Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell a Japanese cyberpunk manga created by Masamune Shirow. A sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface and Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human Error.

The series has also been adapted into several anime adaptations which includes two theatrical films and two seasons and a movie of an anime television series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2. The films Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence were also produced.

"Ghost in the Shell is a futuristic police 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 "the 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, only her brain and a segment of her spinal cord are human.

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 Matrix, a very successful 1999 sci-fi action movie, contains imagery strongly influenced by Ghost in the Shell (as well as other anime). Major Motoko Kusanagi: "If we all reacted the same way, we'd be predictable, and there's always more than one way to view a situation. What's true for the group is also true for the individual. It's simple: Overspecialize, and you breed in weakness. It's slow death."