Author: Andrew Nguyen Ever since the release of the movie GHOST IN THE SHELL (?????, Kookaku Kidootai) in 1995, many anime fans consider the franchise to be one of the prime examples of Japanese animation at its best. Produced by Production I.G, the GHOST IN THE SHELL series boasts exceptional animation as it explores a possible future that has humanity rely very intensely upon technology to function in society. This comes in the form of cyborgs, androids, and the possibility of interfacing directly with the World Wide Web by connecting one’s own body (with suitable modifications) to computers and other electronics. Such capabilities leave the human body itself vulnerable to hacking by criminals in the same way that one would hack a computer. In a philosophical sense, the animated versions have raised the question of what it means to be human through the discussions of “ghosts” that sentient beings have.

The premise of GHOST IN THE SHELL deals with the activities of a Japanese security unit named Public Security Section 9. With its overall command under a man by the name of Daisuke Aramaki and its field commander, a cyborg named Motoko Kusanagi (with the rank of Major to which others address her); Section 9’s mission is to wage technological and cyber warfare against the enemies of the Japanese government and people. The other members include a former special forces operative named Batou, a Japanese detective named Togusa who in most versions of the character has the least cybernetic modifications of the team, the sniper Saito, their technical expert Ishikawa, an investigator and rumored former gangster named Paz and Borma, their explosives and cyber-virus expert. Alongside the human members, Section 9 has several spider-like sentient tanks called Fuchikomas (Tachikomas, Uchikomas, or Logicomas in the animated versions). Comics GHOST IN THE SHELL first came to life as a manga series ????? THE GHOST IN THE SHELL (Kookaku Kidootai Goosuto In Za Sheru) by Masamune Shirow, the creator of Appleseed and New Dominion Tank Police, who wrote the first story in April 1989 and ended it in November 1990 for the publishing company Kodansha. The sequel Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface (????? MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE, Kookaku Kidootai Manmashiin Intaafeesu) would follow with issues from September 1991 to August 1997. Ghost in the Shell 2 focused on Motoko in the aftermath of the first manga as she works as a private investigator for a large corporation. While using multiple aliases, she has to contend with the teachings of a professor of artificial intelligence falling into the wrong hands and its capability to affect her adversely. A third book entitled Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor (????? HUMAN-ERROR PROCESSOR, Kookaku Kidootai Hyuuman Eraa Purosessaa) dealt with Section 9 between the events of Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2 and was released in 2003. All three Ghost in the Shell manga have been published on both sides of the Pacific by Kodansha. Recently, Kodansha released digital editions of all three books on multiple platforms. Elements of the stories from the manga also occur in the animated versions of GHOST IN THE SHELL to different extents. Anime Movies

It would not be until 1995 when the name GHOST IN THE SHELL truly caught the attention of the public. In that year, Production IG would release the movie GHOST IN THE SHELL by director Mamoru Oshii, who had already earned fame for his work on the PATLABOR anime franchise as well as the STRAY DOG series. Based on the first story in the manga series, the film deals with Section 9 battling an artificial intelligence called Project 2501, also known as the Puppet Master. With outstanding animation, music soundtrack by Kenji Kawai (THE SKYCRAWLERS, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00) and a story that attempted its own take on the relationship between man and technology, it has earned respect from critics such as Roger Ebert and director James Cameron (THE TERMINATOR), while also serving as inspiration for the creators of the MATRIX trilogy. In 2008, the film underwent an upgrade under the designation of version 2.0 with revamped animation via the latest digital films and animation technologies as well as a remixed soundtrack (with help from Skywalker Sound) and replacement of several of the voice actors. At present, Hulu is showing the original and the 2.0 version of the movie. The film made a return to US theaters on February 7 and 8, 2017.

