Actually, the Asian hero sometimes gets the girl…

…but you wouldn’t know it from Hollywood movies. Even in the “enlightened” future of the Star Trek universe, the portrayals haven’t been all too hot: while one can easily imagine Hikaru Sulu getting action, it’s more difficult to do the same with uber-wuss Harry Kim. I’ve eaten salads with more macho.

Tak Toyoshima, the writer and artist behind Secret Asian Man, summed it up pretty nicely:

If there is hope for the portrayal of Asians in Hollywood as something other than gooks or geeks, it’s in films like Better Luck Tomorrow. Check out the trailer and if you live in Accordion City, let me know if you want to catch it with me next week.

And as for the blogosphere, I think I’ve proven that Asian guys do get the girl…it’s just that sometimes, getting the girl isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. Anyhow, as a public service, here are some mackin’ photos of a certain accordion-playing Thrilla from Manila…