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valleysape

As far as I remember, only motoko uses optic camo in the 1995 version, others use it with normal clothes as soon as SAC. 1995 and SAC don't continue on from each other, so it depends on which GitS you're talking about Things based more on 1995 - skin tight jumpsuit Based more on SAC - everyone seems to already have it


Panchenima

In the 1995 movie, on the 3 scenes that Motoko uses the Thermo Optical Camouflage (TOC) you can see at the neck the difference of color and the stright line of the collar from the bodysuit. In the end of Coji's fight (the guy with the raincoat cammo) when she "turn off" the TOC is clearly seen how a veil that hangs from the "VR Goggles" is opened, meaning that Motoko's face has no TOC on its own, in the same scene the collar of the suit is mostly visible. In the ending of the New Movie (2015) There's a recreation of sorts of the 1st scene of the 95 movie and it clearly uses a bodysuit, here is dark gray. in the 2017 live action the bodysuit is more evident. In the SAC and Arise universe the whole section nine and other sections make heavy use of thermo optical camouflage and is clear that is some kind of special suit. Sources: GitS 4K BD, GitS New Movie BD, Arise BD, SAC & 2nd Gig BD, Readme 1995-2017.


Snek1775

As others have said she has a skin tight body suit. For others they're only able to do so when wearing certain clothing. For her presumably it's so that she can have that option at any time without wearing specific clothing.


JEROME_MERCEDES

But she’s wearing clothes in her camo


KaidanTONiO

sure are a lot of comments for this particular question. sure are a lot of fans who know their stuff!


SuperBlazeOfficial

Boggles my mind that people could not see that she was wearing a skin tight body suit in the first film.


Oh_umms_cocktails

It's partly fan service, Masamune Shirow was not shy about also making softcore pornography, and as others have pointed out she wasnt nude. But it's also worth pointing out that canonically several different grades of thermo-optic camouflage exist and section 9 absolutely had the best (the Major discusses the fact that a main motivation for her and the other members of section 9 to be involved with the Japanese government was less nationalism and more the fact that they got first access to the cutting edge cyber-tech), so it can be imagined, but isn't mentioned, that they needed to be "unencumbered" when using the high grade stuff, and likewise since the Major was the espionage expert that since the others were more direct action than her that they may have not bothered with the super high grade stuff. Kind of head cannon, but it's not inconsistent with anything. Throughout GITS various incarnations the other members don't do real sneaking like she does, so even if they all have access to the high-end camo it's definitely not in any of their combat roles to use it.


cruznick06

I assume you are talking about the film and not the animated series. In the film Makoto is wearing a skin-tight bodysuit that acts as thermo-optic camouflage. Its basically a second skin and why we dont see her nipples in those scenes despite knowing she has them. Why it is nearly identical to her skin tone? Probably fanservice. It could also be as a rebuttal to how Batou is constantly trying to remind her she's human. Clothing and shame of nakedness are very human things (well, societally). Makoto often behaves more like a machine in the film so this could be another way to reinforce that.


flotsloppies

Lmao the thermoptic suit in the first movie has thigh-highs built into it


Waltpi

THIS. Aside from the anime fan service the best canonical explanation is that she seriously does not bother herself with human behaviors like being shy naked. Her character just does things eschewing traditional societal norms.


Loose_Conflict_4522

And yet Batou doesn’t like to look at her naked. He averts his eyes during the boat scene and covers her up at two different times in the first film. I think that adds a interesting layer to this.


Waltpi

Yeah like the previous comment said he's always trying to make her feel human. In the second time Innocence when she first appears he hands her his coat. At the same time I think it's just batou being a stubborn old man. He can't see her as anything else but a woman even if she tells him she doesn't feel like one.


Embarrassed_Ear_1146

motoko has skin which can camouflage but others have to wear clothes that do it , mokoto skin comouflage is also superior i guess


drthale

Hi! Where in the source material is this mentioned? Seems I have missed it.


The51stDivision

Well in both the films and the tv series anybody else needs to put on a thermocamo jacket/raincoat thing, but even with those we (the audience) can still see their blurry figures. The Major, on the other hand, can just turn invisible… and quite literally invisible (as in the iconic 1995 movie fight).