Nearly a decade after making the first film, Mammoru Oshii returned to direct the sequel GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE (????? ?????, Kookaku Kidootai Inosensu) as a co-production between Production I.G and Studio Ghibli. Dealing with the aftermath following the disappearance of Motoko, Batou investigates a rash of killings by gynoid droids along with his new partner Togusa, which leads to a rash of kidnappings, murder and a corporate conspiracy. It premiered in Japan in March 2004, was released in American theaters via DreamWorks in September 2004, and also competed at the 2004 Cannes film festival. A prequel book, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence - After the Long Goodbye (????? After The Long Goodbye, Inosensu Aftaa za Rongu Guddobai), by Masaki Yamada was published in Japan’s Animage magazine in 2004 and released in America through Viz Media in 2005. When DreamWorks released GHOST IN THE SHELL 2 INNOCENCE on DVD in the US for the first time in December 2004, it caused confusion due to being subtitle-only while the European releases of the movie had the English track as well as the Japanese track. The complaints mounted due the DreamWorks subtitles being formatted differently than what audiences saw in theaters... the only option offered were subs for the hearing impaired, which some felt interfered with watching the movie. An American re-release of the movie by Bandai Entertainment rectified the problem. However when the US branch of Bandai Entertainment closed down in 2012, the status of GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE was up in the air until the animation company Funimation secured the licensing rights for the movie in July 2016. Funimation released the movie in a combo pack with the DVD, Blu-Ray and a digital download option available on February 7, 2017. STAND ALONE COMPLEX In addition to Oshii’s films, the anime has a TV series called GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX (????? STAND ALONE COMPLEX, Kookaku Kidootai Sutando Aroon Konpurekkusu), with a story more in line with the manga series than the movies. The term "Stand Alone Complex" is that of separate individuals and events unintentionally coming together to eventually form a coherent organization and goal. With director Kenji Kamiyama (who has worked on many of Oshii’s projects as well as EDEN OF THE EAST and 009 RE:CYBORG) helming the series and Yoko Kanno (COWBOY BEBOP, TURN A GUNDAM, ESCAFLOWNE) handling the score, the series aired from 2002 to 2003 to great success. SAC deals with a legendary hacker called The Laughing Man and a corporate espionage case from the past that returns to the limelight with government corruption going all the way to the top.

The sequel, GHOST IN THE SHELL: SAC 2nd GIG (????? S.A.C. 2nd GIG, Kookaku Kidootai S.A.C. 2nd GIG), followed in 2004. Mamoru Oshii joined the production team as the original story concept developer for the 2nd season, which entered production at around the same time as INNOCENCE. Taking place two years after the first season and mixing the three topics of refugees, war, and terrorism, the second season delves into the back history of the series. In 2nd GIG, Japan deals with a growing refugee problem a terrorist group called the Individual Eleven who derive their inspiration partially from Japan’s militaristic past. As mysterious forces attempt to ignite the powder keg, Section 9 springs back into action against a series of foes that seem to outmatch them at every turn. The two seasons of SAC had their episodes divided into different categories to differentiate between individual episodes and episodes that have a decisive impact on the main story. Each season has its own OVA compilation, which has new animation while cutting out sections of the story that did not affect the main plot. The TV series had a sequel in 2006 in the form of the OVA GHOST IN THE SHELL STAND ALONE COMPLEX: SOLID STATE SOCIETY (????? STAND ALONE COMPLEX Solid State Society, Kookaku Kidootai Sutando Aroon Konpurekkusu Soriddo Suteeto Sosaieti). Taking place two years after 2nd Gig, Section 9 has expanded with new members but has lost the services of Motoko with Togusa serving as the replacement field leader. As a legendary hacker called the Pupppeteer goes on a rampage, the team is always one step behind as they attempt to stop him, a matter made more difficult by the re-appearance of Motoko and the possibility that she could be the Puppeteer. Production IG worked on a 3-D version of SOLID STATE SOCIETY which they released in March 2011.

Alongside the animated series, SAC has three novels that detail other stories in the series, which Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co Ltd published in Japan in 2004 and Dark Horse Comics brought over to the US in 2006. The author of the novels was one of the scriptwriters for the show, Junichi Fujisaku, who would later go on to direct the BLOOD+ television series. The first book, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex ~ The Lost Memory (????? STAND ALONE COMPLEX ????, Kookaku Kidootai Sutando Aroon Konpurekkusu Kyoyume Kairo), deals with a terrorist group that can hack the minds of almost anyone and force them to commit crimes against the state. The second book, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex ~ Revenge of the Cold Machines (????? STAND ALONE COMPLEX ????? - ?????, Kookaku Kidootai Sutando Aroon Konpurekkusu Kogoeru Kkikai - Jidai Settei wa), is a collection of short stories that revolve around Togusa investigate a case that deal with an assassination attempt on his boss, Aramaki. The third book, Ghost in the Shell ~ White Maze (????? STAND ALONE COMPLEX ?????, Kookaku Kidootai Sutando Aroon Konpurekkusu Nemuri Otoko no Hitsugi), focuses on a case in Tokyo that seems to have aspects of supernatural forces at work. Besides that, Japanese and Asian companies have released a slew of merchandise related to the show, including video games, toys, models and two manga series. Since 2012, the gaming company Nexon Korea has been working with Kodansha to develop the first person shooter game GHOST IN THE SHELL STAND ALONE COMPLEX - FIRST ASSAULT ONLINE (?????ONLINE, Kookaku Kidootai ONLINE ). It has undergone beta testing in 2015-2016 with a planned release date in 2017 on Steam. Both movies as well as most of the STAND ALONE COMPLEX series had Bang Zoom Entertainment in Los Angeles for their English dub while Vancouver’s Ocean Group handled the dubbing for the SAC OVAs. Both seasons of SAC air regularly on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim while SOLID STATE SOCIETY first aired in the US on the Syfy Channel in 2007. Presently Hulu is showing the entire TV series along with the OVA and SOLID STATE SOCIETY while Adult Swim has streamed several episodes of the TV series on its main website. ARISE In 2013, Production IG embarked a new OVA series called GHOST IN THE SHELL: ARISE (?????ARISE -GHOST IN THE SHELL-, Kookaku Kidootai Araizu -Goosuto In Za Sheru-), which takes place in the year 2027, an earlier time-frame than original manga as well as the movie and STAND ALONE COMPLEX television series. It has a brand new production crew and voice cast though some have had experience in GHOST IN THE SHELL with the prime example of Maaya Sakamoto voicing Motoko Kusanagi (a role that that she played at the very end of the original movie). Kazuchika Kize, who had worked on several previous productions in the franchise, would handle the directing of the movie series while Tow Ubukata supervised writing duties. Keigo Oyamada, a musical composer who goes by the stage name Cornelius, handled the soundtrack for the series. As with its counterparts, GHOST IN THE SHELL: ARISE also had its own merchandise, which includes books, toys, models, clothes and miscellaneous merchandise.

