Paramount's big-budget Hollywood adaptation of Masamune Shirow's legendary manga series
Ghost in the Shell has attracted attention for a lot of reasons — and they're not all
good.
The manga has been adapted into several animated movies and TV shows since its 1989 debut,
and they've all deviated from the source material a bit.
But the Scarlett Johansson-led, live-action remake has earned the most attention.
Mostly because someone with the name 'Johansson' doesn't seem like quite the best fit for a
Japanese character.
With talk of Hollywood whitewashing abound, the verdict already seems to be in when it
comes to the leading lady.
But what about the other members of the Section 9 special ops team?
Here's how they should really look.
The Major
Major Motoko Kusanagi is a cyborg whose only organic parts are her brain and spine.
And when she first appeared in Shirow's drawings, she was a slightly immature gunslinger with
bright pink hair and purple eyes.
In the anime, she's given a pretty dour makeover, with black hair and blue-grey eyes.
And thanks to its critical success, the character had become most recognizable as an emotionless
killing machine.
This is the angle director Rupert Sanders and his team of writers have taken with the
live-action film, and it suits Scarlett Johansson well, since she's already portrayed similar
characters in multiple movies.
But, really, we all know what the problem is here.
Johansson addressed the issue of whitewashing in an interview with Marie Claire, explaining,
"[I would] never presume to play another race of a person.
Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing
a character that was offensive."
So, while there's no shortage of Japanese actresses with blockbuster experience who
could have taken the role, and Johansson isn't terrible to look at, it's just not true to
the source material.
Batou
Section 9's lead investigator Batou is the franchise's most prominent male character,
and that's never changed.
The same can't be said of his appearance, however.
He's had both a shaved head and a ponytail on occasion, though the short-tempered gearhead
is best known for his white crew cut.
Hollywood has opted to keep Batou short and trim just as he was in the 1995 anime, and
they've also kept one of the character's most defining features: Batou's cybernetic eyes.
These disc-like objects bulge comically when Batou loses his cool in the manga, which actor
Pilou Asbæk based his portrayal of the character on, rather than the anime.
The live-action version of Batou is a pretty solid match for the manga version, while anime
Batou is more of a towering jarhead, a man with a long face that gives nothing away.
Asbæk pulls off the hairstyle and manages not to look stupid with the cybernetic eyes,
though for a perfect score, he probably needed more time in the gym.
Aramaki
Lieutenant Colonel Daisuke Aramaki is the man pulling all the strings at Section 9,
having created the specialist cyber-crime unit himself.
In Shirow's manga he is often referred to as the "Old Ape" because, well, look at him.
Bald on top with crazy white hair everywhere else, he made a few strides up the evolutionary
ladder in the animated movies and TV shows that followed, though his hair and goatee
remained.
Takeshi Kitano, a legend of Japanese cinema, takes on the character in the Paramount remake,
adding some much-needed respectability to the project.
Despite being 70 years old, the Battle Royale star still carries himself like a younger
man, and for all his tenacity, youth is not something associated with Aramaki.
Kitano can make any role his own, but with a much rounder face, missing the signature
wispy beard, he doesn't much resemble the Aramaki fans have come to know.
Ishikawa
Chain-smoking tech wiz Ishikawa isn't the most prominent member of Section 9, but he's
served with both the Major and Batou.
The cyber warfare expert started out with a black bushy beard and an unkempt mess of
hair in the first manga volume, and he remained rough and ready in anime adaptations.
As the oldest field operative on the team, Ishikawa has always been characterized a being
a little haggard and less powerful than his allies, only joining a physical fight when
it's absolutely necessary.
Australian newcomer Lasarus Ratuere doesn't exactly fit the bill at first glance, mostly
because he's only recently hit his thirties and he looks to be in pretty decent shape.
For most roles, this would be a good thing, but it also puts him at odds with the traditional
scruffy image of Ishikawa, who looks every bit his age and is fond of cigars and whiskey
over fitness.
Togusa
As far as the manga is concerned, Section 9 operative Togusa is an emotional wreck who
struggles with self-esteem issues and insecurities about his ability to contribute to the cause.
This side of the character is less pronounced in anime adaptations, however.
There, Togusa comes across as far more accomplished and confident — both things he needs so
he can pull off that mullet.
While Togusa's hairstyle is the character's most recognizable feature, he's known for
going retro from head to toe, with a fashion sense that often gets him teased by his teammates.
The first thing you notice about Chin Han's Togusa is his severely toned down mullet.
The star addressed the issue of his character's iconic 'do in the run-up to Ghost in the Shell's
release, saying,
"There's very different kinds of mullet[s].
How big is the party in the back?
Rest assured, fans, we're going to have the mullet."
While the actor insisted the the "family man" side of Togusa would be respected, he isn't
much of a visual match.
Saito
As nothing but a supporting character in the manga series, Saito didn't even get an appearance
in the 1995 anime.
It wasn't until the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series that his character
became something more, as Section 9's sharpshooter.
Their version of Saito is a former mercenary who lost his left eye to The Major in battle
before later joining her at S9 and having it replaced with an enhanced one.
Saito's most distinguishing feature is his hawkeye, which links with satellites to allow
him unparalleled accuracy with his long-range weapon.
Paramount got it right when they decided to stick with his left-side eyepatch in their
remake, despite the English language manga showing otherwise.
That wasn't their only good decision regarding the character: Yutaka Izumihara's casting
ticks all the boxes, including the signature Saito scowl, making him as a close to a real-life
Saito as you could hope for.
Borma
Like Saito, Borma was a minor supporting character in Shirow's work who never made it into the
first anime, but he returned for the second season of the Stand Alone Complex anime series.
Unlike Saito, he's taken a huge detour from earlier depictions of the character for the
big screen adaptation.
Borma's main distinguishing feature is his big, bald head, and that's nowhere to be seen
in the live-action adaptation.
The studio opted instead for Tawanda Manyimo, and a completely different look altogether.
Though he isn't a short guy at six feet tall, Manyimo doesn't have the bulking Borma build,
and if you took away his red eyepieces, he'd be totally unrecognizable as the character.
Kuze
Hideo Kuze isn't the most famous antagonist from the Ghost in the Shell universe, as more
of an activist than a straight-up villain, walking the line between freedom fighter and
terrorist.
Not a manga original, Kuze came into play during the Stand Alone Complex series, though
the Kuze played by Michael Pitt won't be solely based on that character.
Director Rupert Sanders told Collider,
"Kuze borrows a few facets from different characters in the series.
[...] He's kind of our own creation."
Pitt's Kuze has a far more artificial look than the animated Kuze, but despite that,
the shape of his face matches up, as does the hairstyle.
Not bad...
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