History of the Ghost in the Shell series. Part 1

I think few people have never heard such a name as “Ghost in the Shell” or Ghost In The Shell. Now this is a recognized classic of anime, which never ceases to excite the minds of many generations… but where did it all begin and in general – how many variations on the Phantom theme are there??

Ghost in the Shell begins in 1989. It was then that individual excerpts from the manga authored by Masamune Shiro were released in Japan. It is important to note that in Japan the manga was published under a completely different name – “Mobile Armored Public Order Police” (although Shiro intended from the very beginning to give the name “Ghost in the Shell”). The name manga, familiar to us all, came out when translated into English.

Masamune Shiro published his first manga, Black Magic, in 1983. This work was quite primitive, but it attracted the attention of publishers, so much more successful and famous works were released (in particular, “Appleseed”). But Masamune’s most popular creation is still the Phantom.

In his works, Shiro manages to combine a rather unique set of genres: cyberpunk (with its inherent philosophy), police action-detective and mecha. And, what’s even more amazing, all this doesn’t look like a set of alien elements stitched together with white thread. The works are absolutely organic and very interesting.

The Phantom takes place in the near future (around the middle of the 21st century). Location: Japan. Technological progress has reached such heights that it makes it possible to create complete cyborgs, in which all that remains of a person is consciousness, which here is called a ghost. In fact, with this explanation, I am somewhat simplifying the facts. The ghost is, in fact, everything that makes up our individuality. Probably, it could be called a soul, but this is too intangible and non-specific a concept, that’s why I call a ghost consciousness. The main character of the entire series, Motoko Kusanagi, is precisely one of these complete cyborgs (although she still has part of her brain and spinal cord). She works in the 9th department. At its core, this is internal intelligence, designed to eliminate unwanted subjects and investigate those cases that are beyond the capabilities of the police. The best of the best work here, everyone is an expert in their field. Among them, naturally, is Motoko (whom everyone here simply calls Major), who is a field commander, an excellent soldier and an excellent hacker.

Before us is a completely classic cyberpunk world – cybernization of the population, high technology, but at the same time social stratification and everything in that spirit. I won’t go into great detail here.

So, the manga gained its fame and in 1995 received its first adaptation – a full-length anime film produced by the Production I studio.G. However, it was not so much the studio that became famous as its director, Mamoru Oshii. Although I would highlight not only him, but also the composer – Kenji Kawai, who created a truly incredible soundtrack. But let’s be consistent.

The plot of the anime tells us about the case of the Puppeteer. After the transition to complete cybernization, the so-called brain hacking became possible – a person’s memory could be changed, forced to see something that is not really there, and so on. In general, this topic – the theme of the fragility of human consciousness and personality in a world ruled by machines – is very important for manga. But I digress. So, a brilliant hacker has appeared in the world, nicknamed the Puppeteer, who, in fact, is engaged in hacking brains, for which he received his nickname. Motoko and her colleagues try to track down a mysterious criminal. I simply don’t want to say anything more about the plot – it’s better to check it out for yourself! We’re moving on.

The first thing I would like https://casino-velobet.co.uk/ to note is that the anime is not a 100% adaptation of the manga. The director made his creation much darker, more serious and philosophical. This is expressed at least in the fact that here you will not find essentially the symbol of the entire series – the Taticom robots, since they are too comical for this adaptation. In addition, absolutely rightly, Oshii left some of the characters behind the scenes in order to give the main characters time to reveal themselves more fully and better. And it worked 100%. In the center of the story, in fact, there are only two heroes left – this is Motoko herself and, probably, the only person whom she can truly call her friend – Bato, another complete cyborg working in the 9th department. All other characters turn out to be more secondary, but no less colorful. And this is often achieved through some small but very important details. For example, Togusa is in the frame for at most 10 minutes of screen time. But even one dialogue with Major is enough for the viewer to remember this character forever.

There is quite a bit of action in the anime; much more time is devoted to dialogues. And, in fact, this is only beneficial, because an overabundance of battle scenes could easily destroy such a fragile and ephemeral thing as the atmosphere. Here it is felt very, very strongly. There is little that can compare with the oppressive and viscous atmosphere of the Phantom. And it is created at different levels: dialogues, scene staging, music… all this goes into a common fund and only enhances the impact.

