With its detailed graphic style, dystopian vision and esoteric musings, Oshii’s film set jaws dropping when it first appeared in front of Western viewers. Ghost in the Shell might well be a touchstone in the world of anime fandom, but it seems the average movie-goer didn’t have quite the same emotional connection to the source material. A more convincing explanation is that Paramount simply overvalued the cultural capital of Mamoru Oshii’s original adaption of Masamune Shirow’s manga. Few in the online community will be unaware of the accusations of white-washing surrounding the casting of Scarlett Johansson as the cyborg protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi. There might be any number of reasons for this relative box-office failure. Not that this is much of an issue: “success” might not be a word one might readily apply to Rupert Sanders’ American film. Andrew Osmond’s pocket-guide companion to the anime original was initially intended to arrive in time to capitalise on its success, although for various reasons, the publication was held up until September. The Paramount live-action remake of Ghost in the Shell(1995) arrived with much fanfare and more than a little controversy earlier this year.
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