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{{About|the media franchise}}
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Revision as of 21:51, 3 January 2013

This article is about the manga. For other uses, see Ghost in the Shell (disambiguation).
Ghost in the Shell
Cover of Ghost in the Shell 2nd Edition released by Dark Horse
攻殻機動隊
(Kōkaku Kidōtai)
GenreCyberpunk
Manga
Written byMasamune Shirow
Published byKodansha
English publisherUnited States Dark Horse Comics (former)
Kodansha Comics USA (current)
United Kingdom Titan Books
MagazineYoung Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runMay 1989 – November 1990
Volumes1
Manga
Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface
Written byMasamune Shirow
Published byKodansha
English publisherUnited States Dark Horse Comics (former)
Kodansha Comics USA (current)
United Kingdom Titan Books
MagazineYoung Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runSeptember 1991 – August 1997
Volumes1
Manga
Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor
Written byMasamune Shirow
Published byKodansha
English publisherUnited States Dark Horse Comics (former)
Kodansha Comics USA (current)
MagazineYoung Magazine
DemographicSeinen
PublishedJuly 23, 2003
Volumes1
Related

Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊, Kōkaku Kidōtai, literally "Mobile Armored Riot Police"), also known as The Ghost in the Shell, is a Japanese seinen manga series written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga has been praised for its artwork and is commonly considered a modern classic. The manga presents itself as a collection of scenarios featuring counter-terrorist organization Public Security Section 9, led by protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi, in a futuristic Japan. The first English-language adaptation of the original manga was released in the United States by Dark Horse Comics and by Titan Books in the United Kingdom.

The manga was serialized in Young Magazine and was followed by a sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface (攻殻機動隊2, Kōkaku Kidōtai 2) and a collection of manga chapters previously unreleased titled Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor (攻殻機動隊1.5, Kōkaku Kidōtai 1.5) serving as an interquel. Each series was later published as its own tankōbon volume by Kodansha. The series was first adapted into a film by Production I.G. followed by a sequel, Innocence. An anime TV series titled, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex aired on Animax from 2002 to 2005; there were also several OVA produced based on the anime series. Video games, soundtracks, light novels, art books and other merchandise have also been released.

Plot

Setting

Main article: World of Ghost in the Shell

The series takes place in the near future, people can become cyborgs with prosthetic bodies and cyber brains.Primarily set in the fictional Japanese city of New Port, the series follows the members of Public Security Section 9, a special-operations task-force made up of former military officers and police detectives.

Story

See also: List of Ghost in the Shell characters

Ghost in the Shell begins in the year 2029 and revolves around Major Motoko Kusanagi's (commonly known as "the Major") hunt for a cyber-criminal known as "The Puppeteer" (known as The Puppet Master in the film), whose real identity is unknown. The Puppeteer commits a large number of crimes by the act of breaking into and taking control of human minds known as "ghost hacking". During an investigation of a missing robot, Public Security Section 9 discover the robot is The Puppeteer who is actually a unique autonomous artificial intelligence project known as Project 2501 created by the Treaty Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), known as Section 6. Attempting to gather more information, Kusanagi brain dives into The Puppeteer however it's consciousness was collapsed and was presumed destroyed but Kusanagi believes that it is still alive and can sense its presence.[1] In the year 2030, after accidentally killing a suspect in a covert operation, Kusanagi creates a hostage situation in order for Section 9 not be held accountable for her previous actions.[2] She escapes with the help of Batou to find a new body for her, however she discovers The Puppeteer is still alive in her cyber brain. In pursuit of its evolution, The Puppeteer proposes to merge with Kusanagi. Kusanagi, although initially skeptical, agrees to allow the Puppeteer to merge with her own consciousness. After merging with The Puppeteer, Kusanagi awakes in one of her safe house and a new body given to by Batou. Batou asks her what she will do next, in which Kusanagi replies that she doesn't know but states that "the net is vast".[3]

Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface takes place on March 6, 2035 (five years after the events of Ghost in the Shell) and revolves around Motoko Aramaki (Motoko Kusanagi/Puppeteer) who is chief security officer for a giant multinational conglomerate. Motoko Aramaki digitally transfers her personality and capabilities between cyborg bodies stashed around the world, as she attacks industrial spies, assassins and cyber-hackers while keeping up a steady stream of digital communications with various robotic assistants and her secretary back at the office.

Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor takes place between Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface and follows Section 9 and their covert op investigations. In the chapter Fat Cat begins with a young woman who calls Section 9 to investigate her father's recent strange actions, and he turns out to be operated (through his electronic brain) by remote control. In the chapter, Drive Slave, Chroma (a.k.a. the Major) returns when her bounty hunt collides with Section 9's witness protection case. In the chapter, Mines of Mind, a cyber-date gets interrupted by an arms dealer's murder, which leads to a cyborg shoot-out at the marina and the reappearance of an agent's old friend. In the chapter, Lost Past, the investigation into a kidnapping gone wrong leads to a covert operation by another government department into Okinawa terrorism.

Development

Masamune Shirow was influenced by several books on insects. Shirow had also noticed that young boys in Japan seem to identify to Robot heroes first. Throughout writing the manga, Masamune Shirow had a struggle of finding of not making it neither too complex nor too simple.[4] Shirow stated he drew approximately 40 pages per episode and took 40 days to finish one episode.[5]

When developing Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-machine interface, Masamune Shirow initially wanted to use a new title by changing the last kanji character meaning "military unit", to the homophonic kanji for "body" so that it would translate "Mobile Unit Body Entity". However for various reasons, he decided not to do so.[6] Shirow considers the manga a completely different kind of work and not a true sequel as the plot of Ghost in the Shell revolved around Public Security Section 9 and Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface follows what happens to Motoko after she merges with the Puppeteer. Shirow had drew the color pages on computer, in which he states was difficult to due to technical issues with his computer. In the "short-cut" version of the manga, Masamune Shirow made the color darker and softer, but used more contrasting colors in the "standard" version.[7]

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell ran from April 1989 to November 1990 in Kodansha's manga anthology Young Magazine, and was released in tankobon format on October 2, 1991.[8] The dates in the chapter titles are set up in DD-MM-YYYY format. Dark Horse initially published it monthly into 8 comic issues from March 1, 1995 to October 1, 1995 with the translation of Studio Proteus.[9][10] It was later collected into a single volume in trade paperback format on early December 1, 1995.[11] An uncensored version was later released by Dark Horse Comics on October 6, 2004.[12] The manga was later republished by Kodansha Comics USA on October 13, 2009.[13]

Masamune Shirow later created a sequel titled Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface. The dates in the chapter titles are set up in YYYY.MM.DD format along with the time in "AM/PM HH:MM" format except for chapter 6 in which it has the time in "HH:MM AM/PM" format.The manga series ran in Young Magazine from September 1991 to August 1997 and was originally released in Hardcover fomat along with the original manga in a limited edition box set titled Kōkaku Kidōtai SOLID BOX (攻殻機動隊SOLID BOX, Mobile Armored Riot Police Solid Box) on December 1, 2000. The box set also contained a booklet titled ManMachine Interface Inactive Module, a poster, and a fuchikoma action figures.[14] Kodansha later released the standard edition in tankobon format on June 26, 2001.[15] The SOLID BOX version added over 140 pages of new content and more changes were added to the tankobon version such as 24 color pages and large modifications to over 20 pages. However 200 pages from the original version that ran in Young Magazine were not included in neither SOLID BOX nor the tankobon version.[16] The manga was then distributed in English by Dark Horse Comics into 11 comic issues from January 29, 2003 to December 31, 2003.[17][18] Masamune Shirow manually redrew the manga for the english version so that it could be read from left to right.[19] It was later collected into a single volume in trade paperback format on January 12, 2005.[20] The manga was later republished by Kodansha Comics USA on August 10, 2010.[21]

Four chapters that were not released in tankobon format from previous releases, were later collected into a single volume titled Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor serving as an interquel. The manga was published in July 23, 2003 by Kodansha.[22] It contained a Booklet and a CD-ROM featuring the full stories, adding music to the manga scenes, and a screen saver.[23] Dark Horse Comics announced an english version at the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con.[24] The series was released as 8 individual comic issues from November 1, 2006 to June 6, 2007 and was the first of the Ghost in the Shell manga released in the U.S. to read right-to-left.[25][26] The four original titles were each split into two each, to make up the 8 in this series. It was later collected in a single volume in trade paperback format on October 10, 2007.[27] The manga was later republished by Kodansha Comics USA on September 25, 2012.[28]

