Ghost In The Shell – Mondo X SteelBook Series (Blu-ray Review)
With the upcoming release of Paramount’s live-action Ghost in the Shell film, starring Scarlett Johansson, it’s not too much of a surprise to see another release of the original anime on Blu-ray. You can find my previous review of the 25th Anniversary Edition from 2014 here, but just know this latest release is all about the packaging. This new edition of the film is another release coming out of the Mondo X SteelBook Series. There are no new features to speak of (nor were there any to begin with), but collectors or steelbook enthusiasts will likely be happy with the new packaging.
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Film: 
Based on a 1989 manga of the same title, Ghost in the Shell was released back in 1995, but delivers a world set in 2029. The anime universe is a few steps further than we are now, as everything is interconnected by a vast electronic network, allowing for a variety of ways for governing bodies, among other sources, to keep track of people, let alone control what they think or even what they know. This film focuses on a female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, who is tracking a hacker known as “The Puppet Master.” This hacker has some secrets of its own, which involves taking over human hosts, but Kusanagi will be working hard to hopefully stop whatever threat it seems to be creating.
I used to say this a lot when it comes to anime, but I tend to be picky about it. At this point, however, I would consider myself a big anime fan. I may not be completely well-versed in the genre/animation, but I have certainly seen a great deal of it and have a lot of compassion for it and the filmmakers involved. A lot of what I like and have come to appreciate about anime tends to stem from what I see in the animation, the story, and the level of weird it approaches. At this point, I am more or less okay with the bizarre forms of anime stories; it just helps if I see it from the beginning. Ghost in the Shell is actually pretty straight-forward in its storytelling, it just eventually becomes wrapped up in philosophical ideas, which could understandably throw some viewers off. That said, while its short runtime is matched with a bevy of ideas, Ghost in the Shell never really lost me, as it played out.
Continue reading this review in my original review of the 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray.
Video:
Read the original review to learn more about the technical quality of the disc.
Audio:
Read the original review to learn more about the technical quality of the disc.
Extras:
While the packaging is neat (pictures are featured below), this set technically worse than the previous release, as it no longer features booklet containing the multiple essays about the film and the filmmakers.
Features Include:
- UltraViolet Copy of the Film
Summary:
This release is merely for those collecting all things Ghost in the Shell or Mondo X SteelBook Series entries. Anyone who didn’t have the film already can now enjoy some spiffy new packaging and a digital copy of the film, I suppose, but nothing else as far as the extras are concerned. As the disc is identical to the previous release, I can once again note how this is the best looking and sounding version of Ghost in the Shell, so it does have that going for it. Fans of the film or those looking to see what the anime is all about may enjoy this package, it just costs a bit more than the regularly boxed edition that was previously released.
Order Your Copy Here:
