Koukaku Kidoutai: The Human Algorithm

Name: Koukaku Kidoutai: The Human Algorithm
Rating: 7.2

The Ghost in the Shell: The Human Algorithm
攻殻機動隊 THE HUMAN ALGORITHM

Manga7.2204 votes8 volumes · 108 chaptersFinished

ActionSci-FiAdult CastDetectivePsychological

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About this title

Synopsis

Hackers attempt to assassinate a politician during a speech preaching the advantages of cybernetic prosthetics. Fortunately, Togusa is there to whisk her to safety, and the investigation leads Batou to a suspicious factory in the artificial islands in southern Japan. Meanwhile, Chief Aramaki hears of a disturbing discovery at the other end of the country: dozens of artificial bodies, illegally dumped near a village where an anti-cyberization sect conducts their training and "rites." Among the empty shells is one formerly inhabited by the woman who embodied Section 9 until she left it behind and disappeared: Major Motoko Kusanagi... (Source: Kodansha USA)

Publication notes

Koukaku Kidoutai: The Human Algorithm has been published digitally in English as The Ghost in the Shell: The Human Algorithm by Kodansha USA since November 20, 2019, and in print since June 23, 2020, and it has also been simulpub.

Published

Sep 16, 2019 to Apr 21, 2025

Authors

External links

MyAnimeList page KodanshaKodansha USA Official Site Wikipedia Wikipedia

MAL rank: #6653
Members (MAL): 1,681
Favorites (MAL): 19

Related titles

Prequel

Koukaku Kidoutai 1.5: Human-Error Processer

Sequel

Koukaku Kidoutai 2: Manmachine Interface

Main characters

Batou1797 fan favorites
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Batou (also Batto, Bato) is nominally the second-in-command of Section 9. Little is known about the strange, large foreigner who has been with Motoko Kusanagi for years. He was once American and served in the Special Forces in South America. His amount of cyborg-ization is variable according to the storyline, from his limbs only up to most of his body, second only to the Major herself. Despite the availability of superior eyes, he grew superstitious about his old-style eye replacements, popular with many high-level military operatives. He also retains some residual body-image issues, causing him to continually purchase workout equipment despite the obvious anachronism. In the two Stand Alone Complex series, Batou's personality is more like that in the manga version. He is an outgoing joker, but one with a quick temper. Being emotional and not as calm as the Major, Batou shows anger at injustice and cruelty, to the point of seeming downright hotheaded at times. He sometimes shows impatience with Section 9's rookies, such as Togusa, to the point of rudeness, and jokes with him constantly. At times, he is also shown to be a voice of reason and concern for the Major, to the point that she admits she can confide in him. Both seasons of the anime, like the movies, hint at some romantic tension between the two, particularly near the end of each Gig. This tension is touched upon, briefly, in the Solid State Society movie, where Batou admits that he's been covering up any of the Major's appearances in cases prior to the Puppet Master case. Batou had served in a military special forces team before entering Section 9. Most of his body is comprised of cybernetic prosthetics. Despite the fact that exercise will do his cybernetic body parts no benefits, Batou lifts weights as a hobby. Based on several of the Stand Alone Complex episodes, Batou seems to have served in the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force at some point before he joined Section 9. It is suggested several times that he held a JGSDF Ranger qualification. His unit was involved in World War IV and was deployed to South America alongside Motoko Kusanagi, where they accidentally stumbled across an American Imperial Navy unit conducting a covert operation codenamed "Project Sunset," which consisted of soldiers earning the trust of communities and then carrying out war crimes, spreading terror and chaos in the enemy ranks. Batou's eyes are grey and clearly prosthetic. They are standard cybernetic equipment issued to Ranger Special Forces operatives.
Togusa486 fan favorites
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Togusa is the newest member of Section 9 and the only one not originally recruited from Kusanagi's team of SpecOps. Recruited from the regular police forces, Detective Togusa (no first name is yet known) has only the most basic of augmentation and no cyberization outside of his cyberbrain. The Major wanted him for his perspective as a real policeman and as an outside opinion so as to avoid intellectual incest within Section 9. Togusa mostly feels inferior to the rest of the team, forgetting to recognize the reason for his inclusion in the group. He is the only member with a spouse and child and he continues to carry his Mateba revolver, although it has been highly modified to fire anti-cyborg rounds.
Daisuke Aramaki132 fan favorites
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The wise and powerful Head of Section 9, Aramaki relies upon his many international and corporate contacts to supply his team with the information they need to get the job done. Though he commands a great deal of respect, he is occasionally called "Monkey Man" (in the Manga) by his subordinates (perhaps because of his unconventional hairstyle/face). Seldom directly involved in police actions, he is nonetheless constantly working behind the scenes to coordinate the efforts of his agents, making quick and authoritative decisions and maintaining tight control of Kusanagi.