Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
 

The plot is a bit convoluted but as far as Anime series goes, this has been one of my favorites. The second season is better in my opinion, the characters are better laid out, the plot is less obtuse, and the and the action is better.

The Japanese rarely draw themselves with "Asiatic" features in Anime. The best thing to do is judge by names.

As for the voices of the Tachikomas, it seems every Anime series needs that kind of obnoxious voice - thought I think the idea is that those robots are childlike, incomplete.

I enjoyed the first season. IMO, the second season was quite forgettable. I think I dropped it about mid-way through the second season.

For some reason, I thought the internet chats were pretty good.

Yeah, I noticed that the Japanese tend to view themselves more as Aryan or European races, rather than Asian. In plenty of artwork they tend to portray Chinese and Koreans as shorter, broader Asians, and themselves as much more Western features.

Batou and Togusa could well be "Japanese" in whatever futuristic ethnic definition that comprises.

I've watched only the first episode of the 2nd season of SAC. The artwork is changed again, in minor but unsettling ways. I much preferred Motoko's original look in the Ghost in the Shell movie, where she's got a very asexual haircut and her face is rather plain. In the 1st season of SAC they made her more of a babe, and in the 2nd season first episode they extended that treatment to all the females, including the Prime Minister.

Still, it's a step up from having Motoko engage in a three-way lesbian gang bang, which was what Shirow Masamune drew in his original manga cartoon strip. >.<

I have only watched a couple episodes, I must admit. It is on my list two watch more of.

I have watched both movies. The first movie is a favorite.

JM

No, I'll check it out

I like my games of roulette to be more believeable and with less dime store philosophy.

Originally posted by GePap
Well, the creator of that term did not seem to think that Ghost in the Shell fell in that category. Uwe Boll thinks his movies aren't crap. You may argue the interest value of the philosophy in the show but how can you say that the plots aren't prime examples of that.

Another series that really impressed me was Cowboy Bebop. Well worth a look - it's got great music accompaniment and the plot does grow on you a lot.

Unlike GitS: SAC, the plot gets gradually stronger towards the end of the series.

The only problem I had was with the characterizations. Like the plot, they grow on you as the series progresses, but to begin with I found Spike to be a cliche moody boy and Faye to be a cliche sulky femme fatale. Suffer through their sullenness for a few episodes, and they become much more sympathetic.

The Big Bad Evil Guy, Vicious, however, is a lost case. At no point in the story did I ever think he was believable or particularly interesting. Watching him and his weapon of choice (you'll know what I mean when you see it) brought up all sorts of absurdity questions similar to when I watched "V For Vendetta". As in "WTF! Here's a guy taking out enemies toting Uzis and assault rifles and all he's got is a pair of knives?!"

The subplot with Ed and Faye get especially poignant towards the end. The whole series goes out on a really strong note, unlike GitS: SAC.

I liked Cowboy BeBop much better then the bit I saw of Stand Along Complex.

JM

Saw a few episodes of SAC. Wasn't impressed. Especially not the chatroom episode. I kept waiting for something to actually happen, but no. Damn, that was boring. I saw the original GITS (censored and shortened on some basic-cable channel) and thought it was somewhat daft, but maybe important bits were cut out.

I do like Cowboy Bebop...and Fullmetal Alchemist.

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia

Anybody else have any feedback about GitS: SAC? I had the entire series on my HD and deleted it without watching most of it. So in retrospect it probably wasn't that good... Much the same as with Cowboy Bebop... http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/wink.gif

Don't worry. The Tachikomas get theirs in the end. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...lies/evil2.gif

I've just watched 28 (?) which is about all the Asian refugees in Japan.

