Ghost In The Shell...

A while back, when video tapes still stalked the Earth, my interest in Ghost In The Shell started with Manga's VHS release of the the first Ghost In The Shell animated movie...

Movies

Movie 1
The blockbuster Anime release is now on video! One of the smash hits of the summer, this Shirow Masamune story deals with the line between machine and person, and how this becomes blurred in the distant future. The Puppetmaster is loose in this society, destroying people's living essence and replacing their memories with implanted ones. It falls to a small government group to stop it ... and a group of heavily augmented agents!

In the year 2029, the world is made borderless by the net; augmented humans live in virtual environments, watched over by law enforcement that is able to download themselves into super-powered, crime busting mecha.

The ultimate secret agent of the future is not human, has no physical body and can freely travel the information highways of the world, hacking and manipulating whatever and whenever required.

The agent, created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is designated code name Project 2501 and distanced from them under the pseudonym "The Puppet Master." 2501 seems to be the perfect solution to their international espionage requirements. Everything runs smoothly until this prototype virtual agent concludes it is a life form in its own right "born in a sea of information" and requests political asylum and true physical existence in defiance of its creator.

The race is on to recapture the Top Secret Project 2501 before it succeeds in finding a host body and escapes for good. What the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hasn't counted on is the Puppet Master's cunning and reserve. It has threatened to expose their illegal creation (itself) to the Internal Bureau of Investigations who are unaware of its source, and regard the Puppet Master as a Grade A priority security threat. The two agencies maneuver discreetly against one another in a violent, high-tech race to capture the ever changing omnipresent Puppet Master.

The Internal Bureau is unaware of the Puppet Master's persuasive ability to offer seductive hints at true freedom to their semi-cybernetic human agents, who are forced to question their own validity as human beings. One of these agents, Major Motoko Kusanagi, is a highly trained female agent sent to counter the Puppet Master's threat, will have to make the ultimate decision when the Puppet Master suggests a merger with her.

While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are engaged in direct explosive confrontation, Kusanagi must decide if she will fulfill the Puppet Master's ultimate objective to become truly human and exist outside of the Electronic Net.

State of the art animation compliments this ground breaking, intelligent, post-modern cyberpunk action film. Based on the manga from Masamune Shirow.

Movie 2
Innocence
Groundbreaking director Mamoru Oshii continues to push the boundaries of art and anime with this universally acclaimed cyber thriller about a quest for a killer that becomes a mind-bending search for the meaning of life.

The long-awaited sequel to GHOST IN THE SHELL, INNOCENCE follows cyborg detective Batou as he tries to unravel the reasons for a murderous robot revolt in the year 2032. There are no easy answers in a futuristic world where the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction.

INNOCENCE is a philosophical thrill-ride through the darkest regions of human-and inhuman- nature, combining full-throttle action, cutting-edge animation, and the most provocative story in recent memory.

Movie 3
Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society takes place after the events in 2nd Gig.

A.D. 2034. It has been two years since Motoko Kusanagi left Section 9. Togusa is now the new leader of the team that has considerably increased its appointed personnel. The expanded new Section 9 confronts a rash of complicated incidents, and investigations reveal that an ultra-wizard hacker nicknamed the "Puppeteer" is behind the entire series of events.

TV Series

Stand Alone Complex
Volume 1
Beautiful but Deadly!

Major Motoko Kusanagi, the most popular female cyborg in anime history, is back!

Together with the rest of the officers of Section 9 and the ever-ready Tachikomas, she will continue her mission to hunt down crime wherever it occurs in both the real and online worlds.

Section 9 will be called in to resolve a murder before it turns into an international incident, hunt down a runaway state-of-the-art killing machine, and solve the mystery of a defective android. A high level conspiracy involving a mysterious computer hacker will lead them to their most challenging and dangerous case yet!

An incredible creative staff, including Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop), Kenji Kamiyama (Blood, Jin-Roh), and the talented staff of Production I.G have joined together to create the most ground-breaking new anime sci-fi series of the century.

Volume 2
On the trail of the Laughing Man!

Section 9 has their hands full with the reappearance of the laughing man, a cyber-terrorist who hasn't been heard from in six years. Aramaki believes that the police's prime suspect is a decoy; he orders his team to look into it. Major Motoko Kusanagi, meanwhile, in response to the Laughing Man's latest threat, is guarding the Police SuperintendentGeneral at a press conference. This will mark the beginning of Section 9's ongoing encounters with the laughing man.

