Ghost in the Shell

For other uses, see Ghost in the Shell (disambiguation).

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Motoko Kusanagi from the manga Ghost in the Shell.

Ghost in the Shell (Japanese: 攻殻機動隊, Kōkaku Kidōtai, i.e. Mobile Armoured Riot Police), is a Japanese science fiction manga created by Masamune Shirow. A sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface appeared in 2002.

Two anime films have been adapted from it, as well as two seasons of an anime TV series.

Setting

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Cyborg shell

Ghost in the Shell is an existentialist search for meaning set in the 21st century. Superficially, it is a futuristic spy thriller dealing with the exploits of Motoko Kusanagi, a member of the covert operations section of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission, Section 9, which specializes in fighting technology-related crime. Although supposedly equal to all other members, Kusanagi fills the leadership role in the team, and is usually referred to as "Major" due to her past rank in the armed forces. She is capable of superhuman feats, and cybernetically specialized for her job; her body is almost completely mechanized, save her brain and a single spinal cord segment.

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Batou from the movie Ghost in the Shell (1995)

The setting of Ghost in the Shell is cyberpunk or postcyberpunk, similar to that of William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy and other post/cyberpunk works. However, Shirow's work is focused more tightly on the ethical and philosophical ramifications of the widespread merging of humanity and technology. The development of artificial intelligence and an omnipresent computer network set the stage for a reevaluation of human identity and uniqueness. More so than the films, the manga tackles these questions head on: Kusanagi and her colleagues face external threats and also suffer internal conflict over their own natures.

The overarching story of the manga is of the hunt for a cyber-criminal, the Puppeteer (known as the Puppet Master in the film), whose real identity is unknown. The Puppeteer commits a large number of crimes through a single modus operandi: "ghost hacking", that is, breaking into and taking control of human minds. As the agents of Section 9 start to unravel the mystery of the Puppeteer, it becomes clear that it is no ordinary criminal, but a unique autonomous artificial intelligence project (Top Secret Project 2501) created by another government agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), also known as Section 6. The Puppeteer escapes Section 6 servers in pursuit of his evolution through merging with Kusanagi. Kusanagi, although initially skeptical, finally agrees to allow the Puppeteer to merge with her own consciousness, sharing her body, in what is no doubt intended to raise even more questions about the nature of human identity in a world where human consciousness is no longer unique.

The manga is notable for the proliferance of footnotes and commentary by Shirow himself on both the technology and the socio-political background of the setting (in the complete, English language graphic novel edition, these take up more than 30 pages).

The philosophy of Ghost in the Shell

Ghost In The Shell Summary: In the year 2029, the world has become interconnected by a vast electronic network that permeates every aspect of life. That same network also becomes a battlefield for Tokyo's Section Nine security force, which has been charged with apprehending the master hacker known only as the Puppet Master. Spearheading the investigation is Major Motoko Kusanagi, who -- like many in her department -- is a cyborg officer, far more powerful than her human appearance would suggest. And yet as the Puppet Master, who is even capable of hacking human minds, leaves a trail of victims robbed of their memories, Kusanagi ponders the very nature of her existence: is she purely an artificial construct, or is there more? What exactly is the definition of human in a society where a persons mind can be copied and the body replaced with a fully synthetic body? What, exactly, is the "ghost" -- her essence -- in her cybernetic "shell"? Where is the boundry between human and machine when the differences between the two become more philosophical then physical? When Section Six gets involved in the case, she is forced to confront these and other questions as she confronts the "Puppet Master", a being that trancends humanity and ultimately challenges Kusanagi to transend her own self understanding and limitations as well.

Ghosts

In Ghost in the Shell, the word ghost is colloquial slang for an individual's mind or essence of being. In the manga's futuristic society, science has redefined the "soul" or "ghost", as the thing that differentiates a human being from a biological robot. Regardless of how much biological material is replaced with electronic or mechanical substitutes, as long as an individual retains their ghost, they retain their humanity and individuality.

The concept of the ghost was borrowed by Masamune Shirow from an essay on structuralism, "The Ghost in the Machine" by Arthur Koestler. The title The Ghost in the Machine itself was originally used by a British philosopher, Gilbert Ryle to mock the paradox of conventional Cartesian dualism and Dualism in general. Koestler, like Ryle, denies Cartesian dualism and locates the origin of human mind in the physical condition of the brain. He argues that the human brain has grown and built upon earlier, more primitive brain structures, the "ghost in the machine", which at times overpower higher logical functions, and are responsible for hate, anger and other such destructive impulses. Shirow denies dualism similarly in his work, but defines the "ghost" more broadly, not only as a physical trait, but as a phase or phenomenon that appears in a system at a certain level of complexity. The brain itself is only part of the whole neural network; if, for example, an organ is removed from a body, the autonomic nerve of the organ and consequently its "ghost" will vanish unless the stimulus of the existence of the organ is perfectly re-produced by a mechanical substitution (this isn't necessarily true, think of pain in phantom limbs). This can be compared, by analogy, to a person with innate hearing disability being unable to understand the concept of "hearing" unless taught.

