Director Mamoru Oshii follows up his adaptation of Masamune Shirow's manga in the Animé film GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE. Similar in concept and theme to the cyberpunk classic BLADE RUNNER, GHOST IN THE SHELL features a future where humans can modify their bodies with technology and live side-by-side with androids. A few years after the original film, police cyborg Bato is still mourning the loss of his partner Motoko. Bato and his new partner Togusa undertake an investigation of a series of seedy murders of wealthy men at the hands of their malfunctioning sex-androids. Expanding on the subject matter of the first film, their inquiry leads to a consideration of the true differences, if any, between humans and the artificial beings they create. GHOST IN THE SHELL 2 combines action, philosophy, and breathtaking animated visuals; and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.