History Manga / GhostInTheShell

* CatSmile:
** '''Togusa''' of all people, gives one in ''Human-Error Processor'' while gloating his seniority over Azuma after he pissed off a woman they were tasked with escorting safely back home.
** Batou can be seen with these when he's in a good mood.
** The Fuchikomas often sport these whenever they're depicted with mouths for comedy's sake.
** Motoko is depicted with one in a small panel near the end of the first manga.
** Even Aramaki pulls one off every now and then when he's really sticking it to a political opponent.

''Ghost in the Shell'' (攻殻機動隊 ''Kōkaku Kidōtai'', literally "Mobile Armored Riot Police") is a manga series written and illustrated by Creator/MasamuneShirow. The manga, first serialized in 1989, told the story of the counter-cyberterrorist organization Public Security Section 9, a cyborg SWAT team led by protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi, in PostCyberpunk Japan. It would go on to become a [[Franchise/GhostInTheShell franchise]], being followed by two more manga series, ''[=GitS=]: Human Error Processor'' and ''[=GITS=]: [=Man/Machine=] Interface'', and later being adapted into two [[Anime/GhostInTheShell animated films]], an [[Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex anime]] and [[Anime/GhostInTheShellArise an OVA series]]. The films, ''Stand Alone Complex'' and ''Arise'' are in different continuities.

[[Film/GhostInTheShell2017 A live-action film]], which used to be in DevelopmentHell, was produced by Creator/DreamWorks and finally released in March 2017. Creator/ScarlettJohansson plays the lead role; it's directed by Rupert Sanders (''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'').

* StumblingInTheNewForm: [spoiler:Kusanagi's old body is destroyed and Batou puts her brain into the body of a {{Bishounen}} guy by accident, having mistaken the guy for a woman. Kusanagi complains that it's going to take some time to get used to walking with a penis and testicles hanging between her legs.]]

* {{Gainaxing}}: Kusanagi, who else?!

* DarkSkinnedBlond: Motoko Aramaki uses a cyborg body with this appearance in the second volume.

* ShoutOut: The Puppet Master plans to merge his mind with Motoko's and become the progenitor of a new species who would have godlike powers over cyberspace. This is reminiscent of Wintermute's plan to merge with ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}''.

* ShoutOut: Possibly. The Puppet Master plans to merge his mind with Motoko's and become the progenitor of a new species who would have godlike powers over cyberspace. This is reminiscent of Wintermute's plan to merge with ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}''.

* ShoutOut: The Puppet Master plans to merge his mind with Motoko's and become the progenitor of a new species who would have godlike powers over cyberspace. This is reminiscent of Wintermute's plan to merge with ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}''.

* CanonWelding: This manga is said to be in the same timeline as Creator/ShirowMasamune's other major work ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'', but besides the existence of the Human Liberation Front terrorist organization and the same {{Space Filling Empire}}s, there isn't much reference to each other due to the century apart in the timeline. ''Man/Machine Interface'', however, has a stronger reference to Appleseed via Motoko Aramaki working for Poseidon Industrial, a major player in ''Appleseed''.

* PrequelInTheLostAge: According to [[WordofGod Shirow]] [[note]]In the [[NoExportForYou untranslated]] [[AllThereInTHeManual Pieces Gem 01 – Ghost In The Shell Data + Alpha]] which contains notes about what actually happpened in Man/Machine Interface[[/note]] this is a prequel to ''Appleseed''. The Silicon entity seen in Man/Machine Interface will go onto become Gaia, while Yoshino is the 101st offspring of Motoko and the Puppet Master. Additionally Poseidon's early years, from when it was a private company and not the owner/master of Japan itself, are also seen. The degradation in cyber technology was apparently a result of some attach on the net, leading to its absence 100 years later.

* PrequelInTheLostAge: According to [[WordofGod Shirow]] [[note]]In the [[NoExportForYou untranslated]] [[AllThereInTHeManual Pieces Gem 01 – Ghost In The Shell Data + Alpha]] which contains notes about what actually happpened in Man/Machine Interface[[/note]] this is a prequel to ''Appleseed''. The Silicon entity seen in Man/Machine Interface will go onto become Gaia, while Yoshino is the 101st offspring of Motoko and the Puppet Master. Additionally Poseidon's early years, from when it was a private company and not the owner/master of Japan itself, are also seen.

* {{Bowdlerization}}: The original flipped printing of the English localization of volume one replaced the virtual orgy shot with one of Motoko and friends frolicking on a yacht (though they keep Masamune's author notes about the original page). The later unflipped version has these pages intact.

* CanonWelding: This manga is said to be in the same timeline as Creator/ShirowMasamune's other major work ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'', but besides the existence of the Human Liberation Front terrorist organization and the same {{Space Filling Empire}}s, there isn't much reference to each other due to the century apart in the timeline. ''Man-Machine Interface'', however, has a stronger reference to Appleseed via Motoko Aramaki working for Poseidon Industrial, a major player in ''Appleseed''.

* CityOnTheWater: Poseidon Industrial in Man/Machine Interface is based on one.

** The show up again in ''Human Error Processor'' in a crowd scene gawking at an explosion from a nearby apartment building.

* CanonWelding: This manga is said to be in the same timeline as Creator/ShirowMasamune's other major work ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'', but besides the existence of the Human Liberation Front terrorist organization and the same {{Space Filling Empire}}s, there isn't much reference to each other due to the century apart in the timeline. Man-Machine Interface; however, has a stronger reference to Appleseed via Motoko Aramaki working for Poseidon Industrial, a major player in Appleseed.

* CanonWelding: This manga is said to be in the same timeline as Creator/ShirowMasamune's other major work ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'', but besides the existence of the Human Liberation Front terrorist organization and the same {{Space Filling Empire}}s, there isn't much reference to each other due to the century apart in the timeline. Man-Machine Interface, however,has a stronger reference to Appleseed via Motoko Aramaki working for Poseidon Industrial, a major player in Appleseed.

* CanonWelding: This manga is said to be in the same timeline as Creator/ShirowMasamune's other major work ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'', but besides the existence of the Human Liberation Front terrorist organization and the same {{Space Filling Empire}}s, there isn't much reference to each other due to the century apart in the timeline.

* CanonWelding: This manga is said to be in the same timeline as Creator/ShirowMasamune's other major work ''Manga/{{Appleseed}}'', but the two don't reference each other much apart from sharing some {{Space Filling Empire}}s (they're set decades if not centuries apart).

* SituationalSexuality: Heterosexual brainsex is impossible for biological reasons, so the Major's cyber orgy is with other girls. (Actually, Masamune just didn't want to draw a guy's butt.)

* StopHittingYourself: The denouement of chapter two has the Home Affairs Minister insinuate over video conference that he'll make trouble for Section 9 unless Motoko toes a political line (this after their preceding mission caused a political mess). Motoko asks to link with him directly and makes him punch himself in the face.
-->'''Motoko:''' [[WorthIt Guess that's the end of my military career...]]

* {{Technobabble}}: The majority of the dialogue in the sequels is densely-packed reams of nearly-unreadable tech jargon that one suspects would make absolutely no sense if placed in a vacuum.

* FailedFutureForecast: The Soviet Union plays a minor role in the story as one of Aramaki's contacts come from there. But, the series takes place around 2030.