Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Cyberpunk Security

This week I thought I'd do another retro review, and take a look at something that is often considered one of the hallmarks of anime; at least in the western sphere. So, today we'll be taking a look at Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, a series almost anyone who is into anime has probably heard of.

As usual, there may be some small spoilers beyond this point.

Ghost in the Shell is a franchise that has spawned multiple movies, and television series, including a live-action Hollywood adaptation (if which we will speak no further). The series as a whole is based on the original manga by Shirow Masamune, although each adaptation diverges from the source material a little.

Copyright © Bandai Entertainment

Stand Alone Complex follows the adventures of Section 9, an agency run by the Japanese government to protect its national security, whether that be from espionage, or particularly serious crimes. The division is headed by Aramaki, and the team is lead by Major Motoko Kusanagi. It's a cyberpunk series, that explores transhumanism, and what that means for individuality.

For the first couple of episodes the series looks like it will be similar to the typical police procedural, with the main characters picking up a new case every week. However, the show soon picks up a central storyline that runs throughout the rest of the shows run. Although, they are still forced to investigate other crimes during this period. Stand Alone Complex does well with this aspect, as each episode reveals the pieces of its plot, and each episode usually receives a satisfying conclusion. Although, as with most series, some episodes are stronger than others.

The central story of the series is done similarly, but on a larger scale. Each episode that deals with the case reveals another piece of the puzzle, until in the end the answer is revealed.

The Ghost in the Shell series can be heavily philosophical at times, and Stand Alone Complex is no different. The show often raises questions over the meaning of a person's life, and asks what it is that makes us human. The writing can be a little clunky, and one the nose with how it poses those questions; but it does take a somewhat mature approach to them, and draws on them as a central part of its plot, making them more than just pretentious window dressing.

Still, some may be put off by the philosophical nature of some of the episodes.

However, fear not, as there is plenty of action for those who are here to see cyborgs fighting; and the action is good. Whilst most fights don't last very long, the combat is fast, and fluid; it is also heavy, and each blow looks like it would hurt. It is also very creative, pulling on the premise of its material to come up with some interesting scenarios for fights, and some interesting ways for its characters to do battle.

It is also clean, allowing the audience to easily follow what is going on.

In fact, the animation as a whole is smooth, and flows well. Although again, some episodes were clearly considered more important, and had more resources put into them.

The characters are all endearing in their own individual ways. Each has there own personality traits

Copyright © Bandai Entertainment

which come across well in the writing, and the script is subtle with this, allowing these traits to come across naturally. It doesn't feel the need to assign each character a singular trait that sums them up, and then scream about this trait every chance it gets. The character relationships are also explored naturally, as we see how they all interact with each other, and it actually feels like these are people who know each other well.

So all the characters are great, but the two standouts are Batou, and the Motoko herself.

Batou is great because of his voice actor, and how laid-back he can be at times. He can be a breath of fresh air in what is a serious series.

In my personal opinion, this is the definitive version of Motoko, as it feels like we get to explore more of her personality than we do in other versions. The philosophical questions about her own existence feel like they carry more weight, as we see aspects of her personal life, and the relationships she has with other people. She also has more of a sense of humour than she had in the original animated film, and we get some peeks of in outside of her work in her in more relaxed moments, as well as her relationships outside of her co-workers; so she feels more well-rounded as a character. Combined with a certain amount of charisma, it makes her feel interesting.

She is also quite badass, without coming across as being boring and invincible. She's exactly as tough as you'd expect a black-ops soldier to be, but isn't portrayed as being so strong she could never lose.

However, she can come across as a little bland in the first couple of episode, as it doesn't really give her that much focus; but she soon comes into her own as the central plot really gets started.

The character designs are also strong. There is a certain uniformity to the main cast, showing that they are all part of the same team, and operate in similar circles. Yet, they are also distinct, and each character conveys a certain amount of their personality in their design.

All of this is help by the voice actors, who all give very strong performances. Again, Motoko and Batou stand out most, being voiced by Mary Elizabeth Mcglynn, and Richard Epcar, respectively.

The soundtrack is also fantastic, and has a techno feel that melds well with the cyberpunk nature of the show. Not only does the music fulfil its intended role, and enhances the action as it plays out in the scene; but there are also a couple of standout tracks. The first is called Run Rabbit Junk, which is the most prominent action track for the series, and really helps to get the blood pumping.

The second track is the credits song Lithium Flower, a song by a western singer, that is sung entirely in English. It has a more jazzy feel than the rest of the soundtrack, but doesn't conflict with the tone of the show, and feels like a nice lead-out.

Ghost in the Shell is considered a classic for a reason, and Stand Alone Complex in particular still stands tall, far above a lot of the anime that has come since.

Until next time,

PhoenixAct.