I read the entirety of the Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo before watching the Netflix adaptation of the first trilogy, Shadow and Bone. Was it accurate to the books? Not really… but I still loved it! The writers of the show relied heavily on fan opinions for casting and plot as well as working very closely with Bardugo throughout the writing and filming process. There were some writing decisions that irked me as a Grishaverse fan, but overall it was well written and an amazing show.
Shadow and Bone is set in a world where there are Grisha, people who can manipulate elements such as wind, atoms, fire, darkness, water, and more. With enemies to the north and south, the country of Ravka has a legion of Grisha known as the Second Army led by the Darkling, the only summoner of darkness and the most powerful Grisha. The Grisha are valued in Ravka, executed in Fjerda to the north, and dissected by the Shu Han in the south. The story follows Alina as she discovers her power and learns to navigate the Second Army and advance Ravka in the war.
Bardugo does an amazing job at representing the struggles of minorities in several different ways while also including minorities in her work. Netflix wanted to continue Bardugo’s racial inclusivity and discrimination parallels in the show adaptation.
The casting of the show was spot on. Canonically, it is unknown what Alina’s race is, but it would be logical if she was part Shu Han (Asian) because she is an orphan from the southern region of Ravka. The actress, Jessie Mei Li, matches the racial description being half white and half Chinese. Alina faces discrimination throughout the show for being part Shu Han, an appreciated representation of reality for the Asian community.
Inej, a girlboss spy for an upscale gang in Ketterdam, is Suli. The Suli are nomadic people of the eastern continent resembling South Asian people. The actress, Amita Suman, is Nepalese. Zoya, a powerful Grisha in the Second Army, is part Suli and played by Sujaya Dasgupta, a British-Indian actress.
Jesper, a sharpshooter in the same gang as Inej, is part Zemeni, the people from the western continent of Novyi Zem resembling African people. He is also part Kaelish, people from the Wandering Isles who are generally pale with red hair. The actor, Kit Young, is Scottish and Ugandan, an essentially perfect match for Jesper.
I only went over a few characters that were part of a racial minority, but Bardugo’s and the Netflix writers’ casting was significant to myself and other POC viewers. The portrayals of race and discrimination in the show were uncomfortable in a realistic way, acknowledging what POC endure on a daily basis. I appreciated the show for its book-accurate racial representation and minority depictions. Bardugo is definitely an author I love not only for her work, but her consideration for minority groups.
Shadow and Bone: 5 stars
POC representation: 5 stars
October 26, 2022 at 10:43 am
Wow! there seems to be a lot of minority representation. Not only of one race though that we typically see, but they did a good job of actually being very mindful of inclusivity. Thank you for sharing. I might have to check it out.