Reviews

Ghost in the Shell is a genre-defining work of cyberpunk manga. I'd seen the anime, but the plot of the manga has nothing to do with it. The main protagonist of the book is a female cyborg who works for a futuristic cyberterrorism agency.

It was pretty good, but I did, however, have to deduct a star for some murky translation when it gets philosophical and some pandering fanservice. Still definitely worth reading.

dreadpirateshawn's review against another edition

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2.0

This one is tricky. I absolutely love the various anime that has arisen from this work -- the concept, the storylines, the action scenes, the cyberpunk attitude. But where the anime accentuates the subtle and introspective, the manga sticks with the crass and slapstick. Where the anime is well-polished, the manga is hard to follow. I wouldn't love the anime if it more closely resembled the manga, but I definitely wouldn't *have* the anime if not for the impressive raw material created in the manga.

So -- two stars. I did like it, but mostly because I was already determined to like it.

packagedseph's review against another edition

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challenging funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

I read this after watching the movie and the series. I found the occasional joke or bit of slap stick out of place given the tone of the shows and movie. Just not expecting it is all. Otherwise it’s many of the same stories or ideas presented in the show. I actually found reading some more of the political and technical aspects made it a bit easier to follow. An exceptional work.

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