As we approach the premiere of the third theatrical release of Ghost in the Shell: Arise in Japan later this month, an official parody flash animation series has begun appearing on YouTube. It’s pretty damn funny (at least, if you speak Japanese).
The series is made by FROGMAN, the writer/director/animator of the popular Eagle Talon web series, and features his trademark minimalist animation style and wordplay humour.
As this series was sponsored by Calorie Mate (an energy bar company), Calorie Mate products are a vital plot point in every episode. But if you can ignore the fact that everything comes to a halt while the anime pauses to become a commercial, it’s pretty enjoyable overall.
Currently, there are three episodes (of a planned four) up on YouTube for you to watch. [Note: videos are in Japanese only.]
In the first episode, Section 9 is demoted as a whole from “section” to “circle” (which is the most laid back version of a school club). To get their rank back, they must find a way to look happier and more energetic.
In the second episode, we see the Major and Section 9 re-imagined as sea life — i.e., Aramaki is a fish and the Major is a shrimp-hunting, criminal eel.
During the third episode, Aramaki makes the Major take a written standardized test. All goes well until she decides to cheat by asking the internet for help on a question about the kanji (Chinese characters) for the word “riot police.” Of course, the internet being full of trolls, they all try to convince her that their obviously wrong kanji are, in fact, correct.
The flash animation web series Ghost in the Shell: Arise, can be currently watched on YouTube or the official Channel 5.5 website.
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