BORDER 1: GHOST PAIN, the first of four episodes in the series, debuted in Japan on June 22, 2013 to impressive box office. Its plot dealt with Motoko Kusanagi investigating the death of a mentor. Eventually she works with Public Security official Daisuke Aramaki, who is investigating the same case. During the episode, she encounters some of the other characters who would eventually become members of Section 9, including Batou, Pazu, and Togusa. The first episode arrived on Blu-Ray and DVDs in Japan on July 26, 2013. In the lead up to the first episode, Kodansha published a manga original short story titled Ghost in the Shell: Arise ~ Sleepless Eye in its Weekly Young Magazine on March 13, 2013. It dealt with how Batou and Motoko encountered each other during the civil war that provided the backstory for this series. The next episode, BORDER 2: GHOST WHISPERS arrived in Japanese theaters on November 30, 2013 with Motoko learning to work directly under Aramaki as she along with potential recruits Pazu and Saito, investigate the hacking of the Logicomas. They quickly learn that Batou is separately investigating the matter. In the lead up to the release of the second episode, the first 8 minutes were streamed online. Special editions of the Blu-Ray and DVD shipped out on the same day it opened at theaters. As the show upgraded its website in preparation for the release of the 3rd episode of the series, Production IG released a 3-minute web-exclusive episode of GHOST IN THE SHELL: ARISE on Nov. 15, 2013. Motoko hunted down several criminals before taking a dive into the cyber network world and researching its previous versions. The third episode (BORDER 3: GHOST TEARS), which premiered on June 28, 2014, had Motoko and Batou tracking down a terrorist organization that used the Scylla as a symbol while Togusa investigates the murder of a man who possessed a prosthetic leg manufactured by the Mermaid`s Leg corporation. The OVA series concluded with Border 4: GHOST STANDS ALONE, which screened in Japanese theaters on September 6, 2014. It dealt with Public Security Section 9 investigating a terrorist named “Fire Starter” who unleashes an infection that affect cyberbrains. After the end of the OVA series, Production IG reformatted the series for television under the title GHOST IN THE SHELL: ARISE – ALTERNATIVE ARCHITECTURE (?????ARISE ALTERNATIVE ARCHITECTURE, Kookaku Kidootai Araizu - Orutanatibu Aakitekucha). It consisted of ten episodes with two episodes each dedicated to the individual OVA episodes and the remaining two episodes dealing with a brand new story that was not part of the initial OVA. In 2013, Funimation licensed the OVA series for release in the United States with a limited theatrical run and the importing of a limited number (about 2,500) of Blu-rays, with a later general release for the public. The first episode screened at Anime Expo 2013 while the imported Blu-rays of the first movie began selling in the US through Funimation on August 20, 2013. Funimation had the second episode available for US customers to order on February 25, 2014. As for the limited theatrical runs, they took place on May 29, 2014 in select cities around the US.

