Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-machine Interface now in stores

dudemqnguy · Post by **dudemqnguy** » Thu Jan 30, 2003 6:22 pm

What has been breathlessly awaited by fans of the original for somewhat more than ten years is finally here. Well, maybe not breathlessly; we'd all be dead then, wouldn't we?

It's here!

Set four years and five months after the events of the first book, Motoko Kusanagi - now called Aramaki - has left government service, and is now working for the Poseidon corporation. She has gone on to assimilate three more artificially intelligent life forms, and now exists as much in the data realm as in the real world, simultaneously operating a number of different prosthetic bodies in her security-ridden, paranoid line of work.

This book is incredibly information-rich; full of dizzying graphic detail, rather opaque dialog, and little 'technical asides' that Masamune Shirow is always throwing in. It's no wonder it took so long for this to get made, considering the unbelievable visuals, with traditionally drawn characters carefully painted in Photoshop, and painstakingly rendered 3-D CG backgrounds and machinery. It's more like a movie photo-book than a traditional comic.

I've heard that Shirow works alone for the most part, unlike other famous manga-ka, who employ vast herds of assistants for all the scutwork, and then sign the finished pieces after they're done. I don't know if he's still the loner that he used to be, because turning out stuff with this level of complexity would surely drive a person mad.

Anyway, so you know what to look for, the comic has a bright yellow-green border around the edge, and a large red '2' in the upper right-hand corner. Don't worry, you haven't missed an issue; it's in referrence to Ghost in the Shell 2. Published by Darkhorse Comics and Studio Proteus.

Good stuff, Meynard.

Will-o-the-wisp · Post by **Will-o-the-wisp** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 10:43 am

Only here's the thing: It's missing stuff.

I knew going into this that the English edition would be censored, but there are whole -pages- missing: Bits which, while containing possibly objectionable material, make some things infinitely clearer (Like the whole Decot thing).

I don't suppose anyone still has scans of the Japanese version lying around anywhere?

dudemqnguy · Post by **dudemqnguy** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 11:32 am

They've been saying for some time that Shirow is considering a more explicit US version to be published as a collection; kind of an unrated 'director's cut' if you will. I've seen scans of the Japanese version when it came out, and I don't think it would have gone over too well in the local comic stores. They sell a lot of toys and card games as well as comics, and are subsequently getting lots of under-aged traffic.

An acquantance of mine got busted a while back in a half-assed 'sting' by some Dallas champion of cleanliness and upright thinking; he inadvertantly sold a copy of Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend that had been special-ordered by somebody but never picked up. The person who bought it was a policeman in plain clothes who then arrested the poor guy running the register for selling porn. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has been trying to help the cashier out, but the whole thing has made retailers a little more cautious about selling explicit material.

I'm guessing that a shrink-wrapped special collected edition may play better than trying to keep an entire eleven issue run out of the hands of minors. A PG-13 version will just sell better to a mainstream market anyway. I don't much care, personally; I'm just happy to get anything at all before I die of old age.

1001011001 · Post by **1001011001** » Fri Jan 31, 2003 12:49 pm

Will-o-the-wisp wrote: I don't suppose anyone still has scans of the Japanese version lying around anywhere?

http://www.projectshirow.net

It's a french website, but if you click on the gallery links, they have scans of the censored pages that'll probably never make it to the states....

btw, I wonder if we can get the uncensored version if we special order from the distributor?

KOS-MOS · Post by **KOS-MOS** » Sat Feb 01, 2003 9:29 am

Are you sure it is censored?

I have not been able to have a look at the English edition yet (as I am currently far, far, far away from home), but are you sure you are not confusing the Solid Box edition for the true Japanese release?

A while back there was a set of scans from the Solid Box edition of GitS:MMI, which had extra "naughty" content in it, which many people were passing off as the final version of GitS:MMI. I have both the true Japanese release and the scans from the Solid Box edition, so I should be able to confirm all this next week.

On the subject of a possible explicit US version, that was mentioned well over a year ago and my recent talkings with people in the business point to the chances of this being published are slim to none at the moment. I am really hoping it is done, as word has it that Shirow would be adding more original "hard" pages for it.

On the subject of ordering an uncensored version, there are many North American anime sites which will have the odd Japanese Regular Release stocked but if it is the Solid Box edition you are after - good fxcking luck. The Solid Box not only was a limited edition, it also cost an arm and a leg. It sold out, but you may be able to find one or two online, if you are willing to do the digging and give up your first born.

KOS-MOS · Post by **KOS-MOS** » Thu Feb 13, 2003 7:04 pm

After much travelling I am finally back at my HQ and was able to check the English edition to the Japanese edition and have found that there are 0 pages or panels missing.

Keizo · Post by **Keizo** » Fri Feb 14, 2003 9:41 am

MIA wrote:After much travelling I am finally back at my HQ .

WELCOME BACK