In essence, the anime is dedicated to finding an answer to the question: who, in a world where people without implants and cyber enhancements are the greatest rarity, can be considered a person in the full sense?? What is considered individuality?? And in general – is it possible in such a society to be separate from the system or, willy-nilly, you will still become part of it, like Major, who found herself hostage to her own cyber-body? It is with the depth of ideas and dialogue that the 1995 Phantom captivates its viewer.

Graphically, anime attracts not so much with the beauty of the picture, but with the staging and direction of the scenes. For its time, anime was simply revolutionary (for example, it was here that the technique of slow motion was first used). And just for reference: this is where the Wachowski relatives drew most of their inspiration when filming The Matrix.

The visual component of the Phantom contains many symbols and subtle allusions. Just remember the scene where a heavy tank shoots the image of the tree of life, as if thereby emphasizing the victory of machines over nature in this world. But the Phantom is famous not only for its symbolism, but also for its contrasts. Just look at the famous scene when Motoko sails through the canals of the Japan of the future. I think you will remember this combination of splendor and general decline for a long time. Well, there’s no need to even say anything about music after this. Kenji Kawai gave GitS an absolutely amazing soundtrack.

This is exactly what the 1995 Phantom turned out to be – dark, serious, full of symbolism and philosophy. This is an incredibly deep and quite complex work, but everyone can find something for themselves here.

The popularity of this anime is very difficult to describe. He is loved and praised all over the world. Needless to say, at one time The Phantom was even broadcast on television (as part of the “Closed Screening” program). Therefore, it is not surprising that in 2004 the anime received a sequel – “Ghost in the Shell: Innocence”. And in many ways, this anime has gone even further than its predecessor.

The plot takes place several years after the events of the 1995 film. The main characters are now Bato and Togusa, who are investigating the case of gynoid suicides (that is, androids with a distinctly feminine appearance).

It is not so easy to meaningfully determine the main theme of this part. There are a lot of subtexts and meanings here. Probably, in the most general terms, we can say that anime is about the importance and significance of life… but even this would be an incredible simplification. Perhaps everyone will see something different here and read the story in their own way. Of course, the same thesis applies to the plot of the 1995 anime, but, according to my personal observations, Innocence is still a more complex work and much harder to perceive. Some scenes and episodes really need to be thought through carefully.

The graphics in the anime have become more beautiful and computer animation has been added. Once again, the staging of the scenes attracts special attention. Some of the shots are simply breathtaking. You actually feel the height, speed, etc. And again, the visuals contain a lot of symbols and games with the viewer.

The atmosphere of the Phantom has not gone away here, and in some ways it has even intensified due to the change in the main character. Bateau’s depression and detachment are conveyed absolutely brilliantly. In particular, in one of the interrogation scenes you will hear… nothing, since Batou simply doesn’t care what’s going on there. It will seem that you are shell-shocked, that some individual sounds break through as if through a thick veil… but you will never know the content of the conversation. In general, the authors masterfully know how to convey what we should feel. For example, in the scene with the examination of the destroyed gynoid, it will definitely send shivers down your spine. In addition, the atmosphere was enriched with some retro motifs, since Bato is a big fan of this.

In a word, “Innocence” is simply an amazing work. Yes, it is very difficult to perceive, both visually and meaningfully, but if you appreciated the 1995 film, then you simply must watch “Innocence”.

In addition to all of the above, I should pay attention to two more points.

Firstly, the anime film Ghost in the Shell 2 was released in 2008.0". This is a re-release of the 1995 anime. Features improved sound and the fact that several scenes are replaced with 3D computer animation. To be honest, the last fact leaves slightly mixed feelings. On the one hand, these scenes are incredibly beautiful and impressive… but compared to the classic graphics of 1995, they look somehow alien.

Secondly, there is a novel “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence – After the Long Goodbye”, which is a prequel to “Innocence”. And… to be honest, I could only find it in Japanese. It’s a pity.

To sum it up, it can be banal: “Ghost in the Shell” is that classic that never gets old. Its plot, content and visual part contain so many details, nuances and meanings that it will never cease to be a living legend. But it is possible to move away from words that are so worn out to holes.

I think "Phantom" is a truly brilliant and amazing work. Even if you don’t like anime, you simply must watch Ghost in the Shell, at least the 1995 film. Because hardly anyone shoots such organic, beautiful and thoughtful works these days. And it’s unlikely that any other film will be able to give you so many new emotions, impressions and just food for thought. At the end of the day, Ghost in the Shell is an anime that likes to pose questions and leave it up to you to find the answer.

Watch (read) the next part here – stopgame.ru/blogs/topic/89070
[lyricist: GodofPlague]