Ghost in the Shell: Original Soundtrack (1995)

Ghost in the Shell: OST (1995)

Composed by Kenji Kawai

Kenji’s use of modern synthesised technology spliced with traditional Japanese instrumentation captures the very essence of the GitS film.

A female choir sets the tone on the opening track, but what follows is primarily minimalist, reliant on sparse percussion, chimes, bells, and an oddly eerie atmosphere. The feeling of floating in a sea is an apt analogy to describe the ominous embrace and peaceful, enveloping serenity of it.

It's both emotionally sombre and spiritually beautiful, which seems like an impossible contradiction to me. But I adore beautiful contradictions.

The Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network (2018)

The Ghost in the Shell:

Global Neural Network (2018)

Authors: Max Gladstone / Alex de Campi / Genevieve Valentine / Brenden Fletcher | Illustrators: David López / Giannis Milonogiannis / Brent Schoonover / LRNZ | Page Count: 160

"There was something odd. Like an echo.
I need to go deeper."

Kodansha really do like to big-up their derivative Ghost in the Shell tie-in books. Previously they claimed to have delivered a 'definitive history' of the franchise (in the README). Now it's a 'historic collaboration' with series creator Shirow Masamune.

However, there's nothing in the book to suggest that Shirow had any input beyond granting permission for his characters and their world to be used.

It would be wrong of me to assume that was the case for sure, but given the publisher's actions to date I feel they'd be shouting it from rooftops if he'd truly been involved in any kind of meaningful hands on manner. If I ever find out the truth, I'll return and edit it in here.

What I know for sure is that the book includes four stories by four different authors and four different artists. In the order presented:

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Manga (2010-14)

Episode 001: Section 9 (2010)

Author + Illustrator: Yu Kinutani | Page Count: 248

"[W]e've determined the contents of the brain are fake. So where's the real one?"

A number of cyborg Geishas have taken clients hostage, among them a high-ranking government official who at the time of his capture was engaging in some odd activities with the pretend ladies.

The Prime Minister summons the country's best counter-terrorist unit: Public Security Section 9. Led by the cybernetically enhanced Major Kusanagi, the team are called upon to not only resolve the situation, but to find out who's behind it, and why.

It's a manga adaptation of an anime TV series that was inspired by a film adaptation of a manga. If you're familiar with all of those things, then the book might be of interest to you, but know that it's the entire first episode of the GitS SAC anime in manga form - it's almost verbatim, except for some minor changes in the action scenes that don't alter the main storyline one bit. It's arguably less fun than watching the anime, so is probably best recommended for super-fans or folks who prefer manga, only.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC: Complete 1st and 2nd GIG (2018)

GitS: SAC: Complete 1st + 2nd GIG (2018)

Dirs. Various | Seasons: 2 | 52 episodes, approx 25 mins each [Make sure and stick around for the short Tachikomatic Days entries after the credits roll on each one!]

An 8-disc collection that contains all 52 episodes of the Stand Alone Complex TV series - that's 26 episodes apiece for each of the two seasons.

The year is 2030. Public Security Section 9 is a counter-terrorist branch funded by the Japanese government, a team of ass-kicking professionals that get the job done no matter what.

The world is overly dependent on cybernetic bodies; the web has become the medium of choice for terrorists and as a result there exists a large potential for cyber-crime and hacks.

Section 9 specialise in that area. Led by Major Motoko Kusanagi the team deal with corporate terrorism, kidnapping, human trafficking, Ghost hacks (a technique in which a subject's memories are replaced with false ones) and a host of other internal and external threats. They're the people that keep the rest of us safe, often without us even knowing they exist.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence: After the Long Goodbye (2007)

GitS 2: Innocence: After the Long Goodbye (2007)

Author: Masaki Yamada | Translators: Yuji Oniki + Carl Gustav Horn / Page Count: 197 

"I'm not all that popular. At the same time, I hardly ever meet someone I like. In that sense, my life is balanced out."

A prequel to the second Ghost in the Shell feature film, Innocence (2004). Unlike most TV and film tie-in novels, this one is actually good - damn good.

It creates a singular narrative that doesn't rely heavily on the film, but it remains referential and respectful to it. Knowledge of the characters is obviously necessary to fully appreciate the small intricacies, but the text also manages to stand on its own two feet, admirably.

It's told first person, from the cyborg Batou's perspective. Batou isn't the most intelligent or passionate of individuals, so it may come as a surprise to find that his sensitive side, a secretive part of himself that he reserves for mostly one person in the films, could be so well-developed without compromising the integrity of the character. It gets deep into the mind of the man, the only part of him that's still human, to explore the themes of self that René Descartes popularised. That self-analysis is the novel's greatest strength, and what Ghost in the Shell is perfectly suited to.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

Dir. Mamoru Oshii

Loosely based on a story from the same Masamune Shirow manga as the first Ghost in the Shell film, Innocence is nevertheless very different to its predecessor.

