T5W#246-Top 5 Ghost in the Shell Entries

Ghost in the Shell is probably my second most favorite Anime franchise next to Gundam.  The world, the characters, the themes, the animation, the stories, the exploration of the far future where man and machine intersect and blend will forever be fascinating to me.  It’s been a little while since we’ve returned to this little universe and even longer since the last interation of the popular Stand Alone Complex saga.  Well, to celebrate the arrival of brand new Ghost in the Shell on Netflix, in the form of the SAC_2045 series, todays Top 5 Wednesday will see me count down my Top 5 Ghost in the Shell Entries.  There are at least three separate universes to choose from in this regard (The Movies, the TV Series and the OVAs).  And for those curious, I’ll probably do a series review of SAC_2045 at somepoint, probably when both parts are available to watch since it’s supposed to be 2 sets of 12 episodes each.  Anyway, lets look at what’s come before.

#5-Ghost in the Shell Arise

A lot of die hards aren’t too fond of this prequel series but I really, really enjoyed it.  I think Arise has my favorite version of Motoko in the franchise (blashphemy I know).  This isn’t the seasoned, near perfect Major we know in every other entry.  Arise presents Motoko at what could easily be seen as her youngest form, from the haircut to the arrogance.  The series also does a better job of introducing and integrating all of Motoko’s future teammates into the soon to be Section 9 and makes better use of them all as a united team better than Stand Alone Complex.  The only reason I don’t rank this higher is because there were originally four episodes and then the series was broken down into smaller 2 part segments for the TV version (Arise Alternate Architecture) which includes a 5^th bonus episode that’s kind of hard to come by (and even it doesn’t really wrap things up satisfactorily or serve as a decent lead into our next entry).

#4-Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie 

While there is the disadvantage: the absolute need to see Arise before it, The New Movie is still an awesome conclusion to that storyline.  After a prior series of build up, Motoko and her gang are almost fully united and tackling the case that would mark the beginning of their Section 9 legacy.  The New Movie answers the last remaining questions about Motoko’s mysterious past and provides some excellent action sequences befitting Ghost in the Shell, from Motoko’s one man army storming of her old army HQ to her old team vs. her new team at the films climax.  This is where Ghost in the Shell really begins.

#3-Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex/ Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2^nd Gig

Ghost in the Shell should have been a TV Anime way before the 2000’s but let’s be thankful it was worth the wait.  The 2002 first season and it’s 2004 follow up are just as classic as the Anime film and Manga that inspired them.  No, it isn’t the wacky style of Shirow Masamune’s edgier existential humor.  Stand Alone Complex feels more like a TV prodecural following the adventures of Major Motoko Kusinagi and her counter cyber terrorism unit Section 9.  The first season has some great mysteries and a nail bitting finale.  2^nd Gig goes for broke on the scale and scope, putting the future of an entire nation at stake while making the “villain” personal for Motoko herself.  Add in skilled direction by Kenji Kamiyama and an unforgettable cyberpunk score by Yoko Kanno and can you understand why we’ve waited for over a decade and a half for a third season?

#2-Ghost in the Shell

If Akira was the Anime that popularized Anime in the late 80’s/early 90’s, then Ghost in the Shell was the film that could be seen as it’s successor.  Arriving at the right time when cyberpunk was gaining greater traction, Ghost in the Shell painted a dark yet inviting picture of a cyberized future and the trials of what becomes of us when we leave our humanity behind or feel it slipping away.  Mamoru Oshii’s direction is both haunting and soothing, complemented by stellar visuals and a great score by frequent Oshii collaborator Kenji Kawai.  Ghost in the Shell’s action and existential quandaries might also be remembered as one of the key influences for Hollywood, inspiring The Matrix amongst many other films.  

 

#1-Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

I’ll admit, this movie is special to me.  It was one of the first I got to see in theaters pretty close to it’s original theatrical release in the same year.  It was also right after I saw the first movie and I still think Innocence holds up and stands just a bit above its genre defining predecessor.  There’s way more action, the animation and visuals are worth the price of admission alone.  And despite losing his happy go lucky attitude, Batou’s tale of searching for a way to move on past Motoko leaving him is engaging.  Innocence asks all the same questions as the first film and brand new ones…complete with way more elaborate answers but enough to get the gist.  Ghost in the Shell 2, like the first film, is a work of art and it belongs in a museum alongside it and Akira.