There are multiple references to Oshii's earlier film in the final climax. The tree of life in a room filled with fossils is taken directly from Angel's Egg. Also, feathers are in the climax of both films. The shot of Motoko facing her reflection in the water in a state of weightlessness is also featured in Angel's Egg, with the female protagonist facing her reflection in the water while falling into it, in a brief moment of weightlessness.