Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Ghost Pain

By: Robert Murphy 

This past year, the buzz about the new release for the Ghost in the Shell series left me wondering and wanting to now what was to come next for the show. With the American release for the first two chapters in the series finally coming out, my curiosity could finally be answered. Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Ghost Pain is the first part of this new venture and gives us a how new look and new face to the team we came to know over the years but the changes are not as severe as they may look at first glance. Although, while others may be shocked by the new look, it is something that I enjoyed as I watched this first chapter. 

Major Motoko Kusanagi appears with a younger looking face and presence than we are used to and while her shall we say "older" self is more in control, this younger presence hasn't quite learned the ropes just yet. The Major has just returned to Japan after hearing about the death of a former Lt. and close friend, she sets out to find the killer and solve the mystery behind the allegations he had surrounding him before his death. It felt effortless to jump into this cyber crime mystery, like slipping on a glove and that was something that made me love this first chapter. Not only this but the mystery itself is a rather good one, The Major doesn't have as many resources to work with as we've come to see before and the whole situation felt more like an undercover crime solving as she followed up on clues left by security cameras in one instance to follow the last known locations of the Lt.. It's more of a dangerous situation for her to move around and that's something that gave the story and edge I appreciated, the Major isn't so free at this point in time and it makes things much more difficult for her. 

This also obviously all takes place in a time before the formation of the Major's team as well but many of the big names and faces make their appearance. While the Major follows her own leads on the crime she finds that there are quite a few others looking for information and out to solve the murder themselves. Following their own leads, members of Section 9 meet one another on mostly by happenstance as they all come from different walks of life and having their own brand of skills. This is also nice to see in action because many times during the original show you don't fully see just how unique and strong the aspects of Section 9 are apart from the Major. The scene I particularly enjoyed was when all the mountain of information comes crashing down around her and her future team members and boss stand around her. It's a powerful moment in the story not only for her and the team but it further shows their abilities that are prominent here. 

As I mentioned earlier though, the Major has a different feel to her this time around and that's because she hasn't yet become the person viewers have seen her as before. It's not necessarily a weakness that I am talking about either, she is still the incredible fighter and expert hacker but she hasn't yet stood on her own quite yet. She also faces an actual weakness though in the story and that is an unknown pain and issue with her cyborg body. The "ghost pain" she experiences throughout the story hinders her on more than one occasion and she neither knows where it came from our what is causing it. It makes solving the crime even harder for her especially when trying to defend herself against her attackers but also the allegations she begins to face as well. Seeing her strength this early on though proves one a strong lead the Major has always been though and despite this negative aspect working against her, she still kicks serious tale throughout the episode. 

Things begin to take a trippy turn too once these attacks occur on her body, there is a serious question of what is real and whether or not the Major is at fault. Ghost in the Shell has always excelled at this sort of story telling, not being able to distinct reality from a false memory implanted inside of you. It's always a possibility in this cybernetic future as the Major shows off just how easily you can hack into something or someone, how can you fight when your eyes are hacked into? It's kind of a scary thought but a great aspect to this story as the Major suffers from something invading her body now and whether or not it has effected her in some way. 

What else can I say for Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Ghost Pain? The mystery and mind altering story is one that I thoroughly enjoyed watching and works well with the Ghost in the Shell style that I've seen in the past. The Major is also a different sort of character now, not completely but her new presence was an angle that worked for her and the story. Also, seeing new aspects for the future Section 9 team members was something of a surprise but a great one as we see new perspectives on their characters too. I feel like all the gripes or negative comments about the new look will disappear once viewers watch this first installment to Arise and I eagerly await watching the next installment.

Good:

- A edgy story/mystery

- New looks and aspects to not only the Major but other Section 9 members

- The reality questioning aspects to the Major's story line were trippy and fascinating to watch  

- The still present cybernetic and futuristic setting 

Bad:

- The question of whether this is a prequel or a whole new series may linger in the back of your minds 

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10 

Ghost in the Shell: Arise Trailer

(Written by Robert Murphy)

Got a question for a question for all you anime lovers out there, how much did you love “Ghost in the Shell?” If you answered with, “I frickin love Ghost in the Shell,” well be prepared for a special treat because the show is making a return in a whole new way for audiences to enjoy. Anime fans got a nice surprise when Production I.G. announced a new anime for the popular “Ghost in the Shell” series, called “Ghost in the Shell: Arise.” Little is revealed at the time, but further details were promised on February 12 and those details have appeared as promised along with the first trailer you can watch above.

