Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002–2005) User Reviews

Absolutely brilliant

[Sentinel-15 · 8/10 · 15 February 2003]

This animated series puts most live action drama films & TV series to shame. The animation is excellent; the stories are even better. Every episode is an absolute gem, much like a little techno-thriller feature film.

It's a real pity cyberpunk fiction never really made much impact in the film world - but this series makes it all work.

Apparently set in a world where Motoko Kusanagi never met the Puppet Master, this series involves complex political intrigue, cyber-crimes, people being hacked as one would hack a computer nowadays, etc.

If you even remotely liked the Ghost in The Shell feature film, check this out if you get the chance.

One of my most favorite Animes of all time

[nyarnebbanot · 9/10 · 9 July 2018]

When I was a kid growing up. We had tons of cartoons to watch. Many of these shows where also Japanese and very serious in tone or violent and aired on Toonami. Many of these shows where about boys fighting (shonen) . I saw Ghost in the Shell in the bumpers on Sci Fi Channel in 2003. I thought it was a dumb name because how could a Ghost fit inside a shell. As you know that is a metaphor like everything else. Then I saw it when I was 9 in 2004 on Adult Swim on Saturday Night and my views of animation changed forever. Scratch that views of the world!

PLOT Ghost in the Shell, is basically like a Law and Order but if it where a cyberpunk Anime. Each episode is unique and interesting. You get tons of action, blood, sexuality, and violence. And there is one thing that is destroying all of Newport City, the laughing man. Section 9 must destroy them.

The story explores the dangers of our world becoming too engaged with technology. In a world where we can't get our electronic fixes. We become like pathetic disabled children in a mental hospital. We must become cyborg to be superior. But when we do so we lose our soul. The villians that it creates in the world when you make humans robots. You feel for the lack of humanity of these humanoids.

CHARACTERS Major Motoko Kusanagi is the sexy lead in Ghost in the Shell SAC. He is emotionless, cold, but caring deep down, she has her wear abouts but doesn't question she isn't human or not like in the movie. He personality is so cold that it intoxicates the entire show. She is witty and rude to any man or machine that stands in her way. She uses technobabble with her wit. All of this do to that she is a cyborg.

Botou is her buddy, he is funny, tough, and smart. He can kill. He's fat but buff.

Togusa is the only non cyborg member of section 9. He is quiet but curious and sympathetic. He has one gun and it will blow you away. Togusa is a family guy.

Tachicoma is extreme comic relief. They are annoying and high pitched little spiderbots but they are cute anyway. ANIMATION For a TV anime, Ghost in the Shell has some of the best animation out there. Especially by Production IG Standards. Though the animation maybe jerky and still, the stillness helps the characters feel more aloof and withdrawn cold and calculating to feel like a world filled by robot people. The character designs though aren't ass toony as what the Manga version had in mind is still top notch and should be the industry standard of all Japanese animation in my opinion. They look kinda half Asian unlike other Anime which they say they're name is Kagome and are a Japanese school student. Please... If you like bad ass cyborgs kicking the crap out of robots and humans. Then please check it out the animation for the fight scenes are fluid. Though they are fluid they seem to go for the hole shaky cam feel which gives me a headache. OH! But speaking of cinematography, the cinematography of Ghost in the Shell is very impressive as it focuses on is what needs to be seen rather than exaggerating on what is happening with annoying Anime camera pans and zooms. The backdrops are just dropdead gorgeous to.

The only thing I don't feel to sure about is the CGI. Ok the intro is amazing in my opinion. But the CGI composited with 2D characters has a polarizing effect. I know it's budget reasons because in 2004 making 3D animation was becoming a no brainer. But the already well drawn Anime characters mixed with Tachichomas bantering with more frames and 3 dimension and such strange linework is quite jarring.

SOUND Yokko Konno's work is just perfect in Ghost in the Shell. She does an excellent techno beat with many other traditional cords to make the world feel more cold,alien, and robotic. The intro had my heart racing with that Inner Universe.

Oh and the dubs. Marry McGlynn is stunning. Every character sounds like an adult. No one sounds stupid except Tachikoma. OVERALL Best Anime for adults, I highly recommend you to watch. Enjoy the fights, visera, and lore. And Thought I hated Second Gig as a kid. I grew up and loved it because it enfilled me even more on the lore.

