Back in 1999, the Wachowskis’The Matrixwas released to critical acclaim and global success as audiences across the world fell in love with its thought-provoking themes, its action-packed set pieces, its captivating characters, and its green-tinted visuals. In addition to being lauded as one of the greatest action movies ever made,The Matrixwas praised as a groundbreaking work of science fiction. But a lot of its themes and conceptshad already been exploredin Mamoru Oshii’s classic 1995 animeGhost in the Shell.
The similarities were intentional. The Wachowskis were heavily influenced by the movie and even used it as a reference point when they first pitchedThe Matrixto studios. They reportedly screenedGhost in the Shellfor producer Joel Silver and simply told him, “We wanna do that for real.” They effectively set out to realizethe glorious visual styleofGhost in the Shellin live-action form, while also borrowing some of its ideas and plot points along the way. In fact, the duo took so much influence fromGhost in the Shellthat they asked for the creator’s permission to make the movie out of fears that their homage was bordering on plagiarism.
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Set in Japan in 2029,Ghost in the Shellfollows Major Kusanagi, a cyborg cop searching a sprawling metropolis for a sinister hacker who goes by the alias “The Puppet Master.”The Matrix, on the other hand, is about a hacker being removed from the simulated world, told he’s the prophesized “The One,” and trained to save the world. While the setups of each story are different, they’re both ultimately about technology’s gradual takeover of society. In Kusanagi’s case, she’s a cyborg who’s been programmed to feel authentically human and grapples withthe concept of self-identity. In Neo’s case, he’s a human being whose entire existence is a lie made up by humanity’s cybernetic overlords.
The exact lore ofThe MatrixandGhost in the Shelldiffer in a few key ways. InThe Matrix, human beings live out lifetimes programmed by machines while their physical bodies are lying in vats of goo. InGhost in the Shell, memories are implanted in the minds of the characters. While the specifics are different, the themes are the same. Both stories are about the distinction between virtual reality and physical reality, and both dare to wonder if the distinction even matters. In both movies, the protagonists go through an earth-shattering awakening: Kusanagi realizes she can have consciousness beyond her cyborg programming; Neo realizes there’sa world outside his perceived reality.
In addition to the general themes borrowed by the Wachowskis, a few specific concepts were ripped straight from Oshii’s movie. The “digital rain” effect, now commonly attributed toThe Matrix, was inspired by the opening credits ofGhost in the Shell. The way characters are plugged into the Matrix via ports in the backs of their necks was taken directly fromGhost in the Shell. InGhost in the Shell’s shootout scene, Kusanagi takes cover behind a pillar as it’s chipped apart by gunfire. InThe Matrix’s shootout scene, Neo takes cover behind a pillar as it’s chipped apart by gunfire.
AlthoughThe Matrixwas heavily inspired byGhost in the Shell, it wasn’t the Wachowskis’ only reference point. Their 1999 masterpiece is a cocktail of influences.Neo’s journey into the real worldhas plenty of parallels with Lewis Carroll’sAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Action scenes like the lobby shootout draw on the visceral intensity of Hong Kong action cinema. The story also borrowed a lot of elements from William Gibson’s seminal cyberpunk novels, particularlyNeuromancer.
Ghost in the Shelldid get an official live-action remake in 2017, but it was a CGI-laden mess that completely bungled the original’s complex storytelling, and that’s not even the most egregious part. The remake’s casting of Caucasian actors like Scarlett Johansson in the original anime’s Japanese roles was met with accusations of whitewashing. The 2017 remake was so dreadful that it’s best to just considerThe Matrixto be the unofficial live-action remake, just likeThe Incrediblesis the bestFantastic FourmovieandThor: Ragnarokis the bestHe-Manmovie.
While someGhost in the Shellfans feel scorned thatThe Matrixamassed a huge fan base using ideas and visuals from their own underappreciated media franchise, the silver lining is thatThe Matrixbeing openly inspired byOshii’s 1995 masterpiecehas probably brought more attention toGhost in the Shellin the western world than it otherwise would’ve received. The movie was already a hit when it first hit theaters, but its ties toThe Matrixhave invited a whole new audience to enjoy Major Kusanagi’s neon-drenched search for the Puppet Master.
