can anyone comment on how good this animated japanese cartoon is on dvd? is it worth owning? i loved akira (although i never understood it...to mind bending plot!) and i loved Fist of The North Star. i want to purchase something with a coupon. help me.

Your call, Sonic. Someone gave me Ghost in the Shell last year for my Birthday. I was never big on Japanese Anime, but was told this particular one was something special. The best way to describe it would be "Sci-Fi Technothriller". It's got a lot of next-century intrigue, with a plot that demands multiple viewings. It's along the same lines as Blade Runner and the Matrix. The DVD also sports a 28 minute "Making Of" featurette, an illustrated glossary, and is presented in its theatrical ratio (1.85:1). I believe Ghost in the Shell is the movie version of a long-running manga in Japan, so expect to have a lot of plot heaved at you. The overall look of the film is excellent, and the action sequences cool, but I found other parts of it tedious. Where is the icon for "thumbs sideways"?

In my opinion GITS is ahead of alot of other anime in terms of what's on the dvd. It is dd 5.1,the picture is very clear, and it is letterboxed as mentioned earlier. The story line concerns artificial intelligence(Ghosts) in cybernetic bodys(Shells). What makes the individual? I think the Bladerunner comparison fits like a glove.

should i use my reel coupon and get it for $12.49?????

If you liked Blade Runner then get it.

You can watch it in English or Japanese with English Subtitles. The words can sometimes be very different, but still have the same basic idea. The menu will lead you to very detailed texts about the whole si-fi world of Ghost in the Shell. The matte backgrounds in the movie are great and at times the view used in the animation is great. But the time it takes to set up the views and linger can drag. The dialog tries to cover a lot of ideas and can also drag, you must listen and watch a few times to get the full effect.

If there is a Japanese anime DVD to own, this would definitely be the one. The quality of the DVD is outstanding . . . an anamorphic transfer and DD 5.1. Also, it has a nice featurette and some brief previews of other anime titles.

As for the movie, it requires multiple viewing to get the full effect . . . some nice action scenes mixed into a very deep plot.

thanks for all your great comments and opinions guys...but i decided to let that one go..maybe later on. thanks!!

Sonic! Buy this DVD. It's worth it! I watch it frequently. Sometimes dubbed, sometimes subbed. The anime is so beautiful that I don't want to concentrate on reading.

BTW, if you don't like it, you could sell it on eBay for $20.00 and make a profit.

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