The buildings, the streets, the houses, and the various vehicles are drawn in every detail, occasionally presenting images of extreme beauty. Nishikubo has highlighted the tank scene as an example of the movie’s realism, noting that bullets create sparks when hitting metal, but do not spark when a bullet strikes stone.Īpart from the movement, though, this artistry is also quite evident in the background. The pursuit of realism included the staff conducting firearms research at a facility in Guam. The one where an invisible Motoko is fighting a terrorist in a city canal is a great martial arts scene in cyberpunk style, and a distinct sample of this trait.Īnimation director Toshihiko Nishikubo was responsible for the realism and strove for accurate depictions of movement and effects. This trait is particularly evident in the action scenes, starting with the initial one and continuing up to the end of the film. Along with the impressive special effects that find their apogee in the “thermo-optical camouflage”, the technical team of the anime managed to present a rather impressive spectacle. Editing was performed on an AVID system of Avid Technology, which was chosen because it was more versatile and less limiting than other methods, and worked with the different types of media in a single environment.

“Ghost in the Shell” used a novel process called “digitally generated animation” (DGA), which is a combination of cel animation, computer graphics (CG), and audio that is entered as digital data. “Ghost in the Shell”, though, questions this theory through the concept of manufactured cyborgs, since Motoko’s thoughts and memories may not even be her own. Can cyborgs have a soul? Do they exist as individuals, since they abide by the specifications of their manufacturer? What does their existence signify? According to Descartes, Motoko exists as an individual since she is able to think and make decisions. At the same time, the concept of Motoko gives rise to a number of classic sci-fi questions. This last aspect is chiefly presented through the character of Motoko, whose ghost is the one dominating her body, to the point that it can act completely individually from it. The most important of these consequences is the loss of identity, and the subsequent dehumanization. The film presents a society where technology has made everything very easy and has allowed humanity to evolve enormously, but at the same time stresses the dangers that could arise from the over-dependence on technology. The most obvious one is the connection between man and technology, and the way it will shape the future. Soon, however, they realize that they have brought themselves into a battle between the two Ministries, and Kusanagi has to decide if she will let Puppet Master to become a human being.Īlthough “Ghost in the Shell” thrives on impressive action scenes, there are a number of meaningful comments hiding underneath the action. Along with her team of experts, she is on the hunt for the Puppet Master. Major Motoko Kusanagi is a highly evolved cyborg who works for Public Security Section 9, an individual branch of the Ministry of Interior. Eventually, the AI decides that it is an actual life form with its own rights and asks for political asylum, revolting against the people that created it, instigating cyber attacks, and at the same time threatening to reveal its illegal creation to the Ministry of Interior, as it also searches for a host that will give it actual physical hypostasis. This AI was designed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the ultimate anti-espionage weapon, and calls itself “Puppet Master”. The perfect agent of the era is not a human, but an AI capable of traveling freely in the digital ‘boulevards’ in order to find and exploit any information it can find. These are considered the most dangerous criminals of all. However, and despite the vast capabilities this technology has brought, crime always finds a way, and currently, hackers are able to infiltrate actual human brains. The persona of the individual (their soul, if you prefer) that is connected on the Internet is called ‘Ghost’. Artificial intelligence has become a significant part of everyday life and humans have already installed implants in their heads that help them communicate with computers directly, and in that fashion, are in constant connection with the Internet. Based on the homonymous manga by Masamune Shirow, the story takes place in 2029, when the world is connected through a vast electronic network that has access to all aspects of life.

Ghost in the shell 1995 analysis