Koukaku Kidoutai: SAC_2045

Can CGI ruin a show? Yes. Does it here? Thank goodness no, at least not for me.

Ghost in the Shell is a lengthy franchise spanning over decades with at least four different art styles. However, while all of the previous art styles until now were in 2D animation, they decided that they should try a CGI approach. Many will skip over this season because of it, but if that is the only reason, then it is a huge mistake. Despite the animation, all of the characters remain the same and the story feels very similar to SAC previous seasons. So how does it match ... up?

SAC (stand alone complex) is what these seasons do: There are stand alone episodes and there are complex (like an arc) episodes. The complex episodes progress the story while the stand alone episodes progress the characters development. This season starts with a complex arc of six episodes about the emergence of post-humans (super smart and strong humans) and the majors (Mokoto Kusanagi) team being forced to take him down by the American government. Then, there are a couple of stand alone episodes when they return to Japan that showcase the characters of Batou, Togusa, and the new character Purin Ezaki individually. Then there is another complex three episode arc involving another post-human case in Japan but slightly different. Then it stops at a massive cliffhanger which will be resolved in the next season.

While the episodes were all great, I am not a fan of the seasons being split up like this, but I take what I can get.

To talk about the elephant in the room: the art. This will severely prevent a multitude of people of enjoying this season, but that is only because they won't give it a chance. The CGI is very well done for Japan TV standards. It isn't as good as something like Frozen but it is still decent enough to not be too distracting. The character models are great and very closely resemble the original models. The fight choreography is outstanding and the backgrounds, while not the best, are still serviceable. My main problem with the art was the faces of characters. A lot of times that there should have been emotion on faces, there just wasn't. It is hard to accomplish it in CGI but nevertheless they didn't accomplish it. But the art for the OP was phenomenal.

The music was okay...or at least when there was music. While the OP was decent and the ED slightly better, there was rarely any music in the actual show. In the first episode there was a great jazzy instrumentally track which got my hopes up, but after that there was barely any BGM at all. It is sad especially considering that Yoko Kanno did the original SAC OST and it is still known to be one of the best soundtracks of all time. The voice acting was all good. I would have preferred the English dub, especially since the original dub cast returned to reprise thir roles, but unfortunately the dub release was delayed due to Covid19.

The characters are all the same as previous seasons with the addition of Kenjiro Tsuda, an American agent in the first arc but who then leaves (he might be relevant in the second season) and Purin Ezaki in the second arc who was the comic relief and an enjoyably cute and silly character. Togusa goes through some development as well. The Tachikomas are amazing as usual but they have slightly less screen time than they did in the previous seasons. There isn't yet a main villain that we have met yet, but the puzzle pieces are building up and hopefully can actually pull off a great reveal in the next season. The major is a boss, like usual.

I enjoyed this season a lot, and I would recommend it even to people who haven't seen previous seasons or movies. The pacing is fantastic and thrilling while the story keeps building mystery and great development.

My main issue with the season, not including art or sound, is that this season plays it safe. Ghost in the Shell is known for utilizing thought provoking themes which helped it stand out throughout the decades, but this season hasn't really done that yet. The last arc was close, but didn't fully succeed to hit the usual franchise marks.
It went for a more Hollywood style, lots of fights, but very rarely any serious internal conflicts or thought provoking ideas.

Overall, this season was great. Better than what I expected. Hopefully the second season is as good or better and can properly tie up all of the loose threads that were leftover after this season.

Score: 9 (Very good and rewatchable, but not good enough to do so very often).

Of all the anime I’ve seen, over four thousand and counting, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is my unequivocal favorite. With that said, I’m not the kind of delicate elitist who holds great reverence for their favorites and their position as such. The idea of a new installment coming along over a decade since its last and suddenly outclassing all which came before it is not something I particularly begrudge or fear. Projects the likes of FLCL Alternative where the original creators are publicly decrying the grossly corporatist nature of the production are one thing, but in the case of SAC_2045, the original staff ... is still thoroughly involved with the creative process and still very passionate about the work they’re doing, even if said work is wildly different than the original content in both style and substance. I would never dream of taking a cynical eye to something just to eliminate it as a competitor and preserve my favorites, nor, however, would I let these particular geniuses’ old masterpieces cloud my critical judgement and forget the fact those works were good because they were good, not because I wanted them to be good.

If there’s one thing this review needs to make crystal clear, it’s the stark reality Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is not in any noticeable way directed by Kenji Kamiyama, and is instead directed by Shinji Aramaki. Shinji Aramaki, CCO and Director of Operations at Sola Digital Arts, the Production IG subsidiary studio which handled the animation production of SAC_2045, is a legendary mecha designer who’s reputation needs no introduction and who’s been at the forefront of CG animation direction since before the turn of the century. While this all may sound like the beginnings of high praise, I personally think Aramaki is better suited a visual artist than a director. The action direction of SAC_2045 is almost exactly that of Aramaki’s Starship Troopers films, which are little more than shoot’em-up Hollywood action flicks, and while this may seem like a nitpick of relative unimportance given the fact Stand Alone Complex was never really about the action itself—despite housing the most technically proficient police procedural and military action animation you can find in TV anime—this iteration of the story very much is, and this stands regardless of the fact Kamiyama reprised his role as writer. In an interview with Newtype USA in 2007, Kamiyama had said he believes himself to work best in the art of filling out the details of a work structured by someone else as opposed to creating a work from scratch and having to write the rules himself. If we’re to ignore the masterful work he was to do in the future with Eden of the East and take this cute little piece of self-deprecation at face value, we can really appreciate why a world and setting as deeply profound with ideas yet so utterly under-explored by its original creator as Ghost in the Shell would end up being a perfect fit for his craft, because he can take this tiny eleven chapter manga rife with conceptual gold it didn’t give itself the time to fully unpack and unpack it as beautifully and brilliantly as he possibly could, seeing as the groundwork was already in place to support his visionary expansion. And it's this perfect balance which he himself seems to recognize which leaves me so baffled by the direction he took SAC_2045. Artificial Intelligence, or “Post-Humans” as they are called, are the focus of SAC_2045, because even though Stand Alone Complex and 2nd GIG seemed to suggest the original idea of the cyberbrain itself to yield infinite facets of thematic and conceptual exploration, apparently this was not the case after all, and a new central concept was necessary to continue the story. Assuming I think the story even needed to be continued at all—which I do not—why he would choose something so cliche and overused to science fiction as rampant AI, I have no living idea. The Post Human plot line and its borderline post-apocalyptic setting can be more cheesy than a series this adult-oriented ever had any business getting and ultimately serves as little more than a stage for increasingly tensionless action sequences of Section 9 squaring off against largely uncharismatic villains.