No. Title Original release date English release date
1Ghost in the Shell
Kōkaku Kidōtai (攻殻機動隊)		October 2, 1991[8]
4-06-313248-X		December 1, 1995[11]
1-56971-081-3
  • 01 Prologue
  • 02 Super Spartan - 10.4.2029
  • 03 Junk Jungle - 27.7.2029
  • 04 Megatech Machine 1 - Revolt of the Robots
  • 05 Megatech Machine 2 - The Making of a Cyborg
  • 06 Robot Rondo - 1.10.2029
  • 07 Phantom Fund - 24.12.2029
  • 08 Dumb Barter - 2.5.2030
  • 09 Bye Bye Clay - 15.7.2030
  • 10 Brain Drain - 9.9.2030
  • 11 Ghost Coast - 18.9.2030
2Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface
Kōkaku Kidōtai 2 (攻殻機動2)		June 26, 2001[15]
4-06-336310-4		January 12, 2005[20]
1-59307-204-X
  • 01 Prologue 2035.03.06.AM05:05
  • 02 Underwater 2035.03.06.AM05:45
  • 03 Circuit Weapon 2035.03.06.PM01:12
  • 04 Fly by Orbit 2035.03.06.PM01:12
  • 05 Mold of Life 2035.03.06.PM01:54
  • 06 Epilogue 2035.03.06.05:35AM
1.5Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor
Kōkaku Kidōtai 1.5 (攻殻機動隊1.5)		July 23, 2003 [22]
978-4-06-350406-4		October 10, 2007[27]
978-1-59307-815-7
  • Fat Cat part1 and part2
  • Drive Slave part1 and part2
  • Mines of Mind part1 and part2
  • Lost Past part1 and part2

Films

The manga was first adapted into a theatrical anime film in 1995, titled Ghost in the Shell (GHOST IN THE SHELL／攻殻機動隊, Gōsuto In Za Sheru/Kōkaku Kidōtai), directed by Mamoru Oshii. The film was followed by a sequel titled Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, known as Innocence (イノセンス) in Japan. It was produced in 2004, which was also directed by Oshii and places the character of Batou in the lead role. Both were based on storylines from the first manga. The original film was redone in 2008 titled Ghost in the Shell 2.0, updating the computer graphics and re-recording the sound in 6.1 surround sound, though some members of the cast had to be changed. The new version premiered on 12 July 2008 in Japan.[29]

As of 2008, DreamWorks acquired the rights to produce a live-action film adaptation of the original manga with Steven Spielberg. Avi Arad and Steven Paul are confirmed producers; Jamie Moss was originally hired to adapt the manga into a screenplay[30] but in October 2009 it was announced that Laeta Kalogridis had replaced Moss as writer.[31]

TV series

The series has been adapted into an anime series titled Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex with a total of two seasons and one TV film. The series was written and directed by Kenji Kamiyama and produced by Production I.G, airing on Animax from 1 October 2002 to 25 March 2003 with a total of 26 episodes. The second season titled Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG was also written and directed by Kenji Kamiyama and produced by Production I.G. 2nd GIG aired on Animax from 1 January 2004 to 8 January 2005, with a total of 26 episodes.[32] The anime TV series was adapted into OVAs,[33] novels,[34] manga,[35] and video games[36] aswell.

The anime was later followed by a film sequel titled, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society. The film was also directed by Kenji Kamiyama,and premiered on the SKY Perfect satellite television network on September 1, 2006.[37] It was also aired as part of the SyFy Channel's Ani-Monday programming block.[38] Solid State Society was later remade in 3D and released Tokyo's Shinjuku Wald 9 theater on March 25, 2011.[39]

Other

See also: Ghost in the Shell (video game)

