Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Alt title: Koukaku Kidoutai: Stand Alone Complex

TV (26 eps)
2002 - 2003
Fall 2002
4.155 out of 5 from 19,915 votes
Rank #437

It is the year 2029, and as many rush to embrace the changes that cybernetic technology bring to mankind, the seedier side of humanity is even quicker to take advantage of it. This series follows Public Peace Section 9, a government organization that plays behind the scenes to stop the worst of these criminals. Join Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team as they take you through an incredibly vivid world filled with plots of such depth and intrigue as is seldom seen.

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Reviews

haize78
6.5

I know that Ghost In The Shell Stand Alone Complex is hailed as one of those anime masterpieces that you MUST see. So I gave it a go. And after viewing it, I think it's definetely a good anime but it does have many flaws. It's a sci-fi cyber-punk anime set in the future. It revolves around Section 9, a special and secret law-enforcement body whose mission is to prevent crimes and catch the bad guys. It's a very technologically advanced future world, where it's common for people to replace their original body with an enhanced prosthetic version; internet technology also allows brains to be linked and connected in special networks that facilitate information sharing and communication. All members of Section 9 have a military background and prosthetic bodies - the only thing that differs is the degree of cyberization. The series is a combination of stand-alone episodes (by some described as "filler" episodes) where Section 9 sets off to solve some kind of crime or catch some criminal, and a main story-line which takes over completely in the last 5 or 6 episodes. And I must say that until episode 20 or so I didn't care at all for the Laughing Man main story, it just seemed too complicated and as it was continually interrupted by the stand alone episodes I found it difficult to keep in mind all the details and follow what was going on. But the final episodes are without a doubt the best. The story really kicks in and it's a good watch. As for the stand alone episodes, quality varies: some are decent, some not so good.  Animation is ok and the music is more than ok. Especially the Op is amazing. As for the characters, that's one of the aspects that could have been developed much better. There are 8 members to section 9, but only three are ever in the spotlight, the rest are just there in the background. And even those 3, the Major, Batou and Togusa, by the end of the anime they do come to have distinct personalities but they have no background so you know nothing about them, and there is basically no development. Ok, it isn't a character-driven anime, but I think that a bit more character building and development could only have made it better. The other thing that was a disappointment to me was how the topics are dealt with. There's an array of really interesting themes, but most times the anime just stays on the surface of them: some are just hinted at and some aren't even considered. Which is a pity. Think of prosthetic bodies as opposed to a person's individuality: how many times can you change body before you let go of your sense of identity? This topic turns up at the end of the series, but it isn't analysed in depth. There's some mention of "ghosts" in the series, that would be what we commonly refer to as souls, but it's just a suggestion. I found the tachikoma episodes really interesting; tachikomas are these military robots whose AI at a certain point starts evolving really quickly so much so that they even develop seeds of individuality, but the Major feels they are more of a risk than an asset and gets rid of them. It would've been another thought-provoking topic, the possibility of robots developing consciousness and individuality - but just the surface is scraped. And what about all the info sharing and the brains being connected as opposed to one's privacy? How deep can the sharing of memories and information go? More than once Batou hints at the Major's predilection for female bodies as if it's a weakness on her part, but does gender really mean nothing? Isn't it something that defines your personality and identity? And there are many more issues that aren't considered at all. So as there is no character development and  the plot although good is by no means exceptional, the overall scoring for me remains just a tad above average.

UncannyDoom
9.5

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex had long been one of those anime I always heard about and knew about. It seems the reception is nothing but varying positives and even though it came out years ago, I never got around to it when I really should have. But now that the time finally came and went, I have to say, better late than never. Stand Alone Complex, despite being nearly a decade old, still holds up as a fantastic anime today. It follows an episode structure that I find to be masterful when done correctly, which is involving a main plot combined with not really filler, but not really character building stand alone episodes peppered into the series. The result is an extremely plot-driven anime, regardless of whether or not it's the main plot or a side one. Short and Sweet Very intelligent writing and themes. Yoko Kanno soundtrack. Great animation that hasn't aged poorly whatsoever. Unique setting. Characters lack depth. Satisfying from start to finish. Story - 9.5/10 Between the sci-fi futuristic setting and mysteries surrounding crimes in this world, it's hard not to have your curiosity flowing during an episode. Stand Alone Complex contains some of the most intelligent writing around, with plenty of interesting ideas presented, and characters rarely ever seem to sit around and talk too much which lets the action pick up at a great pace. It's also is a rare anime where there really isn't anything I consider to be real filler. The stand alone episodes hold up great just like the complex main plot episodes. There wasn't a single one out of all 26 eps that I didn't enjoy and the only one I even thought could have been better was the very last one. Not that it was a bad ending, but the resolution of the main plot seemed like it didn't have the total impact it should have. Animation - 10/10 While there isn't anything overly artistic about the animation of SAC, I gave the animation a high score because of how well it holds up for being a ten year old anime. It looked stupendous back when it came out, and it hasn't aged poorly in any form. It has sort of a timeless look where nobody is ever going to watch it and feel like it's out of date. Colors and cityscapes look beautiful and the world is rich with detail. Although it does have some questionable moments of CGI in episodes, most of the time it's quite beautiful, particularly on the Tachikoma robots, computer screen tech, and creating nice depth and lighting effects. The action and fast paced stuff is also animated with such top notch fundamentals and camera work. Seeing metal get shot up doesn't usually look this good. Sound - 10/10 Yoko Kanno composes a triumphant opening and ending theme here, compounded with an exceptional and somewhat overlooked OST that fits the setting and tone to a tee. It's a creative blend of sounds ranging from rock to techno, but everything does it's job to suit the moment and futuristic world. Voices are all very well acted, and do a great job distinguishing the characters and all seem very fitting. The only thing that ever comes close to faltering in the sound department is the childlike voice of the Tachikoma, which I know some people flat out hate. It tested my patience on an infrequent occasion, but I came to love those high-pitched think-tanks. Characters - 8/10 Stand Alone Complex is story-driven, and if one comes in expecting to get a whole lot of backstory and development on characters, they may be disappointed. The cast is all likable and cool, but the show pretty much trades it's character development time in to spend it's hours weaving the plot. Motoko is a favorite for obvious reasons, being a rare strong-willed and non-cliche female avatar who can get the job done. She never waivers, and she doesn't stay predictably hard during the course of the show either. Batou was probably my second favorite behind the Major, and he gets blessed being the focus of some great moments that show off his skills. Togusa was another character I found myself respecting the longer I watched. He's definitely the kind of guy that could have been written poorly and turned into a hated face of an anime. I also enjoyed the Tachikoma and they actually may be the ones who technically got the most development of the show, and I loved their last few appearances. Overall - 9.5/10 With no strong flaws, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is a very impressive anime that knows it's fundamentals and plays to the strengths it has. It's never trying to be something it's not or appeal to people who wouldn't be interested. This is a thinking viewer's anime with some great moments of action and a little bit of humor. I was hooked from the opening moments of the first episode and left wanting more by the time I saw the closing moments of the last. There's a high value for rewatching this series and I can finally understand the classic status that this superb anime is given by most.