In the meantime, they will also have to capture a foreign revolutionary and put a stop to what looks like an organ smuggling ring. The Major and Section 9 are determined to bring these criminals to justice!

Volume 3
Trouble at home and abroad!

Convinced that the cyber terrorist known only as the Laughing Man has resurfaced, Section 9 accelerates their investigations. Major Kusanagi goes into a virtual chat room devoted to the Laughing Man and has an unusual encounter. But the people there, and the views they express, are they simply fantasy, or is there truth?

Problems from the rest of the world intrude as well. A serial killer has turned up who skins his victims alive in the unique pattern of a T-shirt. Section 9 must discover the identity of this killer before he claims his next victim. Togusa, meanwhile, goes undercover at an institution for sufferers of closed cyberbrain syndrome, but he finds more than he expects, including a clue in the Laughing Man case. And then, one of the Tachikomas has decided to go out for a joyride, and befriends a little girl who is looking for her lost dog...

Volume 4
Mysteries and conspiracies abound!

A band of terrorists claims to have possession of a girl who was kidnapped some years ago. But when Section 9 is called in to resolve the situation, they realize that something is very wrong -the girl is the same age she was when she was kidnapped all those years ago!

Then, Section 9 is assigned to guard a very wealthy and reclusive businessman who has been targeted for assassination by an international crime syndicate. But if they can't even find him, how will they guard him?

Back at headquarters, the Major has become disturbed by the behavior of the Tachikomas. Their Als are developing too fast; she has doubts about their future usefulness. But Batou has other concerns as he goes undercover to spy on Zaitsev, a former Olympic silver medalist whom he admires. He wants his information to be wrong, for Zaitsev to be innocent. What will his operation reveal?

Volume 5
Crime is Everywhere!

On a visit to London for a conference, Aramaki drops by to visit an old friend who wants to ask a favor. But they find themselves taken hostage by a couple of thieves, and a crooked police officer doesn't want any survivors. Then, Aramaki attends the funeral of an old war buddy, and learns of the disturbing behavior of his deceased friend's son. Later, Section 9 is assigned the task of protecting the Chinese Foreign Minister from being assassinated. How are the two cases related?

Section 9's next case is a rash of mass-kidnappings. Rumor has it that a crime syndicate is harvesting organs and selling them on the black market. This case will put them up against an operative who is Motoko's equal.

Togusa, meanwhile, is on the trail of the Laughing Man again, and this time, his investigations lead him towards a leading micromachine corporation and an NGO called the Sunflower Society. But things are about to take a deadly turn.

Volume 6
Togusa finds himself in the hospital after being shot, but is desperate to impart what he's learned to the rest of the group. It seems other clandestine groups have become aware of Section 9's investigations and are determined to make their move against them.

Major Kusanagi seeks to repair her prosthetic body after incurring severe damage in a battle against the government's latest prototype weapon. When she discovers that someone is out to get her, Aramaki learns that this conspiracy goes deeper than even he expected.

Meanwhile, the cyber-terrorist known as "The Laughing Man" re-emerges and abducts the president of Serano Genomics just as he'd done six years earlier. Is history about to repeat itself?

Volume 7
Section 9's investigations have started to become a little too successful, and the truths they uncover hit too close to home for some of the higher-ranking officials in the Japanese government. Yet, despite the increasing political backlash the team soldiers on. But even they couldn't imagine that their own government would turn against them.

The government has declared war on them, and they begin with an attack on Section 9 headquarters! But even with the latest in technology, will the military be a match for Motoko, Batou, and the rest of the team? And will the truth behind the Laughing Man incident ever be revealed to an unsuspecting world? Find out in the final shocking installment of the most anticipated anime TV series in years!

S.A.C.: 2nd Gig
Volume 1
Section 9, Japan's high-mobility anti-crime unit, is back in action! The Major's got her work cut out for her as she leads her team on a series of new cases now that the Laughing Man case has been closed.

Uprisings over the treatment of a wave of Asian immigrants threaten the political landscape, and the new Prime Minister brings in Section 9 to offer their services - but on a much tighter leash than they're used to. After being reinstated, they must stop an assassin who is killing high-ranking officials, outmaneuver an incredibly talented thief, and unravel the reason a high-tech helicopter malfunctioned. And all under the supervision of the mysterious and disturbing man known as Gohda.


