camp slaves and targets of xenophobia could be a reference to the Orient. Along with the meta[hors in the narrative, the visual references in The Matrix stem from East Asian culture. The Kung-fu style fight choreography, the streotypical East Asian characters and names, along with the references to Japanese anime and manga all contribute to the techno-orientalism in The Matrix.
Cyberpunk 2077
The setting of the video game Cyberpunk 2077 also references East Asian culture and popular cyberpunk media that embeds techno-orientalism. Cyberpunk 2077's setting, Night City, is an apparent reference to Blade Runner, which takes place in a techno-orientalist future where Asians have taken over Los Angeles.
The metaphors to Asian diaspora in Cyberpunk 2077 are through characters such as the "Tyger Claws" gang, which reference Asian crime groups such as the Triads and the Yakuza.
Ghost in the Shell
The original Ghost in the Shell was created in 1995 but then later was turned into an American film starring Scarlett Johansson.
The intertwining of techno-orientalism and cyberpunk is unique because Scarlet Johansson is a white woman who took the role of an Asian character. The costume design of Johansson's character intentionally makes Johansson look more like an "Asian" woman. From her hair, her slanted eyes, and robotic body, this film further feeds into cyberpunl's techno-orientalism.
Blade Runner
The film Blade Runner was released in 1982 and completely popularized the cyberpunk genre. The unfortunate tropes of techno-orientalism in cyberpunk are clearly prominent in the setting of Blade Runner. The film takes place in a futuristic dystopian version of Los Angeles. The megacorps of Los Angeles in Blade Runner future are all a mix of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. And the neon signs on buildings are in Japanese and reference East Asian culture once again.
After Yang
The film takes place in a speculative future with technological improvements and the integration of robots. The constant narrative that is prominent in cyberpunk, which is the antagonization of megacorporations, holds prominence in After Yang, where there is a fictional geopolitical conflict between China and the US.
One of the main characters is named Yang, a robot that a family adopted to help raise their adopted child. The stereotypical narrative of East Asians as robots is apparent in After Yang.
@karojief Instagram
This artist on Instagram brings a unique look to traditional cyberpunk colors. However, what has not changed is the similar themes of techno-orientalism. The themes of techno-orientalism are present through the Japanese text and the use of East Asian models as robots. Although the artists uses inclusive models of different ethnicities, the Japanese text reference techno-orientalist films such as The Matrix and Blade Runner.
