“The Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface”, by Masamune Shirow

312 pages, Dark Horse Manga, ISBN-13: 978-1593072049

We all know what they say about sequels, right? But fear not, gentle reader, for The Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface is as imaginative and as well-written as the preceding volume…perhaps more so, in some ways. I don't think it has much of what was charming about The Ghost in the Shell: the Major has become almost entirely a virtual being as opposed to a physical one, which gives the story a very different flavor; moreover, whatever is happening happens much more quickly and much more obscurely than in 1 and 1.5 (more on that in the next review). I say “whatever is happening” purposefully, for if your attention strays for but a moment than you very quickly realize that you no longer actually know what’s going on and there’s no way to pick up the thread without rereading a significant amount of material (this was especially tedious for me, impatient reader that I am); for example, there’s so much mind-diving and interchanging of bodies that it’s often easy to become confused and forget that you’re watching the Major at all…AND the various techniques she uses while doing all of this are largely inexplicable (probably they’re all completely thought out by Shirow, but as far as the reader is concerned the Major may just as well be shouting out “MacGuffin Attack!” and it would be just as meaningful).

There are other little points too, such as the fact that the new surrogates for the fuchikomas are simply not as cute or charming as the last fuchikomas were, and are a million miles short of tachikomas (not that that’s the Shirow’s fault, I suppose, since the tachikomas are from S.A.C. anyway, rather than Ghost in the Shell proper, but it does leave you wishing for more – what’s that? Don’t know what-in-the-bloomin’-‘ell I’m talking ‘bout? Read the book, sport). Shunned by some people as a confusing and strange combination of cyberworld theory and endless panty shots, GitS2 is a strange beast, indeed…BUT if you’re into hypernetworked technology you’ll just love it. I found myself staring at network images and user interface elements and thinking “THAT will actually be real in 2035” (which is when the book is based), so if you think in terms of networks and systems and all the different ways we will be using and seeing them, you will like this book a lot.

What I wish for now is a full book on Shirow’s ideas of the future. He is thinking on a level beyond most scientists, philosophers, criminologists, and technologists of a world that is a natural extension of our world. These thoughts are riddled throughout the story and in notes on the bottom and sides of numerous pages as he casually mentions very profound things in passing, like about networked electrical systems for homes and how digital communication is “seen”. One of his more popular concepts is about how cybernetic implants have benefits but complications, such as bugs, virus attacks, false memories, and hacks of everything from mental control to body motion. Most of these things are found in the Ghost in the Shell anime movies, television anime, and other comics but are really given the full treatment in GitS2. Making up for all of this are a TON of panty shots; I’m not kidding; there must be two or three per page for 200 pages or so. Now if you’re into THAT (plus all the stuff I just ranted about above) then you are REALLY going to like The Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface.