News

Ghost in the Shell is an anime and manga that tackles with some themes that are increasingly becoming more and more relevant. It battles with conflicting philosophies meeting the advancement of technology. While in the current times, with how far technology has come, these things seem to have come to fruition in a different form, when the manga first came out in 1991, all of this seemed more so dystopian.

Ghost in the Shell | Credit: Production I.G.

There was a lot it tackled in terms of what could be done in a story that was both dark and gripping at the same time while also proposing the way the world could change in an instant. Technological advancement is seeing no stop in today’s day and age, however, Ghost in the Shell’s author, Shirow Masamune’s vision had some regrets too.

Themes of Ghost in the Shell

The story of...

Anime is not just about sunshine and rainbows, it is dark, it is gory and it can question existence as a whole. Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop, Paprika, and much other older anime are only proof that this darkness is not new. So mangas and other works that are now part of the dark shonen trio and more only had their paths paved because of the existence of these more foundational animes.

Ghost in the Shell | Credit: Production I.G.

It is only because of these anime and mangas that others also came into being. Some even take direct inspiration from them. One such gem happens to be Psycho-Pass. The anime is as stimulating to the mind as any other. However, it has its own dark side, one that left no stone unturned in exploring the horrors of mankind.

Psycho-Pass Explores the Inner Horrors of the Beautiful Mind

Naoyoshi Shiotani,...

Michihito Fujii has been working like a factory lately for Netflix, with the majority of his latest works featuring in the streaming service, including “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045”, and the more recent “Hard Days” and “Village” among others. His latest work, however, signals a change to a “tamer” narrative, as “The Parades” is a drama about the afterlife, inspired by the Fukushima disaster.

Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix

Minako, a TV reporter and single mother, finds herself roaming the area she lived in after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, in search of her lost boy. Soon she realizes though, that she is dead and that the living cannot see or hear her. While getting totally lost about her new reality, she is discovered by Akira, a writer who is in the same situation, who takes her under his wing and introduces her to his...

Guess who's drunk — er, starring in his own animated show? More than a decade after hitting theaters in 2010, Edgar Wright's commercial failure turned cult classic "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is getting an official continuation in the form of an anime series. The original movie, which adapts Bryan Lee O'Malley's "Scott Pilgrim" comic books, centers on the eponymous Mr. Pilgrim (Michael Cera), a 22-year-old under-achieving Toronto musician who falls head over heels for the enigmatic Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The only catch? To date Ramona, Scott must first battle her seven "evil" exes, who range from egotistical film stars to bassists with vegan superpowers.

One could call "Scott Pilgrim" the "Short Term 12" of comic book films in that it features many actors who've gone on to become far bigger names since its release ... including, amusingly enough, the star of "Short Term 12" itself, Brie Larson. It's also...

Considering how bad the first season was, the only question regarding the second one was if it would continue in the dumped-down, blind-action oriented style of the first one, or if a space for improvement actually existed in the last installment of the iconic franchise. The answer is that the new season is better, but not better enough. Let us take things from the beginning though.

PSS9 hears of a Russian cyberbrain engineer named Kukushkin claiming to have knowledge about the Posthumans’ code while seeking asylum in India. Kukushkin is poisoned with polonium by a Russian assassin before the group can save him, but the autopsy shows the corpse was a robotic body double. Motoko tasks Batou and Purin with finding the real Kukushkin. As the two search his room, they stumble upon a Posthuman woman named Suzuka Mizukane, who becomes one of the main villains in this season. A bit later,...

This May, Netflix will release the first volume of “Stranger Things” Season 4, one of the streaming platform’s most popular and successful shows. It also plans to release “Love, Death & Robots: Volume 3,” a new comedy called “Senior Year” with Rebel Wilson, and much more.

Here’s the full list of what’s new on Netflix for May 2022.

