haize78

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.