Kazundo Gouda
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
in Masamune Shirow
's Ghost in the Shell
anime
series. He is the primary antagonist
of Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG
. In the series, Goda is head of a data manipulation division within the Cabinet Intelligence Service.
representation as they are usually pronounced as , as demonstrated by Daisuke Aramaki's initial meeting with Goda.
Goda claims that people can usually remember the pronunciation mistake they made after he corrects them once.
and had to have cybernetic parts installed. He was horribly disfigured, but, curiously, chose not to repair his face with easily available cybernetic parts. During a failed training exercise by the Japanese military
for its new helicopter
s, Goda was dispatched to approach Aramaki with a plan of action to protect the people living in the Refugee Residential District. Goda later becomes a main suspect in the Individual Eleven case by Section 9. He is the head of the Strategic Influence Investigation Commission within Japan's Cabinet Intelligence Service, a position which gives him the power to carry out his plans. In addition, he has a valuable ally in Chief Cabinet Secretary Takakura, who aids Goda's cause, seemingly to further his own political aspirations.
s.
Part of Goda's plan is to harness the stand-alone complex social phenomenon
in order to produce revolutionaries based on the refugee issue. He made these revolutionaries (the Individual Eleven) by disseminating a fake eleventh essay written by (fictional) writer and philosopher Patrick Sylvester. This essay, itself titled "The Individual Eleven," contained a cyberbrain virus which forced the reader to conform to a scenario of terrorist actions related to the refugee issue (e.g. murdering cyber-rapper and refugee idol Densetsu, attempting to murder Prime Minister Yoko Kayabuki), followed by mutual suicide at the Selecon Tower. The strongest infected members, of which there were twelve, successfully carried out the scenario, each believing himself to be acting independently and without viral influence.
Goda anticipated the emergence of one "hero", by the rules of the social variation of the stand-alone complex would go on to further exacerbate the refugee situation. This hero was Hideo Kuze
, who disappeared after deciding not to go through with the suicide and resurfaced as a hero of the refugees. In order to stage a revolution, Kuze rallied the refugees to his side in Dejima
by virtue of his will and utter belief in his cause (which had existed before his infection with the virus). Using salami slicing
, he obtained enough money to procure weapons-grade plutonium
as leverage to secure the independence of Dejima. This process was facilitated by Goda, who performed such actions as cutting all the power in Nagasaki as a distraction so Kuze could escape the naval blockade there. Goda also arranged the circumstances so that Kuze would not actually get any plutonium, leaving the refugees with baseless confidence and the military with an excuse to start an all-out war with Dejima.
Ultimately, Goda wished to escalate the conflict to the point where public dissatisfaction would destroy the government, allowing him to create a new power structure more to his liking. He doesn't seem to have any personal ambition (though several members of Section 9 suspected him of at least wanting credit for the incident) and claims to be only giving the Japanese people what they want "deep down", which he says is a return to Japan's imperial days when the country prospered off the labor of its colonies. He almost succeeded, as the Prime Minister was arrested and a coup was underway as Dejima was being assaulted by the JSDF. Fortunately, Kuze, Motoko, and Section 9 (especially the Tachikoma
s) turned out to be too unpredictable for Goda's scenario. Thanks to their actions, the Dejima conflict was halted before the full extent of the damage was done.
Seeing that his plans had failed, Goda made an agreement with representatives of the American Empire and planned to seek asylum with them. When Section 9 arrived to arrest him, he exploited a legal loophole; if he submits a written confession of his crimes to the police, he can leave for a country of his choosing. However, Section 9 exploited a loophole of its own. They possessed a note signed by Prime Minister Yoko Kayabuki, which informed them that it would be a major loss for Japan if Goda's skills were to fall in the hands of a foreign nation, empowering them to do anything necessary to prevent it. Goda waved them off, believing that they were bluffing. He is then shot in the head numerous times and killed by Motoko Kusanagi
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in Masamune Shirow
Masamune Shirow
is an internationally renowned manga artist, born on November 23, 1961.Masamune Shirow is a pen name, based on a famous swordsmith, Masamune. He is best known for the manga Ghost in the Shell, which has since been turned into two theatrical anime movies, two anime TV series, an anime TV movie, and...
's Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell
is a Japanese multimedia franchise composed of manga, animated films, anime series, video games and novels. It focuses on the activities of the counter-terrorist organization Public Security Section 9 in a futuristic, cyberpunk Japan ....
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series. He is the primary antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG
Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG
is the second season of the anime series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, based on Masamune Shirow's manga Ghost in the Shell. It was written and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, with original character design by Hajime Shimomura and a soundtrack by Yoko Kanno...
. In the series, Goda is head of a data manipulation division within the Cabinet Intelligence Service.
Name
The pronunciation of Goda's first name is difficult to decipher simply from reading its kanjiKanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
representation as they are usually pronounced as , as demonstrated by Daisuke Aramaki's initial meeting with Goda.
Goda claims that people can usually remember the pronunciation mistake they made after he corrects them once.
Background
While on a mission, Goda was involved in an accidentAccident
An accident or mishap is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance, often with lack of intention or necessity. It implies a generally negative outcome which may have been avoided or prevented had circumstances leading up to the accident been recognized, and acted upon, prior to its...
and had to have cybernetic parts installed. He was horribly disfigured, but, curiously, chose not to repair his face with easily available cybernetic parts. During a failed training exercise by the Japanese military
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The , or JGSDF, is the army of Japan. The largest of the three services of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the Ground Self-Defense Force operates under the command of the chief of the ground staff, based in the city of Ichigaya, Tokyo. The present chief of ground staff is General Yoshifumi Hibako...
for its new helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s, Goda was dispatched to approach Aramaki with a plan of action to protect the people living in the Refugee Residential District. Goda later becomes a main suspect in the Individual Eleven case by Section 9. He is the head of the Strategic Influence Investigation Commission within Japan's Cabinet Intelligence Service, a position which gives him the power to carry out his plans. In addition, he has a valuable ally in Chief Cabinet Secretary Takakura, who aids Goda's cause, seemingly to further his own political aspirations.