New on Netflix on May 1

42

3 Ninjas: Kick Back

40-Love

A River Runs Through It

Are You the One?, Season 6

Blippi Wonders, Season 1

Corpse Bride

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Den of Thieves

Dirty Harry

Empire State

Forrest Gump

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Hello, My Name Is Doris

Jackass: The Movie

Jackass 2.5

Jackass 3.5

John Q

Menace II Society

Once Upon a Time in America

Rambo

Rambo: Last Blood

Road to Perdition

Seven Years in Tibet

Soul Surfer

Summerland

The Gentlemen

The Lake House

U.S. Marshals (1998)

War of the Worlds

When Harry Met Sally

You’ve Got Mail...

Public Security Section 9 once again takes on a threat against humanity in the highly anticipated second season of “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.”

Continuing from the mystery-laden ending of Season 1, the battle between Section 9 and the “posthumans” threatening humanity finally begins.

The chaotic story unfolds at a breathless pace, posing the ultimate question: are the “posthumans” the potential of human evolution as shown throughout “Ghost in the Shell”?

Season 2 of the Netflix Series “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045” starts streaming worldwide on May 23, only on Netflix.

Season 2 of Netflix's "Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045" is headed your way this May, and now there's a trailer here to prove it. Based on the manga "The Ghost in the Shell" by Shirow Masamune, "Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045" follows the continuing adventures of Motoko Kusanagi, voiced by Atsuko Tanaka in Japanese and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn in the English dub.

Tanaka has been with the franchise since it first made the leap to the screen in 1995 with the influential anime film, "Ghost in the Shell." She reprised her role in the 2004 sequel, "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence," and the...

The post Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Season 2 Trailer: Head Back Into the Stand Alone Complex on Netflix appeared first on /Film.

Netflix has revealed 40 anime titles that will bow on the service in 2022, including new shows and returning fan favorites.

Titles revealed at the AnimeJapan 2022 event include “Thermae Romae Novae,” launching on Monday, which is part of the partnership that the streamer had announced in 2020 with six anime creators. Other highlights include “Kotaro Lives Alone,” and Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure. It also features family-friendly anime films like action blockbuster “Bubble,” which premiered at the Berlinale earlier this year and Studio Colorido’s “Drifting Home.”

Netflix also revealed the return of the latest season in the “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” universe, “Stone Ocean,” which will continue for episodes 13-24 later this year.

During the AnimeJapan stage event, Netflix provided sneak peeks into upcoming titles including new character art and main casts for “The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh,” with the first part premiering in 2022, and art and main trailer of “Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045...

Today Netflix has released a new teaser trailer for season 2 of the web anime series "Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045," which is set in the "Stand Alone Complex" continuity. The first season of the series premiered on Netflix on April 23, 2020, with 12 episodes. I don't always post Rotten Tomatoes scores, but this one sort of stands out with a 14 percent approval rating from critics and 55 percent rating from audience scores. That's pretty bad, but as a fan of the "Ghost in the Shell" franchise (outside of the Scarlett Johansson film), I would be willing to give it a...

The post Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Season 2 Trailer: 'War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery' appeared first on /Film.

Season Two of the CG-animated TV series "Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045" will stream 12 new episodes, directed by Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama, available in 2022 on Netflix:

Originally a Japanese 'manga' comics series, premise focuses on a counter-cyberterrorist organization in the mid-21st century.

Actress Scarlett Johansson played 'cyborg' 'Major Motoko Kusanag'...

...in the live-action 'Ghost In The Shell" feature (2017).

Click the images to enlarge...

"Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045" is the new animated TV series based on the 1980's Japanese manga series "Ghost in the Shell" by Masamune Shirow, set in the 'Stand Alone Complex' sub-continuity, now streaming on Netflix:

"...in the year 2045, after an economic disaster known as the 'Simultaneous Global Default' which destroyed the value of all forms of paper and electronic currency, the 'Big 4' nations of the world are engaged in a state of never-ending 'Sustainable War' to keep the economy going.

"In this world, 'Motoko', 'Batou' and other members of 'Public Security Section 9' have sold themselves out as mercenaries under the group 'Ghost', using their cybernetic enhancements and battle experience to earn a living while defusing hot-spots across the globe.

