Word of the Day: Ghost in the Shell

Was that a garbage truck catching air? And something looking like a futuristic take on an Alfa Romeo SZ sliding into home? Welcome to “Ghost in the Shell,” Shirow Masamune’s 1995 anime classic. It’s as aesthetically beautiful as it is violent. (You’ve been warned.)
 

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Batou is 100% a car enthusaist.  

AND, the voice acting in the English dub has more impact than the original Japanese, fight me.

In reply to red_stapler :

I know watching with subs is "more authentic," but it's just easier to watch and enjoy dubbed.

Besides, the dubs are way better now than they used to be back in the day.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I still have my VHS copy from college

In reply to red_stapler :

For this anime . . . I agree 100%. The english voice acting is awesome.

Grassroots AnimeSports? I like.

I've noticed that Mazda in particular seems to throw a lot of advertising bucks at anime studios. I can't count how many movies where you watch and every other car on the road is a generic blob but then there'll be a perfectly drawn FD3S RX-7 or all the billboards are for fictional products but then there'll be a billboard for Mazda Proceed pickup. I know the best example I can think of currently is Summer Wars. Every car is like a GTA car, but the one character has a police RX7 that is drawn correct down to the last detail.

sorry, I can't stand dubs. I got pretty good at understanding Japanese after more than a few years of watching Anime. As for Ghost in the Shell, I absolutely loved the music of the movie, harmoniously eerie. 

There are also more than a few spin offs too. All are equally as good

The tv show, Stand Alone Complex, was fantastic as well. 

The mini series "ghost in the shell - Arise" was also very good.

FWIW, I almost scrubbed this one at the last minute for fear of it being too out there. 

Oh man, y'all would love Gunsmith Cats.

mad_machine said:

The mini series "ghost in the shell - Arise" was also very good.

I also enjoyed Arise and The New Movie. The live action one, eh. Stylistically, I felt like they nailed it. Scarlett Johansen looked exactly like Major, the guy playing Batou was a dead ringer, the city and cars and general art direction was perfect. But it just seemed to lack the spark, the soul, of Ghost In The Shell. 

I've only watched standalone complex, really need to watch the earlier movies. 

red_stapler said:

Batou is 100% a car enthusaist.  

Guaranteed.

GITS.SAC seasons 1 and 2 are very nearly as good as the first movie. I didn't care for the second movie and Arise was just ok.

The live action movie was just sort of there. It copied the style, but the director, writers, and producers simply didn't seem to understand what made Ghost in the Shell what it is.

Yep watched the first ghost in the Shell at a theatre, it was pretty cool. Any thoughts on Dominion Tank Police? It predates Ghost, and the art shows Shirows style coming together.

Gunsmith Cats? One of my favorites! Read the manga, it's super detailed when it comes to cars and guns. I actually met Sonoda at an anime con and have his autogragh.

As a side note: We all know who the best characters in the series are.

In reply to mad_machine :

I'm a subs before dubs type as well. The english voice dubs for GITS are shockingly outstanding. They matched the lip flaps and delivered excellent performances for the characters. I could watch either for GITS and would be happy. Another would be FLCL . . . The dub is actually better than the sub.

Now . . . I know you would appreciate this . . . Bubblegum Crisis dub? HARD PASS! Subs all the way.

Strike_Zero said:

In reply to mad_machine :

I'm a subs before dubs type as well. The english voice dubs for GITS are shockingly outstanding. They matched the lip flaps and delivered excellent performances for the characters. I could watch either for GITS and would be happy. Another would be FLCL . . . The dub is actually better than the sub.

Now . . . I know you would appreciate this . . . Bubblegum Crisis dub? HARD PASS! Subs all the way.

Gundam 00 has great dubs. Gundam SEED dubs, good god, no. Also, the American TV edit was shockingly terrible. Like handguns that shot rainbows. Seriously.

Although not a very good movie, the live action movie had a couple pair of cool Lotus's.

Strike_Zero said:

In reply to mad_machine :

I'm a subs before dubs type as well. The english voice dubs for GITS are shockingly outstanding. They matched the lip flaps and delivered excellent performances for the characters. I could watch either for GITS and would be happy. Another would be FLCL . . . The dub is actually better than the sub.

Now . . . I know you would appreciate this . . . Bubblegum Crisis dub? HARD PASS! Subs all the way.

and if you know the subbed version of BGC.. you know where I get my user name.

This IS "out there".

But that is ok.  Ghost in the Shell is good stuff.

NickD said:

I also enjoyed Arise and The New Movie. The live action one, eh. Stylistically, I felt like they nailed it. Scarlett Johansen looked exactly like Major, the guy playing Batou was a dead ringer, the city and cars and general art direction was perfect. But it just seemed to lack the spark, the soul, of Ghost In The Shell. 

I think you're the only other person I've heard who had anything good to say about Scarlett Johansen playing the Major. I don't understand people complaining about whitewashing a white actor playing a robot. I thought she did wonderful in it.

burdickjp said:

NickD said:

I also enjoyed Arise and The New Movie. The live action one, eh. Stylistically, I felt like they nailed it. Scarlett Johansen looked exactly like Major, the guy playing Batou was a dead ringer, the city and cars and general art direction was perfect. But it just seemed to lack the spark, the soul, of Ghost In The Shell. 

I think you're the only other person I've heard who had anything good to say about Scarlett Johansen playing the Major. I don't understand people complaining about whitewashing a white actor playing a robot. I thought she did wonderful in it.

I thought she did fine. I think it's also nebulous if the Majors shell in the 95 film is even Asian or Caucasian. 

One more vote for subtitles, but I have watched so many subtitled shows it does not even register.

If you want fun with detail on "lesser known" cars, watch You're Under Arrest.

It is also fun because one of the main characters is a gearhead doing modifications like swapping a DOHC head onto a SOHC motor and adding nitrous, or putting a tuned motorcycle motor into an old kei car.

Matthew

slowbird said:

Oh man, y'all would love Gunsmith Cats.

 

Gunsmith Cats is amazing in it's car chases, and JUST got a full Bluray 1080P release through a kickstarter.
It's Goregeous.