Motoko Kusanagi's unease over the Tachikoma reaches a breaking point as their runaway intelligence starts to look like a combat liability. Sensing the threat of shutdown, the think tanks scheme to save themselves, but the order comes down anyway to disarm them and ship them off for analysis.
Summary
The Major's long-standing doubts about the Tachikoma finally surface. Their artificial minds are maturing at an alarming clip, and Kusanagi worries both about what that growth means and about the wisdom of keeping such unpredictable machines in a combat unit. The tanks pick up on her wariness, if only dimly, and cook up an odd plan to charm her into letting them stay.
Batou is called to a meeting with Kusanagi and there learns the verdict: the Tachikoma will be stripped of their weapons and returned to the laboratory for study. He dislikes the ruling but has no room to refuse it, and the order stands.
Key Events
Kusanagi concludes the Tachikoma's rapid intellectual growth makes them a risk in the field. The units sense her intent and try to win her over. The decision to disarm and recall them for analysis is finalized, and Batou reluctantly accepts it.
Notes
Filed under the production subtitle Machines Désirantes, this first-season chapter turns the Tachikoma from comic relief into a genuine question about machine consciousness. One exchange has a unit tangle an operator in a liar's paradox, while another finds a Tachikoma telling Batou that its digital nature bars it from ever holding a Ghost, envying the mortality that his analog self carries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "Time of the Machines" about?
Motoko Kusanagi decides the Tachikoma's rapidly advancing intelligence makes them too unpredictable to keep armed in a combat unit, leading to their disarmament.
Why does Kusanagi want the Tachikoma removed from the field?
Their artificial minds are maturing at an alarming rate, and Kusanagi worries both about what that growth means and about the risk of keeping such unpredictable machines in a combat unit.
How do the Tachikoma react to sensing Kusanagi's intent?
The Tachikoma pick up on her wariness, if only dimly, and devise an odd plan of their own to try to charm her into letting them stay.
What does Batou learn at his meeting with Kusanagi?
Batou learns that the Tachikoma will be stripped of their weapons and sent back to the laboratory for study, a ruling he dislikes but has no room to refuse.
What does a Tachikoma tell Batou about having a Ghost?
A Tachikoma tells Batou that its digital nature bars it from ever holding a Ghost, and that it envies the mortality carried by his analog self.
Sources & Information
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View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Anime based on the Ghost in the Shell anime series, manga, and official materials. Ghost in the Shell was created by Masamune Shirow, published by Kodansha, and animated by Production I.G. All rights to Ghost in the Shell and its characters belong to their respective owners. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
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- Published byKodansha
- Animated byProduction I.G
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