I'm limited in what I can say because it'll be mostly spoiler, so I'll stick to basics: Section 9 members Batou and Togusa are assigned to investigate a series of 'gruesome murders' perpetrated by gynoids who thereafter end their own existence. The investigation opens doors to a great deal of spiralling philosophy and musings on the nature of humanity.

The animation and character movement are superb, and backgrounds are even more detailed than before, with exquisite lighting - although the latter has a deep brown / coppery tint that won't be to everyone's liking. The plot is at times mind-bending and at other times simple and understatedly heartfelt. It's certainly not passive viewing, so you'll need to engage and question what you're given if you want to get the most from it.

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Dir. Mamoru Oshii

Like many people outside of Asia my introduction to non-TV anime was Akira (1988); in my case, specifically, a UK VHS edition by Manga in 1991. There was an occasional good title in the slew of OVA crap thereafter, but Ghost in the Shell (1995) was a monumental leap forward in quality.

American-born author William Gibson had popularised cyberspace a decade before in his novel Neuromancer, but the mass appeal of movies over books meant that director Mamoru Oshii's adaptation of author Masamune Shirow's manga reached a wider audience in the same genre, making it kick mainstream ass in the process. The first GitS film was a landmark release that the world of sci-fi anime fandom collectively applauded.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045: Season Two (2022)

GitS: SAC_2045: Season Two (2022)

Dirs: Shinji Aramaki + Kenji Kamiyama | Eps: 12, approx 25 mins each

The good news is it's better than Season One. But that doesn't mean it's good. It's like the difference between shitting yourself while wearing shorts versus shitting yourself while wearing trousers with bicycle clips. Both stink and are best avoided.

The first episode is numbered 13, which makes sense because — even though Netflix pretend otherwise — it's clearly the second half of Season One, which they didn't bother to finish properly.

It has a new opening and new theme song that despite not being at all memorable is definitely an improvement over the last effort. (It's called Secret Ceremony, by millennium parade.) It's the kind of thing you might get if you asked a manufactured J-pop band to make a more edgy song for one of the superfluous Kingdom Hearts handheld games.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045: Season One (2020)

GitS: SAC_2045: Season One (2020)

Dirs: Shinji Aramaki + Kenji Kamiyama | Eps: 24, approx 25 mins each.

At first glance SAC_2045 seems to have many favourable ingredients in place: it's co-produced by Production I.G; has Kenji Kamiyama onboard as co-director; it features many of the original Japanese and English language voice cast; and continues the Stand Alone Complex continuity.

Alas, in reality the continuation fails to live up to its positives. It's a soulless venture with little to offer beyond its superficial 'on paper' credentials.

Viewers who are relatively new to the franchise, perhaps having advanced from the live-action movie, may understandably surmise that such weak plotting is the norm, but I suspect that many longtime fans will be wondering why the lofty concepts and aspirations of the SAC series have been abandoned and the characters disrespected.

Ghost in the Shell README: 1995-2017 (2017)

Ghost in the Shell
README: 1995-2017 (2017)

Author: Shirow Masamune (?) | Page Count: 160

'How am I supposed to stay motivated without my bassets?' - Mamoru Oshii

Described by publisher Kodansha as 'The definitive history of the most influential cyberpunk anime of all time!', the Ghost in the Shell README is perhaps more accurately described as being little more than a cash-grab tie-in detailing the plots of the various filmed versions of Shirow's original manga.

It opens with a brief look at the 2017 live-action movie. An attempt is made to sing its praises but it seems halfhearted at best, and a failure at worst. Having viewed the film, I can understand the trouble the writer must've had, because, besides its visuals, the live-action movie is the worst interpretation that GitS has had thus far - to put it more plainly, the movie is garbage.

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Dir. Rupert Sanders

If I was in a charitable mood I'd maybe feel a little sorry for Hollywood. Why? Because it had been ripping-off Mamoru Oshii's anime adaptation of the original Ghost in the Shell manga for about two decades by the time their version of the story came out.

As a result, instead of looking original and excitingly new to modern film audiences, it looked simply like it was ripping-off all the movies that had ripped-off Oshii's film.

Some days you just can't win. Not that I'm suggesting it in any way deserves to win, it really is a bad film, for many, many reasons, but it's fair to say that it was kind of boned before it even began. And then the terrible casting nailed the heavy coffin lid even tighter.

But I'm going to back up a little. As stated, I'm not feeling charitable, but I am feeling fair. With that in mind, I'll wholeheartedly try to judge it on its own merits, touching a little on how successfully it adapts ideas from its source text.

The Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories (2017)

The Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories (2017)

Authors: Toh Enjoe / Gakuto Mikumo / Kafka Asagiri / Yoshinobu Akita / Tow Ubukata | Translation: Unknown | Page Count: 187

'Her cyborg form was an established item and not all that uncommon, but there was something special about the figure she cut. Something divine, divorced from this ugly world.'

The blurb on the back cover claiming that Five New Short Stories is a 'standalone collection' that 'requires no familiarity with the franchise to be enjoyed' is what's known outside of the publishing world as a falsehood, a fib, a damned lie, bullshit, because prior knowledge of GitS is needed.

