What makes “Ghost In the shell” so unique

Science fiction better known as sci-fi is considered the films’ greatest genre. The most imaginative genre, powerful enough to create the future in order to scrutinize issues that we’re withstanding today. This genre is not only prominent in oppressed filmmakers’ community but also fascinates young viewers.

The matrix is known as one of the founding films that polished the reputation of sci-fi films, but few know that Ghost In The Shell anime adaptation has a huge impact on these great works such as the matrix, Ex-Machina, and Westworld. Reverberating not only the film’s bonny (structure and visual) but also the concept of mankind vs technology.

The facts making Ghost In The Shell anime adaptation such a huge deal are discussed as:

• Ghost in the shell was inborn Manga (Japanese term for comics) created by Masamune Shirow in the late 80s. It was in 1995 a film adaptation was released by the same name directed by Mamuro Oshii. Then after came several film and series adaptation along with game adaptations such as First assault online etc. Even a 2.0 version was released in 2008, incorporating new CGI technology, re-recorded score, and new voice actors.

• The concept of “ghost” comes from the psychological distance between fundamental human and his cybernetically enhanced body or “shell”. Philosopher Arthur Koestler in his book “The ghost in the machine” emphasis consciousness as somehow apart and separate from biological processes, these ideas are showcased throughout Ghost in the shell’s story.

• The film postulates a future where much of the population is a cyborg. These cyborgs have immortality in their buckets though they are prone to hacks. Thus, they are rendered helpless puppets being controlled by the hackers.

• Motoko Kusanagi, better known as Major, is the protagonist. She is a cybernetically amplified government envoy operating for shadowy Section 9, public security unit. This unit sets sights on cyberterrorism in the modern version of Japan.

• The staggering view of the futuristic city provides the best aesthetics to the anime which is praised up until now. The real loud, busy streets from Hong Kong provide an animation model for the director, M. Oshii. But the exact locations are never revealed. Fans speculate that the film is set in KOBE.

• Mamoru Oshii, the director, wanted to showcase Shirow’s vast and mesmerizing source material. In order to show a cybernetic brain and body, Major is deliberately made not to blink once. Giving it the creepy doll-like feeling. This draws a line between Motoko and a regular human.

• A powerful score (soundtrack) provides depth to what is being projected on the screen. This fact is perfectly used in the form of “Making of a cyborg”. This opening theme is given by Kenji Kawai. The song is a combination of lyrics coming from the ancient Japanese language of Yamato and traditional Bulgarian harmony. This mixed-up style gives the viewers a better look at the director’s vision of the futuristic, high-tech world he created.

• “Mobile armored riot police: Ghost in the Shell”, is the title of the series in Japan. The producers wanted to make this anime a hit in the US, the UK like platforms. Thus, they wanted a commercial name for this adaptation so the creator had to fight hard for this name Ghost in the shell.

• The film’s cel animation, high-end sci-fi structure, best in class adult content, and theme led James Cameron to admit “the first truly adult animation film to reach a level of literary and visual excellence”.

• There is a difference in tone in 95 adaptation and the manga. The movie was more philosophical with darker tones, in contrast to it the manga was comparatively light-hearted. This difference can be seen in art as well.

• The director places a lot of attention to details. He was so keen on making the firearm and gunfight so realistic in the ghost in the shell film that he had the production staff go with him to Guam, where they practically dealt with actual artillery.

• While watching such human vs his creation genre we are fed with the one-sided result of human triumphing over its creation but the ghost in the shell is different. It showcases the synthesis between the two.

• Sublation is the gist of the movie ghost in the shell. It is not a mere fight between good and bad, leading to destruction at one end but rather a synthesis, a combination resulting in an evolved race. Thus, leading the world to develop, leading it to enter a new state of affairs. This state is also referred to as “Geist” i.e. ghost. Symbolizes that evolution must continue even past human beings.

• The spirit of the story is to interact with the world and thoughts, settle our conflicts with it and turn up stronger than we were before. As Mr. Wisecrack says “This is not about what will happen if we do this rather it is about what will happen if we don’t”.

At every point, the film proves that animation is accomplished enough to entertain every group of audiences with its astonishing imagination, intellectual engagement, and fascinating ideas.