Nakama Britannica

This week’s ‘Ghost in the Shell’: What’s inside the Shell? is very short and covers the scene occuring directly after the last scene we critqued which was the scene involving the Puppet Master and Its attempt to define itself, at least if we read between the lines it was practically begging for life in a rather mechinal fashion, in order that it escape death and continue its line of Puppet Mastery. The last scene asked many questions of you, the viewer, and as such required you too like the Puppet Master to define your humanity. I wounder if anyone could actually define humanity in a way that would satisfy everybody. I think, much like the word religion and God that it is not easily definable.

10: Memory and identity.

The Puppet Master awakes! This scene is the scene where The Puppet Master reveals himself. Section Six is also very interested in the Puppet Master and this scene is about, not only analysing The Puppet Master but also, capturing The Puppet Master. Pillaged, the Puppet Master is purloined spurring a large chase for Section Nine to recapture the stolen Puppet Master before secrets are leaked about Section Six’s actions.

This scene is an interesting one because it is the one that actually asks the question that Oshii has been trying to ask, by suggestion and insinuation, throughout the whole film. The question of what makes a human a human is constantly raised throughout the piece. However this scene also completes the last scene’s exploration of the ‘Ghost in the Machine’. The last scene explored the ghost. This scene explores the body. Consider the idea posed by the Puppet Master that DNA itself is merely a way of defending itself from dying out and the way in which It describes genes etc. Oshii is going all the way to try to define humanity but he does it within the boundaries that a human would. A human can not transcend the physical limitations placed upon them by their physical beings.

What the Puppet Master represents is a synthesis of humanity and Robotanity, perhaps we should call it ‘Robotism’ like organism or ‘Robotanity’ for the purpose of this article because of Oshii’s use of The Puppet Master is essentially to highlight how much we do not understand our own existence, that poses the question as to what a human actually is and if in this age of “post-humanism” we can understand ourselves at all or whether we have lost our sense of self and therefore find life pointless or empty because the boundaries have not been set.

“Post-humanism” is the age where boundaries, the very essence of not only ‘Ghost in the Shell’ but also the cyberpunk sub-genre itself, are becoming blurred or non-existent. However the Age of “Post-humanism” is very much the age where information is becoming a more and more powerful tool. Indeed the Puppet Master says “I am a life-form that was born in the sea of information.” which intimates the closeness of Itself to humanity, Its reference to DNA being the key part to his argument that The Puppet Master exists as a living entity and therefore human.

Also considering Kusanagi’s role as Oshii’s doll for probing the ‘human problem’ is also worth taking note from in this scene. She, says in the previous scene that she, believes that “there’s no person who’s ever seen their own brain” basically calling into question her own existence as precieved through her brain: The centre of human thought and feeling. The fact that she only feels treated as a person makes her human makes her “doubt [her] own ghost”.

This feeds into this scene when The Puppet Master requests asylum. This is a very human thing to do! Also to talk about death and the fact that there is, as Aramaki calls it, a “half immortality”. Oshii here again is highlighting the frightening reality of 2029 and emphasising the underlying horror present within the narrative. The Puppet Master also embodies the idea of the ‘Ghost in the Machine’ very well creating, with the magic ingredient inherent within Kusanagi, this idea that humanity must reach a state of mind like Nirvana in order to truly understand humanity itself. The machine represents how information is becoming to much and clouded, hence the sea of information rather than river or stream of information, and is creating life because of this flood of information present within society in 2029.

However we know that the film is not about 2029 and Newport City but rather about contemporary society. Much like ‘Serial Experiments Lain’ Oshii is “lamenting” a part of humanity which is being ‘lost’ as contemporary society sees it. The boundaries, in regards to humanity’s ability to communicate are growing.

Next week, a very extra-special long post detailing the last scene we will ever critique together of ‘Ghost in the Shell’. Seriously, it will take longer than the Americian election did to resolve itself. It is a long piece so have your coffee ready and hope to see you next week! Have a good one!