Masamune Shirow


Masanori Ota, better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow, is a Japanese manga artist. Shirow is best known for the manga Ghost in the Shell, which has since been turned into three theatrical anime films, two anime television series, an anime television film, an anime ONA series, a theatrical live action film, and several video games, as well as being a key figure in the development of cyberpunk aesthetics and themes in Japan during the 1980s and 1990s.

Life and career

Born in the Hyōgo Prefecture capital city of Kobe, he studied oil painting at Osaka University of Arts. While in college, he developed an interest in manga, which led him to create his own complete work, Black Magic, which was published in the manga dōjinshi ''Atlas. His work caught the eye of President Harumichi Aoki, who offered to publish him.
The result was best-selling manga Appleseed, a full volume of densely plotted drama taking place in an ambiguous future. The story was a sensation, and won the 1986 Seiun Award for Best Manga. After a professional reprint of Black Magic and a second volume of Appleseed, he released Dominion in 1986. Two more volumes of Appleseed followed before he began work on Ghost in the Shell. His work has been cited as an influence on The Wachowskis and the development of the popular Matrix film series.
In 2007, he collaborated again with Production I.G to co-create the original concept for the anime television series Ghost Hound, Production I.G's 20th anniversary project. A further original collaboration with Production I.G began airing in April 2008, titled Real Drive''. His work often explores the philosophical themes of cyberpunk such as the nature of post-human existence, AI and the ethics of biotechnology, human–machine relations, multiculturalism, and globalism.

Manga

Dominion series:
  1. Dominion
  2. "Dominion: Phantom of the Audience", short story
  3. Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise
Ghost in the Shell series:
  1. Ghost in the Shell
  2. Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor
  3. Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface
Stand-alones:
  • Black Magic
  • Appleseed
  • Gun Dancing
  • Pile Up
  • Orion
  • Exon Depot
  • Neuro Hard, or Neuro Hard: Planet of the Bees, or Neuro Hard: Planet of the Wasps
  • Ghost Hound: Another Side
  • Real Drive''

    Art books

A substantial amount of Shirow's work has been released in art book or poster book format, some being hentai. The following is an incomplete list.
  • Intron Depot 1
  • Intron Depot 2: Blades
  • Cybergirls Portfolio
  • Intron Depot 3: Ballistics
  • Intron Depot 4: Bullets
  • Intron Depot 5: Battalion
  • Intron Depot 6: Barb Wire 01
  • Intron Depot 7: Barb Wire 02
  • Intron Depot 8: Bomb Bay
  • Intron Depot 9: Barrage Fire
  • Intron Depot 10: Bloodbard
  • Intron Depot 11: Bailey Bridge
  • Intron Depot 12: Burnout Velocity
  • Kokin Toguihime Zowshi Shu
  • Pieces 1
  • Pieces 2: Phantom Cats
  • Pieces 3: Wild Wet Quest
  • Pieces 4: Hell Hound 01
  • Pieces 5: Hell Hound 02
  • Pieces 6: Hell Cat
  • Pieces 7: Hell Hound 01 & 02 Miscellaneous Work + α
  • Pieces 8: Wild Wet West
  • Pieces 9: Kokon Otogizoshi Shu Hiden
  • Pieces GEM 01: The Ghost in The Shell Data + α
  • Pieces GEM 02: Neuro Hard Bee Planet
  • Pieces GEM 03: Appleseed Drawings
  • W-Tails Cat 1
  • W-Tails Cat 2
  • W-Tails Cat 3
  • W-Tails Cat 4
  • W-Tails Cat Rough
  • Greaseberries 1
  • Greaseberries 2
  • Greaseberries 3
  • Greaseberries 4
  • Greaseberries Rough
  • ''Artworks in the Shell''

    Galgrease

Galgrease is the collected name of several hentai manga and poster books by Shirow. The name comes from the fact that the women depicted often look "greased".
The first series of Galgrease booklets included four issues each in the following settings:
  • Wild Wet West
  • Hellhound
  • Galhound
The second series included another run of 12 booklets in the following worlds:
  • Wild Wet Quest
  • Hellcat
  • Galhound 2
After each regular series, there were one or more bonus poster books that revisited the existing characters and settings.

Minor works

  • "Areopagus Arther", published in ATLAS
  • "Yellow Hawk", published in ATLAS
  • "Colosseum Pick", published in Funya
  • "Pursuit ", published in Kintalion
  • "Opional Orientation", published in ATLAS
  • "Battle on Mechanism", published in ATLAS
  • "Metamorphosis in Amazoness", published in ATLAS
  • "Arice in Jargon", published in ATLAS
  • "Bike Nut", published in Dorothy
  • "Colosseum Pick", published in ''Comic Fusion Atpas''

    Other

  • Design of the MAPP1-SM mouse series
  • Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn, original concept
  • Design of the EHP-SH1000 and EHP-SL100 headphones

    Adaptations

Anime

Film

PC Engine