Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 1: Ghost Pain

2013 0h 58m JA

👍

7.0

SOLID

⭐

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 244★7IMDB · 4,755

ActionAnimationCrimeScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story is set in 2027, one year after the end of the fourth non-nuclear war. New Port City is still reeling from the war's aftermath when it suffers a bombing caused by a self-propelled mine. Then, a military member implicated in arms-dealing bribes is gunned down. During the investigation, Public Security Section's Daisuke Aramaki encounters Motoko Kusanagi, the cyborg, wizard-level hacker assigned to the military's 501st Secret Unit. Batou, a man with the "eye that does not sleep," suspects that Kusanagi is the one behind the bombing. The Niihama Prefectural Police detective Togusa is pursuing his own dual cases of the shooting death and a prostitute's murder. Motoko herself is being watched by the 501st Secret Unit's head Kurutsu and cyborg agents.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Maaya Sakamoto
Motoko Kusanagi (voice)
Ikkyu Juku
Daisuke Aramaki (voice)
Kenichirou Matsuda
Batou (voice)
Kazuya Nakai
Borma (voice)
Shunsuke Sakuya
Ishikawa (voice)
Tomoyuki Dan
Ishikawa (voice)
Takuro Nakakuni
Saito (voice)
Tarusuke Shingaki
Togusa (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Masahiko Murata
Writers: Tow Ubukata, Masahiko Murata, Shirow Masamune
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 58-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 13 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Ghost in the Shell: Arise Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Masahiko Murata, shot by Koji Tanaka. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Keigo Oyamada. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Junichi Uematsu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Maaya Sakamoto and Ikkyu Juku and Kenichirou Matsuda carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2636124 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Masahiko Murata directs. Koji Tanaka behind the camera. Keigo Oyamada scores. Junichi Uematsu cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 58-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 13 years ago.
3Part of the "Ghost in the Shell: Arise Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Masahiko Murata, shot by Koji Tanaka. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Keigo Oyamada. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Junichi Uematsu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Maaya Sakamoto and Ikkyu Juku and Kenichirou Matsuda carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt2636124 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 9 themes, including "police", "explosive", "cyborg", "arms dealer".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Koji Tanaka
Original score: Keigo Oyamada
Editing: Junichi Uematsu
Runtime: 58 min · 0h 58m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 1: Ghost Pain (2013)
IMDB rating: 7/10 · 4,755 votes
MPAA: TV-MA

Awards

1 nomination total

Part of

Ghost in the Shell: Arise Collection

A film series that serves as a reimagining of Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell. The films feature new character designs and are directed by Kazuchika Kise, screenplay by Tow Ubukata, and music by Cornelius.