A little over a quarter of a century old, but as relevant as ever: the anime classic Ghost In The Shell, based on the manga of the same name. The drawn science fiction milestone from Japan anticipated numerous considerations on topics such as body modification, artificial intelligence and the increasing difference between physical and mental experience. This also had cinematic consequences:
“Ghost In The Shell” paved the way for many more science fiction works, from “Matrix’ to ‘I, Robot’ to ‘Avatar – Departure for Pandora”. After various home cinema evaluations with different affectionate presentations, the 4K premiere of the classic will not just follow at the beginning of next year. Instead, fans and anyone who wants to become one get an ultimate all-round package: Ghost In The Shell will be released on January 18, 2023 as a 4K Collector’s Edition with a whopping six discs! Pre-orders are already possible.
» “Ghost in The Shell” 4K Collector’s Edition on Amazon*
This ultimate bundle includes the film in both Ultra HD and HD quality, the iconic Kenji Kawai soundtrack on CD and four Blu-ray discs with tons of bonus material. The distributor Plaion Pictures makes sure to do justice to all generations of German-speaking “Ghost In The Shell” fans: The film is not only available in the set in the original version, but also in the VHS dubbed version and the dubbing that was later created for the DVD market.
The year is 2029: It is completely normal to have individual body parts exchanged for artificial components. This has enabled humanity to transcend a multitude of limitations of the ephemeral flesh and once constrained spirit.
Some people no longer have a classic body at all, but only a biocapsule called a “shell”. A small remnant of the original brain cells meanwhile defines their “ghost”, i.e. their individual identity. However, this harbors acute dangers, because criminal hackers such as the so-called “puppeteer” can thus penetrate into the innermost areas of individuals. Major Motoko Kusanagi from the Japanese secret service Section 9 is affected by this and sets out to hunt down the culprit…
» “The Ghost in The Shell”: The manga on Amazon*
Mamoru Oshii’s style-defining classic is often referred to as the “mother of all anime”. A compliment that shouldn’t be taken too literally, after all the film is on a timeline on which, for example, the no less influential “Akira” from 1988 can also be found. Nevertheless, “Ghost In The Shell” as a seamless mixture of action, visually stunning science fiction and philosophical considerations is a timeless work that both stands for itself and, thanks to its pioneering position, always finds new fans.
*The links to the Amazon offer are so-called affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we will receive a commission.