2nd Gig is better

[flashgi · 9/10 · 7 July 2006]

The second improves greatly upon the animation standards. Although the drawing is done to geometric accuracy, too much CGI is used and looks weird at many places. It in fact, does not even look as good at the GITS movie. Technically speaking, the GITS series may be the best animated in the world but as far as the final perspective is concerned, it certainly does not look that or look that realistic or deep. It sometimes looks quite bland and more like computer rendering meaning that the CGI is way too obvious. Those flaws have been fixed to certain extents in the 2nd Gig which also pays homage to the original movie through certain scenes which should look familiar. The new intro is not great though.

Anime Evolutionized

[LafinAtchu · 18 November 2004]

Fans of the films might be disappointed. But Stand Alone Complex lives by it's title. Its stands alone from the original movies. But what makes SAC so much more entertaining is the fact it's a series.

In this form GITS becomes more like the manga it was inspired from. Sure there isn't a Puppet Master plot, but now we get to see the inner workings of Section 9 and the role they play in this cybernetic future where the line between the real world and the digital one is too closely blurred.

Everything about this series is top notch. The story's are written in classic science fiction form. The 3-D animation is near flawless. And of course the biggest praise has to be the soundtrack.

But mostly the characters bring out the most in this show. Everyone knows Motoko. But Batou is her complete opposite bringing a little bit of humor to an otherwise serious job. And the old ape, Chief Aramaki, is just superior as the head of Section 9. Also we get to see how the other members of Section 9 make it the elite team that it is.

But really the Tachikoma's bring the most interesting aspect to the show. Since these mini-tanks are controlled by A.I., their experience's help them understand more about the world they live in much like a small child growing up. Overall their playful attitude contrasts the serious aspects of the show. ( and I love their little spots after each episode )

All in all SAC does a great job of showing viewers what a future of great technological advances could bring. The good and the bad. From the hijacked tank, to the Geri's, and even to the terrorist known only as the Laughing Man. Ghost in the Shell SAC shows audiences that anime can be full of action, intelligence, mystery, and humor all rolled into one.

And that makes it a must see for anyone, not just fans of Anime.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Season 1)

[SoulfulFX · 10/10 · 28 September 2007]

This is a beautifully animated series format derived from the characters of the philosophically oriented movie 'Ghost in the Shell'. The animation is closer to the original concepts for the manga and adds amazingly gorgeous music to produce a show that is an instant draw. The characters draw some of the aspects familiar in the movie... Motoko's commitment to her job, Batou's casual-tough guy attitude, etc... though it adds some surprisingly refreshing characters like the blue child-like mini tanks Section 9 rides around in so much.

The same philosophical elements of the movie -consciousness in a cyber-oriented world- are present, but definitely take a back seat to plots focused on political wranglings, terrorism, and general lawlessness. The series seems to be more "all in a days work" themed than the cerebral current of the first film.

Overall I highly recommend this series to all fans, though hope they watch the movies as well.

Average at the beginning, brilliant at the end

[drarchy1 · 10/10 · 25 April 2014]

I was very skeptic about this show. Like most of the people I already watched and was a huge fan of the movies and its philosophical themes, so all the talking about this show being a CSI-like anime didn't give me a good felling. The different look and outfit of Major Motoko Kusanagi didn't help too much either.

And indeed, the first three episodes were pretty boring and they have increased my fears about this show, mostly because the creators tried to put too much in a runtime of only twenty minutes. Fortunately, when the main plot was introduced everything changed and started to become better and better. After a seven episodes long ending of the first season my mind was blown, and the second season was even better because it has almost none standalone episodes. All standalone episodes are nothing special except the ones who are about the past of some characters, and the 18th episode of the second season which is a undisputed master-piece.

The animation is amazing. Along with Cowboy Bebop, this show is one of the best animated ones ever, and even now after more than ten years it still looks like it was released today.

I also recommend this show in English dub, although the Japanese dub is way better. The thing is this show is mostly "talk" than action. If you choose Japanese dub you will find yourself reading subtitles all the time and that can affect your personal enjoyment.

Stand Alone Complex is definitely not for little kids, not because it's violent or contains nudity, but because it's very intelligent and complicated and requires some knowledge of history and culture in general to be fully understand. This is not your usual police-detective show. This is something much much more.

Top notch!