Funimation started pre-orders for a general DVD/Blu-ray combo pack for the first two episodes of the OVA series with a release date on October 21, 2014. The combo has the option of watching the two episodes in their original Japanese language or in an English dubbed version. Coming after the announcement of the DVD/Blu-Ray combo pack, Funimation announced the English voice cast for the GHOST IN THE SHELL: ARISE OVA series at Otakan 2014. The reaming two episodes underwent the same process before Funimation released them on October 13, 2015. Production IG followed up the ARISE OVA series with a sequel movie titled GHOST IN THE SHELL: THE NEW MOVIE (????? ????, Kookaku Kidootai Shin Gekijooban) , which opened in Japanese theaters in June of 2015. It deals with Section 9 investigating the assassination of the Japanese Prime Minister, which the public considered as the most important event since the end of the war. As with the ARISE OVA series, Funimation licensed the new GHOST IN THE SHELL movie and screened it in theaters on November 10, 11, and 16th of 2015. It arrived on DVD and Blu-Ray in America in April 2016. To promote the movie, Production IG created a ten-minute short film titled, GHOST IN THE SHELL THE NEW MOVIE: VIRTUAL REALITY DRIVER (????? ???? Virtual Reality Diver, Kookaku Kidootai Shin Gekijooban). Released in the fourth quarter of 2015 through Apple’s App Store and Google Play, it makes use of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset to tell its story. On October 31, Production IG announced that the short film would also have an English dub by Funimation. GHOST IN THE SHELL: ARISE also came to life as a theatrical play titled GHOST IN THE SHELL ARISE: GHOST IS ALIVE (?????ARISE?GHOST is ALIVE, Kookaku Kidootai Araizu - Ghost is Alive), which ran in Japan in 2015 from November 5th to the 15th at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theater Playhouse. It included among the production crew Junichi Fujisaku and Tow Ubukata as well as one actor reprising his role from the GHOST IN THE SHELL: ARISE animated series: Ikyuu Jyuku, the voice actor for Aramaki. The play is a combination of live actors performing and interacting with a 3-D background view. To view the show properly, the audience wore 3-D glasses. Live Action Movie As with many recent animated properties over the years, GHOST IN THE SHELL eventually would make the transition to a live action format. After DreamWorks purchased the rights in 2008, they began developing plans for a live action movie based on the franchise. However, the movie would languish in development hell for six years as potential writers and directors came and left the project. Eventually DreamWorks made the final announcements that the director was Rupert Sanders (SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN) while the writers were Johnathan Herman (STRAIGHT OUT OF COMPTON) and Jamie Moss. At first, Disney would handle the distribution of the movie in the United States while Paramount Pictures handled the international distribution but eventually Paramount signed on to co-produce the film, assuming full control of distribution both domestically and internationally.

The production began to gain traction as the filmmakers scouted actors for the movie. For the role of Motoko Kusanagi, Margot Robbie was on the short list of candidates before they selected Scarlett Johansson (LOST IN TRANSLATION, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR) for the role. Other cast members include Pilou Asbæk (BORGEN, GAME OF THRONES) as Batou, Takeshi Kitano (BATTLE ROYALE, ZATOICHI, JOHNNY MNEMONIC) as Daisuke Aramaki, Chin Han (THE DARK KNIGHT, INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE) as Togusa, Rila Fukushima (THE WOLVERINE) and Juliette Binoche (GODZILLA, CHOCOLAT). However, the casting of Scarlett Johansson swept the movie up in a storm of controversy that has plagued the US movie industry recently, as movies and television shows cast Caucasian actors as characters of different ethnicities. Paramount Pictures attempted to deal with the controversy, while the reaction in the west surprised the Japanese as, in their eyes, Johansson’s body of work made her exceptionally qualified for the role. Even Mamoru Oishi voiced his own support for Johansson’s work as Motoko after visiting the movie set and observing the production. As part of the advertising for the