In Ghost in the Shell, Kusanagi completely reproduces the stimulus of all of her organs in order to maintain her "ghost". If a technical error arises during the transfer of a "ghost" from one body to another, the transfer normally results in failure, since the "ghost" tends to deteriorate due to either the difference of system at the material level or the deficiency of the transferring protocol. The Puppeteer manages not to deteriorate its "ghost" when merging with Kusanagi because his system is the body of information itself, thereby avoiding a deterioration due to the deficiency at material level.

The Ancient Greeks had a similar paradox, called the Ship of Theseus. Hegel's concept of Geist may also be related.

Birth

Another interpretation of the fusion of Kusanagi and the Puppeteer is analogous to the concept of birth whereby two separate entities create a third entity which is not the same as either of the originating ghosts or DNA sets but shares common traits. The Puppeteer does not wish to merely save himself from termination: to do so, he could simply ask Kusanagi to give him shared space in her memory cores that she could offload later into another robotic receptacle. He quite specifically asks her to fuse her "ghost" or "soul" with his own, a form of marriage/birth in which the resultant being is neither the Puppeteer nor Kusanagi but a new being entirely. Notice the symbolism in the movie when Kusanagi/Puppeteer gets a new body - that of a child. This touches upon concepts of birth, immortality through progeny, and the union of two ghosts/people in the creation of progeny.

Humanity

Throughout the story the cyborg characters, being more or less a human brain with a manufactured body, contemplate individually and together what being human really is, and how a soul or ghost is truly defined. The Puppeteer is an AI, yet they recognize traits and personality within his mind structure that are clearly analogous to a human soul or ghost image. They cannot discount this similarity as it is very clearly analyzed by their medical scanning tools when they first captured the Puppeteer. The members of Section 9 must re-evaluate their own tenuous hold on the idea of humanity and "self", when faced with a being who clearly is self directed and has a ghost but was originated as a complex program not a DNA organism.

AI as a step in evolution

A very important concept within Ghost in the Shell is that evolution is the process of merging two sets of data (DNA) in order to create a third set of data which contains the most vital elements of the original organisms along with some element of chance. The Puppeteer has evolved beyond DNA as a data set and thus to procreate (his true desire and purpose for leaving the net in the first place) this new organism (a soul not born of DNA) a new paradigm of data merging needs to be contemplated for which he has sought Kusanagi out. This is a merger of two operating "souls" or "ghosts" into one mind, which is specifically different than birth while being analogous to it at the same time.

De-Ghosting

One of the consequences of this revelation is a final resolution of the nature versus nurture debate in sociology. When a criminal is convicted of a crime in Masamune Shirow's future world, a detailed technical analysis is done of the subject. If it is discovered that the crime was committed due to a material defect in either the biological or electronic components of the convict's brain, the defect is repaired and the convict is released. If, instead, the crime is determined to have been the result of an individual's ghost, then there is only one cure: the removal of the portion of the brain that communicates with the soul, thereby de-ghosting the criminal and preventing any possibility of future criminal behavior.

Tachikoma/Fuchikoma (タチコマ / フチコマ)

Tachikoma (they are called Tachikoma in Stand Alone Complex, but called Fuchikoma in the original manga. Note that Fuchikomas are the next generation of Tachikomas after the Tachikomas are destroyed in Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig) are artificially intelligent mini-tanks (walkers) employed by Section 9. Because of the demands of field duty, these robots are constructed with extremely flexible, adaptable AIs that lack many of the safeguards present in other artificially intelligent robots. While this enables them to behave unpredictably and flexibly, it also presents difficulties for the members of Section 9, who must monitor the Fuchikoma closely for signs of undesirable emotional development.

The underlying statement here is that predictable behavior results in inherent weakness. Section 9, as an organization, needs heterogeneity and even organic weakness if it is to survive. "A machine where all the parts respond the same way is a brittle tool."

Tachikoma ask questions that otherwise would not have been brought to mind. Like children that are trying to understand the world, yet with superior thinking capabilities. There are Tachikoma short clips that involve them discussing complex philosophical issues and how they relate to existence. They provide more of an innocent look on the world that surrounds them.

Cyberbrain warfare/Ghost hacking

Cyberbrain warfare is the practice of employing ghost hacking as a means of gaining access to an opponent's cyberbrain, and ultimately, their ghost. A successful cyberhacker can intercept, censor, or augment the sensory information being received by a victim, or even go so far as to destroy or rewrite complete memories. Furthermore, cyberbrain can be directly injured, by making the cyberbrain undergo unaffordable computation and thus overheat. (See Cordwainer Smith's "The Burning of the Brain")

Cyberbrain warfare is portrayed as a natural consequence of the integration of cybernetic and wireless communication technology directly into the human brain. Despite the apparent risks, even the most paranoid characters in the story find the benefits of directly networking their brains to be indispensable.