[Fangor · 10/10 · 1 October 2003]

Top notch! solid animation, catchy music. Great action. But above all intriguing characters and stories that make you think... Has a depth that no single movie can achive, the series format is used to its full potential. The stories treat issues of the future that are becomeing a reality, AI, cyborgs, technology acheveing more and mor of the impossible. But it is also about life... this series goes much further than the movie in all aspects. The only problem I had was the silly looking outfit our heroine seems to prefer, but you get used to it. Anyhow, a must see! Average 10(10)

Section 9, existentialist detective agency?

[wildbill09 · 10/10 · 14 May 2006]

The interesting thing about this version of the Ghost in the Shell world is that the Section 9 team members often manage to get in a conversation about the philosophical implications of what's going on, even as things go haywire around them. Kinda weird from the standpoint of how you might expect a special ops team to act, but it really sells the idea of Section 9 as humane and ethical. Normal cyberpunk (anti)heroes -- the amoral, self-centered variety -- are the kinds of creeps Section 9 blows away every week, which is refreshing.

To the above two posters: I fully understand your preference for the movie; it's a great story and a great work of art. A couple of the things you complain about, however (such as Kusanagi's provocative dress habits), aren't a case of dumbing-down for television, but actually straight out of the manga -- Kusanagi's having to strip nude to use her camouflage in the film actually seems like fanservice compared to the manga original, where the cloak seemed to be part of the team's battle dress, not built into the Major's skin. The robots (a different model called Fuchikoma in the manga) are, in my opinion, a nice counterpoint to the main plot: while Section 9 defends the people of Japan from manipulation of their "ghosts," they don't know quite what to make of these increasingly sentient robots. Fuchikoma/Tachikoma were part of Shirow's original vision, but were dropped from the film for technical reasons. It was nice seeing them on screen at last.

See the future!

[daniel-schut · 10/10 · 12 April 2007]

I watched the entire series 1 and 2 whilst I was supposed to finish my thesis - nagging deadlines, raging teachers and what not could not dissuade me from watching this first, then finish my Master's degree - one has to set priorities! The series is brilliant for a number of reasons: 1. The animation. Admittedly not as brilliant as the movies, but I didn't expect that either: series work on a lower budget per minute of animation produced. Considering that, what they've achieved is just so magnificently well executed, it just took my breath away.

2. The soundtrack. Both title tracks are sung by Origa, and by Jove, are those song 'hooks': even if you donlt care for anime or watching TV anyhow, these tracks glue you to the screen form the first second you hear them. Good job.

3. The Plot & Philosophy. Even though I've seen series with a bit more 'driving' plots (these series being certain seasons of X-files, Millennium and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), the overarching polt is just amazing. I spent half my days googling all the hints, reading 'Catcher in the Rhye' and Baudrillard and more, just to make sure I wouldn't miss any possible hint or twist.

4. Philosophy & the Future. Next to the philosophical underpinnings of the plot, there's also the technicological future the makers foresee. Whereas in the movies we got to see more of the development of 'individuality' under the advancements of technology, we get to see more of the development of 'society', harking back to the original manga-series a bit more. Here also the production team show their intellectual savvy. Although they saved the guest appearance for Donna Haraway for the movie 'Innocence', this series has 'Cyborg Manifesto' written all over it. But their vision goes even beyond these more airy abstract questions: the picture they paint of what the everyday details of future life would be like, are just so incredibly real and on target, it just blows your mind away.

I truly believe that this series accurately describes what our future looks like - and every time I hear a news item stating that 'scientists have succeeded in linking this and this computer programme directly to the human brain' or 'more and more shops are opening up in Second Life' or whatever, I now constantly think: we're one step closer to Ghost in the Shell. So, even if you don't like anime, go see this. You'll see your own future.

Brilliant Anime Sci-Fi

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 23 April 2009]

If you enjoyed the film versions of Ghost in the Shell and are worried that a TV version will be an inferior product you shouldn't be, Stand Alone Complex is excellent, and as it takes place in an alternate time line to the films Major Motoko Kusanagi is once again leading the operational side of Section Nine.

Each series has twenty six episodes, some following a main story line, others which which are self contained, some of these tell us about the characters' pasts. The series is lighter in tone than the film but still exciting when it needs to be. Some viewers might not be too keen on the addition of the Tachikoma, small blue tanks with cute voices, I too felt that way initially but grew to like them more and more as the series progressed. As this was made for television the Major keeps her clothes on far more than in the film, she does however wear a rather revealing costume in the first series.