While Aramaki is credited on both SAC_2045 and Ultraman (2019) with ample episode direction and storyboarding credits, Kamiyama isn’t on either, on either. The writing, on the other hand, actually does feel like his old handiwork, and keeping in mind this man wrote three of the greatest anime ever made, this is actually something of a problem. Everyone who’s ever worked with Kamiyama in the past has corroborated the fact he has always has been the man with the plan, literally, and Stand Alone Complex is the height of the Ghost in the Shell franchise thanks to his brilliant writing. Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 adaptation of Ghost in the Shell is the only iteration of the anime based on a hard source material, since Innocence was entirely written and conceptualized by Oshii, Arise was pitched by Kazuchika Kise and scripted by Tow Ubukata, and Stand Alone Complex was completely conceptualized by Kamiyama and written in cooperation with Shōtarō Suga. These renditions of the story reflecting the sensibilities of their authors so directly makes perfect sense too, seeing as Innocence is a sophisticated study in abstruse philosophy and Arise is an internally flawed mess which puts style over substance with every idea it has, but what doesn’t make so much sense is while Stand Alone Complex is most certainly an exploration of technology befitting the brain which birthed it, it’s also a consistently mature and unflinchingly realistic character drama which takes an originally goofy cast and molds them not into Oshii’s cold realists or Ubukata’s undefined enigmas, but into complex and resonant human beings. Therefore, it’s not unreasonable to think this nuanced yet intensely necessary facet of the series may or may not’ve been the work of Kamiyama himself, because among the many names I just unapologetically tossed your way is Shōtarō Suga. Shōtarō Suga was the co-writer for all three masterpieces the now-legendary Kamiyama Team made back in their glory days with the fullcore Production IG animation staff, and the more Kamiyama makes nowadays, the more I feel Suga to’ve been way more necessary to the beating heart behind his works than anyone could’ve ever imagined. After Kamiyama more or less disbanded the team, they actually reconvened at PA Works in 2013. Written by Suga and directed by co-director of all three of the Kamiyama classics, Masayuki Yoshihara, The Eccentric Family was masterpiece as clever as it was touching, and it was backed by the gorgeous backgrounds of Takeda Yūsuke, the team’s IG art director who followed them over. What I’m getting at here is Stand Alone Complex, Guardian of the Sacred Spirit, and Eden of the East were very clearly a team effort. Yoshihara brought the iconic cinema, Suga brought the deep human element, and Kamiyama brought the mountains of themes and concepts to make them all worthwhile, and now that he’s the only one on staff, it feels like the human pyramid of geniuses fell apart, and the potential masterpiece status of the show crumbled along with it.

Since there’s no getting around it, I guess it’s time to address the elephant in the room. Now, whether I take care of this elephant with a painless tranquilizer dart or as many shells from a sawed-off shotgun as it takes is simply a matter of bias, and seeing as I aim to generally adopt the neutral opinion, “good CG is good, and bad CG is bad,” I’ll try my hand at playing the Devil’s advocate. While SAC_2045 very much outclasses its team’s prior work with Ultraman (2019), it is by no means of a quality worthy of the Ghost in the Shell franchise which has set every bar of animation as high as it still is decades later. Ultimately, SAC_2045 is crafted with all the love, care, and attention to detail in the world, it’s just not done with the prettiest of visuals or the most faithful of art design. The set design is passable, but the foreground and background sometimes mesh together awkwardly because everything is 3D, and outside the realm of digital grunge effects, little texture is added to anything which makes this all the more noticeable. Such a drab overtone to the series in darker scenes does it little favors in the visual flair department since the cinematography left much to be desired, even with Aramaki’s endless frenetic action which itself is completely divorced from the realistic and highly researched action direction of SAC and 2nd GIG. The visual direction is just semi-random camera rotations and swivels with little to no dramatic timing to speak of, so if you’re looking for cyberpunk action, this show will deliver, but if you’re looking for the thematically laced, contemplatively formulated shots of brilliance you’d come to expect from the original series with only rare and down-to-earth action, you will find yourself disappointed. Physically speaking, the CG animation looks legitimately incredible, with precise shadow placement, anatomically weighty physics, and the most intricately shaded body definition in any CG TV anime I’ve ever seen, but graphically speaking the show is, at best, distractingly untextured with great depth of color only wherever you can find said color, and at worst, utterly outdated and with coloration as a mere afterthought to the director if not the colorists. And speaking of unevenly poppy coloration, the character designs are just about as hectic as you can get. The male designs are loosely okay, with only a few characters like poor old Togusa receiving unflattering transitions into the world of 3DCG, but the female designs are downright insulting. To be frank, they just look like anime sex dolls. As thoroughly sexualized as Motoko is in all but Oshii’s iterations, though, no anime adaptation of Ghost in the Shell has yet to reach even a fraction of the sex appeal and exploitation found in the original manga, so when all is said and done, you can only really complain about this point so much before sounding like an ignorant hypocrite. Still, one could only hope an icon of feminine badassery and empowerment would not’ve looked like she belonged on a dirty dakimakura.