This episode is going to be the one that makes me stop watching in disgust. The entire episode clearly reinforces my earlier post - the Japanese culturally see themselves as separate from the Asians. The Asian refugees in this episode are shown to be stocky, swarthy, and fundamentally different from the tall strapping Japanese. The central theme of vengeance is described by Motoko with uncharacteristic venom as the dream of a loser who would never accomplish anything. Basically the message I got from this episode was: if you're Asian, but not Japanese*, don't even bother - you'll never amount to anything much except suckling at the teat of Mother Japan's dole handouts.

* Of course, in the Japanese way of thinking, Asian and Japanese are two mutually exclusive categories. So this was just included for all you culturally ignorant viewers who may have thought they were Asian, when they're clearly Aryan Europeans, as drawn in this animation.

Stick me with a fork - I'm done watching this. The low point of the first series was the "Chat! Chat! Chat!" episode, which was just badly scripted and where nothing of value actually happened. But that took about 10 episodes to arrive. 2nd Gig has outdone its predecessor by making me retire in disgust at an outright racist episode only two sessions in.

Originally posted by Colon™
Is more serious than how Hollywood typically typecasts the English or how Brits constantly refer to "Europe"? Probably not. I don't approve of those, either.

Were you watching the Original Japanese versions or the American ones? Because I never picked up any racism from Motoko and the gang only from the Individual 11 and Gouda. Also if we're thinkijng about the same looser, he was someone there were investigating as a possible assassin and Japanese.

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
I've just watched 28 (?) which is about all the Asian refugees in Japan.

This episode is going to be the one that makes me stop watching in disgust. The entire episode clearly reinforces my earlier post - the Japanese culturally see themselves as separate from the Asians. The Asian refugees in this episode are shown to be stocky, swarthy, and fundamentally different from the tall strapping Japanese. The central theme of vengeance is described by Motoko with uncharacteristic venom as the dream of a loser who would never accomplish anything. Basically the message I got from this episode was: if you're Asian, but not Japanese*, don't even bother - you'll never amount to anything much except suckling at the teat of Mother Japan's dole handouts.

* Of course, in the Japanese way of thinking, Asian and Japanese are two mutually exclusive categories. So this was just included for all you culturally ignorant viewers who may have thought they were Asian, when they're clearly Aryan Europeans, as drawn in this animation.

Stick me with a fork - I'm done watching this. The low point of the first series was the "Chat! Chat! Chat!" episode, which was just badly scripted and where nothing of value actually happened. But that took about 10 episodes to arrive. 2nd Gig has outdone its predecessor by making me retire in disgust at an outright racist episode only two sessions in. I can see where your coming from. There is also a strong bias in favor of the Japanese throughout the series. I think one of the most laughable episodes was when one Section 9's snipers recounted a story of killing an entire squad of UN soldiers, except for the Japanese soldiers of course.

More like his butt buddies. That guy was a flamer.

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
Stick me with a fork - I'm done watching this. The low point of the first series was the "Chat! Chat! Chat!" episode, which was just badly scripted and where nothing of value actually happened. But that took about 10 episodes to arrive. 2nd Gig has outdone its predecessor by making me retire in disgust at an outright racist episode only two sessions in. Couple things, cyborgs and soldiers are unlikely to be anything less than examples of "perfect humanity," though Ichkawa and the chief certainly don't fit that model. Nor do many of the Japanese people. Second, refugees typically are not in the best shape, and the story arc of the 2nd series is about Japanese racism towards them.

A bigger concern with Masamune Shirow's work is his disgust with civilian government and his attachment to fascism. This runs through all his work, from Ghost in the Shell to Dominion and Appleseed.

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV


I can see where your coming from. There is also a strong bias in favor of the Japanese throughout the series. I think one of the most laughable episodes was when one Section 9's snipers recounted a story of killing an entire squad of UN soldiers, except for the Japanese soldiers of course. Well geez, what would you have him do, kill off Kusanagi and Batou before the story even starts? Paradox! Besides, Major is uber. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/wink.gif

I understood Batou was american, btw.

Edit: (That based on him being an ex-ranger, but apparently that was in JSDF.)