An exciting story well told is helped by really good animation accompanied by a great sound track. I really liked the characters, especially the Major, it was nice to get to know them better than the shorter film format allowed. I would certainly recommend this, not just to people who enjoyed the films but also to any fan of exciting science fiction.

Don't switch off when the end credits start as after the credits for each episode there is a short "Tachikomatic Days" story, a little comedy sketch featuring the Tachikoma.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

no match to the movies

[rdvljunk · 6/10 · 9 November 2017]

If you have started Ghost in the shell with the 1995 and 2004 movies you will be very disappointed. Although at itself it is not bad, you will miss the atmosphere and philosophical depth of the movies that made them unique and outstanding. It is a series of 26 episodes and although it slowly grows it never reaches any of the peaks that the movies have. Basic dialogues...stupid infantile tachikoma's robots, all is pretty straight forward action manga. In the movies there is a atmosphere build, the travel on the boat through the city is mind-blowing (and yet that is surpassed by the parade in "innocence"), there is philosophical depth, all this is lacking in the series...

An Awesome Sequel To The Original Stand Alone Complex

[Karkuen · 10/10 · 9 March 2006]

The great writers at Production IG in Japan have done it again, not only have they made a great production in terms of storyline, and animation quality. They have even manage to give a in-depth view into a few of the major characters backgrounds (E.G. Motoko Kusanagi), and also how Public Security Section 9 was formed.

As usual there are a few episodes which are stated as Complex, meaning that they fit together to form a large scenario, and Individual episodes, which are stand alone stories. The main feature of this sequel are the return of the ever lovable SPOILER! - Tachikomas - which have been fully restored and are now stated as active members of Public Security Section 9. For those who have not watch the 1st Gig or 1st Season or any of the Ghost In The Shell Movies, do not worry, you don't have to have watch either of these to enjoy this exciting 2nd installment of Ghost In The Shell Stand Alone Complex.

Truly a must have or watched for any Ghost In The Shell, anime, Shirow Masamune or S-F Fan.

Sadly not what I was expecting...

[Lukasmj · 7/10 · 25 February 2024]

"Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" makes me sad in a way because I expected to like the series a lot more than I ended up doing... I found the premise of a futuristic society in which brains are planted in artificial bodies and AIs can hardly be distinguished from humans to be extremely appealing!

Coupled with the philosophical question of what humanity actually is and where the boundaries between human and artificial intelligence blur, I thought this series HAD to be good. When I read all the good reviews, I was completely convinced and excited to watch the series.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the series makes only moderately good use of this premise. Although dystopian visions of the future are shown here, the series spends much more time showing political problems in this apparent utopia. A majority of the scenes take place in offices, and not in the futuristic city that is so interesting to me.

The political aspect makes the series extremely complicated at times and therefore often quite tiring to watch.

So this isn't an anime to put your feet up on. A lot is required of you to understand the series and its political drama. I actually always listened with concentration, but I still had to rewind scenes again unusually often because I didn't fully understand them.

Other things I didn't really like were the rather superficially written characters and the action sequences. The main characters are mostly likeable, but you don't get to see much of their lives outside of work in Section 9 - I would have liked that more.

And while there is action, it's often pretty standard and hardly exciting.

However, I found the antagonists of the two seasons and their motivations very interesting and very well implemented, although I liked the first season better in that aspect.

In the end, I had false expectations from this series and therefore could only be disappointed. If I would've a general idea of the nature of this show, before I watched it, I probably could've enjoyed it more and then also rated it better.

I am TRULY heartbroken

[motiapp · 4/10 · 31 October 2019]

Maybe the 1995 and the 2017 movies set the expectations so high, it's just not possible to enjoy the series, but I tried to give it a fair chance - sadly my rating is 5/10. Albeit some nice plot turns and background, The stories tend to be unfocused and half baked, the oversimplified main arc streaches well beyond what is appropriate, and, worst of all, in contrastto the intriguing title, Ghost In The Shell (meaning the human consciousness inside a machine body, as in a cyborg), the series DOES NOT explore this subject, but rather follows the work of an elite police force, which happens to come by cases that are shadowed by this subject, by a clear connection is never made.

