REVIEW: ‘The Ghost In The Shell’ Episode 6 — “Dumb Barter”

The Ghost In The Shell Episode 6, “Dumb Barter” sees an old enemy come after Motoko Kusanagi (Maaya Sakamoto, Tekken 8) in a bid for revenge. But as is often the case with Section 9, things get even more complicated and escalate quickly beyond a mere murder plot. After all, how many people’s assassins choose a tank as their means of vengeance?

This episode succeeds in some ways that past entries have failed. Most notable among them is its approach to humor. There are a few chuckles generated by Section 9 members like The Major and Batou (Hiroki Yasumoto, NieR Automata ver1.1a), but this is accomplished without undercutting their core characteristic of being exceptional agents in the field, as many previous attempts have done.

Seeing Kusanagi smugly win a bet with her boyfriend over whose Section would show up first, or watching Batou dismantle his car to check for bombs himself, lest his ego get bruised by a condensing bomb squad that found nothing, brings some nice levity. It does so without hurting the audience’s ability to believe they are what the series sells them as being. They are just human as well. 

The Ghost In The Shell Episode 6 delivers the best action we’ve seen in the series thus far.

While the handful of laughs give The Ghost In The Shell Episode 6 some lightness around its edges, the core of the narrative delivers the best action we’ve seen in the series thus far. The smooth increase in pressure as the scenario goes further out of control cranks up the tension nicely, creating a sense of real threat. The cumulative battle with a massive, military-grade think tank sees Kusanagi and Togusa (Yûichi Nakamura, Clevatess) on the ropes, even as the rest of Section 9 moves as fast as they can to help them. 

The battle with the tank is the first time we see The Major clearly outgunned. With nothing at her disposal that can even scratch her foe, we see the protagonist forced to take a far more defensive stance as she tries to escape and evade her opponent until reinforcements can arrive. Her plight is presented excellently thanks fantastic visuals.

Kusanagi’s attitude towards her situation is exactly what it feels like it should be, both for herself and for the larger story. While it might be cool in the moment if she whips up some crazy plan to solo the tank, letting her be on the ropes establishes that, despite her leading role, she can be beaten. It also showcases that she isn’t just tough; she’s smart. She can see a hopeless situation, and rather than go down in a blaze of glory, she’ll stall and run. While this mental sharpness does clash with some moments from earlier episodes, it’s great to see it here. 

The Chief gets a fantastic moment to step out of his usual command role.

The Ghost In The Shell Episode 6 also utilizes the lead’s veritable helplessness before her armored foe to get the rest of Section 9 involved. Letting supporting characters like Borma get a chance to pitch in as the cavalry gives them more presence within the ongoing story.

And while several of the group’s members get their moment here, none pop off as much as Aramaki (Kazuhiro Yamaji, Spy x Family). The Chief gets a fantastic moment to step out of his usual command role, actually draw a pistol, and almost put it to use. What he does to help Kusanagi underlines why characters who often feel out of place in the structured setup of a government-funded group might put up with the restrictions of the job: They know Aramaki will go to bat for them. 

The final element that stands out in the closing moments of The Ghost In The Shell Episode 6 takes us back to its star. We are given a glimpse of a new side of Kusanagi—one that new fans to the franchise may find a bit startling. While she has been shown as energetic and jovial at times, serious at others, and in moments a competent professional, we have seen little to hint at the rage the character has always been capable of expressing.

The Ghost In The Shell Episode 6 is the first time the series delivers absolutely everything.

But here we see The Major revealed in her wrath. You can only push a person so far before they snap, and you do not want to make Kusanagi snap. But by the end, with everything she and those close to her have been subjected to, no one could ever blame her for going a little overboard. 

Much like the earlier scene with Aramaki, this moment has a similar place for Kusanagi. While command presence and intelligence are critical for leading, if you want to lead a pack of strong-willed individuals, there has to be proof that you simply belong at the top. Kusanagi has the will, and she has their trust. Because this is what happens when someone messes with her or her team. 

The Ghost In The Shell Episode 6 is the first time I can honestly say the series delivers everything I could ask for of Section 9. It manages to implement its humor in a way that doesn’t feel like it undercuts the cast, and uses the action not just to deliver tense moments but also to deepen its characters, helping them take a step closer to being the great things I want them to be. 

The Ghost in the Shell Episode 6 is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

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