Science SARU’s 2026 adaptation of The Ghost in the Shell (Koukaku Kidoutai) is being touted as a “faithful” adaptation of Shirow Masamune’s iconic 90s manga.
Science SARU’s Ghost in the Shell (2026): A Retro Aesthetic Meets Manga Fidelity
Does it live up to the hype? This is a review of The Ghost in the Shell (2026) episodes one – three.
The Ghost in the Shell is such an iconic anime that, alongside Akira, has influenced so many people to create their own unique worlds after watching those films in their youth.
Nostalgic Visuals: Channeling 90s Animation and Samurai Champloo Rhythms
I absolutely loved the vibe of the first few episodes, and I know a lot of people are using Cowboy Bebop as a comparison to the spaghetti western/’space western’ and space opera feeling with its use of the 90s animation style.
Personally, I’m getting Samurai Champloo vibes from the anime series. It might be because of the way the music is interlaced to stitch together emotionally impactful montage scenes during high and low-tension sequences, and key story beats.
Musical Integration: King Gnu, Daniel Caesar, and the Lo-Fi Cyberpunk Soundscape
Or, it could be due to the inclusion of King Gnu (Ousama Ranking, Jujutsu Kaisen) and Daniel Caesar’s unique vocals in the intro and outro that are reminiscent of Samurai Champloo and the early 2000s aesthetic of Nujabes integrating hip-hop and instrumentals that would later become the defining element of the lo-fi auditory aesthetic genre.
I love the inclusion of those types of vocals and musical choices that felt naturally integrated into the cyberpunk world that feels strongly reminiscent of modern visual tropes (like the worldbuilding aesthetic of Cyberpunk 2077 or even Cyberpunk: Edgerunners) juxtaposed with the 90s animation style injected with the humorous character expositions of an early 2000s Adult Swim (and Toonami) anime series of that era.
Cybernetics, Section 9, and the Reality of 2029
Since the story is over 30 years old already and this is a faithful manga adaptation, I feel no urgent need to recap the overarching plotline of Major Motoko Kusanagi’s investigation during the “Puppet Master” case. However, since we are close to the AI and cybernetics-filled cyberpunk reality of 2029 that Shirow originally wrote about in the late 80s, I’d rather briefly discuss that.
The Puppet Master Case: Body Hijacking and Ethical Horrors
Because wow, I really do not like the whole cybernetics thing. I never liked the whole biomedical engineering agenda being pushed right now, but to have access to somebody else’s “ghost” while they are trying to share a simulated…intimate experience…during an iconic boat scene… would be downright humiliating to me.
Let alone having somebody take control of my body during a tense scenario – like what Motoko did with Togusa’s body while confronting the first Puppet Master patsy.
(Also, did anybody else kind of feel bad for the exceedingly obvious dead body lying in the street, as Motoko laughed off being shot and seeming to fatally shoot the patsy, since both have cybernetic upgrades on their bodies?)
Philosophical Shifts: Fuchikoma AI, Cyberbrains, and Modern Tech Concerns
Although watching Motoko and Aramaki form the Public Security Section 9 team in the first two episodes was fun, I’m glad episode three shifted the tone into some light worldbuilding.
It was great watching a new cybernetic body be “born” and to hear the Major’s concerns on whether or not she was ever really “human” at all. I know a lot of people don’t like the deep philosophical tone of the film and subsequent adaptations against the ‘goofy’ tone of this manga adaptation, but I think the tonal shift in that episode (even if it was just a one-off thing for now) was needed, and fairly balanced in the formation of the overarching story thus far.
Also, the fact that Motoko is an (alleged) cyborg who can use her cyberbrain and “ghost” to essentially hijack the AI-based Fuchikoma and run ideologically manipulative scenarios through their collective programming to ensure there is no future artificial intelligence takeover is wild to me in the age of Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, ChatGPT, Axon, Palantir, Flock Cams, and OpenAI.
But, tell me your thoughts: Were you surprised (like me) to hear Daniel Caesar’s music in an anime ED of all places after he was ‘cancelled’ years ago? (He used to be one of my favorite artists before his cancelled era.)
Do you think the ethical concerns over cybernetics in an emerging cyberpunk society written about in a late 1980s manga set in the year 2029 are relevant to our current world, today?
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