movie, Paramount dropped five 10-second segments of the teaser trailer in September before releasing the teaser in its entirety in November. On November 13, 2016, Paramount hosted a GHOST IN THE SHELL event in Tokyo where they premiered the trailer for the movie. With Kenji Kawai, Rupert Sanders and actors Kitano and Johansson in attendance, the movie was the focus as the studio aired footage and displayed props and costumes. Recently Paramount aired the first TV trailers for the movie at the 2017 Super Bowl before releasing a second theatrical trailer on February 13, 2017. The overall plotline of the movie is that Motoko Kusanagi and her team, which operates under the organization Public Security Section 9, battle cyber-criminals and hackers. Now they deal with a threat to one of the most prestigious technological firms, Hanka Robotics, which has developed a revolutionary artificial intelligence. Paramount Pictures has scheduled the film for release on March 31, 2017. Potential Future Based on statements made by Production IG representatives at Anime Expo 2013, the company hopes to make GHOST IN THE SHELL its flagship series in the same manner that GUNDAM is for Bandai and Sunrise. Credits ? GHOST IN THE SHELL Animation Production: Production I.G Produced by: Kodansha, Bandai Visual, Manga Entertainment Distributed in Japan by: Shochiku Based on the Original Manga by: Masamune Shirow Executive Producers: Teruo Miyahara, Shigeru Watanabe, Andy Frain Producers: Yoshimasa Mizuo, Ken Matsumoto, Ken Iyadomi, Mitsuhisa Ishikawa Director: Mamoru Oshii Storyboard: Mamoru Oshii Screenplay: Kazunori Ito Sequence Director: Toshihiko Nishikubo Character Design: Hiroyuki Okiura Key Animation Supervisors: Kazuchika Kise, Hiroyuki Okiura Mechanical Design: Shoji Kawamori, Atsushi Takeuchi Weapon Design: Mitsuo Iso Background Design: Takashi Watabe Art Director: Hiromasa Ogura Color Setting: Kumiko Yusa Director of Photography: Hisao Shirai 3D CGI Director: Seiichi Tanaka 3D CGI Chief Animator: Kaoru Matsumoto Editing: Shuichi Kakesu Music: Kenji Kawai Sound Director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi Cast: Motoko Kusanagi: Atsuko Tanaka Motoko Kusanagi (young): Maaya Sakamoto Batou: Akio Otsuka Togusa: Koichi Yamadera Ishikawa: Yutaka Nakano Daisuke Aramaki: Tamio Oki Nakamura: TesshoGenda Willis: Naruki Masahisa Puppet Master: Iemasa Kayumi/ Yoshiko Sakakibara (Version 2.0) English Production Director: Quint Lancaster Translation: Paul C. Halbert, Taro Yoshida ADR Script: Mary Claypool, Mary Mason, Quint Lancaster Producers: Andy Frain, Laurence Guinness Translation Coordinators: Nobuhiro Hayashi, Taro Yoshida, Yutaka Maseba Cast Motoko Kusunagi: Mimi Woods Batou: Richard Epcar Project 2501/The Puppet Master: Abe Lasser Togusa: Christopher Joyce Ishikawa: Michael Sorich Daisuke Aramaki: William Frederick Knight Nakamura: Ben Isaacson Willis: Phil Williams ? GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE Produced by: Production I.G, Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Disney, Toho, Mitsubishi Corporation Distributed in Japan by Toho Original Story: Masamune Shirow Screenplay: Mamoru Oshii Director: Mamoru Oshii Character Design: Hiroyuki Okiura Mechanical Designer: Atsushi Takeuchi Production Designer: Yohei Taneda Supervising Layout Artists: Takashi Watabe, Atsushi Takeuchi Supervising Key Animators: Kazuchika Kise, Tetsuya Nishio, Hiroyuki Okiura Art Director: Shuichi Hirata Supervising Color Designer: Kumiko Yusa Color Supervisors: Idumi Hirose, Eiko Matsushima, Yoko Watanabe Director of Photography: Miki Sakuma Digital Effects Supervisor: Hiroyuki Hayashi Visual Effects Supervisor: HisashiEzura Editing: Junichi Uematsu, Sachiko Miki, Chihiro Nakano Sound Designer: Randy Thom (Skywalker Sound) Music: Kenji Kawai Theme Song: Kimiko Itoh / "Follow Me" (VideoArts Music) Animation Production: Production I.G Co-Produced by: Studio Ghibli Producers: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Toshio Suzuki Cast Batou: Akio Otsuka Motoko: Atsuko Tanaka Togusa: Koichi Yamadera Aramaki: Tamio Oki Ishikawa: Yutaka Nakano Kim: Naoto Takenaka English Production ADR Directors: Kevin Seymour, Richard Epcar Translation: David Fleming, Linda Hoaglund (Go Fish Subtitles) ,Yurika Dennis ADR Script: Mary Claypool Executive Producer: Ken Iyadomi Producers: Haruyo Kanesaku, Richard Epcar, Taku Otsuka, Yutaka Maseba Adaptation: Richard Epcar Chief Producer: Nobuo Masuda Dialogue Editing: Les Claypool III Digital ADR Tracking: Eddie J. Correa, Phil Brewster Operations Assistant: Joseph Chung Production Assistant: Brian Cutts, Kanae Saki Re-Recording Mixing: Chris Elam, Chris Haire, Les Claypool III Recording & Mixing: Ed Woolley Sound Supervision: Les Claypool III Subtitle Timing: David Fleming Cast Crispin Freeman: Togusa Motoko Kusanagi: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Batou: Richard Epcar Ishikawa: Michael McCarty Kim: Travis Willingham Aramaki: William Frederick Knight ? GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX Produced by: Production I.G, Bandai Visual, Bandai Entertainment, Dentsu, Nippon Television Network, TokumaShoten, Victor Entertainment, Manga Entertainment Based on the Manga by: Masamune Shirow Chief Director / Chief Writer: Kenji Kamiyama Executive Producers: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Shigeru Watanabe Screenplay: Shotaro Suga, Yoshiki Sakurai, Dai Sato, Junichi Fujisaku, NobuhisaTerado Storyboard: Toshiyuki Kono, Atsushi Wakabayashi, Jun Matsumoto, Ryutaro Nakamura, Masayuki Yoshihara, Hideyo Yamamoto Animation Directors: Takayuki Goto, Masahiro Sato, Kyoji Asano, Meiju Maeda, Kenichi Yamaguchi, Jun Uemura Character Design: Makoto Shimomura Mechanical Design: Kenji Teraoka, ShinobuTsuneki Background Artist: Hiroshi Kato Art Director: Yusuke Takeda Color Coordinator: Yumiko Katayama Director of Photography: Koji Tanaka 3D Director: Makoto Endo Editing: Junichi Uematsu Music: Yoko Kanno Sound Director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi Sound Effect: Daisuke Jinbo Animation Production Production I.G Production Adviser: Masamune Shirow Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Atsuko Tanaka Batou:Akio Otsuka Togusa: Koichi Yamadera Daisuke Aramaki: Osamu Saka Ishikawa: Yutaka Nakano Saito: Toru Okawa Paz: Takashi Onozuka Boma:Taro Yamaguchi Proto: Ooki Sugiyama Tachikoma: Sakiko Tamagawa The Laughing Man: Koichi Yamadera Hideo Kuze: Rikiya Koyama Goda: Ken Nishida Yoko Kayabuki: Yoshiko Sakakibara English Production ADR Directors: Kevin Seymour, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Script: Mary Mason Translation: David Fleming ADR Script: Marc Handler, Doug Stone, Mary Claypool Executive Producers: Ken Iyadomi, Marvin Gleicher, Kaoru Mfaume, Rika Davis Producers: Haruyo Kanesaku, Rika Davis, Taku Otsuka, Yutaka Maseba Chief Producer: Charles McCarter Co-Producers: Kei Onishi, Osamu Maseba Digital ADR Tracking: Collin McQueen, David W. Barr, Michael McCarty DVD Menu Design: Erika Offutt Final Mix: Les Claypool III Production Support: TatsuhiroNishiuchi Subtitle Timing: David Fleming Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Batou: Richard Epcar Togusa: Crispin Freeman Daisuke Aramaki: William Fredrick Knight Ishikawa: Michael McCarty Saito: Dave Wittenberg Paz: Robert “Bob” Buchholz Boma: Dean Wein Proto: Richard Miro Tachikoma: Melissa Fahn, Rebecca Forstadt, Lara Jill Miller, Sandy Fox, Sherry Lynn, Julie Maddalena, Peggy O`Neal, Lia Sargent, Michelle Ruff, Carrie Savage, Mona Marshall, Colleen O`Shaughnessey The Laughing Man: Steven Blum Hideo Kuze: Kirk Thorton Goda: John Snyder Yoko Kayabuki: Barbara Goodson ? GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX OVA Animation Production: Production I.G Produced by: Production I.G, Bandai Visual, Bandai Entertainment, Dentsu, Nippon Television Network, Victor Entertainment, Tokuma Shoten, Manga Entertainment THE LAUGHING MAN Based on the Manga by: Masamune Shirow Executive Producers: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and Shigeru Watanabe Director / Chief Writer: Kenji Kamiyama Screenplay: ShotaroSuga, Junichi Fujisaku, Dai Sato, Yoshiki Sakurai Sequence Director: Toshiyuki Kono Layout: Hisaki Furukawa Chief Animation Director: Takayuki Goto Animation Directors: Kyoji Asano, RyotaNiino, Satoru Nakamura, Toshiharu Murata, Kenichi Yamaguchi, Shigeyuki Suga Character Design: Makoto Shimomura Mechanical Design: Kenji Teraoka, ShinobuTsuneki Art Director: Yusuke Takeda Background Artist: Hiroshi Kato Color Coordinator: Yumiko Katayama Special Effects: Masahiro Murakami Director of Photography: Koji Tanaka 3D Director: Makoto Endo Editing: Junichi Uematsu Music: Yoko Kanno Sound Director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi Production Adviser: Masamune Shirow INDIVIDUAL