It’s looking to be a banner year in 2017 for the Ghost in the Shell property and one piece of new information could have an interesting ripple effect. Anime Limited/All the Anime France has announced that they’ve picked up the rights to the Ghost in the Shell 1995 film as well as the Standalone Complex series and will be bringing them out this year along with the 2015 movie and the Arise OVA series. It’s presumed that the 2nd Gig season is included in the Standalone Complex mention. While no firm dates or details are ready yet, they will all be getting Blu-ray editions when they land.
And from what we’re seeing around the interwebs, it looks like the same will be happening for UK fans through Anime Limited there as well… Now, as for a North American release? We’re once again in the position of waiting to see what Manga Entertainment will do with it since they have rights ownership still through being an investment partner on the project. They previously had the series released in conjunction with Bandai Entertainment years ago.
Plot concept: In the not so distant future, mankind has advanced to a state where complete body transplants from flesh to machine is possible. This allows for great increases in both physical and cybernetic prowess and blurring the lines between the two worlds. However, criminals can also make full use of such technology, leading to new and sometimes, very dangerous crimes. In response to such innovative new methods, the Japanese Government has established Section 9, an independently operating police unit which deals with such highly sensitive crimes.
Led by Daisuke Aramaki and Motoko Kusanagi, Section 9 deals with such crimes over the entire social spectrum, usually with success. However, when faced with a new A level hacker nicknamed “The Laughing Man,” the team is thrown into a dangerous cat and mouse game, following the hacker’s trail as it leaves its mark on Japan.
