Ghost in the Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface
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| Ghost in the Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface | |
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| 攻殻機動隊2 MANMACHINE INTERFACE (Kōkaku Kidōtai 2: Manmachine Interface) |
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| Genre | Cyberpunk, Seinen |
| Manga | |
| Author | Masamune Shirow |
| Publisher |  Kodansha Planeta Agostini Glénat Egmont Dark Horse Comics J.P.Fantastica |
| Serialized in | Young Magazine |
| Original run | 1997 – |
| Volumes | 1 |
Ghost in the Shell 2: Man/Machine Interface (攻殻機動隊2 MANMACHINE INTERFACE Kōkaku Kidōtai 2: Manmachine Interface?) is an eleven chapter manga written and drawn by the mangaka, Masamune Shirow (士郎 正宗 Shirō Masamune). It was first released in Japan in a serialized format in Young Magazine by Kodansha. The same publisher later collected these works with significant changes into the limited SOLID BOX hardcover in 2000. In 2001, the mainstream softcover was released with more changes. It was first released in the US in 2003 by Dark Horse Comics.
The sequel to the original Ghost in the Shell manga series, GITS2 explores a wide range of philosophical issues regarding the nature of human identity and the boundaries of human consciousness. However, the action of the series is largely tangential to the plot of the original work and its various cinematic and televisual offspring (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG, and the recent feature film Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence directed by famed Japanese auteur Mamoru Oshii).
GITS2 owes much to the conventions of cyberpunk and readers familiar with that genre may immediately recognize the questions raised by Shirow. As such, the overall philosophical terrain is not entirely new; rather, the work might instead be considered an extended rumination, punctuated by complex CG action sequences, upon many of the same issues brought up in the original Ghost in The Shell manga.
Critics have panned the manga for focusing on page after page of play by play cyberbrain warfare as opposed to the action/crime solving themes of the first manga. The plot has been criticised as being difficult to impossible to understand even by Masamune's standards. Critics and fans have also complained about the excessive use of fan service in the series, seeing page after page of Motoko [now calling herself Motoko Aramaki] and other female characters wearing little if anything, having Barbie doll proportions, and the overabundance of between the legs "crotch shots." Others have said that is the best thing about the manga, and the fan service makes up for the lack of a coherent plot. However most readers were awestruck by the high ratio of color pages that blended Masamune's hand drawn characters with CG backgrounds.[citation needed]
[edit] English Editions
Dark Horse first published the book in 2003 as 11 comic sized volumes. The translation is the work of Studio Proteus. It also got published as a TPB in early 2005.
- Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface TPB, 1st edition, January 2005, Dark Horse Comics; ISBN 1-59307-204-X
[edit] Japanese Editions
Kodansha collected the Young Magazine serialization for the first time in 2000. The first collection to appear was the limited hardcover SOLID BOX version that included significant changes. More changes were made to the widely-released softcover edition.
- The Ghost in the Shell (Koukaku Kidoutai) Man Machine Interface SOLID BOX, 2000, Kodansha; ISBN 4-06-336310-4
- Koukaku Kidoutai 2: Man Machine Interface, Softcover edition, 2001, Kodansha; ISBN 4-06-334441-X
