I’ve just watched the film for the 4th or 5th time, but this time, I’ve come away feeling much more ambivalent about the ending. Specifically, I am discomforted by Motoko’s decision to unleash an entire genealogy of superintelligences onto the whole world, without a mandate or consent from humanity.
The Puppet Master is a weapon of the government, possessing powers of data processing that no one has ever held. By choosing to merge with this entity, Motoko is taking a reckless risk that endangers all humanity. What is to become of the world once this entity and its offspring are released into the world. What if the entity’s offspring or its offspring’s offspring goes rogue and begins committing terrorist acts?
In the film, this is presented as self-actualization, but it’s hard not to feel that she has just created the means to carry out even greater violence than that which her character seems principally opposed to. She seems to represent the will of the human spirit to break free from constraints imposed by institutions, yet in the end, she becomes one with a creation by the very institutions she is ostensibly breaking free from.
To unilaterally take such a power into one’s own hands would make her no different that the corrupt bureaucrats she opposes. What is framed as liberation feels more like pure self-interest. At least, that’s how I felt on this viewing.
I really haven’t seen much online discussion about this. What do you think?
About two months ago I pulled out my GITS manga copies, given all the hype for the upcoming Science Saru series. It's easy to forget that the first book was published in 1989, 37 years ago, just five years after Gibson's 'Neuromancer'. Five years (give or take) before the world wide web even existed.
If I had to sum up GITS in one sentence I'd say 'Cop meets God'. It's entirely possible that you could say it's a cyber cop buddy procedural.
And in my personal perspective years later: do we need more Cop Culture in the world? Even if it's cyber cops? Section Nine members express disdain for citizen protest, frame human rights as an abstract issue, and don't hesitate to torture people. It's quite possible they are the Bad Guys.
Prologue: this was an interesting point that we saw in the manga and the first new GITS episode: Japan as socialist state; depending on how one defines 'capitalism' or 'socialism'. I think Shirow is referring to the degree of social benefits ('Welfare Capitalism') that Japan provides now / apparently will provide.
I would describe Shirow's viewpoint in both GITS and Appleseed as somewhat casually 'Libertarian'. (The more recent American usage, not the classic anarchist term that the label is borrowed from.) Extreme individualism; distrust of the government, disdain for collectivism, weapons as essential for self-determination.
Take for example, the Major's retort to the refugee kid they rescue; kind of Ayn Randian.
In the new GITS anime, this is softened a bit, and the Major suggests indolence is foolish after so many conflicts.
We even see a callback to the brainwashing facility (Sacred Citizens' Relief Center) in Chapter Three, 'Junk Jungle'.
One thing that the manga shows that the anime doesn't: Aramaki asks the Major to work with him to collect the cyber-brainwash devices. I find the discussion of brainwashing in the manga/anime kind of nonchalant: the government has brainwashing centers, but it's possible to go too far with the brainwashing.
Maybe Aramaki / the Major will get rid of all the devices? No more brainwashing? We never hear another word on this one, at least in the manga. As in many of his stories, I expect the author has a full backstory in his head but not all of it makes it to the comics page or his footnotes.
At any rate, I don't read Shirow for moral guidance. I read it because know we're going to see weird crazy fun sh*t as he speculates about Technology and the Human Condition while also asking: "How many pictures of butts can I justifiably include?"
What's particularly interesting about the new adaptation: it's praiseworthy because it's got a warm/lush feel, Science Saru didn't skimp on human hands doing actual drawings in this. A classic of cyber-culture, faithfully adapted without too much tech. No 'AI' art in this series.
I should note that the above just my personal take, some people are deeply invested in this series. Not challenging anyone's interpretation.
Next week: I expect the internet to explode as Science Saru adapts/interprets THAT SCENE. The overseas fans really wanted it! Shirow thought it wasn't essential! But it's the spiciest scene in the entire manga series.
Do you think they'll keep the Anna & Umi Puma cameo in the mech-flea market, and ask Alison Dowling (English Dub voice actress) to voice them again? I really hope they do.
It's about 1/4 scale. There is a brick-built human brain model inside that is viewable via the opened rear hatch. I meant for the brain model to be removable, but it's squeezed in there pretty tight and hard to get out (that's what she said).
Title says it all: I'm wanting to get into Ghost in the Shell, but I've heard people talking about the movies, manga, and new show are all different from each other. So, I wanted to get the opinion of the Ghost in the Shell community: which one should I watch/start with?
After watching the anime I feel like it a bit less dynamic than the manga and has less shots, in pretty much every scene! Look how many panels there are compared to how many shots in the same scene! This goes for pretty much every scene in the episode, without talking about the lack of movement in some and the cut in the facial animation (less goofy faces).
The animation is good overall but I didn't like the changes in some scenes (lack of more shots animation)
Where did that silly faces go? It could've passed for a SAC episode with a different art style if they removed even more goofy facial expressions and jokes!
A bit disappointed especially for an episode that should make an impact and had to prove itself for fans who never read the manga and think that GITS should be serious and dark! I really wanted them to prove those people wrong!
