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Masamune Shirow
士郎正宗
Masamune Shirow 士郎正宗
Born	Masanori Ota; November 23, 1961 (age 62); Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Area(s)	Manga artist
Pseudonym(s)	Shirou Masamune
Notable works	Appleseed, Ghost in the Shell
Awards	Seiun Award (for Appleseed)
	www.shirowledge.com

Masanori Ota (太田正典, Ōta Masanori, born November 23, 1961), better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow (士郎正宗, Shirō Masamune), is a Japanese manga artist.^[1] 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.^[2]

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 Seishinsha^[jp] President Harumichi Aoki, who offered to publish him.

The result was best-selling^[3] 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. ^[2]

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. ^[2]

Bibliography

Manga

Dominion (ドミニオン, Dominion) series:

Dominion (ドミニオン, Dominion) (1985–1986)
"Dominion: Phantom of the Audience" (1988), short story
Dominion Conflict One: No More Noise (ドミニオンC1コンフリクト, Dominion C1 Konfurikuto) (1995)

Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊, Kōkaku Kidōtai) series:

Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊, Kōkaku Kidōtai) (1989–1990)
Ghost in the Shell 1.5: Human-Error Processor (攻殻機動隊 HUMAN-ERROR PROCESSOR, Kōkaku Kidōtai Hyūman Erā Purosessā) (1991–1996)
Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface (攻殻機動隊 MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE, Kōkaku Kidōtai Manmashīn Intāfēsu) (1997)

Stand-alones:

Black Magic (ブラックマジック, Burakku Majikku) (1983)
Appleseed (アップルシード, Appurushīdo) (1985–1989)
Gun Dancing (グン・ダンシング) (1986)
Pile Up (ピル・ウプ) (1987)
Orion (仙術超攻殻オリオン, Senjutsu Chōkōkaku Orion) (1990–1991)
Exon Depot (1992)
Neuro Hard, or Neuro Hard: Planet of the Bees, or Neuro Hard: Planet of the Wasps (NEURO HARD 蜂の惑星, Neuro Hard: Hachi no Wakusei) (1992–1994)
Ghost Hound: Another Side (神霊狩 ANOTHER SIDE, Shinreigari: Another Side) (2007–2008)
Real Drive (RD 潜脳調査室, RD Sennou Chousashitsu) (2008)

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 (1992) (science fiction–themed color illustration art book collecting his work from 1981 to 1991)
Intron Depot 2: Blades (1998) (fantasy-themed color illustration art book featuring female characters with armor and edged weapons)
Cybergirls Portfolio (2000)
Intron Depot 3: Ballistics (2003) (military-themed color illustration and CG art book featuring female characters with guns)
Intron Depot 4: Bullets (2004) (color illustration art book collecting his work between 1995 and 1999)
Intron Depot 5: Battalion (2012) (game & animation artwork covering the period 2001–2009)
Intron Depot 6: Barb Wire 01 (2013) (illustrations for novels 2007–2010)
Intron Depot 7: Barb Wire 02 (2013) (illustrations for novels 2007–2010)
Intron Depot 8: Bomb Bay (2018) (illustrations 1992–2009)
Intron Depot 9: Barrage Fire (2019) (illustrations 1998–2017)
Intron Depot 10: Bloodbard (2020) (illustrations 2004–2019)
Intron Depot 11: Bailey Bridge (2020) (illustrations 2012–2014)
Kokin Toguihime Zowshi Shu (2009)
Pieces 1 (2009)
Pieces 2: Phantom Cats (2010)
Pieces 3: Wild Wet Quest (2010)
Pieces 4: Hell Hound 01 (2010)
Pieces 5: Hell Hound 02 (2011)
Pieces 6: Hell Cat (2011)
Pieces 7: Hell Hound 01 & 02 Miscellaneous Work + α (2011)
Pieces 8: Wild Wet West (2012)
Pieces 9: Kokon Otogizoshi Shu Hiden (2012)
Pieces GEM 01: The Ghost in The Shell Data + α (2014)
Pieces GEM 02: Neuro Hard Bee Planet (2015)
Pieces GEM 03: Appleseed Drawings (2016)
W-Tails Cat 1 (2012)
W-Tails Cat 2 (2013)
W-Tails Cat 3 (2016)
Greaseberries 1 (2014)
Greaseberries 2 (2014)
Greaseberries 3 (2018)
Greaseberries 4 (2019)
Greaseberries Rough (2019)

Galgrease

Galgrease (published in Uppers Magazine, 2002) 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 (Wild West-themed)
Hellhound (Horror-themed)
Galhound (Near-future science fiction–themed)

The second series included another run of 12 booklets in the following worlds:

Wild Wet Quest (A Tomb Raider or Indiana Jones–style sequel to Wild Wet West)
Hellcat (Pirate-themed)
Galhound 2 (Near-future science fiction–themed)

After each regular series, there were one or more bonus poster books that revisited the existing characters and settings.

