Ghost in the Shell (1995) [Anime Review]

Ghost in the Shell; or, Whispers of the Soul

     Just as there are many parts needed to make a human a human, there’s a remarkable number of things needed to make an individual what they are. A face to distinguish yourself from others. A voice you aren't aware of yourself. The hand you see when you awaken. The memories of childhood, the feelings for the future. That’s not all. There’s the expanse of the data net my cyber-brain can access. All of that goes into making me what I am. Giving rise to a consciousness that I call “me.”

There are not many anime features that are widely recognised and appreciated when their titles are uttered. For instance, we can enumerate such films as Akira (1988), Perfect Blue (1998), and Spirited Away (2001), all being the icons of Japanese animation in their own right. However, Ghost in the Shell, a 1995 production directed by Mamoru Oshii and based on the manga by Masamune Shirow, is also a part of this “hall of fame”. It is a philosophical tale about cyborgs in pursuit of self-identity in the age driven by technology.
Release Info

Directed by: Mamoru Oshii Voice actors: Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka, Tamio Oki, Iemasa Kayumi

Language: Japanese Original Title: 攻殻機動隊 Runtime: 82 min

Synopsis

It is the year 2029. Thanks to technological advancements, a human body (and even its brain) can now be fixed by cybernetic parts. The only differentiating factor between people and mindless cyborgs is the possession of a “ghost” (consciousness) within cybernetic shells. Major Motoko Kusanagi is an assault-team leader of Section 9, a group dealing with Public Security issues. The team stumbles upon a case when the Foreign Minister’s translator is ghost-hacked by the elusive international terrorist known as the Puppet Master. Section 9 begins the hunt after the Puppet Master in the course of which they discover a top-secret government conspiracy.

 

“For now we see through a glass, darkly.”

I became aware of the Ghost in the Shell franchise in the late 2000s when someone told me that The Matrix (1999) is basically a rip-off of the original animation. Needless to say, I checked out the 1995 film on my own and found it to be much more entertaining as well as thought-provoking than the Hollywood’s sci-fi “reimagining,” so to say.

 

Ghost in the Shell is a classic 2D animation rich in great visuals. There are lots of marvellous sequences like, for example, Major’s rooftop drop, chase after a bogus thug, or the final fight against Tachikoma. Even the scenes of Kusanagi roaming through the futuristic city were spot on. One can clearly see that Oshii was going for “the feels” in this film rather than proper story-telling. It is a shame though that these sequences were “re-enacted” in the horrendous 2017 live-action adaptation.

 

The similarities to Blade Runner (1982) are striking and, as Oshii said himself, no cyberpunk buff can fully escape the influence of this one movie. However, Ghost in the Shell manages to give a fresh perspective on the theme of humanity consumed by cybernetics. Slow pace and subtle philosophical undertones add a whole new layer of interpretation, but they also render the film’s second act as completely forgettable. It is quite hard for me to actually recall every time after I watched it what exactly happened in the middle of the film. It is like Oshii performed a Jedi mind trick on me, which is the film’s only disadvantage.

The production team behind the animation actually combined classic frame-by-frame drawing with digital compositing effects and CGI. Surprisingly, the whole film was actually scanned in order to be digitally edited later on. Evidently, apart from the hectic work of the animators, the praise goes to Kenji Kawaii for composing the legendary music score which defined the world of Ghost in the Shell.

 

Recommendations

If you have not yet seen Ghost in the Shell, then do not wait any longer and check it out. Additionally, the film serves as a decent introduction into the franchise (Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004), Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002-2005), Ghost in the Shell: Arise (2013-2015)…) It is a great animation which stands out with its overload of visual aesthetics even today. I find myself fondly coming back to it every now and them. Maybe it is a whisper from my ghost which tells me to do that…

Overall score: 8/10