Despite the fact I’ve done little but act like the obtusely picky bitch I am, I did, believe it or not, seriously enjoy SAC_2045, if not as deeply as I dreamed I would’ve. It’s so hard being as rotten as I am, because you’re always left with so much more criticism than praise no matter what you’re consuming, even if whatever it is gives you more than enough delight to gush over. I mean, I simply cannot put into words how happy it made me feel to see Kamiyama so perfectly recapture Batou’s dynamic with the Major; how proud I was to verify he still has a complete and total mastery of his intelligent dialogue which is incessantly relevant to his clever theming; how timely and smart of an idea the Sustainable War setup is, even if I dislike the over-the-top setting which it fostered; how the choppy direction is only really prevalent in martial combat sequences, and dialogue scenes are as engaging as they’ve ever been; how Shinji Aramaki—if nothing else—knows exactly how to use 3D animation to its fullest extent in every way; how gratifying it was to hear all the original voice actors and actresses reprise their roles as if not a day had passed since they’re last recording; how crisply produced and just downright cool the music is despite being no Yoko Kanno score and absolutely failing to recapture her atmosphere; or how much I absolutely die over every word out of Sakiko Tamagawa’s mouth. But ultimately, I’ll always distract myself with the gripes, be they utterly retarded quibbles or legitimate pieces of valuable criticism. I can complain about an anime I’ve given a nine point nine as much as I can complain about an anime I’ve given a one, and while this can be chalked up to frustration over the fact X would be perfect if not for Y aspect of it, the fact remains my potential for whining stands just as tall in either case. Sure, “high hopes, low expectations,” right? But there’s still no saving me from comparison. No matter how detached I force myself to be, the original series will always be there, and when that original series is my favorite anime of all time, that comparison will never find satisfaction. So ultimately, this review is going to conclude itself advising you not to take it to heart. What I’ve compiled in the previous paragraphs is a list of complaints found only on the barest surface levels and the most fastidiously deep levels, and nowhere in between. It’s a list which explains not why a show is bad, but why a show isn’t literally better than or as good as the best anime ever made. Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is undeniably an unnecessary sequel at its core, its questionable appearance will offend and enrage fans more radical than I, and its position at the end of a franchise newcomers perceive to be impenetrably large will leave it likely unattractive to them as well, but it is—and this is true—good, and I recommend it to anyone able to stomach their preconceived notions of beautiful animation and biased comparisons to the godly work which came before.

Thank you for reading.

I never thought I would ever see a new installment of "Stand Alone Complex" in this life time, not with all the original cast and Kenji Kamiyama back on both the writing and the director's sit. Yet here it is.

Though there are still changes, both visual and the music.
The absent of Origa and Yoko Kanno really shows how much they played into the identity of SACs. But with the former sadly passed away a few yeas ago, and the latter basically retired from the anime industry by now, it really can't be help.

However, even knowing that, the music is still just underwhelming, especially ... the opening, which I find myself constantly skipping, it could just be me but the style kinda annoys me.

As to the visual, the 3D CGI and art style shift seem to be what worry most people, I must say I was worried too, the CGI is kinda weird looking at times, but it nails the action scenes perfectly, and it gets the job done when it comes to the character acting as well, which we should most likely thanks Shinji Aramaki.

Though, I am not a fan of Ilya Kuvshinov's character design, especially his depiction of the Major: She looks much younger and slimmer than her former self, it's especially jawing when Atsuko Tanaka's mature voice comes out of that face. But if we step into the forth wall for explanation, I guess it's logical that as you grow older, one would only want to look younger.

Another problem with his work is that all the young (looking) female characters look like they are made from a same mould, and it doesn't feel like it's intentional.

However, visual and the music are merely the surface, never really the core when one talk about the good of SAC. They could be overlooked if the plot and performance could hold up.

Fortunately they do.

Kenji Kamiyama didn't have much of a career after the original run of SAC, I was worried that he might have lost it before going in, especially after seeing his more recent film "Hirune Hime".

Now, 12 episodes in, and I am confident that he's still got it, so far the plot is very much in the same tone with the original run, with Kamiyama's signature political conspiracy thriller and familiar narrative techniques. Nothing can get more close to the original SAC than this after a 14 years gap. Hell! I'd say it has no right being so close after such a long gap.

If you still have doubts if this series got the SAC spirit, I'd say maybe try episode 7 first. The first 6 episodes are more like setting up the story. Episode 7 however, is returning to the old "Stand Alone" format of the original SAC run. There you can judge by yourself if Kamiyama still got it to run SAC.

The Shell is different, but the Ghost remains the same.

After watching 12 episodes of first season on Netflix, I would simply put it: Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 stays true to its legacy, a legacy left uncharted since 2006.

15 yeas has passed, both in our world and the world of SAC, things must've change.

For starter, the staff could no longer create an anime TV series like they did 15 years ago. The industry, the internet, and the audience, are all changed. People change, as they always do.

This is arguably the reason why Kenji Kamiyama(神山健治) builds up this new series with a ... six-episodes-long and action-packed opening. It offers a opportunity for new audience to familiar with our old characters, and our old audience to familiar with the new setting.

After six episodes, the series return to its Stand Alone Episode mode, assure its audience that it's still the same SAC narrative. SAC_2045 clearly has its own interesting social observation to our gradually internet world. What's the impact of the economic crack-down to the aging society like Japan? How about the witch-hunting on the social media, the cyberbully from anonymous netizen, and the "NTH Room-like" scandal of the dark web?

It's not until the midpoint of the story(or nearly the end of the first seasons), does SAC_2045 reveals the core literature reference of this new series: George Orwell's 1984.

And that makes all the difference. We could now gradually grasps the reason of the new setting in SAC_2045, such as "sustainable war".

In retrospect, the original SAC series in 2002 also reveals its reference to J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye only after the mid-season. Therefore I would not be surprise if Kamiyama decided to do the same.

