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dreadpirateshawn's review against another edition
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.
So -- two stars. I did like it, but mostly because I was already determined to like it.
packagedseph's review against another edition
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.
roxanamalinachirila's review against another edition
3.0
In humanity's cyber-future, cyberwomen will occasionally wear underwear with chain straps. What can I say? Scantily clad women with weird lingerie seem to have been all the rage in the future we never got to have (possibly because, after the 80s, programmers started making silly things like the internet and we gave up on memorable haircuts).
Aaanyways, fashion aside.
"Ghost in the Shell" is less of a unified whole than I was expecting. Knowing that there are only three volumes in the original manga series, I was expecting them to tell a single story and tell it well. Instead, what we get are several episodic stories which tie in together, but not seamlessly - and they're a bit hard to follow. Maybe it's the art (although the occasional colored pages help), or maybe it's the fact that I didn't feel for any of the characters very well. And besides, Ghost in the Shell does that thing hard sci fi occasionally does, namely expect you to fill in the blanks regarding world-building.
After seeing the 2017 movie, I felt that this was a very different sort of story: Scarlett Johansson creates a character who is palpably different and who feels cyber indeed, while the manga's Major is very much like a normal woman who occasionally wonders if she's actually human, considering the fact that she's a brain+spine in an artificial body.
It's an interesting story (and different from the movie), but I'm happy I didn't get it at full price.
Aaanyways, fashion aside.
"Ghost in the Shell" is less of a unified whole than I was expecting. Knowing that there are only three volumes in the original manga series, I was expecting them to tell a single story and tell it well. Instead, what we get are several episodic stories which tie in together, but not seamlessly - and they're a bit hard to follow. Maybe it's the art (although the occasional colored pages help), or maybe it's the fact that I didn't feel for any of the characters very well. And besides, Ghost in the Shell does that thing hard sci fi occasionally does, namely expect you to fill in the blanks regarding world-building.
After seeing the 2017 movie, I felt that this was a very different sort of story: Scarlett Johansson creates a character who is palpably different and who feels cyber indeed, while the manga's Major is very much like a normal woman who occasionally wonders if she's actually human, considering the fact that she's a brain+spine in an artificial body.
It's an interesting story (and different from the movie), but I'm happy I didn't get it at full price.
daftfader's review against another edition
3.0
A bit too philosophical for my liking. Some incredible action scenes and art tho
bookishstone's review against another edition
4.0
I'm so glad I took several days to read this. There's SO much within this book. It's going to take several readings to understand everything. I really enjoyed it though.
odinblindeye's review against another edition
4.0
Oh man, years after I watched the movie I finally get to the manga. I love this a lot more than the movie too, as it was actually much more in depth than the movie, and I like the story quite a bit more as well.
ubercoat's review against another edition
3.0
I was torn about Ghost in the Shell - it has a lot of great action and art, and it's generally acknowledged as a classic, but it just wasn't a 4-star book for me. The problem, I think, is the way Masamune sometimes assumes the reader knows things that he's essentially made up. That tends to interfere with the philosophical aspects of the book, which is really the thing that's supposed to set it apart. Overall, definitely worth reading - but don't feel bad if it doesn't make sense in the end.
hubcityhorror's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it, but the last few pages threw me for a loop with all the technically jargon and concepts.