M.M.A. -Massive Mesh Ambitions- Special Feature #03 / Takehiro Ohya “Shifting Boundaries”

A media project to speculate and discuss about GHOST IN THE SHELL “M.M.A. -Massive Mesh Ambitions-.”

 

The theme of ISSUE #03 is “Boundaries.”

 

Boundaries between nations and corporations, war and peace, military and police, humans and machines, the public and the private—these are the focal points of concern for legal philosopher Ohya Takehiro, who oversaw this special feature titled “Boundaries.” His analysis centers on the various boundaries that define modern society and their inherent instability.

 

These shifting boundaries are the very issues confronted by the Ghost in the Shell series, Public Security Section 9, and Major Motoko Kusanagi. Ohya interprets this connection by linking the real-world challenges posed by the inevitable changes brought about by advancements in information technology to the issues that have been presciently explored within the fictional world of the series.

 

What ties these two domains together is the evocative metaphor of “insectification”, introduced by political scientist Iokibe Kaoru. By employing a biological metaphor, Ohya’s discussion navigates toward the crises and transformative possibilities created by the blurring of boundaries. Ohya Takehiro’s essay, “Shifting Boundaries,” serves as an editorial postscript that offers a panoramic view of this special feature, encapsulating the author’s ongoing exploration of the interplay between technological progress and societal transformation.

 

It is only available in Japanese, the English version is coming soon.

 

Illustration: studio TRUE