Director Kenji Kamiyama and Mafia Kajita talk about the "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C." series and their latest work!

In commemoration of the release of the Blu-ray box set "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. TRILOGY-BOX: STANDERD EDITION," which contains the complete trilogy of OVAs from the "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C." series, on March 27, 2020 (Friday), Kenji Kamiyama, director, and Mafia Kajita-san held an intimate conversation about the "Ghost in the Shell Kenji Kamiyama and Mafia Kajita talked about the "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C." series up to the latest work.

The Blu-ray box set "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. TRILOGY-BOX: STANDERD EDITION," which includes the complete OVA trilogy of the "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C." series, will be released on March 27 (Friday). In April, "Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045," the latest in the series, will be distributed exclusively worldwide on Netflix. It will be the first full 3DCG animation in the history of "Ghost in the Shell," and is co-produced by Production I.G and SOLA DIGITAL ARTS, and double directed by Kenji Kamiyama, who worked on the "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C." series, and Shinji Aramaki, who worked on the "APPLESEED" series. Production I.G and SOLA DIGITAL ARTS.
⇒" GHOST IN THE SHELL SAC_2045", the original cast includes Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka, and Koichi Yamadera! The latest trailer, story and distribution information has been released!

The director of both films, Kenji Kamiyama, and Mafia Kajita, a genuine "Ghost in the Shell" freak, had a talk this time. The interview is a dense conversation that includes information on the "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C." series and the latest "Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045," which is being discussed for the first time.

Official Interview] *Official interview

---Depicting people living happily in a dystopia

Kajita: Before "Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045" (hereafter "SAC_2045") began, I looked back at the "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C." (hereafter "S.A.C.") series and was astonished.
The series depicts political and social situations as motifs, but it is not old at all.
In other words, the face of society has hardly changed in the 20 years since "S.A.C." was first published.

Kamiyama: Moreover, the unfortunate parts have not changed, and the good parts have not increased much either.
Of course, technology itself has advanced, but the most important thing, "people," has not changed.
That is why one of the themes of the first phase of "S.A.C." was to rethink the late Showa period (1926-1989), when I was in my late teens and had an impressionable time. The LDP's 55-year regime had ended, and there was an atmosphere of "Let's make a new start! I depicted a time when people were talking about globalization, and all we had to do was look at the face of the U.S., while China was kept under wraps and not touched. Twenty years have passed since then, and the unthinkable has happened: the United Kingdom has left the European Union, but Japan has remained almost the same for 20 years.
Even back then, it was called the "lost decade," but now we are entering our 30th year after 20 lost years.

Kajita: China and the U.S. are now the two major powers. The second season of "S.A.C." ("S.A.C. 2nd GIG") was a work that foreshadowed that future. But now, in 2020, we are in such a dreamless world when we were supposed to be in the "Blade Runner" era.
I feel that this has affected the animated works as well. In fact, aren't we losing more and more dreams for works that depict the future like "Ghost in the Shell"?

Kamiyama: It is true that "depicting the future" used to be a genre in which anime excelled, but the creators are disappearing, and perhaps the viewers are not looking for it either.

Kajita: I feel that people are becoming more and more insensitive to stimuli. But in such difficult times,a new "Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045" is coming out! ......Won't you have a lot of trouble indrawing the new "Ghost in the Shell"?

Kamiyama: Yes, technology keeps catching up with us, butI don't think we will have another big bang like when theInternet appeared fora while. After all,good science fiction grows when there is a big bang intechnology, but since there is none, there are no dreams.
When science fiction is not good, fantasy gets a boost, but these days fantasyis not about enjoying thesetting, but only as an "escape from reality, which is too painful.

Kajita: It is a fantasy to be consumed.

Kamiyama: Yes. So when it came time to make "Ghost in the Shell," there certainly wasn't much to do. So I decided to have fun with it.
Ghost in the Shell" had been called "difficult" or "social" in the past, but I decided to start out a bit silly.

Kajita: I thought it would be fun to start with something a little silly! That was a bit unexpected. ......

Kamiyama: The main members of Public Security Section 9 are skilled and self-responsible people. I thought it would be appropriate in this day and age to start the story with them saying, "I don't care about social justice anymore, let's do something fun. So we start with the idea that everyone is living a playful life.
As long as they can exercise their skills to the fullest, they don't care where they are, whether it's in the rigid public safety department or anywhere else, so they can just have fun in the dystopia. They are the kind of people who would be happy if the world of "Mad Max" came to be.

Kajita: That's an interesting idea. I super admire it.

