If we talk about “Cyberpunk” anime, then the one title that always comes to mind has to be one of the most influential anime of all time,Ghost in the Shell. One thing you should know, however, is the fact that after the iconic movie adaptation graced the big screen back in 1995, there have been several other iterations ofGhost in the Shell.
The 2004 sequel to the movie,Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence,the universally loved 2002 anime series,Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and the new 2020 anime,Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.However, the most underrated one of them all has to be the 2013Ghost in the Shell: Ariseseries. This article will talk about whyGhost in the Shell: Ariseis so underrated, and why you should watch this unappreciated gem.
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About Ghost in the Shell: Arise
Ghost in the Shell: Ariseis a series of Original Video Animation (OVA) that was aired between 2013 and 2015. There are five OVAs that were aired during this time. However, before the release of the fifth part, the Arise series as a whole was re-release as a 10 episodes anime series calledGhost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture.
The series is a re-cut version of the original OVAs with each OVA translated into two episodes of regular anime. Both the OVA and the regular anime have the same story, so new viewers can watch any version that they want. The last addition to the Arise family is the 2015 movie calledGhost in the Shell: The New Movie.
One thing that you need to keep in mind regardingGhost in the Shell: Ariseis the fact that it is actually the prequel to the original 1995Ghost in the Shellmovie. Not only that,the 1995 movie and theStand Alone Complexseries is actually set in a different universe. Yes, they both use the same characters, worlds, and concepts, but one doesn’t have anything to do with the other. As the prequel to the original movie, it means thatGhost in the Shell: Arisealso doesn’t have anything to do with theStand Alone Complexseries.
The Story of Ghost in the Shell: Arise
Ghost in the Shell: Arisetakes place years before the event of the original movie. It mainly tells the story about the creation of Section 9. From the time Aramaki first met with Major Motoko Kusanagi, and all the way until the team officially became part of the Public Security Section 9 that we know today. Since it is a prequel story, the characters appear a lot younger than how they look in any other iterations ofGhost in the Shell.
Throughout the story, we’ll see the major and her teamtackle all kinds of cyber crimes and neutralize any kind of terrorist threats. The main villain of the series is a hacker known only by his moniker, Fire Starter, who develops and spreads a virus by the same name. The Fire Starter virus can implant false memories to his target. Those fake memories allowed the hacker to make the victim do his bidding without any sorts of resistance.
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Unlike other anime, the movie is not a mere spin-off to the anime series. On the contrary, the movie is actually the climax of the Arise story. Not only that, the 2015 movie is also the bridge that connects Arise with the original movie. The end of the 2015Ghost in the Shell: The New Movieis actually the beginning ofthe 1995Ghost in the Shellmovie.
Motoko Kusanagi’s Life Before Section 9
One of the main reasons why you should watch this series is because it offers someimportant details about Major Motoko Kusanagi’s lifebefore she joins Section 9. Specifically from the time she gets out of the military to the point he officially joins the Public Security Section 9.
There’s a lot of interesting information about the major that you can find out through this series. Such as the real reason why she has a full cyber body, some of the things that she has done in the military, how she meets every member of Section 9, and lots of other interesting stuff about her.
One of the things that long-time fans of the franchise often criticize about Arise is the fact that the Major looks and behaves differently in this series than in the previousGhost in the Shell. There are a couple of reasons for that.
First, if you think about the Stand Alone Complex, then there’s no need to compare them because it is set in two different universes. Eventhe major in the original movie is different from the major in SAC. Second, the major is still young here. As mentioned earlier, she is fresh out of the military and finally regains her freedom for the first time. So she still hasn’t grown into the major that we all know and love from the original movie yet. But she will at the end of the movie.
The Creation of Section 9
The other great reasonwhy you should watchGhost in the Shell: Ariseis because to this day, this is the only series that truly presents the story of how the iconic Section 9 came to be. We get to see how the major meets and recruits every single one of the team. And we also get to see the original beta version of the team.
Did you know that the major actually hates the idea of joining Section 9 at first? Yes, after years of being caged and used like a weapon by the military, the last thing she wants is to work under the government. That is why the team is first conceived as a fully independent contractor that sometimes accepts jobs from the government.
That and also the real reason why the major accepted Togusa, the only member with a mostly natural body, into the team are some of the interesting stories that you can find through Arise. So if you’re a fan ofGhost in the Shell, you should really watch Arise. As a prequel and as a stand-alone story intheGhost in the Shellfranchise, it’s really quite good.
