tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596203844533164378.post2348351488534359004..comments2023-04-23T13:10:44.188+09:00Comments on this is how she fight start: Ghost in the Shellkamohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10785763841038321633noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596203844533164378.post-50580156077855300222014-10-19T08:20:33.756+09:002014-10-19T08:20:33.756+09:00At this point I am ready to concede the point that...At this point I am ready to concede the point that setting, the story and even the book may be a tad mysogynistic. After all it's been a few years since I last read the book and I am obviously seeing it through the rose tinted glasses of youthful memories. <br />What I continue to cling to is the convinction that Shirow's storytelling is not, as a general rule, mysogynistic. <br />Unfortunately I am not sure how I can reconcile that with is work as an illustrator which, as a google search willl show, seems to be extremely "artistic".<br /><br />In the end the best thing for me may be to leave this last question unanswered and continue to appreciate Shirow for what he is: an extremely gifted professional.<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13137640501290719275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596203844533164378.post-85252579395708213132014-10-18T09:24:27.606+09:002014-10-18T09:24:27.606+09:00Hey! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I'...Hey! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I've seen Appleseed mentioned a few times while I was digging around online for this post and it certainly looks intriguing. I am, however, going to strongly disagree with the rest of your comment.<br /><br />Just because the artist is 'reflecting society' as he sees it doesn't mean it's not misogynist. It might be an explanation for that misogyny, but it's not an excuse. I'd also point out that one of the characters is literally a brain in a box, which is not a feature of any society I know of. If you're going to make stuff up so flagrantly, then 'that's just the way society is' doesn't really work as an excuse.<br /><br />"...giving men an highly individualized honest, salt-of-the-earth look while female as you pointed out are depicted as basically identical plastic puppets."<br /><br />This is not a sentence that helps your claim that the book is not misogynistic. I've been trying for two days now, and I really haven't been able to think of a better example of storytelling misogyny in action than this. I think what you're trying to say is that sexist depictions can be acceptable in service of creating a better tale, and if those attitudes were discussed or critiqued in any way by the story then you might (might) be able to make a case for that. They're not though. The book is wholly uncritical of the attitudes it presents and is weaker for it.<br /><br />That's not to say it's a bad book, of course, or that we're bad people for liking it, but there's not point trying to pretend there aren't problems with it when there so clearly are.kamohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10785763841038321633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596203844533164378.post-78443847611860125702014-10-18T09:09:07.581+09:002014-10-18T09:09:07.581+09:00Ah, Akira. That video got passed around all the &#...Ah, Akira. That video got passed around all the 'alternative' kids at school. Can't remember much of it except a vague feeling that I should be seen to like it, but not really finding it much cop at all. Would be interesting to see how I find it now.<br /><br />It appears that the filme versions (or at least the first one) of GitS are better regarded than the manga, so you're probably not missing out on too much if you don't track down the comic. I'm starting to think that Japanese SF in general lends itself much better to film than paper lots of cool ideas and potentially interesting characters surrounded by lots of inconsequential flab that needs to be trimmed. Nothing like a film adaptation to get to the heart of things (possibly).kamohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10785763841038321633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596203844533164378.post-68350141558618252832014-10-16T00:19:22.199+09:002014-10-16T00:19:22.199+09:00I fondly remember reading these in the '90s, I...I fondly remember reading these in the '90s, It actually was through Ghost in the Shell that I came to the realization that Manga was not necessarily limited to kiddie comics and panty shots. I also remember following up by reading other works by Masamune Shirow (Orion, Appleseed, Black Magic) and remarking on the general asexuality of his works, or rather on the fact that sex did not play a significant role in them. His characters do retain gender and sexuality but from what I remember generally live their relations in an adult (Appleseed) or innocently non-sexual manner (Orion).<br />Now, Ghost in the Shell is clearly different in style and characterization but I would hesitate to label the cause as misogyny, couldn't this rather be the case of the artist actually doing his job and reflecting what he sees in society through his work?<br />Interestingly enough male characterization is completely different, and positive characterization is achieved by giving men an highly individualized honest, salt-of-the-earth look while female as you pointed out are depicted as basically identical plastic puppets. In the end the contrast is beneficial to the story as Motoko emerges not only because she is the protagonist but also because she is the only woman in the entire comic. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13137640501290719275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-596203844533164378.post-50040085813054033242014-10-14T12:38:04.047+09:002014-10-14T12:38:04.047+09:00Over a decade ago, I had a pretty respectable DVD ...Over a decade ago, I had a pretty respectable DVD collection back home, and the only two animated feature films I had from Japan in the collection were "Akira" and "Ghost in the Shell." "Akira" was (and I suspect still is) one of those movies that got played at midnight on certain Fridays (with cosplay in the aisles) at one of many old, run-down movie houses that somehow manage to stay in business in Portland, Oregon. Maybe they do the same with "Ghost in the Shell", who knows?... <br />I saw both of these when I was much younger and much more impressionable, and even though the glaring examples of how the writer most likely had spent very little time in the presence of actual women (in the bedroom or otherwise) are more obvious to me now, I still have a fondness for the film. I suppose I should have a look at the manga...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com