A PlayStation game based on the film and manga was developed by Exact and released on July 17, 1997 in Japan by Sony Computer Entertainment.[40] The game was distributed by THQ and released on November 3, 1997 in North America.[41] A box set titled Kōkaku Kidōtai Cyberdelics (攻殻機動隊Cyberdelics, Mobile Armored Riot Police Cyberdelics) was released on July 8, 1997. The box set contains a collection of posters illustrated by Masamune Shirow, a booklet and a puzzle.[42] An art book titled The Ghost in the Shell: Fuchikoma Papercraft (攻殻機動隊フチコマ立体図鑑, Kōkaku Kidōtai fuchikoma Rittai zukan, lit. "Mobile Armored Riot Police Fuchikoma three-dimensional picture book") was released by Kodansha on July 24, 2000. The book contains several different artwork and paper cut out figures of the Fuchikoma.[43]

Reception

Ghost in the Shell had received mainly positive reviews. Leroy Douresseaux of ComicBookBin gave the manga an A stating "It is visually potent and often inscrutable, but its sense of wonder and exploration makes its ideas still seem fresh two decades after its debut."[44] Peter Gutiérrez of Teenreads praised the manga stating, "In short, Ghost in the Shell is hard sci-fi of the best possible sort: the type that’s so full of both undiluted artfulness and philosophy that it’s arguably a must-read even for those who don’t usually take to the genre."[45] Active Anime praised the manga stating, "The Ghost in the Shell is a classic manga milestone, and a very important and influential book. [sic] Incredible art and story – a Top Ten List kind of book."[46] Read About Comics praised the artwork, however criticized the manga for it's story pacing and collection of short adventures stating, "I’m glad I got to experience Shirow’s artistic view of the future and am a little interested in the idea of his Intron Depot art books, but on the whole Ghost in the Shell was a massive shell game: flashy and fascinating from a glance, but ultimately empty when you decide to dive in."[47] Publishers Weekly praised the manga for its artwork stating, "Masamune's b&w drawings are dynamic and beautifully gestural; he vividly renders the awesome urban landscape of a futuristic, supertechnological Japan."[48]

Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface had sold over 100,000 copies from its initial printing in Japan.[16] Diamond Comics ranked the manga #7 in its Top Performing Manga list of 2005.[49] Mike Crandol of Anime News Network criticized for being too complex and overwhelming stating it is "too technical for its own good." Crandol however praised the new artwork stating,"His canny drawing skills are supplemented by an innovative use of CGI graphics that represent the series' boldest artistic endeavor."[50] Publishers Weekly praised the artwork stating, "The color and b&w graphics are stunning, brilliantly evoking the nonvisual world of data transmission." However mentions that the story can be confusing.[51]

Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor was ranked #10 in New York Times Manga Best Seller List on October 19, 2012.[52] Scott Green praised the manga for its footnotes stating, "The foot notes alone are worth the price of admission. The degree to which he apparently takes every aspect seriously and the amount of information he'd like to convey verges on a disorder."[53]

Impact and influence

The Wachowskis, makers of The Matrix trilogy, have commented on the influence of the first Ghost in the Shell film, directed by Mamoru Oshii, on The Matrix.[54] Producer Joel Silver also was shown Ghost in the Shell film during a pitch from the Wachowskis to indicate the style and look they wanted for The Matrix. James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino both acknowledge the influence of its rococo plots and stylized visuals. [55]

References

Specific

Ghost in the Shell. Dark Horse. ISBN 1-56971-081-3. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)

