( 6 reviews )
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Apr 2 2005
Those of you who are major fans or followers of The Matrix may know the film received inspiration from the philosophically-intense anime, Ghost in the Shell. The 1995 film introduced the world to a smart, visually-groundbreaking adult animation, but for all the praise it received, Oshii's vision lacked the heart to make it pure entertainment, like The Matrix succeeded in becoming. It's surprising then, when one learns of the manga on which Oshii's film is based. Not only is it smart, complex and visually appealing, but writer/artist Masamune Shirow presents his sci-fi epic with an air of wit and attitude, giving it a personality that absorbs readers, continuing to spawn new works both related and inspired fifteen years later. The best part about Ghost in the Shell is that, unlike the film, it isn't afraid to have fun. As deep and philosophical as Shirow gets, he never strays too far from the lighter side of the picture, cracking jokes and playing around with visual gags to keep the reader entertained. The characters are also developed pretty well, or at least better than in the film...a lot regarding the characters' lives, specifically the Major, is left to the imagination. Still, the core of the cast - even the capable yet eccentric Fuchikoma robots - come alive with Shirow's writing and art, creating character's you'll actually care to follow, and not just try to comprehend. Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell is a true treat for fans of metaphysical concepts or traditional sci-fi entertainment. Those who liked the 1995 film but found it lacking will find what they're looking for here, and anyone else looking for a smart yet amusing graphic adventure would do well to give it a shot. If the film is groundbreaking and praiseworthy, then the manga is a true literary classic in its own right.
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( 13 of 15 found this review helpful ) Posted: Nov 9 2004
I came to the Dark Horse Comics version of Ghost in the Shell a little late in the game - so it is like I am coming home. In this edition we familiarize ourselves with the key characters and the evolution of Section 9. We are introduced to Aramaki rather early on - who heads Section 9 and of course to cyborgs Major Motoko Kusanagi and Batou as well as the all too human Togusa. I was effectively visiting the archive where it all began. As evidenced in both Making The Matrix, in The Matrix DVD and Scrolls to Screen: The History and Culture of Anime -- in the Animatrix DVD; we hear Producer Joe Silver uttering that the genesis of The Matrix, in large part, can be found in anime -- in particular Oshii Mamuro's anime of this, Shirow Masamune's manga Ghost in the Shell. Manga is sometimes confused with anime. Effectively, to the uninitiated, manga is the Japanese word for Graphic Novel. Manga and anime are intrinsically interrelated, as artists regularly cross-pollinate, as do the characters they create - case in point this Ghost in the Shell manga transformed into the ever-popular anime standard and its subsequent sequel Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. More often than not, the manga is produced first, and if the popularity merits it is transformed into anime - as was the case here. In examining the movie I articulated that Ghost in the Shell was Kazunori Ito's futuristic vision - now I am certain that it all feeds in really from Shirow and not anyone else. In Shirow's manga begin to see the development of the confluence where the body (the shell) and the ghost (the mind) meets cyborg technology. The manga, I hope is aimed at adults. I am still wondering about all the nudity and violence playing to a particular theme. My sense is that the intimate nature of man and machine and the particular threat that cyborg technology poses is considered real and immediate. In the world of Ghost in the Shell, however translated and articulated through this very hyper sexualized forms and extremely violent episodes, lies a very profound question waiting to be answered - when machines learn to feel who decides what it is to be human. Miguel Llora
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( 3 of 3 found this review helpful ) Posted: Sep 30 2004
Ghost in the Shell takes place in the future populated by cyborgs - people with mechanical parts. The stories follow a team of assasins and through their exploits we get to see the world they live in. There are definite philosophical metaphysical concerns in Ghost in the Shell. If a person has mechanical parts at what point do they stop being human? The definition of life is dealt with from a legal standpoint by Team 9. In court cyborgs are evaluted to see if their "Ghost", the part of them that represents their inate humanity and not programming, is responsible for crimes they have committed or if the crimes are a computer malfunction. One of the plots running through these stories deals with "The Puppeteer", a computer program which has become self aware and developed a ghost. Introducing these philosophical concerns in an action heavy plot makes for a nice balance. By making humanity a legal technicality the philosophy is made neccesary to the plot and flows well. I also liked the sciency footnotes (and endnotes), which pepper the pages of Ghost in the Shell. They explain this or that bit of real technology which could lead to this bit of fiction being real. Basing science fiction on real science tends to be a bit silly but it is fun to see. The graphics in Ghost in the Shell are good. Each chapter starts with a few color pages and the rest of that chapter in black and white. This makes for a nice balance where I've got my color pics but the book doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The drawings themselves are well done. I probably would like many of them much more if I were a guy though. I highly recommend Ghost in the Shell. It was fun to read and cleverly written. I hope it never goes out of print.
