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Tasked with the capture of the elusive cyber-criminal known only as The Laughing Man, Motoko Kusanagi and the rest of the Section 9 task force quickly find themselves in the middle of a dangerous game of cyber-cloak and dagger. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex expands on the dark future established in the original film across 52 episodes of espionage, corruption and betrayal. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex If 1995’s Ghost in the Shell is regarded as the gold standard in storytelling and cyberpunk themes, how do you even begin to craft a sequel to one of the most influential films of the 1990s? Answer: You leap deeper than ever into the core themes of the source material, building on the ideas that the cyberpunk yardstick established across a lengthy sequel series. Twenty-five years after the original film first rocked cinemas across the globe, Ghost in the Shell’s influence still resonates, questioning everything from life to sexual identity in a post-human future that pursued a technological evolution without ever considering if society was ready for such an upgrade. Ghost in the Shell is a feast for the eyes and the soul that questions the core concept of identity, as protagonist Motoko Kusanagi attempts to hunt down the deadly Puppet Master before his plan throws a corrupt world into chaos. Created by manga artist Masamune Shirow and adapted by director Mamoru Oshii, Ghost in the Shell isn’t just visually stunning beneath its chassis is an examination of what it truly means to be human in a world that has quickly begun to abandon the frail flesh of our species in favour of bleeding-edge technology. Ghost in the Shell If you’re going to dive into Cyberpunk, there’s no better starting point than one of the most influential and iconic anime films of all time. Akira has the coolness factor of cyberpunk, distilled into one incredible feature-film package of teenage gang violence, psychic warfare and an iconic motorcycle slide that pop culture simply cannot get enough of. Thanks to incredible animation that was years ahead of the curve and a soundtrack that pushed the envelope back when it was released in 1988, Akira nails the attitude of cyberpunk and raised the bar for anime at the time. While it has plenty of mind-bending themes, Akira’s cyberpunk impact is a more overt collision of style and substance. Akira At first glance, Akira may not seem like the typical cyberpunk adventure, but there’s no denying that it possesses all the hallmarks of the genre through its gritty dystopian future, grimy technology, and a level of mainstream success and influence that can still be felt to this day.
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An energetic and youthful exploration of technology that skips the bleaker outlook of many entries on this list, Dennō Coil is Stranger Things by way of Hayao Miyazaki, an overlooked gem that was simply too far ahead of the curve when it was first released in 2007. Hints of a more supernatural element are thrown into the mix, multiple plot threads are woven throughout the tale and it all ends on a satisfactory high note.
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The underrated Dennō Coil is a colourful and surprisingly detailed series with a young cast that’s thrown into a reality which has collided with the virtual world. Dennō Coil The cyberpunk genre may mostly focus on distant futures and feature technology that could be made real one day, but seeing an anime show reach into the future and pull out a surprisingly accurate prediction of tomorrow? Now that’s a rare treat.
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