As expected, and based on the on the video as well as images I've seen about the new anime, main character and cyborg, Motoko Kusanagi, will be seen in a younger form. However this isn't because she has moved to a new body from her old one, instead, “Arise” is set in an earlier time frame than the series and movies that have come before. We are most likely looking at the earliest years of the Major, when she first joined her team at “Section 9,” and I don’t know about you guys, but I for one am excited.

Details of when “Arise” will appear in the West have not yet been revealed (sorry American readers) but in Japan the new series will be launched as four 50-minute parts. A manga carrying the same name is also being produced to accompany the series. It will start running as in Monthly Young Magazine from April, and will probably end up in graphic novel from for Western audiences (eventually) although I don’t know when (sorry once again, America).

Although I myself, and other readers outside Japan, may not get to see this new anime or the manga for some time, I am willing to wait for this exciting new expansion into the world of “Ghost in the Shell” in the mean time feel free to enjoy the video and keep your eyes open for more details.

Ghost in the Shell: Movie

This movie is set in the near future when the advent of cybernetics has allowed people to put themselves into artificial bodies.  While this is a huge step forward for science and medical technology, it introduces new elements to this radical new world.  A mysterious hacker, known only as "The Puppet Master," has been hacking into people's bodies and minds in order to manipulate their memories and have them do his bidding.  In the pursuit to catch the most talented and infamous hacker in history is Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team.  During this investigation they begin to uncover a dark conspiracy and start to question the very nature of what they are chasing after, and subsequently the nature of what defines us as human.  One of this movies major themes centers around making you ask yourself: "What does it mean to be human, or even to be alive, for that matter?"

I'm going to put it out there right there: this movie is adult. Why? Is there nudity? Well, yes a bit, but what makes me label this movie as truly adult is both the plot and the vocabulary.  This movie, as I previously said, challenges you to challenge your own existence in a way.  The plot continuously points out that with human beings having their bodies become cybernetic and having their brains installed with Wi-Fi it not only makes it possible to check your Facebook like there's a computer screen on your contact lenses.  It also means that, like the computer screen you often have clued to your eyes like a contact lens, you can be hacked into and manipulated.  Victims of the "Puppet Master" don't know they were hacked into, they simply have memories of a life that isn't their own.  These memories don't belong to another person, they are complete fabrications used to manipulate people into doing whatever the Puppet Master wants.  All of these bits of the story feel intended not only to draw you into the story, but to draw loose parallels between this futuristic world and our own.  Very few stories can make you think on this level.  It not only explores the classic "human vs. machine"  type of plot, but it actually goes into challenging many of the traditional notions that we are so far apart in terms of the nature of our existence.  The action is pretty good, feeling very grounded with great visuals but still able to demonstrate that this is an age when people have cybernetic bodies with abilities that make them appear superhuman at times.  This movie definitely has a little something for everybody: action, story, strong dialogue, and a compelling main character.

In summary,  "Ghost in the Shell" is an anime classic that should be on the shelf of any serious collector.  With extremely positive reviews from critics such as Siskel & Ebert (see cover photo below), this is a movie that shouldn't be taken seriously as just an anime feature, but as a contribution to movies as a whole.  However, this movie is undoubtedly aimed at challenging thoughtful viewers.  It should not be treated as simple viewing material.

The Good:

- Strong female protagonist that drives the narrative forward while challenging not only her own existence but what defines life in general.

- Sophisticated plot that feels well thought out and full of depth to draw you in.

- Just enough action to where it keeps you excited, but doesn't take away from the narrative overall.

The Bad:

- While this doesn't impact MY rating, it should be noted that there is some nudity (and a bit of blood and gore) and that unless you can keep up with the dialogue (specifically the vocabulary) you will have a hard time keeping up with the entire story.

Scully Rating: 10 out of 10

Watch "Ghost in the Shell" at: http://www.justdubs.net/article/Episodes/15677