ELEVEN Based on the Manga by: Masamune Shirow Executive Producers: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Shigeru Watanabe Director / Chief Writer: Kenji Kamiyama Story Concept: Mamoru Oshii Screenplay: Kenji Kamiyama, Dai Sato, Junichi Fujisaku, Yoshiki Sakurai, Yutaka Omatsu, Yuichiro Matsuka Sequence Director: Masayuki Yoshihara Layout: Hisaki Furukawa Chief Animation Director: Satoru Nakamura Animation Directors: Takayuki Goto, Ryota Niino, Kyoji Asano, Tetsuya Nishio, Koichi Maruyama, Kenichi Konishi Original Character Design: Makoto Shimomura Character Design: Takayuki Goto, Tetsuya Nishio Mechanical Design: Kenji Teraoka, Shinobu Tsuneki Art Directors: Yusuke Takeda, Kazuki Higashiji Background Artist: Hiroshi Kato Color Coordinator: Yumiko Katayama Special Effects: Masahiro Murakami Director of Photography: Koji Tanaka 3D Director: Makoto Endo Editing: Junichi Uematsu Music: Yoko Kanno Sound Director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi Sound Effects: Daisuke Jinbo Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Atsuko Tanaka Batou: Akio Otsuka Togusa: Koichi Yamadera Daisuke Aramaki: Osamu Saka Ishikawa: Yutaka Nakano Saito: Toru Okawa Paz: TakashiOnozuka Boma: Taro Yamaguchi Proto: Ooki Sugiyama Tachikoma: Sakiko Tamagawa The Laughing Man: Koichi Yamadera Hideo Kuze: Rikiya Koyama Goda: Ken Nishida Yoko Kayabuki: Yoshiko Sakakibara English Production Translation: David Fleming Executive Producer: Ken Iyadomi Producer: Diana Gage, Taku Otsuka Associate Producer: Jiro Okada Casting Coordination: Theresa MacFarlane Casting Director: Randi Riediger Chief Producer: Nobuo Masuda Dialogue Editing: Donovan Johnson, Gabriella Cheung, Michael Iske, Derek Simpson Production Assistant: Brian Cutts Re-Recording Mixing: Keith A. Goddard Recording engineer: Donovan Johnson Script Adaptation: Mary Claypool Script Editing: Mike Bridges Subtitle Script: Amy Lipkowitz Video Post-Production: Michael Hey, Sean McConkey, Shannon Lum Voice Direction: Keith A. Goddard Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Alison Matthews Batou: David Kaye Togusa: Trevor Devall Daisuke Aramaki: Russell Roberts Ishikawa: John Payne Saito: Brian Drummond Pazu: John Murphy Boma: Mark Gibbon Proto: Andrew Toth Tachikoma: Cathy Weseluck, JanyseJaud, Kelly Metzger, Nicole Bouma, Erin Matthews, Saffron Henderson The Laughing Man: Michael Adamthwaite Hideo Kuze: John Murphy Goda: French Tickner Yoko Kayabuki: Ellen Kennedy ? GHOST IN THE SHELL STAND ALONE COMPLEX: SOLID STATE SOCIETY Animation Production: Production I.G Produced by: Ghost in the Shell Production Committee (Production I.G, Bandai Visual, Bandai Entertainment, Dentsu, Nippon Television Network, Victor Entertainment, TokumaShoten, Manga Entertainment) Based on the Manga by: Masamune Shirow Executive Producers: Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Shigeru Watanabe Director: Kenji Kamiyama Screenplay: Kenji Kamiyama, ShotaroSuga, Yoshiki Sakurai Storyboard: Kenji Kamiyama, Masayuki Yoshihara Sequence Directors: Masaki Tachibana, Masayuki Yoshihara, Toshiyuki Kono Character Design: Takayuki Goto, Tetsuya Nishio Mechanical Design: Kenji Teraoka, Shinobu Tsuneki Chief Animation Director: Takayuki Goto Animation Directors: Satoru Nakamura, Kanami Sekiguchi Art Director: Yusuke Takeda Background Art: Takashi Watabe Color Coordinator: Yumiko Katayama Special Effects: Masahiro Murakami, Shigenobu Kaihoko Director of Photography: Koji Tanaka 3D Director: Makoto Endo Editing: Junichi Uematsu Music: Yoko Kanno Sound Director: Kazuhiro Wakabayashi Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Atsuko Tanaka Batou: Akio Otsuka Togusa: Koichi Yamadera Daisuke Aramaki: Osamu Saka Ishikawa: Yutaka Nakano Saito: Toru Okawa Paz: Takashi Onozuka Boma: Taro Yamaguchi Takaaki Koshiki: Yuya Uchida Yoko Kayabuki: Yoshiko Sakakibara Tachikoma: SakikoTamagawa English Production ADR Director: Kevin Seymour ADR Script: Mary Claypool Executive Producers: Kaoru Mfaume, Ken Iyadomi Producers: Haruyo Kanesaku, Taku Otsuka, Yutaka Maseba Chief Producer: Nobuo Masuda Digital ADR Tracking: Collin McQueen Production Assistant: Kanae Saki Re-Recording Mixing: Chris Elam Sound Supervision: Les Claypool III Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Batou: Richard Epcar Togusa: Crispin Freeman Daisuke Aramaki: William Fredrick Knight Ishikawa: Michael McCarty Saito: Dave Wittenberg