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The Witcher’s diverse cast is criticized in China
China has had trouble embracing a diverse cast in the past, after viewers slammed the new live-action remake of The Little Mermaid
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This article originally appeared on ABACUS
The Witcher franchise has a large following in China, largely because of CD Projekt Red’s famous video games, adapted from the stories of Polish novelist Andrzej Sapkowski. The new Netflix show based on the series has had a decent reception in the country. But others are struggling to see past the skin color of some characters.
“US show Witcher has inevitably gone overboard with political correctness,” a popular Chinese online commentary read.
The Witcher series is inspired by Slavic folklore, and many of the characters in the game are white. The Netflix series, released just ahead of Christmas, features actors of different ethnicities.
Three major characters, for instance, are all portrayed as white in the games: Yennefer of Vengerberg, Triss Merigold and Fringilla Vigo. In the Netflix series, all three are played by non-white actors.
One popular comment on Fringilla’s appearance showcases the racism from some viewers in China.
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