The story ends with a fantastic cliffhanger in its mid-season, and we have to wait til the end of 2020(at least) to figure out Kamiyama's whole plot of SAC_2045. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the next season.

In a nutshell, SAC_2045 is a loyal expansion to the classic SAC series. There're a few downside nonetheless, OP and OST in particular, but the motif and characters are the same.

The Ghost returns, in the new Shell, and it is for our audience to decide, whether we determine a ghost base on its shell.

I don't typically take the time to write a review, but I think this anime is being judged unfairly. Many people are watching the first 12 episodes on Netflix and complaining about an unfinished story... well yea, it's only half the season. I think Netflix artificially cut the 24 episodes in half so they could have multiple releases. I really enjoyed the first 12 episodes (it really does feel like the older SAC seasons), but the story is not even close to being resolved. I would recommend waiting for the entire season to be released before you start watching.

I typically don't like when animes try ... the 3D look, but this one is so well done that it actually feels like you are thrown into the world. Some of the first-person-camera scenes are pretty cool. That being said, I think they made Motoko's demeanor a little too "cute", and I think I still prefer the 2D animation.

I'm not a fan of the intro music. The theme is wrong and it doesn't even come close to "Inner Universe."

This isn't Stand Alone Complex.

it shouldn't be called a SAC series. There is a singular standalone episode... Like the point of SAC is that there are standalone episodes that focus on different characters and go towards world building which this season DESPERATELY needed. A SINGLE standalone episode that is still connected to the main plot doesn't really cut it. They should have just call it Ghost in the Shell 2045.

Visuals:
Straight up Motoko is the only character with any amount of effort put into making her look good. The rest of the team varies in terms of quality (What is with Aramaki's weird arms and ... hands?) with Ishikawa looking the worst. The backgrounds are all very flat and stark. at first I thought this was a purposeful choice with the harsh desert sun but then the lighting changed and I was just like "... Oh". The action scenes are visually confusing for the most part and every time there's gun fire the area gets weird and blurry and even if the gun doesn't move, the bullets scatter. You don't have a shotgun, your shots shouldn't do that... Any character that isn't relevant to the plot looks like a video game NPC and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if they make a game using these models. Every character has weird 2D elements on their faces. Lines on their cheeks to indicate cheekbones and eyebrows. These objects are weirdly chunky and raised despite the lack of line variance elsewhere. Lastly, I'm not a fan of how they show a mix of beautiful 2D artwork mixed in with 3D stills as in-show pictures. It looks so weird.

Story:
After the first 3-5 episodes, when the actual plot kicks in, it actually isn't bad. The story definitely has promise and I like the idea of these Post-Humans. I'm really interested to see where it goes. There's not really much to say about it, it has much more in common with ARISE in terms of tone than it does with SAC.

Characters:
I'm going to start with the new characters coz... Oof...
Standard. Sucks. I have no idea why they thought he would be a good idea to include. He added nothing to any of the missions he was on. Also he just sort of... Left? Like they're going to bring him back (for some reason) but why even bother having him if he's just going to leave after a few eps?

Purin... Oh god Purin... first and foremost, she straight up looks like she's out of W - TAILS CAT! I like her design but goddamn the comparison is crazy. She doesn't fit this show at all. All her movements and sounds are over the top moe generic animu girl which doesn't fit with this world even if this series is already very different. She acts more like a child than a functioning adult as part of Section 9. Also... SHE'S NOT ON THE TEAM. I hate the way she just forces herself in there. She could have DIED when she went out looking for that perv from the crime scene. Easily died. Such a dumb, immature girl.

Smith is straight up a villain? like a cartoony villain with an evil laugh and everything. All 3 of these characters are VERY cartoony for some reason because no one else fits that tone.

The Post-Humans. So far we've seen (technically) 5 of 14. The only one of note so far has been Takashi who looks like an SMT character weirdly enough. I like his design and I'm interested to see what happens with him.

Everyone is slightly too out of character and none of the flesh buds have aged enough for the difference in time to work well. It's been a whole 11 years since we last saw these characters. Hell, Motoko would be in her 40s mentally by now yet she acts more like her ARISE counterpart than her SAC self. Batou is the same. Ishikawa is in the field fighting now for some reason and has the exact same haircut as Batou? And Togusa looks, if anything, 10 years younger. Borma at least looks like he's aged. Literally just pull an ARISE and vaguely place it without any connections. They're not needed.

Overall I think this half definitely got better as it went. a rocky weird start but a decent ending. I'm interested to see where the second half goes.

Ive watched previous GITS shows and out of all the shows, this is probably the less philosophical one, which I liked. I never liked the philosophical monologues. I use my brain alot during working hours and I would just like to be entertained after a hard days work and turn off my brain and able to focus more on the story.
I also like the story. Very good pacing with probably 1 filler which I enjoyed very much.
I love the music, it is a nice change to the series, somewhat refreshing even, especially the OP song. I ... also liked the old one, which has that Bulgarian folk music vibe. But yeah, the change is welcome. The sound in the series is also nice, I like that waterdrop sound effect whenever the post human thing is brought into focus.
The only bad thing about this series is the CGI animation, but it is still palatable. Overall, I found the series enjoyable and wanting for more.

I liked it. Why not make a show about the future with future technologies like the 3DCG. But I wish there was a program that allows them to match the lip flaps from English to Japanese with the CG. Thought all the shading and textures were really cool. You can actually see the textures in the carpet. I have to admit I was confused the beginning and found it quite slow but once you start getting into the episodic episodes It was very interesting to find out what was gonna happen I hope the series continues for a long time.

The amount of negativity on this anime is downright disgusting, unreasonable, & unfair. So many 2D purists out there that rate it 1/10 just because the anime is 3D CGI style. The story & aesthetic actually great, one of the best CGI animation so far.

