Ghost in the Shell ARISE border4 Ghost Stands Alone review: The lone ghost and its battle

The profound world of "Ghost in the Shell ARISE border4 Ghost Stands Alone"

Ghost in the Shell ARISE border4 Ghost Stands Alone is the fourth chapter of the anime series Ghost in the Shell ARISE, based on the original work by Masamune Shirow, and was released in theaters from September 6th to 20th, 2014. The film is made up of 60-minute episodes, animated by Production IG and distributed by Toho's Visual Arts Division. Kazuya Kise is in charge of general direction and character design, Tou Ubukata is in charge of series composition and scriptwriting, and Cornelius is in charge of music.

story

The year is 2028, and Newport City is showing signs of post-war recovery. Major Motoko Kusanagi's independent offensive unit is watching over protests against a water price agreement over the interests of a foreign cartel. However, suddenly, an indiscriminate shooting incident occurs by the riot police, and an unprecedented simultaneous ghost hack caused by the cyber virus "Fire Starter" begins. Kusanagi identifies Sayid, the source of the infection, and shoots her to quell the incident, but in the middle of the attack, he senses the presence of someone who has attached a "branch" to her cyberbrain. Batou and his friends rush to the target's location, where they find Tsuda Emma, ​​a girl with a full-body prosthetic body. Colonel Hozumi of the Army Intelligence Department offers to take Emma in, but Aramaki instructs Kusanagi to escort her and investigate. Kusanagi, who dived into Emma's ghost, learns of the existence of two ghosts: "Tin Girl" Emma and "Scarecrow Man" Brinda Junior. What are they aiming for? The story unfolds as Kusanagi approaches the truth behind the double ghosts, which are rife with conspiracies.

Commentary

Ghost in the Shell ARISE, which began in 2013, is a new animated series based on the manga by Masamune Shirow. Set in a future society where information networks and cyborg technology have developed, it tells the story of the creation of the offensive special forces "Ghost in the Shell," which was established to stop violent crimes, and the story of the heroine, Motoko Kusanagi, who is a full-body cyborg. It is made up of four parts, each about 50 minutes long, and features spectacular action and cyber battles surrounding the cyber virus "Fire Starter." It depicts the encounters between Motoko Kusanagi and Aramaki of Public Security Section 9, and later members of Ghost in the Shell such as Batou and Togusa, and their growth and struggles are depicted throughout the series.

cast

The main cast includes Maaya Sakamoto as Motoko Kusanagi, Kazuhisa Juku as Daisuke Aramaki, Kenichiro Matsuda as Batou, Tasuku Araki as Togusa, Shunsuke Sakino as Ishikawa, Takuro Chugoku as Saito, Youji Ueda as Paz, Kazuya Nakai as Boma, Miyuki Sawashiro as Logicoma, Kensho Ono as Brinda Jr., and Yuka Keicho as Hozumi. These voice actors bring out the individuality and drama of the characters.

Main Staff

The production team behind this work includes the original author, Masamune Shirow, general director and character designer Kazuya Kise, series composition and scriptwriter Tou Ubukata, music by Cornelius, director and storyboard artist Susumu Kudo, general animation director and sub-character designer Koichi Arai, mechanic designer Takayuki Yanase, 3DCGI Orange, 3DCG director Eiji Inomoto, art director Bamboo, art directors Yusuke Takeda and Takamasa Mashiki, art setting and props Naoki Arakawa, cinematographer Hiroji Tanaka, sound director Yoshikazu Iwanami, editor Junichi Uematsu, soundtrack by Flying Dog, animation by Production IG, the Ghost in the Shell ARISE production committee, and distribution by Toho Visual Arts. All of these staff members work together to improve the quality of the work.

Main Characters

Motoko Kusanagi is a fully prosthetic cyborg who was formerly affiliated with the 501st Army Organization and has never had a living body since birth. Her manipulation techniques surpass those of other cyborgs, her hacking skills are said to be at the super-wizard level, and it is said that she rewrote military data at the age of 14. With a letter of recommendation from her benefactor, Lieutenant Colonel Mamuro, she left the 501st Organization and began working as a freelance consultant for the military. She turned down Aramaki's invitation to transfer to Public Security Section 9, and instead established her own unit, hoping to make a name for herself as a hired force in order to gain official recognition.

Daisuke Aramaki, commonly known as "Chief", is the head of Public Security Section 9 and is a former member of the former Investigation Department. He is highly regarded in the military and political circles for his initiative and careful preparation, and is plotting to establish an offensive investigative agency under the direct control of the Prime Minister to prevent heinous crimes such as terrorism that threaten national security. He has a business relationship with Kusanagi and is trying to bring him under his command.

