Very interesting dystopian Sci-Fi setting and exploration of the concept of "the self" contained within run of the mill plotlines.
100%. On the surface it’s a relatively generic plot: govt special ops unit tackling ‘threats‘ to the state. The sub-plots & themes are fantastic though, IMHO. The protagonists cover the full spectrum of purely organic to fully machine with most somewhere in between. While synthetic components bring many advantages there are also downsides (vulnerability to external hacking/manipulation), so the special ops team members have varying degrees of cyborgization for resilience. Similarly, natural vs artificial intelligence is explored in detail including the impacts of identity (eg. what is the impact of AI believing that it is natural, not artificial?) and transitioning physically and mentally over time. These ideas are explored in a thought provoking way: there are no grand, generalised answers delivered on a plate; questions are raised and conflicting perspectives/interests are exposed.
The broader impacts of technological advances on society are also explored. I work in a field where the interaction of users with technology is a key focus, and I believe GITS was profound in many ways. For example, the use of secure virtual meeting environments and trends in ergonomics/interfacing (I could go on.....!).
I’m not a sci-if expert and I’m sure that GITS borrows themes from earlier books/manga/films etc., however GITS does an amazing job of presenting and exploring these interconnected concepts. The Matrix borrows heavily from GITS (that‘s evident from the moment the credits start to roll ;-)).
I hated the recent Hollywood version - to me it seemed as though the producers failed to grasp the majority of the interesting ideas within the original, and then did a terrible job of presenting the few concepts that they did seem to partially grasp. It struck me as very similar to Dune: the depth/content possibly incompatible with a 90-120min movie format (but I love David Lynch and have a soft spot for his Dune, even though it doesn’t do the books justice).