Story: 7
Art: 8
sound:8
character: 8
enjoyment: 8
overall: 8

In any case, this is recommended for GiTS fans or overall Cyberpunk fandom. The full CGI aesthetic might be something new, but it's not hard to get into like other anime & the animation actually pretty superb.
...
the story basically the continuation of GiTS SAC & Arise, with both series has its own easter eggs scenes if anyone look it hard enough. Major & friends basically now hired as a mercenary unit, the former members of Japan's elite Section 9 are faced with the sudden appearance of "Post-Human," a being with tremendous intelligence and physical capabilities. Plenty of intrigues in the new US territory.

Hey guys, big anime fan here ^u^

I rlly loved this show! It reminds me a lot of my favourite American TV shows like 'Family Guy' and also 'American Dad', who could forget Netflix's 'Big Mouth' too. I wish however there was maybe an extra sex scene or two? Something else to really stimulate the senses with powerful visuals and audio design. But alas, I'm sure Stewie Griffin (my favourite character hehehe~) would have something not so wonderful to say about this show so I will instead only review it a 6 out of 10 in his honour.

Thank u for reading my animeh review guys >.< ... <3

Original

Como un fan de toda la vida de GITS puedo decir que, argumentalmente esta serie si es fiel a Ghost in the Shell SAC, el trabajo de Kamiyama y Shinji es bueno, el argumento es muy bueno (si no prestas atencion 1 minuto te pierdes del guion como sucedia con SAC, esta plasmado de informacion continuamente) la idea tambien lo es, el tema de los poshuman es bestial, es intrigante, pero esta muy mal desarrollado y no podes plasmar en 12 capitulos todo eso, mas si contamos que de los 12 capitulos 4 son de relleno o de reactivacion de la seccion 9.

Narrativamente no te ... atrapa casi en ningun momento, no hace que te quieras comer los 12 capitulos consecutivamente como si hacia ''the laughing man''

el desarrollo de los poshuman esta muy mal llevado, podrian haber enfocado toda la temporada solo en 1 poshuman, un villano principal, y no separarlos en 2 capitulos a cada, salvo el boxeador que solo tiene un capitulo.

El opening es un insulto para con los openings que tuvo SAC 1 y 2, es basura. El ending esta bien.

La serie es buena pero para ser GITS le falta muchisimo, todas mis franquicias preferidas terminan por desilucionarme, no se puede confiar mas en los japoneses.

Google trans

As a lifelong fan of GITS I can say that, argumentatively this series if it is faithful to Ghost in the Shell SAC, the work of Kamiyama and Shinji is good, the plot is very good (if you don't pay attention 1 minute you miss the script as it happened with SAC, this information is continuously reflected) the idea is also, the post-human issue is beastly, it is intriguing, but it is very poorly developed and you can not capture all that in 12 chapters, more if we count that of the 12 chapters 4 are filler or revival of section 9.

Narratively it does not catch you almost at any time, it does not make you want to eat the 12 chapters consecutively as if you were doing `` the laughing man ''

The development of the poshuman is very poorly managed, they could have focused the entire season only on 1 poshuman, a main villain, and not separate them into 2 chapters each, except for the boxer who only has one chapter.

The opening is an insult to the openings that SAC 1 and 2 had, it is rubbish. The ending is fine.

The series is good but to be GITS it lacks a lot, all my favorite franchises end up disappointing me, the Japanese can no longer be trusted.

Section 9 is back, and I didn't know how nostalgic I would feel when writing that.

Let us settle a few things first:
-2045 is a direct sequel to the original Stand Alone Complex anime, following a decade or so after 2nd gig.
-The character designs were revamped by Ilya Kuvshinov, and the entire series moved from 2D to 3D animation.
-This show will be compared unkindly both to the movies and to the other animes, and maybe even the manga. All of these have passionate fandoms that have little sympathy for new, fresh takes of their beloved world, but I do believe this new entry in the ... canon has earned its spot and should be given a fair chance by all. After all, GITS as a series has been around for long enough, and taken so many forms, that the people working on it now grew up with it as a formative piece, and when faced with the challenge of writing a new story for today's future, they decided to thread new ground valiantly while never forgetting the series many, many pasts.

Now let us dissect this shell one part at a time:

The major is back as the driving force for the remaining members of Section 9, and in this particular adaptation I would peg her as more human than previous incarnations, though the path leading to the robotic monotone of the Motoko we see in the movies is starting to show. When she takes the lead, she is the most magnificent lithium flower, but more often than not she takes a backseat so that other members of the team can share in the spotlight.

Batou, Togusa and Chief Aramaki are as brilliant as ever, with the shocking news of our human detective having gone through a messy divorce after the wake of section 9's disbanding. They all have fantastic stand-alone moments, which can proudly stand amidst the best their characters were ever offered in any previous entries.

The rest of section 9 is sadly as unexplored as ever, though. Ishikawa and Saito reprise their usual roles almost bit by bit, and Borma even gets a line or two this time around! Sadly, Paz doesn't have anything else to say to us (maybe a wink to a certain theory after his one prominent appearance in the original series?), but at least I remembered he was in the show when first writing this review, unlike the new rookie, Clown.

Some new faces that do stand out quite a bit, are Japan's new prime minister, Section 9's new technician, and the NSA's operation leader, all of which made me hate them the second they showed up, but quickly grew on me as they each interacted with the rest of the cast. I am reserving my opinions till the next season drops, but these, alongside the new villains, have all been extremely promising new characters, which I'd very much would like to see more of.

Also, the Tachikoma tanks are back and in full force, for better or worse. Do with that what you will.

On the technical side, we have more of a mixed-bag. Some of the shots were jaw-dropping and clearly only possible thanks the 3D camera, while others seemed rather uninspired. It really depended on who was directing each episode. The music is not half-bad, even if the new intro really took me by surprise. If you found yourself skipping it, you are not alone, though the ending song feels right at home with the show's older tracks.