Batou is a large man with a prosthetic eye known as the "Sleepless Eye," a former special forces member of the Army's Airborne Artillery Division, who reached the rank of major. Most of his body is prosthetic, and he has a wealth of combat experience across many battlefields, with particular expertise in electronic warfare. He has apparently met Kusanagi Motoko on the battlefield several times. Despite his tough appearance, he is also emotional, has a witty side, and has a lot to say about everything. He is currently active in Kusanagi's unit.

Togusa is a special detective in the Niihama Prefectural Police Criminal Investigation Division, and has military experience. Although he has been cyberized, his body is mostly still flesh and blood, and he is the head of a family with a wife and children. As a detective, he excels at deductive analysis based on the accumulation of circumstances, and prefers to use a revolver, which has few accidents such as jamming. He was recruited by Kusanagi and joined the unit as a rookie.

Ishikawa is a former captain in the Army Intelligence Department and the most experienced veteran in Section 9. He mainly performs missions and support such as hacking and internet information analysis, and is a behind-the-scenes figure who handles everything from barriers to creating viruses and vaccines. He is currently active in Kusanagi's unit.

Saito is a former Marine Corps ace sniper, with the final rank of captain. He has a prosthetic body specialized for sniping, and a sniping support system in his left eye called "Hawk Eye" that links with a satellite and instantly provides feedback on weather conditions, enabling long-range ballistic sniping. He has operational experience with the Army Intelligence Department and the Airborne Artillery Corps. He also likes gambling. He is currently active in Kusanagi's unit.

Paz is an undercover investigator with the military police, with the rank of lieutenant. He is skilled in close combat with knives and other weapons, and is adept at deceiving people thanks to his experience in undercover investigations. He was looking for a place to utilize his skills while still in an old-fashioned organization, but when he found out that Kusanagi was trying to create a unit, he joined it.

Boma is a former special forces member of the Army Airborne Special Forces First Division, a skinhead with a prosthetic eye. He reached the rank of lieutenant and carried out special operations involving explosives. He is highly skilled in electronic warfare and internet investigative techniques. Contrary to his appearance, he has a sensitive personality. He is currently active in Kusanagi's unit.

Logicoma is an infantry logistics transport support vehicle manufactured in 2022 and equipped with thermo-optical camouflage to store weapons and ammunition inside the container. It is also an abbreviation for Logistics Conveyor Machine, and its model number is LCM22. It has an advanced artificial intelligence that can identify the commander and provide autonomous support. It has been assigned to Public Security Section 9 for testing, and although it does not have a boarding space, equipment expansion has been permitted and arm parts have been installed.

Brinda Jr. is a 32-year-old man who was recognized for his extraordinary talents from an early age and entered the Advanced Welfare Center. He was working as an accountant when he was scouted by the Army Intelligence Service, and no records of his life since then exist.

Hozumi is a colonel in the Army Intelligence Department, and is the successor to Colonel Tonoda. He is an arrogant man who does not like to see lower-ranking people in the field acting as they please. He is a member of the overseas faction who wants to maintain the arms trade route with foreign cartels in the development of next-generation weapons, and he has a deep-rooted conflict with Kurtz, who is a domestic faction.

Scrasus is a legendary terrorist who led the Kardis independence army in the Kuzan Republic during the Fourth Non-Nuclear War. Scrasus' guerrillas have a teardrop dagger tattoo as their symbol. He is a master of electronic warfare, and was nicknamed Scylla, a monster from Greek mythology, because he uses multiple prosthetic bodies to hide his true identity. He is a mysterious figure who is suspected to be the same person as Fire Starter, a super-wizard-class programmer who uses advanced cyber viruses that alter memories, but there are also rumors that he died during the war. He is skilled in tunnel tactics, where he attacks lifelines with bombs and then electronically infiltrates during the recovery process.

Theme songs and music

The ending theme "Split Spirit" is sung by Yukihiro Takahashi & METAFIVE (Keigo Oyamada, Yoshinori Sunahara, TOWA TEI, Tomohiko Gondo, LEO Imai). This song is deeply connected to the theme of the work and resonates with the viewers.

Ratings and Recommendations

Ghost in the Shell ARISE border4 Ghost Stands Alone is a story that deepens towards the climax of the series, depicting the growth and struggles of Kusanagi Motoko and her friends. The story, which approaches the conspiracy surrounding the cyber virus "Fire Starter" and the truth behind the Double Ghost, has the power to draw viewers in. In addition, it is a work that brings together the skills and talents of each staff member, including beautiful animation by Production IG, character design by Kise Kazuya, screenplay by Ubukata Tou, and music by Cornelius.

This work is recommended for those who like cyberpunk and science fiction, and those who enjoy deep storylines and character development. Also, by watching the entire series, you can gain a deeper understanding of the story of Kusanagi Motoko and her friends. "Ghost in the Shell ARISE border4 Ghost Stands Alone" is a work that you cannot miss, providing viewers with a lot of excitement and emotion.