--but 3S is a worthy continuation of the GITS:SAC television series on which I've also commented as an IMDb user.
Chances are your reading this means you've either seen or know what to expect from 3S or well know the GITS universe and the saga of Public Security Section 9. So neither introduction nor spoilers appear here. But if 3S is your introduction, you could do worse (as I did), and if it inspires you to view the two seasons of the series on DVD, you're welcome to engage with one of the more fully realized and challenging tales of speculative fiction told on the 'tube, by anime or otherwise. (Refrain for now from viewing the first two movies if you've not seen them, for reasons explained further on.)
Section 9 still exists, but The Major resigned two years ago. Togusa is in charge, at first harder-edged than you're accustomed to, while an aged Aramaki still plays an authoritative role. Batou is as expected after the conclusion of the series' second season and The Major's departure. Saito returns from a "hellish" engagement in Africa. The rest appears none the worse for prosthetic wear. I'm not all that certain why the Tachikoma return, though perhaps Batou is more the sentimentalist (with clout) at prosthetic heart.
No worries, The Major reappears (but did she do something to her nose?), as all try to contend with a "Super Wizard-class" and murderous hacker known as The Puppeteer, the identity of which may not fully satisfy but nonetheless may surprise you.
The core premise is a well-reasoned conjecture on the impact of an aging and shrinking home-grown "natural" demographic on a service-oriented economy and extraordinarily high-tech society. I would've liked to have seen this fleshed out, but there's only so much possible in a hundred or so minutes with room for the obligatory hyper-action sequences. References to the translated phrase "Noble Rot" give you some idea, and what's involved is more "Steady State" than "Solid State," though I can also understand the marketing decision behind the title choice.
3S is NOT a continuation of the first two GITS movies any more than the television series, but there is a direct homage to the end of the first GITS movie. At times you'll think you're viewing that movie, but the divergences outweigh the similarities. 3S also continues the series' style of not quite telling the whole story, which if done well acts as a hook for further viewing as well as thinking. Kanno Yoko's characteristically excellent musical score also borrows from the television series, and I'm glad the movie translates Origa's lyrics for the opening and ending theme songs from Russian to English.
All in all, it's not to complain. The mere fact that I allow an anime series to sustain my interest in its characterizations and plot line over years of viewing is revelation sufficient, as most conventional film series don't. My hat is off to all involved.
Chances are your reading this means you've either seen or know what to expect from 3S or well know the GITS universe and the saga of Public Security Section 9. So neither introduction nor spoilers appear here. But if 3S is your introduction, you could do worse (as I did), and if it inspires you to view the two seasons of the series on DVD, you're welcome to engage with one of the more fully realized and challenging tales of speculative fiction told on the 'tube, by anime or otherwise. (Refrain for now from viewing the first two movies if you've not seen them, for reasons explained further on.)
Section 9 still exists, but The Major resigned two years ago. Togusa is in charge, at first harder-edged than you're accustomed to, while an aged Aramaki still plays an authoritative role. Batou is as expected after the conclusion of the series' second season and The Major's departure. Saito returns from a "hellish" engagement in Africa. The rest appears none the worse for prosthetic wear. I'm not all that certain why the Tachikoma return, though perhaps Batou is more the sentimentalist (with clout) at prosthetic heart.
No worries, The Major reappears (but did she do something to her nose?), as all try to contend with a "Super Wizard-class" and murderous hacker known as The Puppeteer, the identity of which may not fully satisfy but nonetheless may surprise you.
The core premise is a well-reasoned conjecture on the impact of an aging and shrinking home-grown "natural" demographic on a service-oriented economy and extraordinarily high-tech society. I would've liked to have seen this fleshed out, but there's only so much possible in a hundred or so minutes with room for the obligatory hyper-action sequences. References to the translated phrase "Noble Rot" give you some idea, and what's involved is more "Steady State" than "Solid State," though I can also understand the marketing decision behind the title choice.
3S is NOT a continuation of the first two GITS movies any more than the television series, but there is a direct homage to the end of the first GITS movie. At times you'll think you're viewing that movie, but the divergences outweigh the similarities. 3S also continues the series' style of not quite telling the whole story, which if done well acts as a hook for further viewing as well as thinking. Kanno Yoko's characteristically excellent musical score also borrows from the television series, and I'm glad the movie translates Origa's lyrics for the opening and ending theme songs from Russian to English.
All in all, it's not to complain. The mere fact that I allow an anime series to sustain my interest in its characterizations and plot line over years of viewing is revelation sufficient, as most conventional film series don't. My hat is off to all involved.