Minor works

"Areopagus Arther" (1980), published in ATLAS (dōjinshi)
"Yellow Hawk" (1981), published in ATLAS (dōjinshi)
"Colosseum Pick" (1982), published in Funya (dōjinshi)
"Pursuit (Manga)" (1982), published in Kintalion (dōjinshi)
"Opional Orientation" (1984), published in ATLAS (dōjinshi)
"Battle on Mechanism" (1984), published in ATLAS (dōjinshi)
"Metamorphosis in Amazoness" (1984), published in ATLAS (dōjinshi)
"Arice in Jargon" (1984), published in ATLAS (dōjinshi)
"Bike Nut" (1985), published in Dorothy (dōjinshi)
"Gun Dancing" (1986), published in Young Magazine Kaizokuban
"Colosseum Pick" (1990), published in Comic Fusion Atpas (dōjinshi)

Other

Design of the MAPP1-SM mouse series^[4] (2002, commissioned by Elecom)
Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn (2012), original concept
Design of the EHP-SH1000 and EHP-SL100 headphones^[5] (2016, commissioned by Elecom)

Adaptations

Anime

Film

Ghost in the Shell (1995) by Mamoru Oshii
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) by Mamoru Oshii
Appleseed (2004) by Shinji Aramaki
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society (2006) by Kenji Kamiyama
Appleseed Ex Machina (2007) by Shinji Aramaki and John Woo
Appleseed Alpha (2014) by Shinji Aramaki and Joseph Chou
Kōkaku no Pandora - Ghost Urn (2015)^[6] by Munenori Nawa
Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2016) by Kazuya Nomura^[jp]

OVAs and ONAs

Black Magic M-66 (1987) by Hiroyuki Kitakubo and Shirow Masamune (this is the only anime in which Shirow played a direct role in the production)
Appleseed (1988) by Kazuyoshi Katayama
Dominion (1988) by Takaaki Ishiyama and Kôichi Mashimo
New Dominion Tank Police (1990) by Noboru Furuse and Junichi Sakai
Landlock (1995) by Yasuhiro Matsumura (character and mecha designs only)
Gundress (1999) by Junichi Sakai (character and mecha designs only)
Tank Police Team: Tank S.W.A.T. 01 (2006) by Romanov Higa
W Tails Cat: A Strange Presence (2013)
Ghost in the Shell: Arise (2013) by Kazuchika Kise
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 (2020) by Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama

Television

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2003) by Kenji Kamiyama (also called Alone on Earth or GitS:SAC)
Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG (2004) by Kenji Kamiyama (second season of GitS:SAC)
Ghost Hound (2007) by Ryūtarō Nakamura; original concept in collaboration with Production I.G
Real Drive (2008) by Kazuhiro Furuhashi; original concept in collaboration with Production I.G
Appleseed XIII (2011) by Takayuki Hamana
Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Alternative Architecture (2015) by Kazuchika Kise
Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn (2016) by Munenori Nawa, original concept for the source manga

Live action

Ghost in the Shell (2017) by Rupert Sanders

Video games

PlayStation

PlayStation 2

PlayStation Portable

Microsoft Windows

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - First Assault Online

References

^ "MSHD: About Shirow Masamune". Archived from the original on 2017-07-24. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
^ ^a ^b ^c McFarlane, Anna; Murphy, Graham J.; Schmeink, Lars, eds. (2022). Fifty key figures in cyberpunk culture. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 194–196. ISBN 978-0-367-54917-6.
^ McCarthy, Helen (2009). 500 Essential Anime Movies: The Ultimate Guide. Harper Design. p. 42. ISBN 978-0061474507.
^ MAPP1-SM mouse series
^ EHP-SH1000 and EHP-SL100 headphones
^ "Pandora in the Crimson Shell Manga Gets Event Anime in December". Anime News Network. October 23, 2015.