General

  1. ^ "09.Bye Bye Clay". Ghost in the Shell.
  2. ^ "10.Brain Drain". Ghost in the Shell.
  3. ^ "11.Ghost Coast". Ghost in the Shell.
  4. ^ "An Interview with Masamune Shirow". Frederick L. Schodt. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  5. ^ "Toren Smith's 2nd Interview with Masamune Shirow". Studio Proteus. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  6. ^ Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine interface issue #11. p. 2.
  7. ^ "Web Interview Masamune Shirow". Kukaku.free.fr. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  8. ^ a b "攻殻機動隊（１）" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  9. ^ "GHOST IN THE SHELL #1 (OF 8)". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  10. ^ "GHOST IN THE SHELL #8 (OF 8)". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  11. ^ a b "GHOST IN THE SHELL TPB". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  12. ^ "GHOST IN THE SHELL 1 2ND EDITION TPB". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  13. ^ "Ghost in the Shell Volume 1". Kodansha Comics USA. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  14. ^ "攻殻機動隊ＳＯＬＩＤ　ＢＯＸ" (in Japanese). 7net. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  15. ^ a b "攻殻機動隊２" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  16. ^ a b "Ghost in the Shell 2--The Dark Horse Interview". ICv2. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  17. ^ "GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE #1". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  18. ^ "GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE #11". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  19. ^ "Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface". ICv2. Retrieved 2012-11-27.
  20. ^ a b "GHOST IN THE SHELL VOLUME 2: MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE TPB". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  21. ^ "Ghost in the Shell Volume 2". Kodansha Comics USA. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  22. ^ a b "攻殻機動隊１．５" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  23. ^ "ＣＤ‐ＲＯＭ　攻殻機動隊１．５" (in Japanese). 7net. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
  24. ^ "Dark Horse Comic-Con Announcements". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  25. ^ "GHOST IN THE SHELL 1.5: HUMAN-ERROR PROCESSOR #1". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  26. ^ "GHOST IN THE SHELL 1.5: HUMAN-ERROR PROCESSOR #8". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  27. ^ a b "GHOST IN THE SHELL 1.5: HUMAN-ERROR PROCESSOR TPB". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  28. ^ "Ghost in the Shell 1.5". Kodansha Comics USA. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
  29. ^ "Ghost in the Shell to Return to Japanese Theaters". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  30. ^ Siegel, Tatiana; Fleming, Michael (April 14, 2008). "DreamWorks to make 'Ghost' in 3-D". Variety.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  31. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (October 22, 2009). "Kalogridis to adapt 'Ghost in the Shell'". Variety.com. Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  32. ^ "Staff & Cast". Production I.G. Archived from the original on 09-02-2011. Retrieved 09-02-2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |archivedate= (help)
  33. ^ "攻殻機動隊 ＳＴＡＮＤ ＡＬＯＮＥ ＣＯＭＰＬＥＸ Ｔｈｅ Ｌａｕｇｈｉｎｇ Ｍａｎ（Ｂｌｕ－ｒａｙ）" (in Japanese). Jbook. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
  34. ^ "攻殻機動隊 虚夢回路" (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  35. ^ "Ghost in the Shell: SAC to Spawn 2 New Manga in Japan (Updated)". Anime News Network. November 7, 2009. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  36. ^ "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex". IGN. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  37. ^ "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society Overview". Production I.G. November 24, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  38. ^ "Ani-Monday HOME". NBC Universal. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  39. ^ Saabedra, Humberto (2010-11-22). "Ghost in the Shell Solid State Society 3D Screening in March 2011". AnimeNews.biz. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  40. ^ "攻殻機動隊 GHOST IN THE SHELL". Sony Computer Entertainment. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  41. ^ "Ghost in the Shell". IGN. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
  42. ^ "攻殻機動隊　Ｃｙｂｅｒｄｅｌｉｃｓ" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2012-11-24.
  43. ^ "攻殻機動隊フチコマ立体図鑑" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  44. ^ Douresseaux, Leroy. "The Ghost in the Shell: Volume 1". ComicBookBin. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  45. ^ Gutiérrez, Peter. "The Ghost in the Shell, Vol. 1". Teanreads. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  46. ^ "The Ghost in the Shell". Active Anime. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  47. ^ "Ghost in the Shell". Read About Comics. Retrieved 2012-11-13.
  48. ^ "GHOST IN THE SHELL". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  49. ^ "Diamond Announces Top Direct Market Performers". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  50. ^ Crandol, Mike. "Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface (manga)". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
  51. ^ "GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: Man-Machine Interface". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  52. ^ "New York Times Manga Best Seller List, October 7-13". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  53. ^ "AICN Anime-Sci-Fi Reviews of Ghost in the Shell 1.5 and Freedom (Featuring Design by Akira's Katsuhiro Otomo)". Aint it Cool News. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  54. ^ WarnerVideo.com, Interview with the Wachowski siblings, Warner Brothers Studios, Official Website.
  55. ^ Mann, Charles (September 2004). "The Giants of Anime are Coming". Wired. Retrieved November 29, 2012.

External links

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ghost_in_the_Shell&diff=531155658&oldid=531154818

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