Life and death come and go
like marionettes dancing on a table.
Once their strings are cut,
they easily crumble.
 

“Economic recession… corporate downsizing… violent crime… We live in a cruel and frightening world. For some time now, I’ve been working in the animation industry—a sinful world unto itself—and frankly, have gotten tired of dealing with people in general. Sometimes, I imagine eliminating all human interaction and spending the rest of my life at home in Atami, relaxing and soaking in a hot spring. I feel old—every day, I have to force myself to go to work. It is this culture of fear and anxiety that I want to depict cinematically. This film is about the future of humanity, which I’m very much interested in.”

“There are no human beings in “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence.” The characters are all human-shaped dolls, i.e., robots. For some reason, people have always created robots in their own image. I wonder why? I don’t suppose that the human figure is the most practical shape for industrial robots. What is it about people that make them do such illogical things? I thought that exploring this question from the doll’s point of view would help me better understand human nature.”

“Batou, the main character of “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence,” is our guide throughout the film. While investigating a case involving malfunctioning androids that went berserk, Batou encounters various types of dolls: a broken android who has gone mute; a female robot who looks exactly like a human; a group of dolls burned in effigy by a mob of humans; and a man who willingly transforms himself into a corpse and flatters himself that he has transcended human limitations. Through this experience and a series of battles, Batou is wounded and further mechanizes his body—gradually becoming more and more like an inorganic doll. The dolls that Batou meets have their own outlook on humanity. Each doll, from their non-human point of view, examines such human traits as arrogance and deceitfulness. Batou and his partner Togusa (who is mostly human and thus representing the viewer) embark on a journey through hell that forces them to ponder the meaning of human existence. Batou’s function is to drive the narrative forward, leading the audience vicariously through Togusa.”

“This movie does not hold the view that the world revolves around the human race. Instead, it concludes that all forms of life—humans, animals, and robots—are equal. In this day and age when everything is uncertain, we should all think about what to value in life and how to coexist with others. We all need friends, family, and lovers. We can’t live alone. In the year 2032, when this movie takes place, robots and electronic beings have become necessary companions to people. Actually, that time has come already. What we need today is not some kind of anthropocentric humanism. Humanity has reached its limits. I believe that we must now broaden our horizons and philosophize about life from a larger perspective. With this film, I hope to reflect upon the uneasiness that pervades the world today. Under such conditions, what is the meaning of human existence?”
 

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