A reimagined origin story for the legendary Major Motoko Kusanagi
In short: Before she led Public Security Section 9, Motoko Kusanagi was a member of the federal 501 Organization. Set in 2027 Newport City, this series explores the tense beginnings of a world where many people have become cyborgs with prosthetic bodies.
The television and OVA production Ghost in the Shell: Arise reimagines Masamune Shirow's 1989–90 manga. Directed by Kazuchika Kise with a screenplay by Tow Ubukata, the series offers an alternate-universe origin story. While the plot was based on Shirow's ideas, the author remained largely hands-off, allowing the staff to interpret the material freely. However, the production followed his character and mechanical designs closely, with some elements appearing in his own editorial sections in Pandora in the Crimson Shell.
The narrative is set in the year 2027, a period where developed countries see a high prevalence of citizens with prosthetic bodies. The story follows a younger Motoko Kusanagi during her tenure with the 501 Organization, a group specializing in advanced infiltration and espionage. A central source of tension in the series is that the 501 Organization is the legal owner of Kusanagi's prosthetic body, which is merely lent to her in exchange for her service.
The series has seen multiple formats, including the 'Alternative Architecture' television broadcast that aired from April 5 to June 14, 2015. This version recompiled the four original OVA 'borders' and included two original episodes to bridge the gap to the 2015 film sequel, Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie. While the visual redesign of the cast initially drew scrutiny, critics like Richard Eisenbeis of Kotaku suggested the changes were primarily skin-deep and the series remained a worthy addition to the franchise.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Ghost in the Shell: Arise
- Also: Wikidata — Ghost in the Shell: Arise · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Alternative Architecture · CC0
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