Ghost in the Shell / Major Kusanagi / Mamoru Oshii

Major Motoko Kusanagi's character clearly challenges and in many ways surpasses her male counter-parts, in her physical and mental abilities.


It is perhaps her physical abilities that connects with a younger male audience, in much the same way that the character of "The Bride" (Uma Thurman) in "Kill Bill" (By Quentin Tarantino) hit a chord over a decade later.


It may just be that a womens physical and interlectual ability has become the "New Sexy", especially when it is melded with a dark seductive beauty as in the case of Major Kusanagi.


Detail from the original Australian cinema handbill / 1995.

It is both Shirow's character design and Oshii's screen vision that truelly brings this character to life.

*Shirow has gained great acclaim in the past for his female character and "Mecha" designs.

The storyline is both complex and intriguing. It deals with existential concerns relating to the nature of humanity.

Major Kusanagi is represented as still being human despite the fact that most of her body has been replaced by artificial components, (some of which remain the property of the government).

It is in fact her Ghost or soul which is the only truelly remaining remnant of her human form. Her existence draws a fine line between man and machine; it is "Man/Machine Interface" (Shirow).

Major Kusanagi from "Stand Alone Complex", 2002

Within the narrative the antagonist "The Puppet Master", has the ability to hack into the minds of other characters and rewrite their memories. It is these actions of the Puppet Master which form the basis of the storyline.

Shirow truelly challenges his audience to ponder on what the true nature of the human being is.

Fellow "Section 9" Cyborg, Bateau

An almost fully human member of "Section 9", Tosuga

Cel and Drawing of Major Kusanagi shown together.

This sequence was part of a section of the film which was re-filmed in the USA using computer techniques.

*All images are from Geoffrey Clifton's collection.