Ghost in the Shell
Hacker ApprovedThe most recommended of 19 animated films
Recommended as a cerebral cyberpunk story about autonomy, consciousness and what it means to be human, with striking art. Critics find some versions formulaic and the 1995 film weak.
Recommended as a cerebral cyberpunk story about autonomy, consciousness and what it means to be human, with striking art. Critics find some versions formulaic and the 1995 film weak.
27 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 22
- criticize it
- 5
- approval share
- 81%
Recommended in 8 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 22 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 4.4 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 8 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Ranked among the best anime
“up there with ghost in the shell, akira, and serial experiments lain”
Comment from 20 Apr 2026 in “M 7.4 earthquake – 100 km ENE of Miyako, Japan” “Akira/Ghost in the Shell are great too.”
Comment from 20 Apr 2026 in “M 7.4 earthquake – 100 km ENE of Miyako, Japan” “amazing movie and holds up to this day”
Comment from 31 Mar 2026 in “Don't Let AI Write for You” - Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “The Disappearance of Japan's Animators”
- Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Cyberpunk Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels”
Deep questions on consciousness and autonomy
“It's high-speed political action wrapped around deep questions about autonomy, embodiment, and consciousness.”
Comment from 9 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What fiction books would you recommend for programmers?” “Motoko questioning if she was human, and what it mean to be human, it all worked for me.”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Cyberpunk Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels” Striking hand-drawn art direction
“I really like the art direction of the new GitS adaptation (I hope this retro style gets used more)”
Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Cyberpunk Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels” “the new Ghost in the Shell (coming out next month) is also hand drawn”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “The Disappearance of Japan's Animators” Logical, strong story progression
“Story-wise, Gits and Akira do have a kind of logical story progression.”
Comment from 13 Dec 2025 in “1300 Still Images from the Animated Films of Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli (2023)” “"Ghost in the Shell" was a far better story.”
Comment from 20 Jan 2026 in “Chatbot Psychosis”
Other animated films people recommend
The four most recommended other animated films, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost in the ShellThis page | 22 | 5 | 81% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Spirited Away | 14 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | Approved |
| Who Framed Roger Rabbit | 11 | 1 | 92% | 3 | — | — |
| Princess Mononoke | 9 | 2 | 82% | 3 | — | — |
| Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | 9 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
24 of the 29 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“a 720p TV version from a decade ago can look better than a modern 4K Blu-ray release”
“nails on a chalkboard, sounds so american”
“Mamoru Oshii's more cerebral 1995 adaptation doesn't have merits of its own”
“Motoko questioning if she was human, and what it mean to be human, it all worked for me.”
“the movie is almost perfect”
“it's not a sanitised depiction, gits society feels much like our own with a detailed techno-realism”
“I see every version as a remix of the original material, each done with their own take and philosophy.”
“entertaining but shallow derivative of Oshii's animes and not based on the manga at all”
“I really like the art direction of the new GitS adaptation (I hope this retro style gets used more)”
“I think the series has been done to death”
“it's more cartoonish and light-hearted”
“The new anime is a more faithful retelling of the manga from the start so you can watch it by itself.”
“I like it, but some of the characters designs are ... ugly.”
“The 1995 anime, definitely watch.”
“the new Ghost in the Shell (coming out next month) is also hand drawn”
“Akira/Ghost in the Shell are great too.”
“up there with ghost in the shell, akira, and serial experiments lain”
“I miss art like this. I'm afraid that nothing will recapture the way I felt watching GOTS the first time.”
“amazing movie and holds up to this day”
“The ending is quite on the nose; ultra-formulaic where formulaic has no place.”
“"Ghost in the Shell" was a far better story.”
“Also watch Ghost in the Shell which is vaguely set in Hong Kong then feel the vibe when you're there.”
“Story-wise, Gits and Akira do have a kind of logical story progression.”
“It's high-speed political action wrapped around deep questions about autonomy, embodiment, and consciousness.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.