Kamiyama: From the trailer, you might get the impression that it doesn't look like "Ghost in the Shell. On the other hand, "Ghost in the Shell" is a tool for me to capture the "now" in my mind, so the theme of the new series is how the members of Public Security Section 9 feel when they see today's society.

Trailer for "Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045

---2045/Singularity and "Ghost

Kajita: Given the number "2045" in the title, does the 2045 problem (Singularity) form the core of the story?

Kamiyama: Yes, it is. But trends change so quickly that by the time this anime is distributed, the word "singularity" may have been forgotten.

Kajita: Director Kamiyama has a very bird's eye view of technology and society, but at the same time he has a romantic view of AI.

Kamiyama: Ghosts are the only fantasy in "Ghost in the Shell. Ghosts" are, in a sense, created by our subjectivity. A car that you take good care of has a ghost in it. When I think, "I was on the verge of an accident, but this (car) might have saved me now," it is just something that I think on my own. But when you think that way, the "ghost" is already present in the car.

Kajita: The moment a human becomes attached to an AI or robot, a "ghost" is present.

Kamiyama: Yes. I feel that technology is similar to that. New technology cannot be discovered unless we put our feelings into it. ......New technology has inevitably appeared as an enemy in many films, hasn't it? In Hollywood movies such as "The Terminator," new technology is the villain. In Japan, too, there is a well-established style in which there is justice in the return to nature, saying, "Science shouldn't develop any further.
But Mr. Masamune Shirow, the author of "Ghost in the Shell," said, "Science is not a villain; it exists as something with hope for the future. I still deeply sympathize with him. Since mankind inevitably cannot get rid of the technology it has acquired, itwas those words of Mr. Shirow that triggered the idea of...... using that technology to solve problems while coexisting with it.
I would like to keep this in mind as I continue to create "Ghost in the Shell.

Kajita: I also think that it is better for technology to develop rapidly, but on the other hand, we are being driven into an irreversible situation by the negative effects of too much development. For example, in the past, you could fix a car by just tinkering with it, but now it is computer-controlled, so you can't fix it even if you tinker.

Kamiyama: If the Internet services that form the basis of our lives were to suddenly stop, we would panic. In that sense, the human race is running headlong into a critical situation.

Kajita: In that sense, the "post-humans" in the recently announced "SAC_2045" storyline are not villains?

Kamiyama: I wanted to think about the problem that we often encounter: "The human race is judged to be the most harmful to the earth by the advanced AI, and is eliminated. This is where "post-human" comes in.

Kajita: The development of AI is also depicted in the "S.A.C." series. The Tachikomas voluntarily save the members of Public Security Section 9 and even develop a spirit of self-sacrifice. But the meeting scene of the Tachikomas at the dock, for example, is actually scary.
AIs are talking to each other more and more in the absence of human supervision, and the slightest chance could turn them into enemies of humanity.

Kamiyama: In the original manga, the AIs come to the conclusion that humans are troublesome when they dominate. We have to feed them three times a day, and if it's such a hassle, wouldn't they be happier if we were ruled instead of dominating them? It is a good example of AI (laughs).
(laugh) It is because of this sense of crisis that "SAC_2045" introduces "post-humans. By using "ghosts" as a fantasy, I think we can make it an interesting entertainment.

---The Romance and Reality of Humans

Kajita: What I like about the "S.A.C." series is that it depicts the spell that humans cannot escape because they are human. We can see the karma of human beings who are burdened with sadness and the emotions that they cannot escape. It is a kind of reassurance in "Ghost in the Shell," where science has progressed too far. After all, the "S.A.C." series has nothing ridiculous about it, and it portrays humanity in a very realistic way. However, as for the androids, I think it would be bad if they were in al human form.
I'm also starting to develop special feelings for the girls who are operators in Section 9 (a.k.a. "operators") (laughs).

Kamiyama: When you develop an attachment to them, it means that the operators are also inhabited by ghosts (laughs).
Well, if you imagine it realistically, a robot that looks like a garbage can with a hand growing out of it would probably be accepted more quickly. But when I talked with Dr. Masahiko Inami of the University of Tokyo and others who are studying the "uncanny valley," they are still pursuing something that looks just like a human being. It is romantic, isn't it? I think "Ghost in the Shell" resonates with people overseas who yearn for such things. I think that people overseas who like "Ghost in the Shell" accept religious views that they do not have as fantasy. It is similar to "Blade Runner," but I have the impression that they feel more mystical.

Kajita: Finally, what are the highlights of your new film?

Kamiyama: I have created an idea of what will happen in 2045 in line with reality, but I have also included fantasy elements for entertainment purposes. It is a new expression for the world, but at the same time, it is a future story that is an extension of the previous "Ghost in the Shell" series.
I would like you to check it out as soon as possible.

