As cyber-punk manga goes this is probably the most well-known and highly-regarded of them. Influenced by a variety of sources, and in turn providing inspiration for many later artists, “The Ghost in the Shell” is a work that has become truly embedded in the public consciousness (whether people know it or not).
The manga focuses on a future society in which the internet and cyberisation have blurred the lines between humans and robots, and the real world and the online world. Our protagonists are a special ops team whose purpose is to stop high-level hackers and other cyber-criminals. Led by their charismatic leader Motoko Kusanagi, under the supervision of Aramaki, Section 9 is intended to operate somewhat independently of regular law enforcement. They are joined by other team members, Bato, Ishikawa, and even, unusually, a fully human member Togusa. Each chapter of the manga follows the team on a separate action-packed mission and there is clearly a love of cop dramas and science-fiction throughout. Shirow is also dedicated to details and his entertaining footnotes are a pleasant addition to the narrative. Whether it is explaining his thoughts on the political set-up of Japan, or simply to tell you that he quite likes porridge, it is an endearing part of the work that helps you feel closer to the author and understand their reasoning behind certain story decisions. The world of “The Ghost in the Shell” contains a fantastic level of details, whether it is government ministers who reappear, or the explanation of how cyberisation techniques work, and all of this helps create a reality to this unfamiliar future. There is also a sense of fun that is lacking in later iterations of the franchise, with characters often appearing in more cartoonish form to make quips.
The art work is great throughout, with incredible cities, crowded streets and more. They are drawings that it is fun to pick over and spot little additions or simply marvel at what you are seeing. Shirow keeps everything hi-tempo, and states a dislike for exposition when it can be avoided. You will often see characters being active while explaining which helps keep things interesting while giving huge amounts of information at the same time. And every moment of drama is captured perfectly, whether helicopters landing, or characters running, leaping or fighting. The stories all work well in the episodic format as well as a longer story involving the Puppeteer (that was used in the anime film adaptation). A must-read for fans of dystopian science-fiction and action-packed comic books.
