_:n3aa7bc56baa04383b2a6ed795e52e8f7xb74
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"I guess my main frame of reference regarding cyberpunk is the Ghost In The Shell franchise, specifically the series Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex, though that's probably because it was what I was into as a teenager.\n\nSome random thoughts:\n\n<ul>\n<li><p>the setting in all versions of Ghost In The Shell is heavily influenced by the Japanese political situation post WW2: specifically that they were economically strong whilst at the same time being dependent on the US for military protection.</p></li>\n<li><p>in spite of the above, the franchise as a whole is actually more popular in the west than in Japan. I think this is probably due to tendencies towards technology fetishism in western nerd circles: between the general aesthetic and the really detailed designs for the various mechs/tanks/helicopters this would probably appeal. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if the franchise actually had a large influence on these circles.</p></li>\n<li><p>though I've only read the first volume, I don't think the original manga is particularly great. To me, it sort of reads like a collage of stuff the artist/writer, Masamune Shirow, has already done before. The manga series he was working in before, Appleseed, was actually a lot more interesting, especially since it reads like an optimistic mirror held up to the Ghost in the Shell franchise. It's also about a special police unit and features a similar aesthetic and designs, except it is set in a utopia that has been created through genetic engineering. The series had four volumes, plus two volumes featuring Masamune Shirow's notes and artwork. The series was discontinued after he lost his notes for further volumes in an earthquake, which resulted in him creating Ghost in the Shell.</p></li>\n<li><p>the Mamoru Oshii films are probably the most influential parts of the franchise outside of anime circles, probably due to being part of the line of films (including Akira) and tv series that introduced anime to the west. Having watched both, I can tell you that they feature some of the most coldly beautiful animation of their time. That said, within anime circles they also have a mixed reputation: the first movie is considered a classic, but is also thought of as pretentious and having more philosophical speeches than the dark knight trilogy. The second film is thought of as everything from a masterpiece to pretentious rubbish. Personally I think of it as having very good components, but the whole is less than its components.</p></li>\n<li><p>the anime series, Stand Alone Complex, is considered the high water mark of the franchise within anime circles, containing the best parts of what came before (I'm inclined to agree, but that might be part nostalgia talking and part the sociology referenced in the series). It is easily the most optimistic of the various versions of Ghost in the Shell, to the point that tvtropes.org considers it post-cyberpunk instead of cyberpunk. It also creates the definitive version of Major Kusanagi for many Ghost in the Shell fans. This is interesting because in spite of being hyper competent in ways that would normally have fan boys complaining about \"Mary Sues\"... there are miraculously no complaints. And I'm pretty sure it's not because of anime fandom being misogyny free, the number of anime fans backing Trump speaks for itself. Weird.</p></li>\n<li><p>The most recent series, Ghost in the Shell: Arise, has again had a mixed reception, for reasons varying from dropping the philosophical themes from previous Ghost in the Shell stuff, to, well, not being Stand Alone Complex. It has a complicated history, originally being released as a series of 4 films before being reformatted as a TV series. 4 episodes in, and whilst I am enjoying it, I can't help but wonder if some of the backlash might be from interpreting Major Kusanagi's character differently. She's noticeably less hyper competent and a lot younger here, and whilst Stand Alone Complex Major Kusanagi was so distant that she gave me the impression of having transcended humanity on some level in Arise she is a lot more human.</p></li>\n<li><p>If I have a complaint about Arise, it's actually because it is stuck in the shadow of the rest of the franchise. It almost feels like a nostalgia run for fans of the franchise rather than something with an identity of its own as the previous entries were.</p></li>\n</ul>"
<https://www.eruditorumpress.com/blog/saturday-waffling-october-15th-2016?replytocom=51117>