Category: Japan

The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 5

August 28, 2026

I’m back from vacation, current with The Ghost in the Shell but not these reviews, so I can say with some confidence that “Phantom Fund” begins a run of extremely confusing episodes. A few years ago, on a podcast about The Matrix Resurrections, I asked a surprisingly trenchant question related to media criticism, effectively “Can we claim to like something we didn’t fully understand?” A round of applause. Because while “Phantom Fund” is so dense that even two viewings – one with hideously scrawled notes including transcription of entire dialogue exchanges – left me dumbfounded, it also has the Major absolutely obliterate some fucking guy. And as the previous “Robot Rondo” served with respect to Ghost in the Shell 2, it’s another inverse study in adaptation. A lot of what’s seen in “Phantom Fund” will ring familiar to fellow fans of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig, from broad strokes and visual iconography down to incidental lines of dialogue. … More The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 5

The Next Red Velvet?

August 3, 2026

No one will replace Red Velvet. If I were to suggest that, I should be summarily executed. Anyway, as you well know, I’ve been hesitant to explore the fourth generation of K-pop, a hesitance so lengthy there’s now a fifth generation. The reasons were twofold. One, as previously outlined, the idol experience is more than the music itself. My interests in groups like Red Velvet and Oh My Girl began with the music, and then gradually I’d fall in love with the members and their dynamics. I love Solar’s chaotic energy and artistry and her chemistry with Moonbyul, and Moonbyul’s no-bullshit attitude and friendship with Seulgi, and Seulgi’s curious mind and so on and so on. I love the demystification of seeing the idols in music videos either playing characters or performing with uniform professionalism, only to then discover their individual selves, which are sometimes dramatically different. I tried this with Kep1er, who are so cool in the video for “Killa,” but in the behind-the-scenes material, they’re a little too kidlike. Only in their early 20s, they’re not too far removed from their teenage years, and it gave me a visceral reaction. As someone in his 30s now, I shouldn’t be so concerned with the interior lives of people that young. No, no, please, hold your applause. Xiaoting just put out a solo track called “Legend,” though, if you’re interested. … More The Next Red Velvet?

The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 4

July 28, 2026

Ghost in the Shell 2! It’s Ghost in the Shell 2! Now, dear readers, how long will I make it into this post without mentioning Ghost in the Shell 2? Oh, I see. Let’s call this the elephant in the forest, because Mamoru Oshii’s 2004 sequel undoubtedly colored my experience with the fourth episode. Both pull from the “Robot Rondo” chapter in the manga, all three dealing with a potential robot uprising, like something out of a pulp sci-fi novel, as Batou notes here. It seems that even in 1989, this was well-trodden territory. And while Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence retains several key elements, like an attack in an alley (and Batou’s Power Glove), a yakuza connection, and even the doomed shipping inspector, it adds a layer of techno-philosophy derived from the writing of Donna Haraway atop the basic science fiction setup. In the end, we’ll learn that child trafficking victims being “ghost dubbed” into sex robots were sabotaging the machines to lash out and attract police attention, a morally grey solution to yet another instance of systemic child abuse that Masamune Shirow views with distance. Innocence Batou’s chief objection, however, is that the sex robots had ghosts, too, a conclusion which helps him accept the Major’s mysterious, transformative fate. … More The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 4

The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 3

July 21, 2026

With the promise of next week’s episode being “Robot Rondo” and only that, I’m wondering if episodes two and three are a kind of toll, accidents of format and adaptation that anticipate better later material. The fireball premiere aside, I’m enjoying The Ghost in the Shell about as much as I enjoy the manga, whose darker, serialized final arc appealed more than its, let’s say, standalone episodes. This leaves “Junk Jungle ii + Megatech Machine i + ii” a curious piece of television. Not entirely satisfying on its own, but certainly interesting. As with its predecessor, it features elements which were adapted previously, into Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 film, that gorgeous, thought-provoking classic of science fiction cinema. By contrast, this latest rendition feels like scattered, disorganized notes scrawled by a mad genius concerned with technical detail and the implications of future technology, in need of fastidious cleanup by a different mad genius more concerned with spirituality and the human soul. … More The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 3

Human Vapor | Monster Movie Perfection

July 19, 2026

As the first part of this post is a recommendation, like “I give Human Vapor two thumbs up!” I ought to try for a hook. Perhaps a description of the gory opening scene, a live broadcast where our journalist heroine Kyoko Kono watches her interviewee lifts in the air, smoke swirling into his nose and mouth, and explode. A sensational set piece punctuated by Kyoko splattered with blood, it was not, however, my introduction to the show. Once again, I’m honor-bound to acknowledge the algorithm. Scrolling on whichever one it was, I recognized the term “Human Vapor” as the title of an old Toho movie, and my curiosity about the prospect of its reimagining for Netflix was piqued by a neat-looking teaser trailer. Hazmat suits and journalists and the military in secret labs and boardrooms and underground mines, it was so much of what I love about Japanese monster movies. A dash of gooey body horror with the vapor transformation, and the only piece missing was the loud, brassy score doubtlessly inspired by the work of Akira Ifukube (the trailer was auto-playing on mute). Altogether, it looked like an exciting, rare new series, with surprising implications behind the scenes. … More Human Vapor | Monster Movie Perfection

