First released nearly 30 years ago, the first Ghost in the Shell film is an animated classic that continues to be influential and beloved by many to this day. Now, the film has been given a posthumous release to honor the work of a late actor.
Scheduled to air for a week via Oricon, the screening is a tribute to Atsuko Tanaka, who recently passed away. Based on an enhanced version of the film, it will be available for fans to pay their final respects and enjoy the iconic film together. Although the event has only been held in Japan so far, Tanaka's legacy as a character and voice will surely live on around the world.
The first Ghost in the Shell returns to theaters to honor Major Motoko Kusanagi's voice actress
Starting September 6, Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell will be screened at White Cinema Quinto in Shibuya for a week to honor Atusko Tanaka, the voice actress who played Major Motoko Kusanagi in the Japanese dub of the film and all Ghost in the Shell anime adaptations. Her most recent role in the series was in the second season of Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, which is set in the same story arc as the beloved animated TV series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Screenings of the classic film will feature a 4K restoration set for release in 2021, with tickets priced at 1,500 yen (a little over $10 USD).
In addition to her role as the Major, Tanaka has had a number of other voice roles. These include Lisa Lisa in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Flamme in Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and Omurasaki no Omae in the recent Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master anime. However, Major Motoko Kusanagi may still be Tanaka's most beloved and notable role, with the Ghost in the Shell series as a whole being one of the most iconic anime works of all time. The film version was a milestone in both the cyberpunk genre and in bringing anime into the mainstream, with it and films like Ninja Scroll showing the potential of adult animation. A brand new anime adaptation of Ghost in the Shell is also currently in the works, with the aim of it being more accurate to the Masamune Shirow manga.
Source: Oricon