The writing, however, was absolutely spectacular. The moment to moment banter between characters hits all the right notes, while the overarching plot felt complex enough to be familiar, while bringing a veritable barrage of new ideas into the mix. I constantly found myself grinning at bits and pieces of foreshadowing and pay-off, and the last episode actually made my jaw drop... before it made me jump off my seat in disbelief as I found out I'd have to wait for the second season to come out sometime later. If anything, I must congratulate Netflix for giving us the version of GITS most apt for binge-watching.

Overall, I am happy, really, extremely happy to have this adaptation and to see the stand alone complex expanded with such love, care, and mastery. Is there room for improvement? Of course there is. Tons, actually. But I can say this iteration of the story managed to hook me in a way I hadn't experienced in a long time.

Watching SAC_2045 is like running into a friend you haven't seen in years and sitting down for some drinks with them while you catch up, and that's something I sorely needed right now.

Final Impressions

THE UGLY
Art, Design and Animation- Of course this would be the first to pop up here on popular demand. There isn't much to say on the environment design since the exposure to the cyberpunk nightlife was limited. The 3D doesn't work: It is plain, and simple as that. Although it facilitates some of the action set-pieces, it is not GITS. Facial movements aren't synchronised, and the plain artstyle takes away the gritty feel of the franchise entirely. Motoko Kusanagi's redesign is probably the worst redesign in history as her now petite high-school figure doesn't even keep up with her movements; her boxing challenge had ... an entirely comedic tone to it, and doesn't do her 'Queen Kong' nickname justice either. She feels like a Barbie Doll in the wrong place. Togusa's redesign is the only good thing as it is satisfying to see his rough and tough persona be on level with Batou. Which brings us to the worst of the series(yes, and that is not animation)

THE BAD
Characters- Let's be honest, characters have been always the weakest front of SAC. 2nd GIG helps this by giving some of the iconic members of Section 9 their own story, but the exposure hasn't been beyond that. Batou is the only Section 9 member(other than Major of course) who gets his screen-time, as in here too. We don't see of Kusanagi much too, since exploring her vulnerability in 2nd GIG. Thereby, the characters are more lifeless than the first season, other than Togusa(Gonna be honest, ironically Tachikomas had more of a personality than the cyborgs here). The other major characters of John Smith and Prime Ministers weren't really appealing either but tolerable. The biggest blunder however was the forced addition of Purin Esaki. I understand the need of appealing to the modern generation viewers but Esaki essentially destroys the no nonsense vibe of GITS, which is in no way a good thing. Pink hair, moe, with a generic shtick of a stalker- she doesn't bring humour to the show, but plain annoyance. Did we really need this? Definitely not. Even the Clown was a better addition to the old team, though unwanted.GITS:SAC was never much of a character driven show and hence it worked so far. However, when you introduce characters that break the immersion and the established tone of the show, you know you've ruined it.

THE GOOD
Story- The reformation of Section 9 and the following introduction to the post-humans felt much in line with GITS. The politics are moderate and the setting of the sustainable war seem very much in line with 1984 by Orwell which was referenced in the storyline directly. All these twelve episodes seem to be building up to the crux of the matter, a glimpse of which we see by the last few episodes. The themes of society, internet ostracisation is moderate and never overbearing. The man machine conflict is yet to be explored, but it is amusing how the show starts with introducing the post-humans as stereotypical evil AI, to gradually breaking them down to something human. The story of Takashi was intriguing and it really leaves you wanting for more by the finale.

THE EHHH
Additional Elements- 2045 has been the most drone heavy instalment in SAC and this gives it an unnecessary Appleseed feel to it. The Think Pol system was quite intriguing, before Motoko turned up with superhero hacking barrier to cancel it out(like really? Come on). Same as characters, some of these elements crack the staunch serious nature of the show in favour of something over-the-top that might appeal to the younger audience. But certainly not the old GITS fans.

Final Rating- 7/10
Conclusion- An unnecessary addition to the sub-continuity that was well rounded up by SSS. It's nostalgic to see the old characters return and the world expanded, but at a heavy price that wasn't worth it.

I want to make one think clear at the start of this review, I have seen all other Ghost in the Shell anime’s series at some point before the release of ‘Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045’ and I have watched them quite a few times as they are among my favourite anime’s of all time (especially Stand Alone Complex). With that said I going to try to be natural on this. Just a heads up.

Animation – By far the biggest change in the series and a topic no-one can avoid. In brief it’s good. The animation of the 3D models is on level with the ... use within video games with it’s smooth appearance and natural motion, it stands out more than other as it is one of the best and highest quality I’ve seen in recent anime (AAA video game level work we’re talking about here). All character motion and animation are great, immediate setting (in other words ‘rooms’) is well put together. That said there are drawbacks such as more work could be done on backgrounds, in other ‘Ghost in the Shell’ series the background often showed off the scale of the locations (the use of citywide shots everything from the 1995 film to Arise) creating the appearance of a much larger world. But in SAC_2045 all that is completely gone (probably as it’s quite difficult to make a whole city using 3D models) and the world itself feels bland and lacking any character. When an action section happens (i.e. a fight) this is where most of the problems of animation are. Fights in SAC_2045 can range from fairly okay to stupid to rather stupid (mostly the last) and the tone is completely gone out the window (there’s comedic nudity more than once). This is a series that in the past used combat in a mature way it was always used as a last resort (used realistically) and it was meaningful and impactful. SAC_2045 missies that. So animation then is good, but scale is gone and combat isn’t as mature anymore. Also to note the Opening Sequence is in 3D is nice while the Ending Sequence is in 2D and is also nicely

