Every adaptation since have been fairly focused police dramas with only occasional light-hearted comedic elements that happen naturally through the cast's personalities.
It was Mamoru Oshii's anime adaptation in 1995 that set the tone of the entire franchise by removing all comedic elements and focusing on heavy philosophy regarding the nature of one's self, human integration with technology, and the meanings of life and artificial intelligence. Franchise Codifier: The original manga features a consistently comedic tone all throughout thanks to Shirow Masamune's art style allowing for easy and humorous expressions.Cyberpunk: Each installment explores topics of how technology can influence our concept of identity, our memories, and the impact it has on society as a result.Alternate Continuity: Each of the adaptations has its own backstory and interpretation of Section 9 that is incompatible with other adaptations.As a cyborg, Kusanagi displays incredible strength and physical resilience, to the point that her teammates, themselves also cyborgs, are frequently left awestruck. Action Girl: The protagonist in almost all installments is a cyborg woman named Motoko Kusanagi, the leader of Section 9, an elite special ops police force in Japan.The Ghost in the Shell franchise provides examples of: Please place examples for specific adaptations on their respective pages. This page is for the franchise in general. The Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network (2018): A manga collaboration between franchise creator Shirow Masamune and numerous Western writers and artists.The Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories (2017): A collection of short stories by five different authors.Ghost in the Shell (2017): A Hollywood Live-Action Adaptation, directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Scarlett Johansson.Ghost in the Shell: First Assault Online (2015): An online free-to-play multiplayer First-Person Shooter based on Stand Alone Complex.
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society (2006): A Made-for-TV Movie and the Finale Movie of Stand Alone Complex.Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002): An anime series, directed by Kenji Kamiyama.Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004): The sequel to the 1995 film.Ghost in the Shell (1995): An anime film adaptation, directed by Mamoru Oshii.Ghost in the Shell (1989): The original manga, by Shirow Masamune.