Movies like Ghost in the Shell

IndridCold

I really loved Ghost in the Shell and was wondering is there any other similar animation movies like it? In terms of philosophical animation movies. I don't mind subtitles.

Thanks in advance.

Links234

Does it have to be a movie? Because, I'd thoroughly recommend Psycho-Pass, it's very much the successor of Ghost in the Shell, but it's a series.

e_e

Try Paprika, the sequel to GITS called Innocence is very interesting too.

Also End of Evangelion if you can muster watching the series first. :P

IndridCold

Thanks, I will check those out. Oddly, the majority of these philosophical animation movies comes from Japan.

Links234

IndridCold wrote: »

Oddly, the majority of these philosophical animation movies comes from Japan.

That's because in Japan there's less of an animation age-ghetto, a term that refers to the assumption that all animation is for children, than in the rest of the world. For example, Satoshi Kon's dark psychological thriller Perfect Blue (which was a serious inspiration on the works of Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan especially) was originally going to be a live-action movie, the studio didn't have the budget for it, so decided to animate it instead. This happened with Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, originally supposed to be the 3rd movie in a live-action trilogy, they opted for an anime for budget reason because the first 2 didn't do that well. Jin-Roh went on to become far more successful.

With anime, you'll find that a lot of novels would get adapted, the likes of which you'd never see getting an animated adaptation outside of Japan. The deeply philosophical Shinsekai Yori (From The New World) was adapated to an anime series in 2012, it's incredibly dark, and something I'd highly recommend watching. Likewise, the horror novel Another was adapted for an anime series, something you would scarely imagine outside of Japan.

Shinsekai Yori is definitely one to take a look at, although I wouldn't compare it to Ghost in the Shell, it is absolutely one of the best things I've ever seen, and left me absolutely stunned. But, that's a series again. If you do want to check it out, I would say if at all possible go into it blind, the less you know about it the better, and be seriously careful of spoilers.

IndridCold

Links234 wrote: »

That's because in Japan there's less of an animation age-ghetto, a term that refers to the assumption that all animation is for children, than in the rest of the world. For example, Satoshi Kon's dark psychological thriller Perfect Blue (which was a serious inspiration on the works of Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan especially) was originally going to be a live-action movie, the studio didn't have the budget for it, so decided to animate it instead. This happened with Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, originally supposed to be the 3rd movie in a live-action trilogy, they opted for an anime for budget reason because the first 2 didn't do that well. Jin-Roh went on to become far more successful.

With anime, you'll find that a lot of novels would get adapted, the likes of which you'd never see getting an animated adaptation outside of Japan. The deeply philosophical Shinsekai Yori (From The New World) was adapated to an anime series in 2012, it's incredibly dark, and something I'd highly recommend watching. Likewise, the horror novel Another was adapted for an anime series, something you would scarely imagine outside of Japan.

Shinsekai Yori is definitely one to take a look at, although I wouldn't compare it to Ghost in the Shell, it is absolutely one of the best things I've ever seen, and left me absolutely stunned. But, that's a series again. If you do want to check it out, I would say if at all possible go into it blind, the less you know about it the better, and be seriously careful of spoilers.

You are absolutely right. I will definitely check those out. Have you seen 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)

Links234

IndridCold wrote: »

You are absolutely right. I will definitely check those out. Have you seen 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)

I've not, but it's one I've been meaning to watch for ages. Really must get around to it

strelok

ergo proxy is similar enough, from what I remember of it. It falls apart in the last few eps unfortunately but the run up to that point is very enjoyable.

paranoia agent is very very good although nothing to do with robots, sentience or that kinda thing.

puella magi magica madoka is bloody incredible but I dunno ... i think you'd probably have to be somewhat familiar with anime to begin with to get the full effect. and if you were coming to it new to japanese cartoons I'd imagine it could get bloody nauseating.

someone mentioned neon genesis evangelion above. don't. don't ever. don't now, don't back then, don't in the future. just don't.
ever.

oh and links, watch 5cm/s. it's fantastic. (voices of a distant star too)

Slydice

IndridCold wrote: »

I really loved Ghost in the Shell and was wondering is there any other similar animation movies like it? In terms of philosophical animation movies. I don't mind subtitles.

Thanks in advance.

The big films I remember (cos I haven't been keep up to date) in the philosophical dept were:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_(film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(2001_film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_of_the_Fireflies (This left me a blubbering mess)

Links234

Hmmm, Madoka is definitely not one I'd compare to Ghost in the Shell at all Strelok, and as amazing as it is, not quite one I'd consider philosphical. Gen Urobuchi is a hell of a writer, so Psycho-Pass gets absolute top recommendation. It's much closer thematically in terms of the Sci-Fi Cyberpunk setting, the focus on how policing has evolved with new technology, as well as the general themes and concepts, but it's enough of it's own thing to stand on it's own, and is more about the psychology of living under an oppressive system, it has more questions about morality. Psycho-Pass even takes it's visual queues from Ghost in the Shell, the city itself. Also, there's the incredible plot, fantastic cast of well written characters, and possibly one of the best anti-villains.

Damn, all this talk is making me want to watch Psycho-Pass again.

I'd also second Slydice on the recommendation of Metropolis, really must watch that again.