Magic and Science Fiction: Masamune Shirow Comics

Masamune Shirow's cartoon works are few and short, but his world outlook is peculiar and his style is grotesque. Most works have to do some homework before and after reading, otherwise it is not easy to understand. How can I describe this strange smell?

Let's just say it's my style.

Most Chinese versions of Masamune Shirow's works were published in the 1990s in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In the new century, two new novels have been published. Adhering to the principle of "only one edition of the same work", I consulted many players' books and newspapers and made a choice based on my own preferences.

My preference is based on the integrity of the work and the quality of translation, regardless of paper, printing, boxes and gifts.

I. The Battle of the Dark Arts (1983)

The background of the story is Venus in a certain era, with highly developed science and technology, and the society is composed of human beings and genetically modified biochemical people. Due to the increase of population, the lack of resources and environment, and the struggle for dominance, Venusians began the space immigration plan, and the contradiction with biochemical people gradually intensified to the point of armed struggle. As a biochemical mage trained by human beings, Debon, a young girl, fights against biochemical people.

There are six words in this book, which are not closely related and have many characters, and Debon, the heroine, sometimes does not appear in the whole story. The image, food, clothing, housing and transportation of Venusians in the works are the same as those on the earth today. When it was fashionable, the earth was in the age of dinosaurs. There are various images of biochemical people, including orcs, people with many eyes and many angles, and people like Debon.

There are artificial intelligence combat robots, swords, magic and so on in the book.

Perhaps because it is a first edition work, the overall feeling is that the plot is somewhat obscure and the Chinese translation is not satisfactory. Not only do many Cantonese slang words quote dramas, but even the translation of the protagonist's name has errors.

In painting, the compartmentalization is not as strong as Masamune Shirow's later works, and the unique figure painting style has not been fully formed. However, the author's preference for machinery has been fully revealed, and the appendix at the end of the book contains extremely detailed robot settings.

Speaking of appendices, this is another feature of Masamune Shirow cartoons. For Masamune Shirow's informative short stories, notes and appendices seem indispensable, although they are often criticized.

The appendix also mentions that Battle of the Dark Arts was first published in 1983 as a chronicle of fans, and then a new version was published, and a Chinese version was derived from the new version of 1985. Occasionally, you can see the difference in painting style, which means that some pictures in the new version have been modified, such as the following picture.

The painting styles of the first two title pages are quite different, which is enough to see the progress of painting style.

At the same time, the setting that the protagonist of dark magic is a woman has become the standard of Masamune Shirow's works, which has continued to all his later works.

Chinese version: There is no choice but to release the Hong Kong version at 1995.

Second, 1985 to 1989 "Apple Nuclear War"

Masamune Shirow's famous novel, * * * four volumes (unfinished), is set on the earth in the 22nd century. Dina, the heroine, and her boyfriend came to live in the bustling city of Olympus from the ruins after the war. This is a utopia where human beings and biochemical people live in peace.

Their new job is to join the anti-terrorist force ESWAT and carry out combat missions.

Although there are many similarities with his previous work Battle of the Dark Arts, Masamune Shirow showed more powerful painting power and more machines and weapons in Battle of the Apple.

Especially in some battle scenes, the split mirror is very courageous and pleasing to the eye.

The work depicts many details around the protagonist's work and life. There are descriptions of performing tasks with comrade Aswat from different countries, differences between human beings and biochemical people, conspiracies between executives, political struggles between countries, and philosophical thoughts of sages. In a word, this work with international style is rich in information.

But I feel that Apple's nuclear war, as a long cartoon, lacks a main line or hot spot that runs through it, and it does not belong to a unit drama. There is always a strange feeling, that is, where the painting is, so I am surprised by its unfinished ending.

Chinese version: 1994 cultural communication and distribution 25 Hong Kong version; In 2007, Power Asia issued the folio of 16. The latter is chosen not because of the format, but because the translation quality of Taiwan version is higher than that of Hong Kong version.

Iii. 1985 "Super Chariot Special Police"

Compared with the serious Apple Wars, Masamune Shirow's short story "Super Chariot Special Police" is simple and easy to understand, and the story surrounding the heroine policewoman Lena Ozaki is more relaxed and funny. I have written books and newspapers on this book alone, and interested players can look forward to it.

In this book, the villain robot sisters Anbuna and Youbuma, with enchanting images, were quite fashionable in Europe and America in the 1980s and gained high popularity.

Chinese version selection: both Hong Kong and Taiwan versions are available for sale at 1995. The Taiwan Province version was produced by Haiqi, which is very strange. There is no retouching translation of onomatopoeic words in the picture, and more importantly, the annotations of the original version are also lacking. The Hong Kong version of cultural communication has won in both aspects.

4. Ghosts in the shell range from 1989 to 1997.

As Masamune Shirow's most famous masterpiece, Ghost in the Shell has no need to repeat its position in the world of science fiction.

The first part of Ghost in the Eggshell was published in two volumes, and then Masamune Shirow wrote Ghost in the Eggshell 199 1 and 1997 respectively, forming a trilogy. I won't go into details. Let's take two color pages from each of these three films.

Although there were many Chinese color pages in the last film, I personally felt that the charm of the picture was greatly reduced by using computer painting instead of manual drawing.

Chinese version selection: The Chinese version released by Hong Kong and Taiwan in the 1990s is only the content of The First Ghost in the Shell, which is of little value. In 20 17, Hong Kong and Taiwan released a complete trilogy. Although the new edition has changed two pages of adult content compared with the old edition (like the Japanese edition), its flaws cannot cover up its flaws. Compared with the Hong Kong version of Jade Dynasty, the Taiwanese version published by Facebook retains more notes and translations, so I choose the Taiwanese version.

By the way, because of the popularity of Hollywood live-action movies with the same name, the new version of Ghost has become a market darling. After the heat has been discounted, the price has repeatedly hit new lows, which can not help but make people feel embarrassed.

V. 1990 "The Magic Overattacks the Shell"

Back to the short story of Yi Zhuan, this time it is a story about the combination of technology and myth and magic.

Although the name contains the word "attack the shell", this work has nothing to do with "Ghost in the Tortoise Shell", which has both technology and the setting of myths such as The Journey to the West. Some players call it "Xianxia punk" quite in place.

Machinery and myth are combined, are there some?

The settings contained in the appendix are simply outrageous.

Chinese Version Selection: Both Hongkong and Taiwan Province published Chinese versions in 1990s. Compared with the Hong Kong version of cultural communication, the cutting-edge Taiwan Province version retains more annotations, and the first two pages of the translator's preface and the appendix on page 12 are also unique to the Taiwan Province version.

Six, 20 17 "Ghost in the Shell" short episode.

While the trilogy Ghost in the Eggshell was released on 20 17, the publishing house invited many cartoonists to create a collection of short works related to Ghost in the Eggshell. Therefore, this book is not Masamune Shirow's work, but a tribute to the same human nature. I have also written books and newspapers about this book.

Chinese version: There is no choice but to publish the Hong Kong version of Jade Dynasty 20 19.

Conclusion:

Players, including me, often spit out many comments on Masamune Shirow cartoons, which affects the continuity of reading. And when the same work has an annotated version and an annotated version to choose from, which one will you buy? People are so strange sometimes.