Volume 2
On her first visit to one of the refugee areas, the Prime Minister receives a bouquet of flowers with a death threat in it. Section 9 is called in to provide round-the-clock security for her as they work to catch the would-be assassin. As they do their legwork, more and more links to the mysterious "Individual Eleven" are uncovered.

Meanwhile, Togusa is trying to unravel the reason for a man's suspicious death, and it leads him into the bowels of Tokyo and a government cover-up. Then, Section 9 is ordered to transport some dangerous plutonium out of one of the refugee districts, and the creepy Gohda is once again given command of the operation.

When it's all over, the Major and the rest of Section 9 try to figure out exactly how all of these things are linked together. These strange happenings can't all be coincidence.

Volume 3
After their prior confrontations with Gohda, Section 9 continues their investigations into the man and his mysterious background. At the same time, they must stop a wave of suicide bombers who threaten the peace and safety of Japan. And even when they're off duty, trouble manages to find them, as Togusa finds himself brought up on charges for actions he took while off duty.

The Major has troubles of her own as well. On a routine mission to field test some new recruits, she finds herself hacked and recalls a story that seems somehow familiar. Section 9 uncovers a suspicious file that they think is the Individual Eleven virus, and they begin tracking the man who attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister.

Volume 4
While on the trail of Kuze, Section 9 tracks down the person who made his one-of-a-kind prosthetic face. There's only one problem-the designer is dead. And the person who killed him is Paz, or someone who looks exactly like him!

And Section 9 has some downtime, which they put to good use. During a friendly poker game, Saito recounts his first encounter with the Major, when they were both looking down the barrel of each other's guns. But there's still a lot of work left to be done, as everyone tries to unravel the mystery of the Individual Eleven and discover the whereabouts of Kuze.

Volume 5
The Major, following a lead on Kuze, the lone member of the Individual Eleven who survived, heads to Taiwan. There, she becomes involved in some local "trouble" involving a kid and the local gangs.

Then, inexplicably, Batou and the Major are assigned to an international task force to capture the terrorist Angel's Wing. And while they're halfway around the world in Berlin, Section 9 continues their investigation.

Back in Japan, tensions at the Dejima refugee camp are on the rise; a full-scale confrontation looks imminent. The Major dives the net and attempts to hack the refugee cyberbrain to determine Kuze's location and stop them before the violence escalates any further!

Volume 6
The revolutionary leader Kuze manages to elude Section 9 once more. There's no time for Section 9 to recover though, because soon the threat of a nuclear weapon has the entire city of Nagasaki evacuated. Section 9 must then rush to the scene and determine the true origins of the bomb.

The government declares Martial Law, and sends in the Self-Defense Forces to restore order. As the group from Section 9 works to prevent a nuclear explosion and unravel the truth behind these events, one random shot escalates the conflict to new heights!

Volume 7
The Prime Minister has been taken into custody, but her removal from office is being kept secret. Aramaki and Togusa work to get to her so they can prevent a nuclear attack. In Dejima, the military begins its assault. The Major and some of Section 9 try their best to defuse the situation, and the injured Ishikawa tries to deliver the rest of the plutonium to the authorities to prove their case.

During the fighting, the Major and Kuze become trapped beneath the rubble together. The Tachikomas inform her that there is a nuclear submarine just out of sensor range. Batou, meanwhile, gets the rangers who are pursuing them to stop fighting and listen to him. Things are starting to go Section 9's way, but the nuclear missile is still being prepared for launch!

Prequel OVA Series

Arise
Border 1
Ghost Pain
When cyborg hacker Motoko Kusanagi is hired to investigate a devastating bombing, she must fight her way through a maze of phantom memories to unlock her mysterious past - and track down the evil mastermind behind the attacks.

Border 2
Ghost Whispers
Witness the formation of the legendary Public Security Section 9. When a clandestine organization hacks every car in the city, Kusanagi recruits a lethal team of cyber operatives that includes a badass brawler with Special Forces training, an explosives expert, a technology specialist, and a chain-smoking jack-of-all-trades with a sordid past. Together this ruthless gang of enforcers sets out to clamp down on the chaos and make the city safe again.

Border 3
Ghost Tears
A terrorist bombing and the mysterious death of a detective trigger a deadly investigation involving prosthetic legs and members of a rebel group leftover from an international conflict. When all signs point to a master of cyber warfare known as Fire-Starter, phantoms from the past come back to haunt Major Motoko Kusanagi as she struggles to keep her personal and professional life separate.

