Guide Note

Ghost in the Shell is a 1995 Japanese Anime movie based on the Manga comic book of the same name. The story is set in 2029, where human minds are connected to the equivalent of an internet. Hackers have found a way to break through the connection and take control of people's thoughts and actions. In order to combat this new type of crime, the high tech police unit Section 9 is formed. Composed of cyborgs, this unit must patrol both the physical word and the virtual world of the internet in order track down these "ghost hackers". The franchise has expanded greatly since the success of the first DVD, since then there have been multiple video games, novels, television shows, manga comics and film sequels based on the story.

Fast Facts

1. Written by Kazunori Itō
2. Directed by Mamoru Oshii
3. Original manga comic created, written and drawn by Masamune Shirow
4. The Wachowski Brothers' The Matrix films drew inspiration from Ghost in the Shell