To commemorate the screening of the 4K remastered versions of the animated feature films "Innocence" and "Ghost in the Shell" based on Masamune Shirow's popular manga "Ghost in the Shell," a talk event was held at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) on March 2nd, where director Mamoru Oshii, who worked on the film, and voice actor Akio Otsuka, who plays Batou, appeared on stage. "Innocence" was released in theaters in 2004 and celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. This is the first time that the 4K remastered version of the film will be screened in theaters. Director Oshii said, "Maybe he lost his memory because he felt like he was going to die. What was he doing for 20 years?" "The story is after Motoko leaves. Batou, who has become like a living corpse, reunites with Motoko. There is a code that serves as a signal for the reunion. It is set in two places." He began to share secrets that can only be revealed now that more than 20 years have passed.
"Ghost in the Shell" was released in 1995. When the project for "Innocence" was launched, "It wasn't me who started it. I was called by Ishikawa (President of Production IG, Ishikawa Mitsuhisa). It was a time when I wasn't doing anime. I was thinking of quitting because it was hard. He told me, 'If you don't come back (to anime), no one will want to work with you anymore.' I like making anime, and it's the right fit. There were three candidates, and this was one of them. If I were to do it, I wanted to do a sequel to 'Ghost in the Shell.' It's not over, and I want to see what happens to Motoko after that. Batou, who is left behind, is still dragging his feet. The story came together quickly. I wrote the script in about two weeks."
Director Oshii once said, "I was sick" when he was making "Innocence." "The hardest thing about animation is the pain of waiting. You wait for the pictures to come in. It took about two and a half years. You wait all the time. The voice actors are the same, like Akio-san and Atsuko-san, so you can imagine it. There are some parts that aren't the same. I want to check what has changed. I can't relax until I've checked. When the first line came in, I felt like it was connected. Even with the same character design and the same voice actor, you have to change it. It's both the hardship and the joy of making a sequel. I thought about what it would be like for a cyborg to change as she gets older. Motoko's original body is gone. What kind of feelings would Motoko, who is now just a ghost, have towards Batou? I kept thinking about it. I can say the line, 'You haven't changed, have you?' because she has changed."
"Innocence" is sometimes described as "difficult to understand." Director Oshii said, "Don't think too hard about it. I think the easiest way to watch it is to see it as a story about Batou and Motoko's reunion and the love between souls. It's a sad story. It's emotional, sentimental, and sentimental. I know the explanation is a bit stiff, but I don't mind if you overlook it."
When the film was released, there was a lot of talk about whether something was reflected in the eyes of the doll that appeared in the audition. Director Mamoru Oshii revealed, "Something was reflected. I don't think it was for even a fraction of a second."
Finally, he shared his thoughts, saying, "When I first finished it, I thought I couldn't do any better. Someone even told me that I was still young. I thought that even after 20 years, the special ideas and emotions wouldn't change. It's the sad part. It's an emotion that arises when you interact with dolls, dogs, or things that aren't human. I think I've still been dragging this on in my subsequent work. Films eventually dies. But this work still has some life left."
The story of "Ghost in the Shell" is that Motoko Kusanagi and other members of Public Security Section 9 (Ghost in the Shell) pursue a hacker known as the Puppet Master, who is on the international wanted list. The film has also gained popularity overseas, including reaching number one on the weekly Billboard video chart. A 4K remaster was released in September 2021. "Innocence" is a sequel set in 2032, three years after "Ghost in the Shell," and was the first Japanese anime to be selected for the competition category at the Cannes Film Festival.
