The Ghost in the Shell: The Human Algorithm 1

When I ordered this book I didn't realize it was a manga. I'm 100% fine with that. I mainly was looking for more stories by Junichi Fujisaku. His earlier books were excellent reads. Because he wrote stories for and worked on the TV series he really understands the characters/GITS universe. It just all clicks!This manga series has what I would call a "clean" look. The characters are finely drawn and reimagined in their overall design. The only character I instantly recognize is Batou, Chief Aramaki is a close second. I got used to the new designs quick enough so it's not a deal breaker.As I alluded to earlier the story is top notch. There is a large overall story arc spread across several books. I didn't hesitate to buy the second book and look forward to more purchases.

I am huge fan of Ghost in the Shell. Even though this is not done by the original creator, I still love this spin off.

This is a very well crafted book. The art is on point, to the degree that, based on the illustrations alone, I've reread it a half dozen times! Then the writing, which is top notch. On top of this it's GITS!! And GITS done right!! Loved this book and am currently savouring the second volume!!

The crew are back and filling in their quintessential roles as investigators in cyber related activities, researching a Luddite cult and mysterious abandoned "shells" of cyber bodies. Multiple agencies become entangled along with disparate operatives whose purpose is known only to the few. Having come through all the Masamune Shiro titles, this new series (more to come but way too far into the future of next year, March 2021) doesn't disappoint and takes a less technical path than some of the others. Illustrations are very clean and precise and have different characterizations depending on a more comedic situation, which I found kind of neat. An agency of trained empaths will surely raise some eyebrows with this series but the way the story unfolds with respect to two brothers will probably have some larger importance in the story arc.

To many childish antics that take me out of an intriguing story. Art is all over the place, great one page, and horrible another, the chibi were ok. Will have to read 2 before I buy

An amazing addition to the GitS franchise. The artwork is stunning and the story feels like a contractions of the Stand Alone Complex series. Looking forward to each new volume.

As a long time fan of the ghost in the shell franchise, I was very pleased by this manga. The story takes place in between the first two mangas written by Masamune Shiro, so this is sticking to the continuity of the original comics that started it all(not the films or the tv anime’s). Even though it’s not written by Masamune himself, it still feels very close to the original tone and vibe of his comics. It has a lot of juvenile comedic relief(much like Masamune’s comics did) but still tells a very interesting and well written story with some very detailed artwork. The story in particular really hooked me and kept reading through each paige. It deals with the members of section 9 investigating a strange anti-prosthetics cult who they think is being used as a front for prosthetic body disposal, and as they investigate further, they realize that Major Kusanagi(who is now an almost omnipotent being existing in cyber space) is involved as well. From there the story gets too complicated for me to summarize here, but it involves company coverups, government conspiracies, and a biologically enhanced super human who can take on cyborgs with nothing but a knife and his wits. It’s very creative and adds some fresh ideas to the series. Some of the juvenile comedic relief might be a turn off for some fans(especially fans of the darker, more serious anime films), but like I said, it’s closer in tone with the original comics and the characters were likable enough to where it works. Plus the writing is still top notch for the most part. Definitely worth checking out

I've been a Ghost in the Shell fan since I watched the Mamoru Oshii film in the 90s. I've watched and read what I could, recognizing that the Oshii films exist in one universe, the Shirow Masamune books another universe, the Stand Alone Complex TV series was another universe still, and I regard the Netflix extension of the Stand Alone thing as really it's own thing that I couldn't even finish; and as far as this author is concerned, that Arise thing can be best ignored, but I do have nice things to say about the Scarlett Johansson, even if I think that movie is really a sorta-kinda Robocop remake with GITS trappings.As far as I'm concerned, the Oshii films are on top, and then the Stand Alone Complex series ending with Solid State Society as a very, very close second. I like future-tech police procedural stories a lot.And that's what Junichi Fujisaku brings us here, his take on a futuristic police procedural. I'm legitimately intrigued by where the story is going. Where I think the story doesn't work is the uneven way its told. Why is this female character drawn like she belongs on some six-year-old's refrigerator version of Calvin and Hobbes, when the rest of the art verges on the hyper-realistic? Why are the speech balloons often pointing at the wrong character?And which universe does this story take place? One character appears in a costume that Scarlett Johansson or her stunt double might recognize. The characters, as drawn, look a lot like they exist in the Stand Alone universe. Batou sports a hairstyle that looks looks like the style he sported in Arise. And again, the weird cartoon psychic who might have appeared in the Masamune stories. Which universe is this?I may read more of this series, but I think an editor must insist on some tightening of story and storytelling. As I said, there's good stuff here, but the odd stuff threatens to overwhelm the good.

Die neueren Anime-Serien zu Gits und der Hollywood-Film haben mich längst nicht so abgeholt wie diese neue Manga-Reihe. Endlich kommt man sich als Erwachsener-Leser einmal wieder respektiert vor. Bin tatsächlich gespannt wie es weitergeht. Gerne auch auf Englisch. Deutsch wäre mir aber lieber gewesen.