It's been a long time coming... and quite an endeavor. This manga has taken me some time to read. There are concepts and ideas within this manga that are sometimes confusing. I did enjoy this manga, and the artwork is amazing, but to be completely honest with you, the story is a little confusing. Here is the blurb on the back:
"March 6, 2035. Motoko Aramaki is a hyper-advanced cyborg, a counter-terrorist Net security expert, heading the investigative department of the giant multi-national Poseidon Industrial. Partly transcending the physical world and existing in a virtual world of networks, Motoko is a fusion of multiple entities and identities, deploying remotely controlled prosthetic humanoid surrogates around the globe to investigate a series of bizarre incidents. Meanwhile, Tamaki Tamai, a psychic detective from the Channeling Agency, has been commissioned to explore strange changes in the temporal universe brought about by two forces, one represented by the teachings of a professor named Rahampol, the other by the complex, evolving Motoko entity. What unfolds will all be in a day’s work—a day that will change everything, forever.
The long-awaited sequel to Shirow Masamune’s groundbreaking The Ghost in the Shell, and one of the most highly anticipated graphic novel events in many years, Man-Machine Interface is Shirow’s most ambitious and complex story yet, with deep forays into philosophy and the meaning of artificial life, intelligence, and existence. Utilizing awe-inspiring digital effects on a level never before seen in the annals of graphic fiction, Shirow has raised the bar for what can be achieved, page after page!"
This manga delves deep into the philosophies of what it means to create sentient artificial intelligence and specifically what it means to humanity and how that artificial intelligence will affect human life. It also delves into the subject of expanding the brain and our understanding of the universe. Motoko was a cyborg, then she merged with the Puppeteer. In this manga we see her deciding whether or not to expand the human brain, as in connecting every brain to each other and finally understanding what human life and artificial life is all about... at least that's what I got from it. In the ending of the manga we are left with a cliffhanger... wasn't quite clear, what exactly happened, but it does definitely make me want to read another edition... however from what I gather there isn't going to be any more... but, you never know, maybe Shirow Masamune could finish the story, and we get to see what finally happens to humanity!
If you have read it, what do you think?
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