Ghost in the Shell Assignment

              Matt Jones

                  Ghost in the Shell (Mamoru Oshii, 1995) is a science fiction anime set in futuristic Japan.  The film centers on Section 9, a division of the Department of Home Affairs, and their attempts to locate a hacker referred to as “The Puppet Master”.  The protagonist is a female cyborg named Major Motoko Kusanagi.  The fact that she is a female in a primarily male operation lends itself to examination of the role of gender in the film as a thematic or stylistic choice. 

                The first scene in which we see Motoko has her waiting outside a building, perched up high observing her targets.  She is seen crouched down, listening discussing the assignment with her squad.   When the time comes for her to complete her mission she disrobes, revealing an enhanced female body, covered in a skin tight, flesh-colored body suit which prominently displays her large breasts.  She then dives off the roof as the angle changes, looking up with her breasts filling a majority of the screen.  The scene shifts to the interior of the building as heavily armed police rush down the hallway and barge in on a small room lined with screens displaying an image of an aquarium.  An exchange occurs between the man in the room, a foreign ambassador and the head of the police operation, regarding a hacker’s desire to seek asylum in a foreign land.  Motoko’s voice is heard as the screens are shot out, and the ambassador is violently gunned down.  The police representative rushes to the window to see Motoko, clad in her skin-tight, flesh-colored suit falling from the building, with a grin on her face.  Seconds later she activates a thermal camouflage device and blends in with the cityscape as she falls. 

                This scene showcases Motoko as being two things: A very skilled agent and a very attractive female.  She is not only the stone-cold operative who carries out the mission with excellence, but she also does it with a huge does of sex appeal.  While it is refreshing to have a female heroine in Science Fiction who does more than her male counterparts, the message is very clear.  Motoko is the definition of perfection: she is smart, efficient, and most of all attractive.  Therefore, in order to measure up, the female viewer must find themselves not only as a tough-as-nails operative, but also a model-esque woman with physical traits that are impossible barring surgical intervention.  This fact is also hammered home by the fact that Motoko is a cyborg, scientifically and technologically enhanced in every conceivable way.  Her two main partners from Section 9 are the cyborg Batou and the human Ishikawa.  These two provide a stark contrast to Motoko, while both are shown as incredibly adept at their jobs their physicality is not shown on the same level as Motoko.  Batou, a cyborg has modified eyes and these are the only part of him that is discernibly enhanced other than his hulking frame, which is covered at all times, unlike Motoko whose curves are shown off throughout the film.  Ishikawa is shown as a human and is exceptional at a section populated by Cyborgs, the implication being a male can come closer to achieving this perfection naturally, whereas a female must have all the help available to her.  Much like Batou, Ishikawa remains modestly clothed throughout the film, his body hidden behind loose-fitting clothing. 

                If Motoko is to be viewed as a feminine hero, then one must make the assumption that there is no real opportunity for this in the real world.  Technological innovation not possible was the only way in which Motoko was able to achieve this perfection.  And if she is to be viewed simply as eye-candy, then it is an insult to the character and women in the real world.  If you are beautiful, smart, and good at your job, you will still be viewed as something nice to look at, nothing more.  Therefore, I believe that the film offers a poor exhibition of the function of gender.