Paz: Robert “Bob” Buchholz Boma: Dean Wein Tachikoma: Melissa Fahn, Rebecca Forstadt, Sherry Lynn TakaakiKoshiki: Christopher Smith Yoko Kayabuki: Barbara Goodson ? GHOST IN THE SHELL: ARISE Chief Director: KazuchikaKise Directors: Atsushi Takeuchi, Masahiko Murata Series Composition: Tow Ubukata Screenplay: Tow Ubukata Storyboard: Masahiko Murata, Shunsuke Tada Music: Cornelius Original Creator: Masamune Shirow Character Design: Kazuchika Kise Art Directors: Takaaki Mashiki, Yusuke Takeda Animation Directors: Takuya Saito,Tetsuya Nishio Mechanical Design: Takayuki Yanase 3D Director: Eiji Inomoto Sound Director: Yoshikazu Iwanami Director of Photography: Koji Tanaka Editing: Junichi Uematsu Cast Batou: Kenichirou Matsuda Motoko Kusanagi: Maaya Sakamoto Togusa: Tarusuke Shingaki Daisuke Aramaki: Ikkyuu Juku Borma: Kazuya Nakai Saito: Takurou Nakakuni Ishikawa: Tomoyuki Dan, Shunsuke Sakuya Paz: Youji Ueda Logicoma: Miyuki Sawashiro Kurutsu: Mayumi Asano Tsumugi: Kenji Nojima Raizo: Takanori Hoshino Mamuro: Atsushi Miyauchi Ibachi: Yasuhiro Mamiya English Production ADR Director: Zach Bolton Executive Producer: Gen Fukunaga Producers: Carly Hunter, Justin Cook, Michael Harcourt Head Writer: John Burgmeier Video Post-Production Director: Clarine Harp Video Post-Production Manager: Matthew O`Hara Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Elizabeth Maxwell Daisuke Aramaki: John Swasey Kurutsu: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Batou: Christopher R. Sabat Tsumugi: Eric Vale Togusa: Alex Organ Paz: Jason Douglas Sadamoto: Bill Jenkins Raizo: David Wald Logicoma: Jad Saxton Mamuro: Brian Mathis Ibachi: Chris Rager ? GHOST IN THE SHELL: THE NEW MOVIE Original creator: MasamuneShirow Chief Director: Kazuchika Kise Director: Kazuya Nomura Script: Tow Ubukata Storyboard: Kazuya Nomura, Naoki Arakawa Character Design: Kazuchika Kise Chief Animation Director: Tooru Ookubo Music: Cornelius Theme Song Performance: Cornelius, Maaya Sakamoto Cast Batou: Kenichirou Matsuda Maaya Sakamoto: Motoko Kusanagi Ikkyuu Juku: Daisuke Aramaki Kazuya Nakai: Borma Kenji Nojima: Tsumugi Mayumi Asano: Kurutsu Megumi Han: Chris Miyuki Sawashiro: Logicoma Mugihito: Robert Lee NAOTO: Osamu Fujimoto (EXILE) Shunsuke Sakuya: Ishikawa Takurou Nakakuni: Saito Tarusuke Shingaki: Togusa Y?jiUeda: Paz English Production ADR Director: Zach Bolton Script: Clint Bickham Executive producer: Gen Fukunaga Producer: Justin Cook, Michael Harcourt Assistant ADR Director: Cris George Assistant producer: Zach Bolton Head of Publicity: Scott Barretto Head Writer: John Burgmeier Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Elizabeth Maxwell Daisuke Aramaki: John Swasey Togusa: Alex Organ Saito: Marcus D. Stimac Kurutsu: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn Batou: Christopher R. Sabat Ishikawa: Brandon Potter Paz: Jason Douglas Borma: Phil Parsons ? GHOST IN THE SHELL ARISE: GHOST IS ALIVE Based on the Manga by: Masamune Shirow Supervisor: Tow Ubukata Director: Shutaro Oku Screenplay: Junichi Fukusatu Producer: Okumura Sennosuke Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Kaede Aono Daisuke Aramaki: Ikkyuu Juku Ishikawa: Tatsuya Isaka Saito: Ryunosuke Matsumura Batou: Ren Yagami Togusa: Kentaro Kanesaki Paz: Katsuhiko Ibuka Borma: Yutaka Matsuzaki ? GHOST IN THE SHELL THE NEW MOVIE: VIRTUAL REALITY DRIVER Based on the Manga by: Masamune Shirow Planning: Production I.G Creative Director: Nobumichi Asai Construction: Junichi Fujisaku Character Design: Kazuchika Kise Director: Hiroaki Higashi Cast Motoko Kusanagi: Maaya Sakamoto Batou: Kenichirou Matsuda Logicoma: Miyuki Sawashiro Okitatsu Oribe: Ryouta Takeuchi Yuri: SayakaOhara English Cast Motoko: Elizabeth Maxwell Batou: Christopher Sabat Logicoma: Jad Saxton Yuri: Stephanie Sheh Okitatsu Oribe: Marc Diraison ? GHOST IN THE SHELL Produced by: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Reliance Entertainment, Amblin Partners, Arad Productions Distributed by: Paramount Pictures Director: Rupert Sanders Producers: Avi Arad, Steven Paul, Ari Arad Writer: Jonathan Herman, Jamie Moss Composer: Clint Mansell Cast The Major: Scarlett Johansson Batou: Pilou Asbæk Chief Daisuke Aramaki: Takeshi Kitano Dr. Ouelet: Juliette Binoche Kuze: Michael Pitt Togusa: Chin Han Ishikawa: Lasarus Ratuere Borma: Tuwanda Manyimo Saito: Yutaka Izumihara Ladriya: Danusia Samal Tony: Pete Teo Data Host: Yuta Kazama