"However, the emergence of 'Post Humans' and a conspiracy uncovered by former 'Chief Aramaki' force 'PSS9' to reunite..."

Click the images to enlarge and...

The following contains spoilers for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.

Netflix’s new Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is the latest addition to Japan’s popular Ghost in the Shell series. For decades Ghost in the Shell has provided thought-provoking and creative looks into topics like artificial intelligence and the dangerous advancement of technology. It’s one of the more acclaimed cyberpunk anime that are out there and the series’ Major Motoko Kusanagi has turned into a figurehead for the genre. This new anime continues the series’ exploration into society’s gradual subjugation by technology and Section 9’s efforts to fight off and prevent these new advanced threats.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 has Kusanagi and her team face their biggest challenge yet as the world heads closer to singularity and artificial intelligence reigning supreme. The prevalence of “post-humans” and other invasive forms of technology push Section 9 to act fast...

This Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 review contains no spoilers.

Many old anime series have developed strong reputations over the years, but Ghost in the Shell has an especially influential legacy and it helped redefine anime’s relationship with the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction. However, in a time where there are exceptional science fiction series like Westworld and Devs that tackle similar themes of artificial intelligence, independence, and free will, it’s no longer just enough to tell an exciting sci-fi narrative with cool visuals.

The whole genre has evolved and even though Ghost in the Shell is a formative text on the subject, it’s pushed into a position where it has to work much harder than it has in the past due to the growing sophistication of science fiction. Does the return of Ghost in the Shell rise to the occasion and update its firmware to an impressive new build,...

While the rest of the entertainment industry languishes, Netflix thrives – as usual. Even so, the coronavirus pandemic, and its economic ramifications, are also felt over at the streaming giant’s HQ. While the platform has a large library of older films to choose from, new productions have been ground to an indefinite standstill.

Still, we are getting a few new originals from Netflix this month and the ones that are on the way will surely keep you entertained. Take, for instance, the second season of After Life, the morbidly funny miniseries written and starring British showman Ricky Gervais. The first season, which aired on the platform last year, tells the story of a middle aged man debating whether or not he should kill himself after his wife dies of cancer.

It’s not the stuff of comedy, which is probably the reason why it works so well. Gervais, who made...

It’s time for a trailer round-up! Rather than let some smaller trailers slip through the cracks, we like to gather them together and bring them to you in one place. You’re welcome. This trailer round-up features a new Bruce Willis movie, some upcoming Netflix shos, two shows from the new streaming service Quibi, and a […]

The post Trailer Round-Up: ‘Survive the Night’, ‘Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045’, ‘Chrissy’s Court’, ‘#blackAF’, ‘You Ain’t Got These’, ‘The Wretched’ appeared first on /Film.

For the better part of a decade, observers of Japan’s conservative film industry have predicted that its repeatedly utilized formula would begin to fail. That is to say, audiences would tire of the continued churn of films adapted from legacy content, such as manga and television programs.

It hasn’t happened. Not only that, one could argue that things have never been better with ticket sales setting a box office record in 2019, jumping 17% over the year before to $2.4 billion.

That does not mean that the industry lacks intrigue. In recent times, it has overcome tragedy and even showed signs that some change could be afoot.

A check of the box office top 10 for 2019 reveals predictable results: Anime productions distributed by Toho dominated, with Makoto Shinkai’s “Weathering With You” topping the list with a gross of $129 million.

“In the past, the stars were actors and actresses. But nowadays the stars are anime characters,...

Let us round up some trailers, shall we? Rather than give these titles their own individual posts, we decided to wrangle them together in one spot. Why? Because they were lonely, and everyone needs a friend. That’s why. Below you’ll see trailers for a Beastie Boys documentary, the indie curiosity Swallow, a new Ghost in the Shell […]

The post Trailer Round-Up: ‘Swallow’, ‘Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045’, ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run’, ‘Blood on Her Name’ appeared first on /Film.