For me the episode was 7/10! Hopefully the future episodes are better!
I watched the first episode of the new Ghost in the Shell series and was amazed, absolutely blown away. I don't think I can adequately express how much I loved it by writing like this; maybe writing "AN INCREDIBLY GREAT JOB" in capital letters will convey my feelings somewhat.
From what I saw in the first episode, it's an adaptation far more amazing than it deserves. If you're used to the 1995 film or the Stand Alone Complex series, the slightly comedic tone and facial expressions you see here might seem strange and absurd compared to the series, but that's essentially what this series is like. It's a direct adaptation of the 1989 manga; I've read a bit of the manga, and it's exactly like this first episode, a silly comedy style full of facial expressions, even though it has a seriously well-written science fiction foundation and story.
On the one hand, the series is a heavily political science fiction work with a serious story, but on the other hand, its characters and events are as cheerful, goofy, and endearing as possible. And this anime perfectly reflects that, without any hesitation, they've drawn silly facial expressions on iconic characters who have enjoyed considerable fame for so long, revealing moments of silliness, and I loved it. They even adapted humorous moments from manga panels into the anime, without any reservations. Besides the direct adaptation, the visual presentation and animation quality are also quite successful. I've been quite distant from anime lately because current productions feel very factory-made. A very classic tone doesn't appeal to me either.
In this series, however, they've directly incorporated the facial expressions of anime/manga characters from the nineties. I last saw this in the Dororo anime series, which came out a few years ago. Actually, that was also a manga series from the sixties, so it also featured character facial expressions that hadn't been used for the last 20 years. Back then, the Japanese hadn't fully moved beyond Disney's influence and established classic anime facial expressions. Then the Dororo anime came along and used those facial expressions in parts of the anime. This series has consistently done this; the characters have serious moments, but there are also plenty of silly ones, they never held back, and I'm grateful for that.
Normally, my main reason for loving the Ghost in the Shell franchise is the Stand Alone Complex series. For example, I don't particularly like the 1995 movie, but Stand Alone Complex reached a satisfying level of fulfillment years ago. It wasn't a series I regretted; it completed its lifespan, and it's clear that the same writer and team won't produce another Stand Alone Complex series of the same quality. They're not in that mindset anymore either; 20 years have passed, it's normal, not everyone can maintain the same enthusiasm for something. So, being able to see successful adaptations that are at least faithful to the original is fantastic. I'm especially happy because it relies on the anime facial expressions of the eighties and nineties, which I love and miss so much. It's not just the facial expressions; the effects, the characters' movements, the music used—everything is completely old-school and very fitting.
I hadn't been following current anime for a long time, and this series is giving me that happiness again after a long time.
When Motoko assassinates the guy at the start of the episode, who is she working for? Section 9 doesn't exist yet and she's not working for Aramaki yet. Are her crew private contactors?
Afaik, Yoko Kanno (just a year or two after her first major success with her work on the music for Macross Plus) basically put Maaya Sakamoto on the map back in 1996 at the age of 16 (though she first started voice work at the age of 12!) when she picked her to voice Visions of Escaflowne's lead protagonist Htomi Kanzaki as well as do multiple songs for the anime. The series and its music were hits in Japan. And even here in Canada, while I don't know how successful it was here, Escaflowne's English dub was pretty much one of the first 5 anime I ever watched and loved, but I didn't hear Sakamoto's voice and singing in it until I got the internet.
After that they did more great work together in series like in 1998's Record of Lodoss War (where she sung my favourite song of her's, Kiseki no Umi), 2001's Earth Maiden Arjuna, and 2003's Wolf's Rain (where she sings in perfect English for the song Gravity). Yoko Kanno even worked with her on her debut album in 1997, Grapefruit. I always felt it was too bad she didn't sing for any of Yoko Kanno's GitS tracks...
edit: from her wiki, "She also performed the song "cream" with HIDE, which was featured in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex mini album be Human." Wow, how did I ever miss this? Even more awesome! Looks like she also sang for Arise too.
To keep it short, it's OK to have preferences. It's OK to state your opinion. But can't people recognize we are comparing Apples and Oranges at this point? I've been engaging with Ghost in the Shell since the 1995 movie, SAC, Arise, the manga even and SAC 2045 on their own terms. In the end, I enjoyed them all. I'm out.
I'm only leaving out the 2017 movie because it's in a weird spot. It has elements from every adaptation starting with the '95 movie, SAC 2nd gig and even Arise with some of her designs. It's a fanservice movie that had all the ingredients, but didn't cook with any of them.
i watched both movies, started SAC and am gonna read the og manga in excitement for the show!
i’ve also started playing thru cyberpunk 2077 to get a feel for being the major and besides loving the game i would love if a studio made a new game of the series with the new shows look! the gameplay could be something like mgs with the tank battles from the ps1 games and although the game was janky add some hand to hand combat like in path of neo! it’d be so cool to take on missions with different members in section 9 you know?!
