Wait — is David Anders TAKEZO KENSEI??? | Heroes: NBC TV Show/Series

June 20th, 2007

Wait — is David Anders TAKEZO KENSEI???

Yesterday afternoon I wrote a post (look slightly lower, you’ll see it) about how E! Online’s Kristin had been unofficially told by a source that former “Alias” castmember David Anders had been given the role of KANE, who is described as being a 1,000 year old Hero. Now, hours later, Kristin has modified the name “Kane” with KENSEI!!! She didn’t make any notations of the change, and I’m very sure I didn’t misquote her, since I did a simple copy/paste on the original article. Explanation: Kristin must have heard back from her source, and changed the name from Kane to Kensei.

So what does this mean?

Is David Anders in fact playing THE Takezo Kensei, the mythical Japanese warrior whose sword Hiro Nakamura was in search of throughout most of Season 1 (and eventually found)? Would David Anders in fact show up in the past, just in time to meet with Hiro as he lands in Feudal Japan? Is it then David Anders as Kensei who is riding that horse as seen in the last few minutes of the season 1 finale? (see video below)

So many questions, so little answers.

Here’s the final two minutes of the Season 1 finale in case you forgot:

Cast/Crew Updates . Cast: David Anders (as Kensei/Adam Monroe) . Heroes Season 2 Spoilers/News

Casey

I don't buy it.... That guy in the finale looks way to close to Hiro's dad for him not to be. I think maybe the new actor is going to play a bad guy in the past or something.

Kasper

I'm guessing Kensei is japanese and this guy looks nothing like a japanese.

Mathsorcerer

Oh, Sam....what have I told you about Kristin before?

Gothicdeunan

Why and HOW in the world could they land a non japanese, no wait!, non-ASIAN person into this role? There is no way he is playing Kensei.

Dubya

Ding Ding Ding! Give Casey a cookie. In the finale It is George Takei.
Quote: "I don’t buy it…. That guy in the finale looks way to close to Hiro’s dad for him not to be. I think maybe the new actor is going to play a bad guy in the past or something."

diekane

First Tom Cruise and now another White boy faking as a Samurai? What a steaming load of racist yellowfaced CRAP!

BOYCOTT THIS SHOW! BOYCOTT HOLLYWOOD!

Bones

Diekane, can you say "overreaction?" At least wait until some solid confirmation. This site has been wrong more times than it has been right. Take a chill pill, OK?

Kasper

*Gives DieKane a chill pill* Relax brother I'm sure David Anders is not an old man and from the looks of the picture of kensei, he looks pretty old under that helmet. But from the way you sound, its like your not even a fan of the show to begin with.

Quote: "BOYCOTT THIS SHOW! BOYCOTT HOLLYWOOD!"

emily

I agree with diekane that it would be very problematic for a white male to be playing a samurai, but I for one am going to wait and see what happens first. I really, really hope that he's *not* going to be playing Kensei; it's not clever and it's not new. But who knows, maybe it's just a rumor or maybe there'll be something more elaborate planned. Hmm.

EastAsianSensation

The Kensei in that preview of season 2 was a fake Kensei. Check out imdb.com and the first episode of season 2. One of the billed characters is "fake Kensei". David Anders is probably that puppet master and has some Japanese guy masquerading around as Kensei.

brrryce

Actually,
I was laid up one weekend and watched Heroes this summer. I'm not sure I want to continue to watch Season 2 because, racially, I've got to agree with diekane -- they're pretty bad. DJ's arc, out of all of those powers -- flying man, strong girl, power sponge, radioactive man, mind readers -- played out in about two minutes. I'm also a little tired of African American stereotypes -- the only jailbird of the power pack was a black man. Nevermind the nonsensical idea of having someone who can go immaterial shot not once, but twice?! And, I think they killed him off because they prefer to pair his white wife with another white guy - Nathan Petrelli. Then, to have a white guy as Hiro's hero -- yikes. It's like a snowstorm inside of a white sale inside of a glass of milk.

Patience

Everyone is criticizing what hasn't happened yet, or has happened now, it doesn't matter if it's been done before, but it needs to be done well.
brrryce, The African American is innocent, it was his wife that set him up. I think it hasn't jumped the shark yet, great story line, I like how they've gone back in time and they're trying to give us an origin to all this.
Great show, hope they pay the writers and the actors and they keep it consistent.

ShiJin

C´mon, slow down and drink a cup of good ol´ green tea.
Yes a Gaijin is playing the so-called Kensei. So what? It´s only a fictional character. I would be pissed if they wpuld let an outsider play Musashi or Ganryu.
And the rest with the racism-stereotypes is completly ridiculous.

Fox

Come on, people. I was surprised to that a white guy is playing Kensei. I was outraged for a few seconds and the following words came out of my mouth, "Damn you white people get everywhere!". And then that was it. It's still a darn good show and I think the actor who played Kensei did a very good job. It's just a tv show people. Lighten up!

bjamin128

HAHAHAHA..wow i really can't help but laugh now that we're 5 episodes into season 2..especially seeing as how we now have an ENTIRE black family from new orleans as some great characters in the show..and also with the whole kensei thing?? wowww that storyline is so great...bet all you "this is racism!"/"white guy as samurai!!!?" people feel stupid..

i really just have to applaud the writers and everyone else on the show...the season really lives up to the tag line "new season , new stories"..great new characters, great new stories..wow..I just laugh at how much people can say about what they don't know yet...were you guys wrongg :]

Katie(Mrs.Sylar)

umm sometimes a white guy playing a samurai is fine. He's actually a mercenary anyways...

Gaijin playing as Samurai Is R

Before everyone goes ballistic about racism issues, hasn't anyone ever realized that there could be a story arc here?

Maybe the plot is being laid out.... Hiro got the sword from Linderman (who has the ability to heal living things, including himself?)... got thrown into the past to meet his hero Takezo Kensei... who he finds is actually an Englishman.

So is it possible that the gaijin Takezo Kensei will eventually be... Mr. Linderman?

Think about it.

Grace

brrryce, get over it.
so the guy who went to jail was black! should white people be offended because claire has to go into hiding?? and is it dissing white women by portraying nikki as a brutal murderer? are all white males useless alcoholics like Kensei?
race isn't an issue. it only is when people like you make it into one.

Noah_Bennett

Actually folks, "brrryce" is somewhat correct.

The reason why D.L. was "killed" was due in fact to hate mail decrying the fact that a black man was with a "sexy" white woman.

Bigotry did have a part in this decision.

That's as far as I can go.

But take it from one who knows.

brrryce

My point is that that it's more than just a televion show. We watch years upon years of televison and it shapes us. I don't think it's a coincidence that the U.S. watches the most TV in the world and is the most violent nation -- without an on-the-ground war within its borders -- in the world. Shows like Heroes perpetuate stereotypes of black people as criminal. People like Grace think it's innocuous, but if EVERY white, blond woman on television was depicted as dumb as dirt, then you injure that group and I think that even she would have a problem with that portrayal. Look past the TV set, Grace and you'll see that recent national surveys show that many white people view black people as "violent." Then, you look at Heroes and you see an "innocent" black men being put in jail -- making him angry and... violent. TV has broken the blond stereotype; it's broken almost every woman stereotype you can imagine, but it is a "mainstream media" that still does poorly with black people. Why should I lighten up?

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