Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C - Episode 08

Another Stand Alone episode, Missing Hearts is the eight overall.


Compared with the previous, this one is much better, both in theme and execution, not mentioning the personal touch, giving small background hints, and why not, giving more depth regarding the characters. Specifically, the Major.

The case: the investigation on suspicions of transplanted organs trafficking surrounding a six year old girl.


Some interesting aspects:



Constant body exchange - for instance, due to a serious disease - to follow up the individual growth would be a everyday occurrence in a possible future? Maybe, not counting on the expenses, i guess, with the process and maintenances.

And how it was shown on the second episode:


  
Meaning, religion in the future still will have an important role in peoples lives, for good or evil. Here, it gets explicit, even tough not mentioning which doctrine, that religions (besides economical factors) prevents people of having artificial limbs or bodies.

Right at the beginning, we see a kind of funny example of artificial body:



I'm a Jameson type, bitch.

More seriously, we can see how much technology has advanced:






A quick research, in a 2003 article, there's talks of medical use of transgenic animals (that had their DNAs change in one way or another) in human beings.


For more information regarding the subject, I suggest visiting the Institute of Molecular Sciences in Finland - here.

It is interesting to think in a possible chain of events surrounding such researches and the ethics, or lack of, behind such inquiries. Something that is current in our world and this episode shows how it can manifest in the future, and nothing prevents that future shown here could be ours.

And to finish, the Major's personal interest in the case:


And my own personal interest in the Major: