From Ink to Film: Ghost in the Shell

Author

Abstract

In this infographic, the spirit of the 1989 manga series Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow is conveyed from an introspective viewpoint. The storylines and characters found within the series challenge both the notion of identity and the idea behind what it means to be a human being. Ghost in the Shell is a literary and visual feast on these topics and serves as a pioneer to the aesthetics of the cyberpunk genre. This project focuses on the protagonist of the story, Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg who embodies the thin line that separates humans and machines. This is a topic that resonates strongly in today’s society through the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.
Additionally, this infographic explores how the stylistic narrative of Ghost in the Shell changed dramatically in the 2017 Hollywood film adaptation starring Scarlett Johansson. The film is heavily criticized for “whitewashing” the character of Kusanagi, the Westernization of many of the cultural representations of the manga series, and the overall weakening of Ghost in the Shell’s philosophical foundation. In the end, this project asks the viewers to consider not just the idiosyncrasies of culture, identity, and technology but also how the dilution of those things impacts our society.

Project: From Ink to Film: Ghost in the Shell