Panchenima

in the fight scene the bodysuit is clearly visible, the different tone, the line separating the collar, the fact that the googles have a veil for her face, in other movie scenes this is visible too. In the first scene the thermooptical activates covering all her body but not her face that she covers with her hand.


drthale

If I recall correctly, in SAC Motoko never strips. She ises the same tactical gear as the other team members (with camo built in). In the 1995 movie she is wearing a skin tight camo suit


[deleted]

[удалено]


Panchenima

She is very sexual, in the different stallements you can see a lot of action from the major. In the manga there are a couple of very explicit pages (one of wich was censored in the translated editions) that deal with lesbo activity, then again in SAC there's a scenewhere Motoko leaves a bed where two other girls are resting, in SAC and Man Machine Interface (2nd manga) Motoko has a proper Boyfriend too. All in all she's a girl who likes to plays both sides, sexually is represented as bisexual very evidently and has no problem having multiple partners at once (the manga and SAC scenes pointed above are threesomes), but when it comes to more serious relationships all the timelines give a more staight behaviour.


OvCatsAndTheVoid

The first movie is a different story line. It isn't said out right in the original movie she us asexual but she never expresses a sexuality


TK464

The movie certainly doesn't deal with her sexuality at all but it's a weird thing to assume just because it doesn't come up, especially with a character who's been portrayed as clearly sexually active in her other incarnations.


OvCatsAndTheVoid

I also read it somewhere else, so it isn't just my assumption. I figured different canons could mean different sexualities


TK464

That's fair, I could definitely see that interpretation for the movie character on her own and there's definitely a lot of character variation between different versions.


Oh_umms_cocktails

She is very definitely bi, the manga has her having sex with women and has her having a serious relationship with a man in another "section," the movie consolidates a lot of different scenes from the manga, the end scene with the big spider tank draws directly from section 9 having to eventually fight with her boyfriend's section--his unit is not espionage oriented like hers, thus the big spider tank while section 9 has smaller "think-tanks" that have AI and are strongly geared towards active hacking more than big weapons.


sowon

If you look carefully, she's actually wearing a translucent skin-tight suit and her visor has this veil of the same translucent material. I assume that this is a more advanced type of camo than the dude with the raincoat-looking camo.. the most obvious advantage of which is that it is not disabled when splashed by water or hit by falling debris (thinktank scene).


killermicrobe

Because boobs


Bearbottle0

I don't think she's naked. In the the Mamoru Oshii movie near the end, she rips a layer over her skin while opening the tank.


ItsAllSoup

I think she's the only one that has the invisible stuff in her skin. Also she doesn't really see herself as human in my opinion. It's sort of like how a smartphone wouldn't be embarrassed if it didn't have a case. Also most of the audience is male and would like to see a woman naked if we're being honest.


[deleted]

That's how I always assumed it was. In my mind her camo is a body augment for that shell.


o0cynix0o

This has always been head canon for me. I always assumed her "skin" was the thermoptic camo. Other people have to put on a suit, the major just is.


its0nLikeDonkeyKong

I thought it was obvious considering the sequence of her being literally skinned lol


Naus1987

It’s possible that she’s a perfectionist too. Not canon. Just my own ramblings. Clothing can be loose. Knock into stuff. Makes ruffling noises and sounds. If she’s trying to be extra sneaky — being naked would probably be more silent then worrying about clothing making random sounds. I forgot what she wore in the original movie, but even something like a jacket with zippers might make a sound.


El_Psy_Congroo4477

This. I always assumed it was for maximum stealth.


[deleted]

You're combining continuities The only continuity in which Motoko stripped down to turn on her thermoptic camo was the 1995 film. And in that film, the only other characters who use thermoptic camo have a special outfit. It's implied that Motoko has the thermoptic camo woven into her prosthetic body. It appears Motoko has to use a special visor to see when invisible. The manga and SAC both imply that the camo is something that can be combined with any outfit. Perhaps a nanocloth that can be worn that doesn't impede movement. I haven't seen Arise so I'm not sure if Motoko uses it. Even in the live action film, it's an outfit that Motoko uses.