Product information
Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. TRILOGY-BOX:STANDARD EDITION

Release date: March 27, 2020 (Friday)

BCXA-1501 / 14,000 yen (excluding tax)
Released and distributed by: Namco Bandai Arts Inc.

Main DISC: 429 min + Special DISC: 187 min / BD50G x 4 discs
Main DISC: Dolby TrueHD (5.1ch)/AVC/BD50G x 3 discs/16:9<1080i High Definition>, some 16:9<1080p High Definition>/Japanese and English subtitles (ON/OFF available) Includes Japanese and English subtitles (can be switched on and off)
Special DISC: Dolby Digital (stereo, some 5.1ch) / AVC / BD50G x 1 disc / 16:9<1080i High Definition

Includes over 180 minutes of previously released BOX extras
<Bonus (Special DISC)
　Tachikoma Days
　Section 9 Science File EXTRA: Tachikoma Days 1
　Section 9 Science File EXTRA: Tachikoma Days 2
　Uchikomana Hibi
　The Laughing Man STAND ALONE COMPLEX ARCHIVE
　Individual Eleven S.A.C. 2nd GIG ARCHIVE
　Solid State Society Work World File
　ANIME+CAR DESIGN DESIGNING THE FUTURE CAR
　Making of TACHIKOMA ROBOT

A comprehensive look at the "Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C." series before the latest film

＜Contents of the film
　GHOST IN THE SHELL STAND ALONE COMPLEX The Laughing Man: The 1st TV series compilation OVA (160min / 2005)
　Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG Individual Eleven": OVA compilation of the second TV series (161 min. / 2005)
　GHOST IN THE SHELL STAND ALONE COMPLEX Solid State Society" : New feature-length OVA (108 min. / 2006)

＜Staff> "Ghost in the Shell: STAND ALONE COMPLEX Solid State Society
Original Story, Cooperation: Shirow Masamune / Planning: Ishikawa Mitsuhisa, Watanabe Shigeru / Director: Kamiyama Kenji / Character Design: Shimomura Hajime, Goto Takayuki, Nishio Tetsuya / Mechanical Design: Teraoka Kenji, Tsuneki Shinobu / Art Director: Takeda Yusuke, Tochi Kazuo / Art Setting: Kato Hiroshi, Watanabe Takashi / Color Setting: Katayama Yumiko / Special Effects: Murakami Masahiro, Kaibon Shigenobu / Editing: Junichi Uematsu / Director of Photography: Koji Tanaka / 3D Director: Makoto Endo / Sound Director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi / Music: Yoko Kanno / Production: Production I.G / Production: Ghost in the Shell Production Committee

<Cast> Motoko Kusanagi: Atsuko Tanaka / Daisuke Aramaki: Osamu Saka / Batou: Akio Otsuka / Togusa: Koichi Yamadera / Ishikawa: Hiroshi Nakano / Saito: Toru Okawa / Paz: Takashi Onozuka / Boma: Taro Yamaguchi / Tachikoma: Sakiko Tamagawa (now Sakiko Tamagawa)

*This product is an excerpted and reconstructed version of "Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. TRILOGY-BOX" (BCXA-0017) released in 2008, with special features and modified specifications.

(C) Shirow Masamune, Production I.G/Kodansha, Ghost in the Shell Production Committee

Production Information
The latest in the "Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045" series

The latest in the series, "Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045," will be distributed exclusively worldwide on Netflix in April 2020!

＜Main Staff
　Original story: "Ghost in the Shell" by Masamune Shirow (Kodansha KC Deluxe)
　Director：Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki
　Character Design：Ilya Kubushinobu
　Music: Nobuko Toda & Kazuma Jinnai
　Opening theme: millennium parade × ghost in the shell: SAC_2045 "Fly with me
　Production: Production I.G × SOLA DIGITAL ARTS

＜Main Cast
　Motoko Kusanagi: Atsuko Tanaka / Daisuke Aramaki: Osamu Saka / Batou: Akio Otsuka / Togusa: Koichi Yamadera
　Ishikawa: Yutaka Nakano / Saito: Toru Okawa / Pazu: Takashi Onozuka / Boma: Taro Yamaguchi
　Tachikoma: Sunako Tamagawa

Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. TRILOGY-BOX:STANDARD EDITION
(c) Shirow Masamune, Production I.G / Kodansha, Ghost in the Shell Production Committee

GHOST IN THE SHELL SAC_2045
(c) Masamune Shirow, Production I.G/Kodansha, Ghost in the Shell 2045 Production Committee