Batou is the central character of "Innocence", which centers around his personal life after the disappearance of Major Motoko Kusanagi at the end of the first film. Oshii has commented that the investigation is really secondary to the plot. What is most notable about Batou's emotion in "Innocence" is his lack thereof; for the most part he expresses nothing whatsoever. The commentary on the "Innocence" DVD touches on the fact that it is Batou's lone companion, a Basset Hound named Gabriel, that express almost all of the emotion in the entire film. When Batou is required to leave in order to continue his investigation, Gabriel is left in the care of Togusa and his family. Ishikawa, Batou's senior, chides him for keeping such a high-maintenance dog since he is a single man in a dangerous line of work. The film strongly suggests that Batou harbors romantic feelings for the Major; however, no definitive statement of his feelings is ever made.