SixShooter
8.3

This is a spoiler-free review. That being said, there may be some spoilers related to the original 1995 movie. You should watch the movie anyway before viewing SAC. This is going to be more detailed than my usual reviews due to my potentially controversial opinion. Overall: 8.25/10 - Ghost in the Shell SAC is a series that still lives up to modern standards despite its age. Animation and sound are well above most series and the overall story is excellent. The society is entirely believable and the atmosphere is great. That being said, it is not without flaws. Cyberbrain hacking crimes can get repetitive over time and the gaps in between Laughing Man episodes make it hard to remember the information in them. Moral and ethical issues are presented, but rarely explored and the backstories of the characters are barely touched on. Even so, Ghost in the Shell SAC is a great series with an engaging storyline that is a must-watch for all cyberpunk fans. Recommended for: Everybody who like science fiction, cyberpunk, and crime shows. Breakdown: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Story: 8.5/10-Very good Creativity/uniqueness bonus points: +.5 The basic concepts aren't particularly unique, but the implementation was interesting. Humour bonus points: Most humour didn't really work for me. General Plot and Structure 3.5/4 - Ghost in the Shell SAC is primarily episodic, with an overlying mystery about a terrorist known as The Laughing Man. Most episodes in the show are dedicated to a single case each. These can be varied, though the most common theme is "cyberbrain hacking" which is basically hacking a person's brain implants to control them and/or steal their memories. Some are interesting and some can get repetitive. One issue here is that these cases rarely span more than one episode and they are more about Section 9 figuring the case out than they are about the audience having a chance to solve them, which makes it a little less engaging. There are episodes here and there in the beginning and middle of the show that each involve a different Laughing Man incident, but it is difficult to remember the details because these episodes are sandwhiched between all of the other cases. The culmination of the Laughing Man case occurs in the last seven episodes and was by far the best part of the show, elevating it from mediocrity. Probably the biggest issue with SAC is that it takes the polar opposite approach of the movie in philosophical presentation. In the movie, rather pretentious and unnatural segues are used to narrate the philosophical issues of the society. In SAC, however, we are presented with a significant number of moral and ethical issues that are shown and then sidelined. While the characters don't need to go on ten minute speeches to talk about their feelings on these issues, it would have been nice if they were discussed a little bit more. Pacing 2/2 - Pacing was good, the individual cases were fast without being overwhelming. The final arch was just right. Emotional impact: 1.5/3 - Emotional impact varied, but was usually pretty mild. There were some fairly disturbing cases. Conclusion 1/1 - The ending was excellent in all areas. Annoying/mindset-breaking negative points - None  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Animation: 8.5/10-Very good Artwork 2.5/3 - The artwork looks about average compared to modern anime, but was outstanding for the time. Character Designs 2.75/3 -Character designs were very good, all of them were easily differentiated. Action Animation 1.5/2 - While not as good as the breathtaking animation in the movie, the fighting scenes are solid. CGI is excellent for the time, but can look a little jarring on occasion. Other animation 1.75/2 - Animation outside of battles is good. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------- Characters: 7/10-Good Personality 2.5/3 - Personalities of all major characters are great, however there is a near-total lack of backstories to any of them. Questions like how a seemingly normal detective ended up working for Section 9 and what made Motoko and Batou who they are are left unexplored. Development 1.5/3 - Development was very mild. Uniqueness 3/4 - Motoko is very unique, the other characters are somewhat unique. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sound: 8.75/10-Excellent Voice Acting (Dub) 2.75/3 - Motoko's voice took a little getting used to, but they were all quite good. Music 5/6 - The music is fitting to it and both the ending and opening are very nice. I particularly like the ending. Sound Effects 1/1 - Excellent

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