T5W#574-Top 5 Times Motoko’s Gone Full Beast Mode in Ghost in the Shell

Major Motoko Kusinagi.  She is a pinnacle of the entire Cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction and one of the most iconic heroines in all of Anime.  How could you not love her?  She’s the total package: drop dead gorgeous, a dedicated military woman, second to none hacker and an expert on all things guns and martial arts.  While we’re getting a new, more playful side to the legendary Major in The Ghost in the Shell, when pushed too far in any series, Motoko wont just throw down, she will wreck you so badly you’ll need a new body as a result.  Today on Top 5 Wednesday we look at those hella intense moments aka the Top 5 Times Motoko’s Gone Full Beast Mode in Ghost in the Shell.

 

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge

When honored warrior Hanzo Hasashi dies, unable to save his family, his soul is sent to Netherworld, where a demon of vengeance is born.  Under the guidance of the sorcerer Quan Chi, Hanzo is offered a chance at revenge against the man who killed his family by participating in a fighting tournament with the fate of multiple worlds hanging in the balance.  Some have come to defend their worlds.  Other for glory or greed.  One has come to burn his enemies to the ground no matter who gets in his way.  Hanzo Hasashi is dead.  Scorpion is coming.

You know, given how tough it’s been for Hollywood to crack a live action adaptation of Mortal Kombat until recently, the animation route seems like a bit of a no brainer.  Through the medium you can get away with a lot more than a forced PG13 or even an R rating can afford and deliver the most authentic Mortal Kombat experience.  The Mortal Kombat Legends series seeks to prove that very point beginning with Scorpion’s Revenge and…I’ll just get this out of the way, that’s the wrong title for this movie.  If you’ve come expecting a film centered on one of MK’s most iconic poster characters, you might be a little disappointed on that front.  However, if you’re here for what happens to be a pretty decent adaptation of an actual Mortal Kombat game, you’ll be plenty entertained and even impressed.
 

The Transformers: The Movie

It is the Year 2005.  The war between the Autobots and Decepticons enters a new era when a planet devouring monstrosity known as Unicron begins inching its way towards Cybertron.  With one of the most devastating battles in history claiming many of the Autobots greatest heroes, a new team must rise to face this threat unlike any other.  It’s a race against time across an entire galaxy filled with enemies old and new as the final battle between Autobots and Decepticons approaches.

I was born at the tail end of the 80s, so when it comes to The Transformers, my first introduction to them came from the reskinned Transformers: Generation 2 toyline and the re-airing of the TV Series under that title (no knowing it was just Generation 1 all over again with new transitions).  So Transformers: The Movie ended up being my first pure exposure to classic Transformers and when it comes to films featuring the Robots in Disgiuse in general, it might very well be the best of the bunch, even if it doesn’t work on every level and downright tries its hardest to destroy the hearts of hardcore Transformers fans.  Yes, I still think it’s a fun movie regardless.  Why is that?
 

FIF#257-Marriagetoxin

Hikaru Gero is the best assassin of the Poison Clan.  When he learns his sister may be forced to give up her love life to sire an heir to the clan, Gero selflessly offers to take her place.  Now all he has to do is find the perfect partner to marry and for a guy who is good at killing but is bad at small talk, that might be a problem.  Thankfully, Gero just spared an intended target named Mei Kinosaki, who just so happens to be an expert cross dressing Marriage Swindler.  Under Mei’s tutelage, Gero undertakes a mission more dangerous and difficult than any target he’s ever faced…the world of dating. 

 
This is one of those times where I was looking for First Impression suggestions and this just so happened to be the first thing that popped up on Crunchyroll.  With a title that nifty and a visual card of the two cool and cute looking leads, something like Marriagetoxin is bound to attract some curiosity: case in point my own.  And, as it just so happens, the show has a unique and funny enough premise it could possibly make a name for itself, maybe even be the big Shonen to watch out for in 2026. 
 

FIF#256-The Ghost in the Shell

In a future where the line between humanity and cybernetics is become more blurred with each passing day, a new kind of terror is born.  Those with the ability to enter any facility, hack any network, corrupt any individual with one keyboard stroke.  That’s where they come in.  They’re Public Security Section 9, a rag tag group of mercenaries and hackers led by the beautiful Major Motoko Kusinagi.  Their methods and attitude may be unorthodox and borderline crazy.  But for this new breed of cybercriminal menacing the net, they’re the right vaccine for the job.

 
Whenever a new Ghost in the Shell project is greenlit, it’s got my immediate attention.  But nothing, maybe save for the first trailer for the Live Action Film, got me more excited than the announcement in 2024 that not only was a new GitS on the way, it would be a direct adaptation of the original Manga by Shirow Masamune.  That comes with it’s own share of challenges, mostly because the Manga has a much more laid back attitude to Section 9’s adventures and a very lazy but loveable version of Motoko Kusinagi.  Would fans who’ve never read the Manga and know GitS mainly through the far more serious Animes of the past be up for it?  As a Manga reader, I was hyped and I knew that once First Impression Fridays started back up, it had to kick off the new season.  So...how is it?