Even ignoring the fact that someone new to the franchise will have no clue who the characters are, or any knowledge of their particular levels of cyberization, right from the very first story, a first-person narrative named Shadow.net by Toh Enjoe, prior knowledge is needed (specifically, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. Solid State Society).

Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2015)

Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2015)

Dir. Kazuya Nomura

It's not stated on the box art, but Dir. Kazuya Nomura's film is a continuation of the Arise version of GitS and a sequel to the Pyrophoric Cult (2015) episode(s), so before viewing it would be beneficial to watch all of Arise.

Set in the year 2029, it begins with a hostage situation that doesn't quite go to plan and the assassination of a very public figure.

Working independently of Public Security Section 9, Motoko and her team investigate further, discovering new and elaborate twists and turns alongside the unfinished story of the Fire-Starter virus that P Cult toyed with.

As any modern computer user will know, progress is happening at an alarming rate, often leaving hardware and software developers playing catch-up. The alternative to keeping up is to abandon the current model and work on a newer, more compatible one; but the new tech will eventually succumb to the same fate and the cycle begins anew.

Ghost in the Shell: Arise: Pyrophoric Cult (2015)

Ghost in the Shell: Arise: Pyrophoric Cult (2015)

Dirs. Kazuchika Kise / Masaki Tachibana | Length: 46 mins (approx)

Pyrophoric Cult serves a dual purpose: it's a continuation of the Arise version of GitS that picks up a few of the loose ends that were left after Border 4, and it leads into GitS: The New Movie. That means it's a bridge narrative, a situation that's very apparent, given that it has no proper ending. It's an enjoyable adventure for the most part, but it feels like half a story.

The 'Fire-Starter' virus that was mentioned a few times in the previous one-hour features but never fully explored is the central threat. It gets pushed to the fore when a group of cyber-brain engineers are murdered. The question of why the killings happened, and more specifically why it was those individuals that were targeted, starts a chain of events that the team must solve. But the operation is to be a joint venture with a foreign power.

Ghost in the Shell: Manga Vol 1 + 1.5 + 2 (1991-01)

Ghost in the Shell: Vol 1 (1991)

Author + Illustrator: Masamune Shirow | Page Count: 368

"…[T]here was an 'SOS' literally written in blood on the cyberbrain unit…"

The serialised manga that started the Ghost in the Shell phenomenon is both a product of its time (weird noses and comedy/chibi style reactions) and light-years ahead conceptually and philosophically of where most western comic writers were at the time.

Shirow locates the work in a similar futuristic world to what he'd created for his previous works as a foundation, such as Appleseed (1985) and Dominion (1986), but by introducing GitS-specific concepts he effectively crafts something totally unique.

The blurb on the back makes it sound like what you're getting is the same story that was featured in Mamoru Oshii's much-loved 1995 anime adaptation. That's not strictly true. You do get that story, but it's only a small part of the entire book and it doesn't appear until late in the day. If all you wanted was the movie in manga form, then you'll perhaps be slightly disappointed. Admittedly, Oshii took the best of what the collection has to offer, but on the plus side you get a lot more content herein than was featured in the film, so it's actually better this way.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Light Novels (2004-06)

The Lost Memory (2004)

Author: Junichi Fujisaku | Page Count: 212 Pages 

"We still don’t know what their purpose is but I sense they have an aim of some kind, something different from that of the Laughing Man phenomenon."

In the first of a trilogy of GitS: Stand Alone Complex tie-in novels a group of revolutionaries calling themselves the Good Morning Terrorists are hacking cyberbrains and forcing the hapless victim to carry out acts of terrorism against the State. Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team of experts in Public Security Section 9 intervene to find the perpetrators.

Junichi Fujisaku had previously penned a number of episodes of the TV series, so was a good choice to carry the series into a different medium. There's a list of characters on page one with a brief description of their role, but the text offers little in the way of characterisation, so it helps if you're already familiar with the series. Readers new to the franchise may well be left scratching themselves, however.

Ghost in the Shell: Arise (2013-14)

Border 1: Ghost Pain (2013)

Dirs. Kazuchika Kise / Masahiko Murata | Length: 58 mins (approx)

A four-episode GitS prequel series set in 2027, which is just two years before the events in Dir. Mamoru Oshii's 1995 Ghost in the Shell movie.

The story revolves around an incident in Newport City, a murder, that's being investigated by two separate organisations: namely Unit 501 — of which series protagonist and "full-body cyborg" Motoko Kusanagi is a member — and Public Security, headed by a man named Aramaki. Section 9's interest extends beyond the obvious, and they enlist the aid of Kusanagi in getting to the truth of the matter.

Despite the changes since the previous TV series (GitS: Stand Alone Complex), there's still much the same. Dirs. Kise and Murata's framing, scenery and even camera movements are similar to SAC's.

Of the two main differences, the first, Motoko, is less upsetting than I'd feared. Because it's a prequel, she's younger and less experienced. She also looks odd, but only for a short time. Her confidence, her movements and her decision making is as normal, so I was able to look beyond the shell very quickly; it's her, there's no doubt of that.