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Mamoru Oshii’sGhost in the Shellis an anime classic and one that caters to both anime enthusiasts and cinema lovers. Whether it’s the visual appeal or excelling as a pioneer of cyberpunk, the movie passes the test of time with flying colors. At the center of everything great aboutGhost in the Shell, there’s Motoko Kusanagi.
The voice actor who brought a great character like Motoko to life was Atsuko Tanaka. Motoko embodies perfection while being leagues ahead of the stereotypical representation of female anime characters. Even though she doesn’t have any flaws outright, her character is full of depth and she exhibits many admirable qualities.
For those who are familiar with the movie, it’s hard to not like her as a character. And that wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Tanaka’s contribution. As rewarding as it was to see her play the memorable character, acting her part as Motoko was equally gratifying for her. In an interview, Tanaka shared her experience duringGhost in the Shell, and it shows her dedication to the role.
Motoko Was a Completely New Experience For Atsuko Tanaka
Motoko Kusanagi is perfect in every way possible, and that’s why she can be a hard character to play. She almost never slips and maintains an air of poise as a leader. For Atsuko Tanaka, it was a completely new experience to play the character.In an interview, the voice actor shared what it was like to be Motoko. At the time the movie came out, there was no other character like her.
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She was somewhere between a human and an android, and her complex identity sparked doubts for the voice actor. To grasp the character in her entirety, the voice actor made sure that she discussed all her questions with the director. Eventually, she settled on an almost monotonous voice tone depending on the character’s age and personality.
There was one particular scene that Tanaka found the most difficult. The technology available at that time failed to bring out the exact sound that was required. For that reason, the voice actor went out of her way to deliver the ideal sound.
So, when I went inside the booth, there was a large plastic bucket sitting there. I ended up sticking my head in there and picking up the sound with a microphone. In addition to plastic buckets, they also brought in large ceramic jars.
Even after the plastic buckets and the jars, Tanaka experimented with different patterns. She was unsure which one was used in the movie, but she recalled this as a surreal experience that she had never had before. This incident shows how dedicated she was to doing justice to the character and safe to say, she succeeded!
Atsuko Tanaka Beyond Motoko Kusanagi
During her long career in the anime industry, Tanaka brought various anime characters to life with her acting. Some of those characters include Lisa Lisa fromJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Konan fromNaruto Shippuden, Hanami fromJujutsu Kaisen, and of course Motoko Kusanagi.
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These few roles are more than enough of a testament to the voice actor’s impressive range.Her demise earlier this yearwas undoubtedly a huge loss for the industry. However, it was our great pleasure as the audience to witness her immense talent and dedication to her craft.
Ghost in the Shellis available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Laveena Joshi
Anime Writer
Articles Published :926
Laveena is an anime content writer at FandomWire. Having written more than 800 articles, she’s an expert in mainstream shonen series, ranging from the bizarre world of JoJo’s to the expansive worldbuilding of One Piece.With her formal education in Journalism and Mass Communication, she explores entertainment journalism through the lens of anime and manga, from mainstream and classic titles to niche and obscure ones.