Review for first half story - For me the story in the first half is all over the place as unlike ‘Stand Alone Complex’ season one and season two where episodes where divided into stand alone story episodes and overarching episodes SAC_2045 doesn’t have that (doesn’t feel like than anyway although some episodes are standalone). But the problem is the episodes are wildly different in-terms of focus and tone. We start off with what feels like a mix of ‘The Expendables’ and ‘Scooby-Doo’, with tone more in-line with ‘Scooby-Doo’. The first few episodes are a bit strange was it has to set up a lot of changes that have happened between ‘Solid State Society’ and ‘SAC_2045’ while setting up a main plot. The main plot itself is set up is very odd and makes the whole story feel very wired with also make the episode and characters feel odd. Episodes 7-12 change a bit was it becomes more focused and the pace slows down quite a bit, but tone is still a problem. This is probably the last anime you expect to find comedic nudity (including in fights), but the comedic nudity is followed by a slow gentle episode that is nicely though out. This really is Ghost in the Shell writing mixed with Netflix and a lot of fizzy drinks however I think it works (I explain later). Personally, I feel is written to make a show and sell maybe that why some of potential is lost.

Characters – It’s hasn’t changed to much from ‘Solid State Society’ although a few changes happen off-screen to characters that aren’t really explained. There still solid while ‘Purin Ezaki’ (new) makes the show feel fresher. The main cast have felt that they aged a bit, that said that would be expected as the first series took place in 2030 and this series in 2045.
As a Ghost in the Shell fan - I said I was going to be natural on this but if I digress of a bit. One of major changes is the (animation duh) tone of the story which is something all other ‘Ghost in the Shell’ anime’s do differently. The stories are much more scuttle by giving very little away to make you look deeper at it and pick it apart which also make people think about it often leading people having different views on the same sense let alone the whole show.

While it sounds like I’m ripping it apart it’s (again) because I’m a fan of the ‘Ghost in the Shell’ and my main issue is that it isn’t the same anymore from ‘Stand Alone Complex’ season one and two. All the pacing, mature tone, the thoughtful story, the depth. It’s (mostly) gone from ‘SAC_2045’.
It’s hard to say if I would recommend it or not because while it look like I’m ripping it apart I still enjoyed it. The strange thing is that this is a sequel to a show that came out in 2006 (Solid State Society) so change was going to happen. But even more strangely as a continuation to ‘Stand Alone Complex’ it works. ‘Ghost in the Shell’ fans may or may not like it but there’s another way of think about it.

Ghost in the Shell as an anime has always (to me) talked about the challenges of modern technology, for example in 1995 the World Wide Web was starting to be used within peoples homes and as more people starting using this the technology it started to develop faster (using the multiplication theory). That the time it was a new thing that could have in gone in any direction. The 1995 film creates a situation using the technology at the time and creates a film around it and a talking point. SAC_2045 does much the same even the fact that Netflix publish it also shows technology (albeit in a not subtle way). As a ‘Ghost in the Shell’ series that is key and it manages it (differently).

Again last thoughts animation good (sort of), story is wired (too wired), world is bland, philosophy element still there (sort of). So I would say watch it but it’s wildly different from other parts in the ‘Ghost in the Shell’ series. Also remember the term ‘Ghost in the Shell’ series is a bit loose (example there is massive different between the original manga (1989-91) by Masamune Shirow, the 1995 film, Stand Alone Complex and Arise (2013-15). Give it a go and see.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045

I was texting my friends between episodes ( at least for the first episodes) to give them my first impression on the show. Those messages can be resumed as such: " Wtf dude" "Not that bad" "Wow" "Why does this character exist" and then I stopped texting them.

"Wtf dude" was about the first episode and the first scene, giving a taste of unachieved CG and the same with the story. The newly introduced character ( we'll call him A) makes no sense at first but he's then improved in next episodes, giving a comic relief and revealing the seriousness of the ... squad through his external point of view, giving a smile without falling in the cliche. A is new in the squad and not quite prepared for what's happening to him, showing that not every soldier can be in the squad, only the chosen are fit to the job ( links with some episodes of the second season of stand alone complex ? )

"Not that bad" was about the CG, at first I found it disturbing and failing to give us the work on lights done for the other shows. But then I saw the tachikomas reflecting their environment which was accurate as they are steel. The end of the first part of the anime also improved what I first thought, there are logic connections, the first critics on cyborgs, capitalism, state security rise.

And then comes the bank episode, which was one of the best episode in animation that I have ever seen. Not only a critic of globalization but also a critic of Japan on quite specifics topics ( check the criminality, poverty and jobs of elder Japanese and the history of the Yen before watching the episode, it will make so much sense ). We also see a different Bato than the one we're used to, giving him some depth for newcomers.


Now comes the worst point of this new show: the new character in the second part (we'll call "that" B). I can't stand it, I tried my best but this new character destroys all the job done on A in the first part. It arrives from nowhere, is like a super-hero (in a non-utopia/ dystopia like GITS), has one of the worst Character design I've ever seen, hides all the work from Ishikawa and Boma, is useless in term of narration and character depth. B is a f*cked up mix between a tachikoma for the silly questions, Ishikawa for the skills, and a damn "neeee" Japanese slice of life character in search of respect and recognition. A particular scene irritated me: B comes to the Major and says something like "hey major look at me I've done this to help you, look how great I am". Maybe this new character was for the newcomers, to show how badass the squad is, but that's so badly done. Gits SAC was so good to show how cool the characters are by just showing the work getting done, and without any search of recognition by those characters and mostly without any unnecessary comments on it. The only cool fact about this character is how the other characters give so little care about it. I seriously think B is not part of the squad as it doesn't even understand what the major implicit. The seiyuu was good but you can't save such a poorly written character with a good voice acting.


