TOKYO?Being cast in a crucial role for Dragonball Evolution has certainly been a boon for the career of Eriko Tamura, a former idol who decided a decade ago to establish herself as a Hollywood actress.

With limited demand for Asian actors?especially nonnative English speakers such as Tamura?in Hollywood, the chance for a non-star like herself to be cast in the role of sexy villainess was a rare one, the actress explained.

"Action films are really popular in the United States, and the role of sexy villainess is one that any actress?not just an Asian?would love to fill," Tamura told The Daily Yomiuri during a promotional visit to Tokyo for the live-action Dragonball film.

In the film, Tamura plays the sexy Mai, who is on the trail of the lead character, Goku (Justin Chatwin), under orders from Lord Piccolo.

"Over the eight years that I've been in Hollywood, I have noticed that the types of roles Japanese actors get tend to be otaku or costume-heavy idols," said Tamura, who had a role in the popular US TV show Heroes as a love interest of Hiro (Masi Oka), himself an otaku. "That trend has definitely started to change, though."

The movie is based on the immensely popular Dragonball manga and anime series by Akira Toriyama. With the added title of 'Evolution', Toriyama is urging his fans to consider this film in a "different category" than the original series.

Director James Wong's Dragonball Evolution only follows the basic plot?Goku's search for the seven balls that will make his dreams come true?while the other details (characters, nationalities and setting) bear no resemblance.

Goku has been recast as a geeky American high-schooler trained by his Asian grandfather, while Goku's trainer Kamesennin is not the bald old lecherous man of the comics, but instead a handsome middle-aged man portrayed by Chow Yun Fat.

Although the drastic changes may confuse the series' fanbase, the whole concept of the casting, according to Tamura, was to be "international."

"When I heard Dragonball would be made into a movie, I, as a fan of the manga, was so excited and happy. At the same time, I thought the cast of an American version of the story wouldn't need to be populated by Japanese," she said.

But she later heard the film was being cast to reflect racial diversity, which spurred her to try out for a role. After worldwide auditions, Tamura was chosen to play the cold-hearted, sexy fighter.

"Mai was not originally planned as an Asian role, meaning the director was not looking particularly for an Asian. And that means a lot to me," Tamura said.

The remake for an "international" audience may meet resistance from some of the manga's fans, but for Tamura, the multiracial cast was an important factor in being seen as something other than just another "Asian actor." Ikuko Kitagawa, The Daily Yomiuri-ANN