The Individual Eleven
Goda is the mastermind of the whole Individual Eleven incident. He planned to use the tense issue of Japan's numerous postwar refugees in order to create social unbalance and political upheaval. The rogue helicopter incident in Episode Four may itself have been helped along by his maneuvering. His extremely convenient knowledge about everything to do with the situation suggests that he had a hand in its cause. It may even have served as "practice" for the bombing of Dejima with the same Jigabachi attack helicopters, given the incidents' similarities, which is noted by several characters including the Major and the TachikomaTachikoma
A is a fictional artificial intelligence, walker/roller in the Ghost in the Shell universe; appearing in the manga, created by Masamune Shirow, and the Stand Alone Complex sub-universe. Nine of them are assigned to Section 9's use originally. They are spider like multi-legged combat vehicles,...
s.
Part of Goda's plan is to harness the stand-alone complex social phenomenon
Social phenomenon
Social phenomena include all behavior which influences or is influenced by organisms sufficiently alive to respond to one another.-See also:*Forms of activity and interpersonal relations*List of sociology topics*Social fact-References:...
in order to produce revolutionaries based on the refugee issue. He made these revolutionaries (the Individual Eleven) by disseminating a fake eleventh essay written by (fictional) writer and philosopher Patrick Sylvester. This essay, itself titled "The Individual Eleven," contained a cyberbrain virus which forced the reader to conform to a scenario of terrorist actions related to the refugee issue (e.g. murdering cyber-rapper and refugee idol Densetsu, attempting to murder Prime Minister Yoko Kayabuki), followed by mutual suicide at the Selecon Tower. The strongest infected members, of which there were twelve, successfully carried out the scenario, each believing himself to be acting independently and without viral influence.
Goda anticipated the emergence of one "hero", by the rules of the social variation of the stand-alone complex would go on to further exacerbate the refugee situation. This hero was Hideo Kuze
Hideo Kuze
is a fictional character in Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell anime series Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG. Kuze is a full cyborg and is a main suspect in Section 9's investigation of the Individual Eleven. He is unusual among prostheticized individuals since he has chosen to have a sculpted face,...
, who disappeared after deciding not to go through with the suicide and resurfaced as a hero of the refugees. In order to stage a revolution, Kuze rallied the refugees to his side in Dejima
Dejima
was a small fan-shaped artificial island built in the bay of Nagasaki in 1634. This island, which was formed by digging a canal through a small peninsula, remained as the single place of direct trade and exchange between Japan and the outside world during the Edo period. Dejima was built to...
by virtue of his will and utter belief in his cause (which had existed before his infection with the virus). Using salami slicing
Salami slicing
Salami slicing is a series of many minor actions, often performed by clandestine means, that together results in a larger action that would be difficult or illegal to perform at once...
, he obtained enough money to procure weapons-grade plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
as leverage to secure the independence of Dejima. This process was facilitated by Goda, who performed such actions as cutting all the power in Nagasaki as a distraction so Kuze could escape the naval blockade there. Goda also arranged the circumstances so that Kuze would not actually get any plutonium, leaving the refugees with baseless confidence and the military with an excuse to start an all-out war with Dejima.
Ultimately, Goda wished to escalate the conflict to the point where public dissatisfaction would destroy the government, allowing him to create a new power structure more to his liking. He doesn't seem to have any personal ambition (though several members of Section 9 suspected him of at least wanting credit for the incident) and claims to be only giving the Japanese people what they want "deep down", which he says is a return to Japan's imperial days when the country prospered off the labor of its colonies. He almost succeeded, as the Prime Minister was arrested and a coup was underway as Dejima was being assaulted by the JSDF. Fortunately, Kuze, Motoko, and Section 9 (especially the Tachikoma
Tachikoma
A is a fictional artificial intelligence, walker/roller in the Ghost in the Shell universe; appearing in the manga, created by Masamune Shirow, and the Stand Alone Complex sub-universe. Nine of them are assigned to Section 9's use originally. They are spider like multi-legged combat vehicles,...
s) turned out to be too unpredictable for Goda's scenario. Thanks to their actions, the Dejima conflict was halted before the full extent of the damage was done.
Seeing that his plans had failed, Goda made an agreement with representatives of the American Empire and planned to seek asylum with them. When Section 9 arrived to arrest him, he exploited a legal loophole; if he submits a written confession of his crimes to the police, he can leave for a country of his choosing. However, Section 9 exploited a loophole of its own. They possessed a note signed by Prime Minister Yoko Kayabuki, which informed them that it would be a major loss for Japan if Goda's skills were to fall in the hands of a foreign nation, empowering them to do anything necessary to prevent it. Goda waved them off, believing that they were bluffing. He is then shot in the head numerous times and killed by Motoko Kusanagi
Motoko Kusanagi
is a fictional Japanese character in the Ghost in the Shell anime and manga series. She is a cyborg employed as the squad leader of Public Security Section 9, a fictional division of the real Japanese National Public Safety Commission. She is voiced by Atsuko Tanaka in the movies and the Ghost in...
.