Doll Parts: Technology and the Body in Ghost in the Shell

Abstract

Similar to Evangelion which seems to deconstruct or even to repudiate the technological instrumentalities of the mecha genre that concentrates on the complex and vulnerable psychology of its human protagonist, the final work to be discussed in this section, Oshii Mamoru’s 1995 film Ghost in the Shell (Kōkaku Kidōtai, although the English title is used as well) also turns inward in its exploration of the possibilities of transcending corporeal and individual identity. Less popular in Japan than Akira, Neon Genesis Evangelion, or the films of Miyazaki, Ghost in the Shell was a critical and cult success in the United States. It remains a favorite of many Western anime fans because of its combination of technically sophisticated (and extremely beautiful) computer animation and its complex and philosophically sophisticated story line.