Border 4
Ghost Stands Alone
Motoko Kusanagi is closing in on the dangerous hacker who created the false memory virus. After a mass shooting leads to the capture of a key witness, the team finds themselves in a race against the clock to unravel the secrets she's keeping. With enemies appearing all around them and the stakes growing higher by the minute, it's time to find out once and for all: Who is Fire-Starter? And how can they be stopped?

Arise: New Movie
Ghost in the Shell: Arise is set in a futuristic Japan after the end of a brutal world war, science has advanced by leaps and bounds giving humanity the choice to prolong life and reduce suffering with the use of sophisticated cybernetics. With all of humanity linked into one system of minds and personalities known as ghosts, the biggest threat to civilization is the cyber terrorists capable of hijacking people’s bodies and memories.

When a ghost-infecting virus known as Fire-Starter begins spreading through the system resulting in the assassination of the Japanese Prime Minister, Major Motoko Kusanagi and her elite team of special operatives are called in to track down its source. As they delve deeper and deeper into their investigation, they uncover traces of government corruption and a shadowy broker that bears an all-too-familiar face.

When your target can be anywhere and look like anyone, the only choice you have is to trust your ghost, and hope you aren’t infected too.

Live Action Movie

Scarlett Johansson stars in this sci-fi action film as a cybernetically enhanced policewoman who's hunting a dangerous hacker. Michael Pitt and Juliette Binoche co-star. Directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman), Ghost in the Shell is based on a popular Japanese manga series, which was already adapted into an iconic anime film.

The first Ghost In The Shell movie is a dramatic tale reminiscent of Blade Runner, which follows the exploits of the Major. Set in the future, the line between man and machine has been blurred. There's lots of drama and some cool battles -- one between the Major and a tank comes to mind. There's also some gore (exploding heads, etc...) and a even a few bare breasts.

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex takes place before the events in the first movie. The movie's conclusion doesn't leave very much room for doubt. The second TV series picks up immediately after the events in the first series. I have both the first and second series on DVD. I gave the Ghost In The Shell anime franchise a 4 out of 5. Of the various incarnations of Ghost In The Shell, I like the first movie and the early episodes of the Stand Alone Complex TV series the most.

The live-action Ghost In The Shell movie circa 2017 re-interprets the events of the first anime movie and adds a narrative that didn't exist in the original anime movies or the subsequent anime series. From a pure entertainment perspective, the live-action Ghost In The Shell movie has a decent amount of action. There is a lot of gun play and some hand-to-hand combat. And, visually, eye-candy abounds and the Major versus tank scene certainly checks all the correct boxes. Of course, aside from the Major's bare cyborg body, there are no naughty bits. But, as a fan of the Ghost In The Shell anime, the live-action movie doesn't quite mesh with the anime franchise as well as I would have liked and as a result I gave this entry in the franchise a slightly lower score.

Over the years, I've picked up quite a few CDs relating to the Ghost In The Shell franchise. The two Ghost In The Shell movie soundtrack CDs for the first and third movies, have 11 and 14 tracks and I liked 5 and 6 tracks respectively for totals of 45.4% and 42.8% which works out to a ratings of 2 out of 4 for each of the movie soundtrack CDs. Of the two movie soundtracks, my favorite track is zero signal from the third movie soundtrack.

The three Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex soundtrack CDs have 18, 17 and 17 tracks respectively and I liked 6, 7 and 2 tracks for totals of 33.3%, 41.1% and 11.7% which works out to ratings of 2, 2 and 1 out of 4 the Stand Alone Complex soundtrack CDs.

When Manga Entertainment released the first Ghost In The Shell movie, they treated the release badly, like they treated so many of their releases. Manga commissioned a group called Passengers to create an alternate opening theme for the Ghost In The Shell movie. The Passengers CD has 14 tracks, but, the only one I was interested in was for Ghost In The Shell, which is titled One Minute Warning. That's 7.1 %, which is a rating of 1 out of 4.

Yoko Kanno was responsible for much of the sound of the Ghost In The Shell franchise and she produced a follow-up CD inspired by Ghost In The Shell called Be Human. The Be Human CD has 22 tracks and I liked 3 tracks for a total of 13.6% which works out to a rating of 1 out of 4. By far, my favorite track on the Be Human CD is Good By My Master.