The Ghost in the Shell Volume 1 [Paperback]

The Ghost in the Shell has become a cult phenomenon. It transcends all sorts of media, from books, to TV, to video games. And most of these ventures have become fruitful efforts. The original manga that started it all has been re released, this time by Kodansha, and with some good and bad.

This edition of Ghost in the Shell is missing a two page lesbian threesome. I thought id get that out of the way first and foremost, since, believe it or not, its actually a big issue. The problem is not that a sex scene was removed (although ill be honest, it was sort of a bummer), but that 2 color pages were removed in a pointless effort to......to what? The manga is already rated 18+, hell even this current printing has the "Mature" rating on it. So what was the purpose of censoring a mature manga if it was still going to have some nudity, violence, cursing, and graphic content?

Now like i said before, its more the fact that Shirow's work is incomplete than simply missing a sex scene. Its needless censorship, and thats the last thing we need right now. (Uncensored version can be found here Ghost In The Shell Volume 1 - 2nd Edition (v. 1) NOTE: Its no longer in print)

Now the actual graphic novel is a very interesting piece. It deals with the value of life, corruption in politics, as well as what it means to be human, among other things. This is some pretty heavy stuff, and on the occasion i had to re-read certain sections, for two reasons.

One, the complexity of the content, and the other, the visualization of said concept. Certain pages flow as if some panels have been removed (although they weren't, nothing was changed other than the 2 pages we talked about). This is specially prevalent in some action scenes, although it tends to happen in low profile situations as well. Whenever the novel switches scene or location, some panels do a poor job of setting that across to the reader. Also, in some situations, the text boxes are also poorly or oddly placed. It can get confusing whenever 'cyber brain communication' is taking place, and the character speaking is off screen.

The art in GITS is a mixed bag. The manga has 348 pages, of which 64 are color. The color pages are amazing. Tiny details are presented in such a way that your staring at the page in awe. Characters are more lively, and the environments and locations are much more detailed (no more empty backgrounds :P). The B&W pages are much less interesting. Not only is the detail lessened, but clarity also takes a dip. Now you know why those 2 pages being removed is a bummer :D

The characters themselves are almost all empty. With the exception of Kusanagi and on occasion, Batou, the rest of the roster is blank and has little to no development whatsoever. Its a disappointment, but nothing too terrible. The novel revolves around the Major anyway, so no (arguably)important character is dull.

Despite all this, the book has a tendency to suck you in and not let go. I read it in several hours. The content and concept are both interesting and unique, and the art is, for the most part, well done. Like both the movies and SAC episodes, GITS requires multiple readings. With repeated reading, comes clarity, and a larger and better grasp of the concept.

Unfortunately, Kodansha has decided to censor this release of Ghost in the Shell by changing artwork and removing entire scenes. If you would like to read the series in it's unedited entirety, you would be best tracking down Dark Horse's older 2005 release.

For more discussion on this books edits, you can read about it on page 25 of the AnimeOnDVD forum's "Edited Manga List" thread.

First created in 1991, 'Ghost in the Shell' is Masamune Shirow's vision of a future world, complex and dysfunctional peopled by humans, robots and cyborgs. Best known in this country as the Anime film of the same name, it has had an unexpected influence on manga, anime, and the world to come. Like Phillip Dick's 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,' is asks questions about the essence of life and the validity of a society where it is an artifact that can be installed instead of something innate. The Film was my first sight of what anime was capable of, and this book was my first introduction to manga, the unique Japanese form of the graphic novel.

The action of the story centers on a security team led by Major Matoko Kusinagi. Kusinagi, like almost all of her team, are highly modified humans, or highly humanized machines, depending on your viewpoint. They are shells, biomechanical miracles, in which a human brain and spinal column have been places. However, unless you see one of them being made, or notice their cable contact points, they seem utterly human.

The team investigates possible cases of government wrongdoing. Their paths often bring them into contact with the less reputable side of human and cyborg traffic. Shirow uses these contacts, robots in revolution, berserk cyborgs, illegal memory copying, etc., to gradually shift the story from hard science fiction to a semi-metaphysical deep dive into the significance of the information net and alternate life form possibilities. The question, of course, is not just 'what is human?' but 'what is intelligent life?' Where exactly is the boundary between the shell, whether it be bioengineered or flesh.

The last third of the book, which comprises most of the film, is Major Kusinagi's quest to bring down a 'hacker' called the puppeteer. This goes awry in unexpected fashion and Kusinagi finds herself confronted by the impossible rather than the criminal. What effect this has on her, and the possibilities is creates are Shirow's answers to his own questions. Like the rest of the book before them, they raise as many issues as they resolve.

Masamune Shirow's imagination has built a finely detailed world. To complete the picture the artist/writer provides countless notes and commentaries about his technology and society. Unable to do this, the film simplified the plot to make it digestible. While it succeeded, the reader will find that manga is much richer and engaging. Given the longer format, Shirow is able to spend his time setting the scene, focusing on the interactions of the characters, and at exactly the right time, pulling the trigger. Working in both color and black and white, his artwork is a mixture of high tech detailing and unembarrassed sensuality.

The manga and the subsequent film created a whole new era for the Japanese storybook. For many people in the US such as me, 'Ghost in the Shell' is the anime production that made them fans. The themes validated it as a literary form, and the images forced readers to acknowledge that manga was art rather than artifice. Masamune set a standard for manga, which has rarely been surpassed. If you are genuinely interested in understand this art form, 'Ghost in the Shell' is the place to start.