Ghost in the Shell is set in the fictional city of New Port City in 2029, and follows a cyborg public security agent and her partner in pursuit of an enigmatic and powerful hacker known as Puppet Master. Despite being a box office flop at the time of its release, the film has gained a cult following over the years and is now hailed as one of the greatest milestones in anime and science fiction. Its narrative addresses how, in a world dominated by artificial intelligence, identity and consciousness can be manipulated for dishonest purposes — a fear that is increasingly relevant in the present day. This Japanese animation is considered one of the main inspirations for the Matrix trilogy.