Wired offers a nice article by Charles C. Mann on how animes came to be and why they might be on the verge of becoming mainstream in the US (though one could argue that they already are).

For all the interesting historical notes, there is a glaring omission in the article: while Oshii had an undeniable influence over the “look and feel” of the resulting animation, Masamune Shirow, the author of the original Ghost in the Shell manga and one of my favorite mangaka, is responsible for the themes and general story. Since the Wired article deals more about the themes (at least when addressing Innocence) than the animation itself, I think it would have been appropriate to credit the Shirow since the subjects that Mann highlights are really his.

On a related note: I am not despairing to see Appleseed in the theaters here yet, but I am not holding my breath either. Appleseed is another of Shirow’s mangas that has also been turned into an anime in 2004 (it’s actually the second time this manga was animated but the first effort was forgettable.

Innocence opens tomorrow (in the US, anyway)! Wired has a review.

Lazergum from the album The Sound Of (R)Evolution by Mouse On Mars

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.