The Ghost in the Shell: The Human Algorithm 6

by Junichi Fujisaku, Shirow Masamune (creator), Yuki Yoshimoto (illustrator)

Hesitant to hurt others but longing to protect his family, the gentle Ajili has been conned into undergoing a “ceremony,” where he thinks he's been chosen from among all others to don a terrifying prosthetic and fearlessly light the fire of revolution. In fact, he's been poisoned with a cyberdrug derived from the venom of the black mamba-one that renders him nearly fearless and his cyberbrain susceptible to the installation of whatever new software his puppeteers desire. Meanwhile, Togusa and Tsunagi's murder investigation, Batou's failed training mission, a child organ harvesting ring, and a Chinese spy's greed intersect all collide. Against the backdrop of the brutal Sahara, the stage is set for an explosive climax…

336 pages, Paperback

Published September 16, 2025

Reviews

[Norman Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume finishes the second arc of the series. The Section 9 agents manage to tie up most of the loose ends but like real-world situations things are messy. The African civil war that is central to this arc is probably going to continue, just with new leaders, after Section 9 leaves, for example. Although the plot details sometimes get a little convoluted, there are some nice character moments and Yoshimoto's artwork is detailed and stunning as usual. This series is a nice, action-packed techno-thriller.

[Jasmin Đenčić · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story has its moments, it is an interesting exploration of corporate technological advances combined with a poor, war-torn geographical setting. This concludes the second arc of THA run and it is a satisfying end overall. BUT. I prefer Ghost in the Shell narratives set primarily in Japan. Small excursions to London, Berlin etc are welcome (as we’ve seen in S.A.C.) but this was maybe a bit much. There is no Motoko, and no New Port City in this one, so it felt less like GitS then the previous arc. Next one is taking the characters back home so I am eager to read on! Also: Batou started off interestingly in this one but then his plot and history with Nue got used for comic relief and it didn’t land well for me.