Apparently, any conduit by which information is absorbed by the brain can be exploited for ghost hacking. Shirow envisions the use of firewalls for protecting the ghost against attack, and multiple layers of encryption.

External Memory

Like information stored in the hard-drive of a modern computer the memories of a ghost can become fragmented and unreliable. This is the result of ghost-hacking, psychological treatment, trauma experienced while ghost-diving, corrupted transferrence from one cyber-brain to another, and the degradation of memories as they are collected and cross-referenced over the course of a lifetime.

The response that humans have developed to cope with the confusion of memories is to reinforce them with external reminders. Artwork, books, clothing, personal electronics, places of employment, and even companions are carefully chosen to familiarize the landscape of one's existence. In a sense we are partly motivated in our actions by the desire to look back on them with fondness and clarity.

The need for external memory is also a philosophical hurdle for the members of Section 9. They are, after all, a watchdog group mandated with rooting out cases of cyber-brain crime. Kusanagi shuns the accumulation of trinkets (beyond the watch she wears in Stand Alone Complex). Being an expert in ghost-hacking and the workings of the cyber-brain, she considers these to be a sign of weakness that can be easily read by enemies. In an age when a detective can reconstruct a person's psyche based on study of their external memory Kusanagi has a sound position.

Batou, on the other hand, is sentimental. He keeps a pet dog, has safe houses full of books and art, and even has a favorite Fuchikoma/Tachikoma to work with. Though they may be a fatal tell of one's living habits in his line of work he still clings to such comforts.

Related works

Sequel

Main article: Ghost in the Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface

A continuation of the first manga can be found in the second manga series entitled Ghost in the Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface.

Film and TV adaptations

Main article: [[:Ghost in the Shell (film) and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence]]

The anime film adaptation is directed by Mamoru Oshii; fans debate the extent to which it is an oversimplification of the manga's themes, or whether it is a more serious interpretation with its own integrity. A second feature, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, was also directed by Oshii and places the character of Batou in the lead role.

Production I.G has also announced a 3rd Ghost in the Shell Movie coming in Summer 2006. Called Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. - Solid State Society, it will apparently take place in the Stand Alone Complex universe [1] [2]

There is also an anime TV series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Video games

Main articles: Ghost in the Shell (video game) and game

One self-titled console game has already been produced, developed by Exact and published by THQ. A second one bearing the anime TV series title Stand Alone Complex was released in November 2004, developed by SCEJ and Cavia and published by Bandai.

Impact and influence

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Major Kusanagi using optical camouflage (from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex)

Ghost in the Shell has made a significant impact in fiction and the real world alike.

The Matrix, a very successful 1999 sci-fi action movie, contains imagery apparently influenced by this movie (as well as other anime). For example, the opening scene with green digits resembles the opening of Ghost in the Shell. During the opening scene in which Trinity flees the Agents, the shot of the Agent landing on the roof is almost identical to a shot of Kusanagi during the pursuit of the first 'puppet'. [3] Also, the shot in which the first puppet is fleeing Batou in the market and a similar scene where Neo is fleeing a trio of the Agents in a real life market are linked by exploding watermelons and terrified civilians amongst crossfire (although Neo is not armed). The famous lobby shootout features Neo and Trinity taking cover behind stone pillars, just as Kusanagi does during the battle with a tank. There is also a clear relation between the conception of the Matrix and the cybernetically enhanced brains of Ghost in the Shell. (The Wachowski brothers, makers of the Matrix trilogy, acknowledged the influence of Ghost in the Shell in an interview. [4])

Book references (manga)

• The Ghost In The Shell (Kokaku Kidotai) : Publisher: Kodansha (KCDX) ISBN 4-06-313248-X C9979 Release: 5 October 1991, original Japanese
• Ghost In The Shell (English Edition) : Publisher: Dark Horse Comics / Studio Proteus ISBN 1-56971-081-3, Release: December 1995, English adaptation
• Ghost In The Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface (English Edition Sequel) : Publisher: Dark Horse Comics / Studio Proteus ISBN 159307204X, Release: Dark Horse (January 19, 2005), English adaptation

External links

• Production I.G — Production I.G official English website
• Ghost in the Shell at IMDb
• Official Film Site At Manga.com
• Glossary of terms
• in the Shell — general information, philosophy, links
• "The Soul of the New Machine" — A review originally published in FILM COMMENT magazine, September 1996
• Japanese Fansite
• GITS Relations — A graphical representation of the relations between the different series and movies from the GITS universe
• BAOH manga review at Mangareviewer.com
• Review at sensesofcinema.com
• Ghost in the Shell Image Collection @ AnimeGalleries.Net
• Stand Alone Complex — Ghost in the Shell Forums