The first installment of the Ghost in the Shell: Arise film series, Border 1: Ghost Pain, has arrived on Crunchyroll and Netflix, complete with English dub and subtitle options. This 2013 OVA acts as a prequel, exploring the origins of Major Motoko Kusanagi and Public Security Section 9 in a post-war 2027.
Produced by the veteran studio Production I.G, known for its work on the original Ghost in the Shell films and Psycho-Pass, Ghost Pain delves into a bombing investigation that brings the cybernetically enhanced hacker Kusanagi into contact with Batou and Daisuke Aramaki. It sets the stage for the formation of the elite counter-cyberterrorist unit.
The Arise series, based on Masamune Shirow's manga, scored a 7.41 on MyAnimeList from over 32,000 voters. Border 1 is the first of four films, followed by Border 2: Ghost Whispers, Border 3: Ghost Tears, and Border 4: Ghost Stands Alone, which collectively bridge the gap between the original manga and the 1995 film.
