THE GHOST IN THE SHELL BOOK
VOLUME 2: ANIMÉ
A Critical Study
by Jeremy Mark Robinson
This is a study of the adaptations of Ghost In the Shell by Masamune Shirow (real name Masanori Ota, born in 1961, Kobe, Japan). Shirow is a Japanese artist best known for Ghost In the Shell, Appleseed and Dominion: Tank Police.
Masamune Shirow is one of the great creators in the world of Japanese manga and animé - his works have been the basis of several important franchises, with Ghost In the Shell the most famous. Shirow's art is marked by futuristic, cyber-punk settings, fabulous, often eccentric designs, elaborate mecha (such as tanks and mobile suits), attractive warrior women and detailed storytelling (accompanied by his famous, sometimes arcane notes).
The impact of the work of Masamune Shirow has been immense in animé and manga: Ghost In the Shell alone led to not one but two classic movies, two outstanding TV series (plus a third, the Arise series), and spin-off movies. Add to that the live-action Ghost of 2017, and more Ghosties on the way. Then there's the Appleseed digital animations and Appleseed cel animation, plus Black Magic, Real Drive, Ghost Hound (Unseen World) and Dominion: Tank Police. It all adds up to a remarkable presence in TV and movies.
In cinema, Masamune Shirow's influence is easy to spot in the Star Wars prequels, in the Matrix movies, in Avatar, in Minority Report, in the Avengers series, and in many a superhero flick.
The Ghost In the Shell Book: Volume 2: Animé includes a biography; chapters on the two films of Shirow's signature work, Ghost In the Shell, of 1995 and 2004; a chapter on film director Mamoru Oshii; chapters on the TV series of 2002-2005 - Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (plus the spin-off movies); chapters studying every episode of the TV series; chapters on the Arise and the 2045 series (and spin-off movie); a chapter on the 2017 live-action movie; appendices; resources; and filmography.
Fully illustrated in colour, including images from Masamune Shirow's Ghost In the Shell manga, all of the adaptations, from the 1995 movie to the live-action version of 2017 and the 2045 series of 2020.
The Ghost In the Shell Book is published in two volumes:
Volume 1: Manga
Volume 2: Animé
Hardcover - full color laminate cover.
Bibliography, resources and notes. 580 pages.
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