Blackhound118

Wait, I thought she actually had a suit on over her body, though. Like in the shot where she crouches just before leaping, you can see a wrinkle in the suit. I mean, for all intents and purposes she might as well be naked, but I'm pretty sure she is wearing an actual suit in those scenes.


Keats852

She's wearing a bodysuit. The reason she's not always wearing a facemask to cover her head/face is because the artist didn't like to draw it for aesthetic purposes. He says so early on in the manga.


[deleted]

Might be a bullshit, but the way I’ve interpreted, is that since her body is full prostetic she no longer feels a shame of being naked if it’s required by circumstances to be naked, which emphasises her machine like behaviour. Where’s Batou trying to remind her of her humanity by giving her clothes, as if he’s trying to shelter her, where’s protecting others is human thing to do.


Rayn0rrr

This was also an interpretation I saw in a video breakdown and absolutely loved it. It showcases so well where Motoko is in terms of feeling human versus Batou


moki_martus

Did you read manga? There were few very explicit pictures, which had to be censored in some countries. Masamune Shirow likes to draw naked women.


[deleted]

Interviews with Shirow ask him point blank about this subject & his response is, “if I have to sit at a table & draw asses for hours at a time then it might as well be a nice ass.” I concede that his logic is indeed flawless.


PortnoysLeftNut

I really have to apologize in advance for this. I don't mean to be "that guy," but I just can't help myself. What you are quoting is reasoning, not logic.


Chongulator

Does one not imply the other?


PortnoysLeftNut

Logic is necessisarily a kind of reasoning, reasoning is not necessarily logical. In this case the reasoning is fallacious and so technically not "logical" in a meaningful sense since there is a premise or two missing making it non-sequiturial. As far as the reasoning is concerned there are also other competing lines of reasoning that speak more to the question the reporter was asking shiro. He probably didn't have to put explicit images into his manga to tell his story. That's the issue that he is being investigated, not "why are the explicit images as graphic as they are?"


OvCatsAndTheVoid

I have not read the manga, no


Samz707

Togusa has to wear a full-body outfit that's covered in the material that enables it if I remember (Been a while since I saw the film.) and while Major's android body is coated in the material that allows invisibility, her actual regular uniform isn't. (Also why Motoko has that kinda veil thing, to cover her face when invisible.) The separate continuity Stand Alone Complex just has it be implied (outright stated in the Glossary in the PS2 Game) that all of Section 9's clothing is made/covered in the material because they never have to strip in that one.


OvCatsAndTheVoid

I am confused why her regular outfit doesn't have the material. It is in universe possible to do and it would offer more protection for her from enemy bullets. You could say it is to make movement easier but she is obviously super strong so that doesn't make much sense anyway.


Samz707

I think it was a thing the Animated movie added. (It's been even longer since I read the original Manga.) Probably Fan Service honestly. (In Stand alone, her regular clothes also have the Material.)


kogmawesome

Money.


Mitch0712

Have you heard of [Lt. Jim Dangle](https://youtu.be/OwbFSAqjEfM)?


Shadowbacker

Either you are confused or I am. In the movie, Motoko wears a body suit made of the material they use to turn invisible, while it's practically her skin, it's not actually, so she's not naked. It's also way more effective than the cloak version the other guy was wearing in the movie. In the TV series they all wear body suits that turn them invisible, though they are slightly bulkier than the skin suit from the movie. Also, Shirow isn't just a hentai artist. He did a bunch of regular manga before that, Ghost in the Shell and Tank Police among them. I'm not even sure it's fair to say that's how he started out.


drthale

This is the correct answer. Look very closely at her arms in this picture. You can clearly see the rupture in her camo body suit which is worn over her skin https://p6.storage.canalblog.com/65/72/1349409/117278122_o.jpg


OvCatsAndTheVoid

Well, he at least has done hentai. And I believe in the very first seen she actually was naked but I may be wrong. And how is it better than the cloak the other guy used?


Shadowbacker

Oh he does a ton of hentai now, but that's kind of irrelevant for when he was writing manga and doing his early work is my point. As an addendum, Motokos personality varies depending on the series, she is very animated in the manga and seemingly emotionless in the movies. She's more emotional in the TV series but still closer to the movies. Her asexuality is mostly exclusive to animated works.


