Episode Notes

We decide that this is just going to be podcast with some long ass episodes and really dig into episodes 14 through 19 of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Before we even get into the episodes, we already have a lot to say about the series and how it relates to the current political reality of when we recorded this episode—which was the day news outlets declared Biden the winner of the 2020 American Presidential election.

Okay, look, I cut out a lot of our election discussion, so just like… know it could’ve been worse, okay?

Anyway, after front-loading this conversation with some political talk, we used it to jump into Major Kusanagi’s need for Section 9 to maintain her body, the capitalist view of the economy as a game you can win, Section 9’s complicity in upholding the injustice of capitalism, the Tachikomas awakening to class consciousness, Batou’s relationship to gender (Gender: It’s Not Just For The Major) and toxic masculinity, the patriarchal hegemony on the gendered expression of emotions, Aramaki’s relationship with the Major, Japanese nationalism and nationalist violence, cycles of revenge and the inscription of revenge narratives into a national identity, the potential value and danger of the merging of consciousnesses and creation of new identities, and the tension between efficacy and righteousness in Section 9’s fulfilling of their role as government agents.

Also, apologies for some of the weird audio on this one. It turns out Discord was really laggy (and variably so) for us and Niamh’s mic volume got fucked up at one point. Fae had a hell of time trying to get things sounding okay. ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚

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Works Cited in this Discussion

“Ghost in the Shell: the Major’s Body (3)” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

“The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility” by Walter Benjamin

“Beyond the Image in Benjamin and Bazin: The Aura of the Event” by Monica Dall’Asta, published in Opening Bazin: Postwar Film Theory and Its Afterlife

“Entomology of the Pinup Girl” from What is Cinema?, vol. 2 by André Bazin

“The Ontology of the Photographic Image” from What is Cinema?, vol. 1 by André Bazin

Content Warnings for this Discussion

Racism
Classism
Deformation and Weaponization of the Body
Alcohol
Ableism
War Crimes
Nationalist Violence
Kidnapping & Organ Harvesting

Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co

Episode Notes

This week, we get deep into episodes 7 through 13 of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. We try a little harder this time at doing some recaps but Niamh gets distracted getting right into faer bullshit from the beginning. Connor makes his case for episode 10, but if you are trying to avoid this one, which has some of the roughest content of the series, just know we discuss it from approximately 1:24:54 to 1:32:27.

We talk about the sexualization of Major Kusanagi, the aura of the ghost in the age of its technological reproducibility, how the reproduced object can be reconstructed to produce a new aura with a purpose that can be revelatory just as easily as it can be fascistic, reality and unreality, the societal view of binary gender as “Default Male” and “Other”, choosing to be queer and trans, capitalism’s ability to co-opt that which opposes it, cycles of nationalized violence, the development of AI sapience and individuality, escapism and utopia, and our first big reminder in a few episodes that Section 9 is just a bunch of shitty cops.

Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod[at]gmail and follow us on Twitter!

@ghostdiverspod
@foxmomnia
@rabbleais

Works Cited in this Discussion

“Entomology of the Pinup Girl” from What is Cinema?, vol. 2 by André Bazin

“The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility” by Walter Benjamin

“Beyond the Image in Benjamin and Bazin: The Aura of the Event” by Monica Dall’Asta, published in Opening Bazin: Postwar Film Theory and Its Afterlife

“The Ontology of the Photographic Image” from What is Cinema?, vol. 1 by André Bazin

“Ghost in the Shell: the Major’s Body (3)” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Content Warnings for this Discussion

Sexuality
Reference to Alcohol
Gore / Organ Transplants / Organ Theft
Dyadism / Sexism
Violence Against Women / Torture / Snuff Films / Terrorism (esp. 1:24:54 to 1:32:27)
Ableism in an Institutional Context
Cloning
Police Violence
Brief Mentions of Suicide

Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co

Episode Notes

Connor and Niamh discuss episodes 1 through 6 of the first season of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. We get into some of the core themes of the show, including the dyadic separation of mind and body, the development of AI sapience, gender and the trans resonance of Major Kusanagi, the dystopia underlying the sheen of GitS:SAC's Japan, a peak at the bleakness of the series overall, its thoughts about the possibility for revolution suggested in the world of the show, and an introduction to Niamh’s film theory bullshit.

We also forget to do literally any sort of episode recaps, but as apology, Niamh left in all the times faer cats tried to join the podcast from outside faer closet door. So you’re welcome for that, I guess.

Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod[at]gmail and follow us on Twitter!

@ghostdiverspod
@foxmomnia
@rabbleais

Works Cited in this Discussion

“Ghost in the Shell: the Major’s Body (3)” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

“The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility” by Walter Benjamin

“Beyond the Image in Benjamin and Bazin: The Aura of the Event” by Monica Dall’Asta, published in Opening Bazin: Postwar Film Theory and Its Afterlife

Content Warnings for this Discussion

Police Brutality
Head Trauma
Dyadism
Suicide (esp. 00:35:11-37:50)
Sexuality

Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co

Episode Notes

"It is a time when, even if nets were to guide all consciousness that had been converted to photons and electrons toward coalescing, standalone individuals have not yet been converted into data to the extent that they can form unique components of a larger complex."

Dive into Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex!

Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod[at]gmail and follow us on Twitter!

@ghostdiverspod
@foxmomnia
@rabbleais

Release Schedule

[S1E1] Intro: November 27, 2020
[S1E2] Eps. 1–6: December 11, 2020
[S1E3] Eps. 7–13: December 25, 2020
[S1E4] Eps. 14–19: January 8, 2021
[S1E5] Eps. 20-26: January 22, 2021
[S1E6] Question Bucket: February 5, 2021

Works Cited

“Ghost in the Shell: the Major’s Body (3)” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

“The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility” by Walter Benjamin

“Beyond the Image in Benjamin and Bazin: The Aura of the Event” by Monica Dall’Asta, published in Opening Bazin: Postwar Film Theory and Its Afterlife

“Entomology of the Pinup Girl” from What is Cinema?, vol. 2 by André Bazin

“The Ontology of the Photographic Image” from What is Cinema?, vol. 1 by André Bazin

The Ghost in the Machine by Arthur Koestler

Kino-Eye by Dziga Vertov

The Political Unconscious by Fredric Jameson

Content Warnings for the Anime

Gore / Head Trauma
Violence / State Violence
Suicide (esp. Eps. 3 & 22)
Torture / Violence Against Women / Snuff Films / Terrorism (esp. Ep. 10)
Sexual Harassment / Abuse / Rape in a Medical Context (esp. Ep. 22)
Dyadism / Sexism
Sexuality / Partial Nudity
Cloning
Ableism (esp. Ep. 11)
Rapid Flashing / Loud Noises / Rapid Gunfire

Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co

Episode Notes

Hello and welcome to Ghost Divers, an anime podcast with Connor and Niamh. In this introduction to the podcast, we go over the general format and idea for the show, and we also take a moment to talk a little bit about ourselves and what we hope we can offer!

Special thanks to theimpliedbear for the use of their song "First" off of their album With Us?.

Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod[at]gmail and follow us on Twitter!

@ghostdiverspod
@foxmomnia
@rabbleais

Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co