I stopped texting my friends at the beginning of the second part, because it is really good, remaining me of the first half of the first season of SAC. With critics and more deeply written character ( like Togusa, the Prime Minister and even the enemies), contrasting once again with the Manicheism we find so often. I especially loved one passage where Bato says that it will be so much easier to use the eyes of the citizens but says just after that he's not in the Usa. For Netflix to say this clearly was a big yes for me.


briefly :

- Story: really good, GITS as we're used to
- Art: lack of work on light, but better than expected
-Sound: Wtf is this opening, next time try something calm ( I preferred the alternative architecture opening to tell how little to do with GITS it has to do), no especially good music
-Character: big yes for all of them except B ( I hope you'll leave the show soon and return to lucky star/ nichijou/ the ecchi anime you belong to )
-Enjoyment: Cool fight scenes, a good end deserving a next season

Overall: GITS, what we're used to + the character we didn't ask for

Well, I love GITS and I will always love it. I hate the live-action movie adaptation for almost everything (destroying and mixing characters, a new story for Motoko and Kuze, actors, literally everything). It sucked horribly. In contrary, I like SAC Motoko most even though I started with the original GITS movie when it released and I do not like the New Architecture series equally as I do not like the live-action, which has been already stated.

All that being said, this show isn't as bad as it's described. The art and 3D is ok, it looks ok, not great but ok. I even liked this ... style - not only it didn't break anything for me but I really enjoyed watching it. Don't despise it, get used to it and it has its own character and charm.

The story is nothing new, characters are much worse than originals and the feeling of emptiness remains present almost in all aspect as compared to previous installments but still - it's GITS so compared to all the shit released these days and for last couple of years - that is still the best anime up to date that I've seen. Seriously - when GITS is not great, all the rest must be a total rubbish.

In the end, I really liked watching it, I facepalmed a lot but still - for a while I felt like when watching the GITS movies and first 2 SAC seasons masterpieces. It was magic, totally the same even though the show regressed I never feel like this watching any other series. It's just GITS so if you're a fan of it, just try giving it a chance.

I just finished Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2045 season 1. Its definitely not the best iteration of the series or of GITS in general, but is worth a watch, and if they do what they always do and cut it into a few shorter OVAs it may be great. The 3D animation is OK, would have vastly preferred the original S.A.C. art style, but it isn't a deal breaker for me. Story vacillates between amazing and meh. New characters are OK, but I don't like that they get more lines that some members of Section 9. Still worth watching though, especially since ... we are all stuck in quarantine anyways.

*This review was written in brazilian portuguese.

Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 começou errado por não manter o mesmo padrão de animação das outras temporadas da Stand Alone Complex, trazendo uma animação CG que tem seu méritos, mas não é das melhores. Por esse motivo, grande parte do impacto que essa nova temporada poderia ter tido, foi anulada. Mas isso não significa que o anime é ruim, longe disso.

História

Segue o mesmo padrão dos arcos "Homem Risonho", "Onze Individual" e "Estado Sólido" em sua narrativa. Oculta fatos e desenvolve assuntos complexos, tratando o telespectador como alguém que sabe ligar os pontos. Nesse ponto, essa temporada é tão ... boa quanto as outras. Uma pena que foi dividida em duas partes, pois ao final desta fica a sensação de vazio, já que a trama estacionada na metade.

Arte

Esse é o maior problema. Os character design é parecido com o habitual, mas o CG estragou muito a parte de movimento, fluidez e expressões faciais dos personagens. Os cenários são interessantes, apesar disso. O CG é melhor que de muitos animes episódicos por aí, mas nada substitui a velha animação de Stand Alone Complex.

Som

Os efeitos sonoros estão Ok. Nada a reclamar. Como temos vários tipos de veículos, máquinas e armas em ação, a distinção entre ambos ficou legal. A trilha sonora foi algo que gostei, ainda mais em momentos de tensão.

Personagens

Os personagens que mais entram em foco são Togusa, Major e Batou. Nas outras temporadas os outros membros da sessão 9 foram mais bem explorados, mas nada que prejudique o andamento do anime aqui. Quanto aos novos personagens estabelecidos, Takashi foi o mais interessante.

Entretenimento

Pelo visual e por algumas questões de timing, não diria que é um bom entretenimento. É algo feito pra fãs mesmo, pois não tem uma andamento muito empolgante. Ghost in the Shell sempre foi assim, mas com essa animação CG, não entrei muito na vibe em alguns trechos.

No Geral

Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 é um anime feito para os fãs da série, porém, com uma péssima escolha no quesito animação. Não sei se foi para baratear custos ou pegar onda em animes parecidos na Netflix, mas é isso. A história é interessante e isso salvou a temporada, digamos assim. O final te deixa implorando para saber o que aconteceu e isso é bom. Enquanto não sai a segunda parte, deixo aqui minha nota 7 para o anime, talvez apenas por eu ser um fã desse universo.

I don't know why people hate this so much. It could be the 3dcg, nostalgia blinders, or something else entirely but honestly it's not that bad. I'd even call it pretty good, I think I like it better than Solid State Society.

My biggest problems are:
1 - Oh god Togusa my boy what have the done to you? Everyone else looks pretty good but someone on the design team didn't like him. Also he has a bad time in the timeskip between the end of old school SAC and the start of this.
2 - This is really obviously half a season. Netflix just list it as ... a single 24 episode thing.

3dcg is a bit of a jarring switch at first but honestly it looks pretty good. Sometimes it even gives me "holy shit that's pretty" moments. Dub is still solid as hell, VA's are killing it. Action is just as good as ever.

The introspective philosophical bits aren't quite there but there are hints of it and 2nd GIG felt like it took a while to get there as well. There's also still "season 2", which is really just season 1 part 2 because netflix is fucking dumb sometimes.

Better than the original SAC no still it's worth watching. Better than arise not really its familiar characters in a new less visually appealing setting. the actual continuity compared to arise is cool even if the characters haven't changed much. With the exception of one character the sec 9 group have changed very little. That lack of change helps old fans remain attached to characters but is odd considering the time gap. The music isnt bad but it doesn't really impress less ethereal chimming than you might expect. Did I enjoy this show yes a good Netflix binge worthy show.