How watching Japanese anime Ghost in the Shell changed the life of a Hong Kong eyewear brand co-founder
- Ghost in the Shell, directed by Mamoru Oshii, is a highly acclaimed anime from 1995 on the subject of humanity and tech augmentation
- Sons + Daughters eyewear brand co-founder Calvin Yu was inspired by the visual aesthetics and style, and the designs of his glasses reflect this
One of the most influential and widely acclaimed animated movies of all time, Ghost in the Shell (1995), directed by Mamoru Oshii, tells a story set in the near future of a public security agent who has augmented her brain technologically, and her hunt for a mysterious neurological hacker.
Based on a manga of the same name, it is admired both for its ravishing animation and its thought-provoking examination of the nature of humanity and identity.
Calvin Yu, the Canada-born, Hong Kong-based co-founder of children’s eyewear brand Sons + Daughters, tells Richard Lord how it changed his life.
I saw it soon after it was released, and not in a cinema. At that time there was no internet, so you had to find out about things in other ways. I used to be a graffiti writer, and I guess I stumbled upon it, probably through graffiti-writing friends who were into it.
This movie has had a huge impact on me. As a creative person, it’s constantly ingrained in my memory. I use it as a reference for how I see the world. It’s inspired me throughout my life, it still does, and I think it’s something that will forever be an inspiration.