Ghost in the Shell

Ghost in the Shell is set in the mid-21st century and follows Public Security Section 9, a counter-cyberterrorism unit led by Major Motoko Kusanagi. Shirow uses it to explore technology, society and the nature of consciousness and identity.

It was serialized in Kodansha's Young Magazine Zōkan Kaizokuban from 1989 to 1990 and collected in a single volume. Shirow followed it with two sequels, 1.5: Human-Error Processor and 2: Man-Machine Interface. Kodansha USA publishes the current English edition, after earlier releases by Dark Horse.

The franchise began on screen with the 1995 anime film and continued with Stand Alone Complex and other series.