Editorial Review] An immersive experience as if you were taken into the world of the anime. ...... The realistic feeling of "GHOST IN THE SHELL 4K Remastered Edition" was too much!

The movie "GHOST IN THE SHELL/Ghost in the Shell 4K Remastered Version" began screening on IMAX screens on Friday, September 17, 2021.

The anime film "GHOST IN THE SHELL" based on Masamune Shirow's comic "Ghost in the Shell" was released in 1995. The film's theme of crime in a networked society was ahead of its time, and the film's cutting-edge computer graphics, meticulously drawn pictures, and philosophical narrative unique to director Mamoru Oshii were all shocking in their content, making a huge impact on anime and movie fans in Japan and around the world. The film has had a profound impact on anime and film fans not only in Japan, but around the world.

This masterpiece of the animation world, which has since been made into new works by various platforms, staff, and cast members, has been remastered in 4K to bring a new visual experience to the audience.

The ultimate "GHOST IN THE SHELL" is now available in 35 IMAX theaters in Japan, using IMAX's patented image processing technology to fine-tune every detail, including sound, brightness, and contrast, so that the overwhelming amount of information can be fully experienced. A few days prior to the opening of the film, Akihiro Nakamura, the director of the film, had announced that the film would be shown at the IMAX theaters in Japan.

A few days prior to this, Akiba Research Institute's editorial staff experienced "GHOST IN THE SHELL: Ghost in the Shell 4K Remastered Version" at Grand Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro in Tokyo. We explored the highlights of the film.

Behold the immensity of the IMAX screen!

In a near future where the corporate internet covers the stars, where electrons and light travel around, but nations and peoples have not become so informational that they will disappear..."

This first line of the story is very poignant to me because we live in a time when social networking services and smart phones have permeated our lives, but ethnic conflicts and frictions between nations have not disappeared yet. However, since I believe that the themes and story of this film have already been discussed enough, I would like to review the visual and audio aspects of the film without touching on those aspects.

The first thing that surprised me was the size of the screen! The screen, which is 40% wider than most screens, reaches the ceiling of the floor. The screen is 40% wider than most screens, and reaches the ceiling of the floor.

The film was remastered in 4K resolution and projected on this screen. Ghost in the Shell" has always had an appealing, meticulously detailed visuals, but the 4K remastering makes the images stand out even more clearly and vividly. The film especially benefits from this in the early part of the story. The scene in which the members of Public Security Section 9 investigate a town in order to track down a puppet master.

The scene depicts a group of buildings with countless billboards standing in irregular rows, as if they were living creatures. The scene depicting this scene in the distance, for example, created such a sense of immersion that the viewer felt as if he or she had been swallowed into the film's world by the entire sheet.

I was also surprised to see the faces of the people passing through the marketplace in the scene where Batou and the suspects capture the marketplace. All of them were well drawn, including their facial expressions, and they all moved in different ways!

The animation was hand-drawn and cel-shaded, and all the animation was done separately! How many layers of cells are there? It was a great harvest for me to be able to notice things that I would never be aware of through the screen of my TV or monitor at home.

The main characters of the story are Motoko Kusanagi and the other members of Public Security Section 9, but the town in which they are active is such a diverse place and is supported by their lives. ...... Such reality seems to be emphasized even more in the 4K high-resolution images.

Incidentally, the renewed version of "Ghost in the Shell 2.0" released in 2008 had warmer color correction, but the 4K remastered version has colder tones as in the original. While "2.0" is not bad, this cooler color scheme is better suited for "Ghost in the Shell.

Realistic sound as if the sound is coming from there.

The sound is also dramatically enhanced.

The oriental soundtrack by Kenji Kawai is impressive, but it is so clear that you can hear every single grain of sound. Yet, it is not so loud that it interferes with the story.

The sound effects during battle scenes and other scenes are also very clear.

The sound accompaniment and sound effects are so realistic that it is as if the sounds are naturally occurring in your surroundings. It could be said that the picture and sound are more in tune with each other.

Not only the images, but also the sound envelops the audience.

This is a 4K remastered version of the original "Ghost in the Shell," so the cast is the same as in the original version.

So, in conclusion, "GHOST IN THE SHELL/Ghost in the Shell 4K Remastered Edition" was finished in a way that even those who have seen "GHOST IN THE SHELL/Ghost in the Shell" many, many times before will find something new and fresh to be impressed by.

The 4K remastered version will be screened on regular screens from October 1, 2021 (Friday), and if possible, we recommend that you bathe in "GHOST IN THE SHELL" with all your body in the best possible facilities.

And after you finish watching it, please write a review on "Akiba Research Institute"! Let's talk about "GHOST IN THE SHELL" together once again!

Screening Information
GHOST IN THE SHELL 4K Remastered Version" IMAX
Release Date: September 17, 2021 (Friday) *Simultaneous release in Japan and the U.S.
Screening Theaters：35 theaters nationwide
Theaters：#

GHOST IN THE SHELL 4K Remastered Version
Release Date：October 1, 2021 (Friday) *Screening theaters to be announced

Director:Mamoru Oshii
Distributor: Namco Bandai Arts Inc.
Official website：#