Interview with Kenji Kamiyama, Director of the Movie “009 Re:Cyborg” [2/4]

Click here to read Part 1 of this interview.

In Ghost in the Shell, the characters adopt the prostheses and functions willingly, and even though those special functions might cause dilemmas, not all the characters are like Kusanagi Motoko. The idea that risk cannot be avoided just by sticking to variety is a philosophy flowing through the entire Ghost in the Shell series.

Kamiyama: Still, even in the world of Ghost in the Shell, the concept of an “individual” still remains, although it might be lost at some point. Therefore, self-searching is also one of the subjects in the series. In other words, personality and individuality still exist. But in Cyborg 009, individuality comes off a bit different. Think about it rationally, developing one-off internal weapons like they did with 004, there’s no way they would create such inefficient things. To specially build weapons into his fingers and make bullets that only fit his fingers, that’s just impossible. Humans are versatile to begin with, so it goes without saying that it would be better if everyone had efficient weapons. However, if everyone is too balanced, that can decrease the diversity, so why not put various personalities into a team. It is likely that Masamune Shirow also followed that trail of thought and as a result, he drew the main characters as a special force team that chooses the weapon most appropriate for each operation and handles it as a balanced team. I think the realistic settings thought at that stage are what became Ghost in the Shell.

On the other hand, the powers of the nine main characters of Cyborg 009 were bestowed upon them against their will, as karma or something like that. Yet in the end, they still have to use those abilities. They might think, “I don’t need this power,” or, “I wanted that power, too,” but not only do they have to make use of their karma, they have to combine their strengths and work as a team. You could say they are hero figures who have nowhere to run.

Kamiyama: But it is precisely because the nine of them join forces that they can accomplish things. I think the Shonen Jump series summarized this in the subject of “friendship,” and Ghost in the Shell depicted it with realism instead. Regarding the pioneer Cyborg 009, when I thought about how they would question the meaning of life if they were around, I came to the conclusion that being a multinational force holds more importance than the individuality of nine simple people. So, I thought that they wouldn’t join so easily; that’s why at the start of 009 Re:Cyborg, everyone is back in their own country - the team is scattered. And Jet, who returned to the U.S., became affiliated with the American intelligence agency NSA instead of the world police. Even though he has good intentions, it is a situation where the U.S. is perceived as an evil empire by other countries.

That is an exact microcosm of the present time.

Kamiyama: On the other hand, the Japanese Shimamura Joe continues to live out his moratorium, abiding by the defense-only policy and doing nothing. This antagonism creates hostility between Joe and Jet, and there is one more scene where they face each other in the standpoints of a Japanese and an American. The story starts in such circumstances, and in relation to the new international community, they act as a minimal peacekeeping force. In this aspect, this is a story no one has drawn before. Besides renewing their own unique abilities, this is what I thought was most important in the sense of resetting Cyborg 009, bringing back a title that was thought to be the legacy of the old times. Until the 1990s, heroes in entertainment were basically standing in a center-left position. The nations were still solid and they had great influence, that’s why some countries could turn into a great evil. But that has passed in the 2000s. Today we live in an era when individuals have gained freedom and have the most influence in human history. In such a time, they aren’t simply tied by friendship, but by a remaining indivisibility and reserve... That is the meaning for 009 Re:Cyborg existing in this era. This work was a challenge to depict that. To what extent can you show that in one movie is another question, but Cyborg 009 has the potential, and if I have the chance, I would like to follow it through with a movie sequel or an anime series, if possible.

That is the reason for the “Re” part in 009 Re:Cyborg.

To Part 3

© 2012 009 Re:Cyborg Production Committee

This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.