KnockBack, Episode 213: Ghost in the Shell (1995 film) (Patreon)

While Ghost in the Shell began its life as a manga in the late '80s, the 1995 animated feature film that interpreted its story is what most people are familiar with. Created by renowned artist and writer Masamune Shirow and brought to the big screen by Mamoru Oshii, Ghost in the Shell deals with surprisingly heady subject matter: Science, politics, philosophy, and morality, amongst many other themes. The future world of cyborgs and humans envisioned in this work isn't too far off the mark, either, particularly when compared to other works of cyberpunk that are much more fanciful and overtly fictional in their approach. Overall, this is perhaps what makes Ghost in the Shell so notable to so many. It feels alive and true-to-form. And it's certainly worth a deep dive right here on KnockBack.