The Ghost in the Shell

Episode 9

In the past three episodes, since encountering the Puppet Master, Major Motoko Kusanagi has changed. No longer as mercurially emotive, her colleagues have noticed she's not herself. She's pensive, even a little cold. Although she reacts quickly enough to save Togusa's life from an explosion, she admits to a split second of hesitation beforehand that costs him a fractured collarbone. And her statement to him in the hospital that it would be better for his wife to mourn him already and move on with her life is pretty damned icy. Poor Togusa doesn't know how to react, and his slack-jawed, mouth-agape expression is one of the few humorous aspects of this otherwise far more somber, serious episode.

Section 9 gets dragged through the media wringer after being set up by their foreign enemies. Kusanagi's on trial for manslaughter in the line of duty, a crime that, if she were to be convicted, would likely lead to a custodial sentence during which she'd probably be assassinated. Her appearance at the trial, then, is really only just for show, and for the opportunity for her to mess with the prosecuting lawyer's head by spouting unsettlingly dark existential rhetoric about death being the only reality, and her role being to clear up the sewage spewed out from the faulty software-infected minds of criminals like the kid she executed.

There's a great scene during the jury's deliberation where Kusanagi and her boss Aramaki meet to discuss their options. They've always had something of a father-daughter dynamic, with Kusanagi the (terrifyingly competent) problem child, and Aramaki the wise and wily authority figure. I pity anyone in this series who goes up against Aramaki and his machinations – he's truly a menace to rival public security agents and government figures alike. He has absolute trust in Kusanagi and prompts her to make her escape before the trial's conclusion, playing this off as her going rogue, while secretly supporting her the whole time.

Batou's also clearly in on the ruse, having the time of his life stock-car-racing his vehicle through the streets to pick up the Major's necessary spare parts and survival kit. This likely means that whatever Kusanagi plans, it's going to be pretty damned drastic. It's not only the entire Japanese media following her now, but the eyes of the world are also on Section 9 and their embroilment in complex international politics.

In the original manga, written in the late 1980s and early1990s, the main aggressor country is Israel (renamed Gerantl here), while Kusanagi has contacts with agents in Russia (Volgarena) and Mossad. Even the US is now broken into pieces, one of which is called “the MAG Union.” I suspect the countries have been re-named in this adaptation to avoid unnecessary political controversy, and I can understand that, even if it makes the story somewhat harder to follow. After all, the 2030 of Ghost in the Shell will not be the 2030 of our world. This fictional timeline includes World Wars Three and Four, the nuclear fallout from which is a pivotal background element, as Japan's micromachine technology, sold around the world, is a key component in safely decontaminating land, sea, and sky.

The main takeaway from this episode's heavy political plot is that Gerantl is oil-rich and of interest to Japan, while Japan's advanced technologies are of great interest to Gerantl. A Japan-Gerantl trade summit is looming, and several other Middle Eastern countries are unhappy and plan to sow discord in the Japanese government. Multiple factions within the government, and in the wider world, including Gerantl, see Section 9 as an impediment to their goals, and conspire to take down their most valuable operative, Major Motoko Kusanagi.

The episode concludes with what seems to be a very rash hostage plot from Kusanagi, who demands a helicopter (only to find it isn't compatible with her neck plugs!), yet Aramaki seems completely unbothered. The desperation of his fellow public security colleague when Aramaki nonchalantly sits in the car, locking the door behind him, and refusing to interfere with the Major's antics is quite amusing. We leave off at a very awkward spot, like the credits basically fall in the middle of a scene. There's only one episode left, though, and little clue how all of this will be resolved for the beleaguered Section 9.

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The Ghost in the Shell is currently streaming on Prime Video.