The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 2

July 14, 2026

The first weeklong wait between episodes was brutal. I watched the first episode about three times, as well as the first two episodes of Stand Alone Complex, and if it wasn’t for Human Vapor (another Japanese procedural with a twist), I’d be in nonstop Ghost mode. So, was the second episode, “Super Spartan ii + Junk Jungle i,” worth all the teeth-gnashing? This one’s tricky, and surely trickier than the satisfying premiere, laying bare the broader shortcomings with this particular adaptation project. One couldn’t be blamed for assuming that each chapter of the manga might translate to an episode of the anime, but possibly because of the “Prologue” being a short but crucial chapter, everything is bumped forward a bit. For example, episode two opens with the final pages of the “Super Spartan” chapter, meaning it properly concludes the first episode before beginning the “Junk Jungle” chapter after the opening credits, itself left unfinished pending episode three. Perhaps a future short chapter evens things out, but in the meantime, this awkward timing ensures that “Super Spartan ii + Junk Jungle i” doesn’t feel like an episode of television, just “the next part of the story,” and it isn’t even clear what the story is yet. … More The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 2

The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 1

July 7, 2026

The Ghost in the Shell is so much. For reasons within and without, it feels precious and rare like a gemstone in every second, every frame. It is true there hasn’t been a recent installment, the latest now six years old, but it’s also an example of anime, a craft initially defined by limited movement in comparison to Western animation, and yet Science Saru adapts Masamune Shirow’s kinetic manga with buttery-smooth animation, an active camera, and generous colors. The only visual element withheld is the gore, the opening body explosion covered in a digital mosaic – which somehow makes it more obscene – leading to the splat of a bloody stick-figure against the wall. Where traditional adaptations pare back the farcical, even manic quality of the source material, opting instead for deadly serious meditations which, honestly, better fit the subject matter, The Ghost in the Shell is paced with a punchline rhythm, and is altogether a carousel of great faces. One of the small joys of the manga is the candid glimpses of characters in repose, where Batou might be wearing an enormous grin or otherwise be looking silly (or pervy). This is practically the animating philosophy at the heart of 2026’s Ghost in the Shell, if the first episode is any indication. … More The Ghost in the Shell | Episode 1

I Will Be So Sad if This is Bad

May 28, 2026

Mark your calendars, folks, for a new Ghost in the Shell on July 7th! “Ghost in the Shell?!” I hear you erupt, indignant, “You mean the Japanese cyberpunk media franchise which hasn’t been good in over ten years, being generous?” “Ah,” I say, with scholarly poise, “Japanese postcyberpunk media franchise.” How clever indeed. The plan was to totally play it cool and wait to write about Science Saru’s The Ghost in the Shell only upon its release, theoretically doable as I haven’t been trapped in a hype cycle (hype psyop) in what feels like ages. And frankly, the first two teaser trailers weren’t doing much for me, beyond providing excellent music samples – the second like something out of Metroid Prime – and selling the concept of animating the artwork of Masamune Shirow with a budget larger than, say, the Appleseed OVA. So, what happened to turn things around? The third trailer. And so, I want to tell you a story in three trailers, and it’s my favorite one: the story of the Major. … More I Will Be So Sad if This is Bad

There Are No Female Kamen Riders

March 21, 2026

“Cool! Where’s the girl version?” has been my reflex with pop culture for as long as I can remember, and surely for longer than I was able to admit. I was into a lot of things – genres, subject matter, etc. – which were not, in turn, interested in women. Funny how that came to a head during my own coming-of-age, with #GamerGate and Star Wars and everything. Not “funny” ha-ha, mind. Anyway, Kamen Rider was one of those examples of pop culture, and same with Ultraman. Godzilla less so, because I’d heard that the one in Godzilla Raids Again was female, and that was good enough for me, parthenogenesis or not. I like Kamen Rider, but my ideal version – ‘90s, Keita Amemiya – never made it past a pilot or two. And truthfully, my ideal version is “girl Kamen Rider,” so I was heartbroken to discover that, out of the one-thousand-and-one Kamen Riders to ever don the motorcycle, none have been women. And even when they sort of were, they wouldn’t wear the helmet! That’s, like, a totally different thing, man. So, imagine my surprise – and confusion – when this popped up in my algorithm … More There Are No Female Kamen Riders

Godzilla Mentioned | Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare (2026) Review

March 16, 2026

My reaction to the HBO documentary on the Fukushima nuclear accident was somewhat fussy. I found it moving, then odd, then moving again, and ultimately, wanting. How could a movie that elicited genuine emotion be, in the end, kind of mediocre? For starters, and despite the star rating, I would absolutely recommend Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare. If you’re familiar with the event – as I so was, having done what I assume was Wikipedia-level research for a post about Shin Godzilla – it’s a more intimate look at the human cost, and if you’re unfamiliar or have largely forgotten, it’s a great overview. I’d love to say it’s scarily relevant, but only in how much “World War III” has been trending lately between four nuclear powers. My understanding of the event begins with politics, that the meltdown scare was the result of corporate mismanagement and a government too afraid to take consequential action. It begins, truthfully, with Shin Godzilla. The info spinning out of that movie wasn’t contradicted by Fukushima, but it was hinted at, frustratingly. … More Godzilla Mentioned | Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare (2026) Review