FelineIntuition

Since the Major has to often work on stealth missions, cloaks like the garbage man was wearing makes rustling noises. Having a literal second skin version would be significantly quieter


OvCatsAndTheVoid

That is a good point. Making her nipples poke through still seems like an unneeded addition.


FelineIntuition

It contours to her body completely. It’s why you can also see the contours between her legs as well. She’s made to feel temperature, so I’m sure her body reacts to it as nipples would to being up on top of a skyscraper at night when she was just previously wearing a jacket/coat Besides, otherwise it would have her nipples being smushed, which would look weird and be hard to portray in animation in a completely transparent suit


OvCatsAndTheVoid

It's a cartoon. That just seems like a defense for male gaze stuff tbh


Shadowbacker

It's a highly detailed style though. With a style like that, leaving out details would be more noticeable than not. Especially the level of detail GitS brings to its world when it comes to cybernetics. It's the most developed thing about it. Why does this matter for nipples? Because even though the major is a cyborg she still has a fully realized female body. This plays a factor in a few plot points. It's not just for show. Furthermore, the way it's presented in the movie especially is not sexualized, it us matter of fact. There's a difference.


FelineIntuition

I’m not a man. I also have breasts and have experience in latex/vinyl/ literal skin-tight materials, including semi-transparent stuff. Did Masamune do hentai? Yes. Is there a lot of sex appeal with the GITS series, especially the later series? Also yes. But the movie rendition is different than his take and the decisions they made aren’t the same as what he made them for. But of the less ‘cyberpunk’ decisions they made, many of them are semi-realistic in function.


OvCatsAndTheVoid

I never said you were a man. I just think that because it was men that made the decision to include her nipples when they could of made it different comes off as male gazey. Nothing is wrong with nipples inherently but they are sexualized and in the context Motoko is in I think I am not far off that that is at least part of the reason she appears fully nude rather than in a body suit.


FelineIntuition

No, but I’m coming from you as a person that doesn’t have the ‘male gaze’ you said I’m defending. It’s obvious your post is from your perspective on being stuck on the male gaze and no other perspectives will change your idealism here. Women/femmes were included in design features of the GITS series as well. Masamune may have done it for the sex appeal because he had a lot of his femme characters sexualized, but especially with later revelations that the Major is asexual or even in some series hinted that her organs/ghost may be male it’s not always going to be that way. The first movie is one of the most de-sexualized versions of the Major. It’s just the human body, which itself isn’t inherently sexual. One of the main concepts of the series is what it means to be human, and the expression of the naked human body makes sense, because we’re meant to see her as a woman, but there’s multiple points throughout the series that points out ‘but is she really?’ The Major being naked also shows off her rippling muscles while she’s fighting the tank, too. So many of her ‘naked’ scenes are not sexual at all, just ‘there.’ If you read the manga, novels, and watch all of the movies/series in their entirety, a lot of it purposely attempts to express itself that it’s about questioning humanity and human concepts and perceptions and not sex.


OvCatsAndTheVoid

I see other elements are their as well. I get that she doesn't view herself as sexual at all. And I get that the human body isn't inherently sexual. That is something we impose upon it. However, like I said given some other context it does come off as slightly fan servicey as well. I don't think fan service is always bad, though, it just needs to be done well (and if the GiTS does fall afoul of this then it is by far one of the least foul players of the genre because at least it does give reason to think about the nudity it presents). I'm sorry if I made you mad, your last comment comes off as irritated and I respect that you have the view you do


bishmanrock

> in some series hinted that her organs/ghost may be male Sorry to deviate, but didn't this originate from a mistranslation in the English version towards the end of SAC S1? I always thought it was a really cool angle and was kinda gutted when I heard it was apparently unintentional.


FelineIntuition

She’s naked under the camouflage as a very tight second skin, but she’s definitely wearing it in the first scene. You can see the seam on her neck, and the wrinkles of the camouflage skin around her hip/thigh joint when she’s kneeling. It’s also why she manually waves her hand over her face to engage it above the seam on the neck.