Fascinating, but not flawless

Rewatched Ghost in the Shell in 2026, many years after my previous viewing.

Audiovisually, Ghost in the Shell is very impressive, especially for that time. Obviously a love letter to classics like Blade Runner and Akira. But watching the film felt like entering the story somewhere in the midst of the events. I missed a build-up of the characters, causing them to not grow on you and lack depth. Maybe the manga does a better job at that than the film.

The philosophical part of the story is fascinating though, and increasingly relevant too, with the emergence of artificial intelligence.