I'm sorry, I did not find here what I was looking for. Good potential, wasted to make a mediocre police drama.

MMM MMM Good

[aljbotnick · 5 March 2005]

This has to be the best television anime I have ever seen. As the other reviewer said, the plot centers around a fictional futuristic special operations squad in Japan called section 9 that specializes in computer crimes. The plots are amazing in that they present possible future technologies and crimes in a very compelling way. They also include a good deal of humor, sentimentality, awesome animation and humor. The only warning is that some of the content is mature- one scene showed a brief scene of a character watching an xxx rated movie. However, as long as you understand and enjoy the adult themes the show is a wild ride.

A+

Super graphics but animation?

[csiwesley · 8/10 · 18 July 2006]

There is one major problem with GITSAC and that regards the backgrounds and foregrounds. While the backgrounds, all computer rendered look stunning and detailed, the foregrounds and characters don't really blend into them. Its forgivable since this is a problem with pretty much all animation barring a very few but since it looks as though the producers are putting so much attention to detail, they should'nt have really overlooked that feature.

Another problem is unevenness. Not all episodes are equally good and some can be downright boring although the 2nd season/GIG does add more interesting stuff. The fact that each episode is "stand alone" and disjointed means that too much detail that doesn't always make sense, needs to be squeezed into limited time. There is too much attention given to computer generated virtual reality sfx rather than the action in real life.

While GITSAC is revolutionary in its own way, it can get quite boring at times. Give me shirow's Dominion tank police instead any day! GITSAC simply has no charm, no soul and seems quite dead at times.

Still one of the greats in Japanese animation (Anime'); "Stands Alone" on its own two feet

[dee.reid · 10/10 · 28 March 2011]

The original "Ghost in the Shell" (1995) is one of my all-time favorite movies, live-action or animated. It's undoubtedly one of my favorite pieces of Japanese animation (Anime'), and it's also one of my all-time favorite sci-fi movies. As well, the original Manga that inspired it (by series creator Shirow Masamune) is one of my favorite books of all time. I also appreciate the deep influence the Manga and film had on "The Matrix" (1999), which is another personal favorite film of mine and another all-time favorite sci-fi movie.

With the Anime' series "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex," which aired in America on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block Adult Swim, we get another taste of the world that Masamune breathed life into all those years ago. "Stand Alone Complex" appears to be somewhat of an expansion of the original "Ghost in the Shell" from 1995, since as I remember the movie (successfully) condensed a pretty hefty storyline into a single 82-minute feature. A lot of story and characters were left out of the movie entirely, so that it could instead focus on the main storyline of the original Manga.

Here in "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex," a lot of the story left out of "Ghost in the Shell" is fleshed out, and plus a wealth of new ideas, characters, and concepts are also explored. The series is set in 2030 A.D. in Japan, where Section 9, an elite government task force, investigates crime (both human and computer crimes), terrorism, and all other manner of evil wrong-doing that threatens public security in the country. Led by the tough-as-nails cyborg vixen Major Motoko Kusanagi, they engage all threats with a wicked vengeance. The central storyline details Section 9's investigation of the elusive Laughing Man, a notorious computer hacker who brings to mind memories of the elusive Puppet Master from the original 1995 movie.

This is a great, thought-provoking series, like the movie and Manga series that inspired it. Much like its predecessors, "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" dives into a futuristic world where humans are very close to being not human at all. Many humans in this future, are enhanced, in some way or another, by machines, as a means of getting the upper hand in a world where rapid technological advancement is proceeding forward with little or no oversight. How long before flesh & blood will merely be a thing of the past? Can you still be considered human in an artificial body made out of plastic, metal, wiring, and other complex prosthetics? Will there be an ideological war fought between cyber-enhanced humans and militant "anti-cyberization" rebel forces? In some ways, that makes this show seem almost eerily prescient, and entirely possible. It's these sort of paranoid philosophical questions that makes this series such socially relevant science fiction. (James Cameron, are you reading this?)

The animation here is great. Like the movie that pioneered the trend, it is a stunningly envisioned, seamless blend of traditional hand-drawn animation and computer-generated imagery (CGI). My guess is that the traditional hand-drawn animation and CGI mirrors the series' persistent theme of the melding of man and machine together. (A very interesting conflict, indeed.) And the exotic soundtrack music by Yoko Kanno is exceptional; it's both moody and atmospheric - it perfectly fits the show in every way possible.

"Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" is a great Anime' show. It's fantastically animated and intriguingly philosophical in the presentation of its ideas and concepts; watchful viewers could also pick up a few references to the Ridley Scott-directed 1982 American sci-fi classic "Blade Runner," and perhaps even acclaimed American author William Gibson's seminal 1984 cyberpunk novel "Neuromancer," the latter of which is probably the single greatest source of inspiration for this whole setup. And Major Motoko Kusanagi has to be one of the most strikingly beautiful (if not THE most strikingly beautiful) cyborgs ever conceived for an animated format.

10/10

I'm Not Your Average Otaku

[johcafra · 9/10 · 2 February 2007]

And that's because I'm not all that willing to give anime the same due many others appear to. Animation style and quality notwithstanding, the "classics" by popular acclaim invariably start out interesting, as you'd expect a pilot episode of any TV series to strive for, but gradually or quickly become weird, occasionally startling, mildly disconcerting, formulaic, or just plain tedious. I respect and enjoy Miyazaki's works and I'm a bit partial to those of Tezuka Osamu, the latter because Astro Boy made quite the impression on me when I viewed its American broadcast premiere. But for today's anime broadcast Stateside there are only two exceptions in my view. Cowboy Bebop is one, for reasons I'll provide among its IMDb comments. GITS:SAC is the other.

I first saw the American broadcast premiere of the first of the two GITS:SAC series quite by accident, at about halfway through the third episode. I roused from my insomniac stupor, sat up, blinked, and muttered, "Now this is different." Not a serial in the strict sense, no kids in the lead, no swordplay between mythical creatures or giant robots, no mutated dinosaurs, definitely nothing marketable (perhaps the Tachikoma, but I doubt Stateside), and unquestionably something you won't catch broadcast Stateside anywhere near prime time, though I sometimes think Stateside networks aim for that, whether the viewing public likes it or not—

Mystery writers would call GITS:SAC "a police procedural," and science fiction writers would probably add "cyberpunk" to that label. Plots, subplots, arcs, you-name-it, all set in a future Japan that subtly requires you to try to figure out what's "different but the same" but not all at once. Nominally each of the two TV seasons has its own principal story arc; the first season features the way the world is, the second features someone who would very much like it different. Miss one episode, no harm done, but perhaps with a lingering enticement to be more certain that you truly did not miss anything. And then they'll have you!

Action, obligatory gore (albeit animated), some expletives and "cheesecake" (ditto), but all tempered with a captivating and truly surprising allotment of characterization, dialogue, insight, wit, and "breathing time." Exceptional music. Passing references to "the war," "refugee zones" and the "American Empire," while "all natural" and "puppet" take on entirely different (and frightening) meanings. The settings may look familiar and untouched, but every character is a survivor, and I think you'll catch on fairly early as to just how that's done.

I don't normally appreciate this kind of a challenge from a TV series. I frankly lack the patience of a regular viewer and, if I must get hooked, prefer that happen from the very start. But I haven't enjoyed a challenge in quite this way since my equally serendipitous introduction to Paddy McGoohan's The Prisoner many years ago. And I leave it to you to try to figure out the meaning behind the title as well.

Plenty Web sites if you want to cheat. Both televised seasons of 26 episodes each are available on DVD. (Catch the interviews with the production members and cast; Kamiyama Kenji is a thoughtful and articulate young man, and "production by committee" here is something to be proud of.) Two predecessor GITS movies to rent, each radically different from the other (one dubbed into competent English, the other subtitled) though essentially featuring the same characters. The TV series is no thematic sequel to the two movies but still another direction taken by the same characters. Besides a recent novelization that bridges the gap between the two predecessor movies and a sequel movie soon to arrive Stateside, two manga ("graphic novels," Stateside) are also available, but you might as well stick to GITS:SAC on the 'tube or DVD, for if the prospect of viewing anime gives you pause you'll probably also refrain from holding a fancy comic book.

Whether seasoned otaku, accidental viewer like myself, or just plain curious, take the plunge and draw your own conclusions, but, in a phrase, brace for intelligence.

Amazing

[mayank09876 · 10/10 · 8 August 2017]

It's been 15 years since the release of the anime series, I only got myself to watch it now. Got to say the production values, animation, voice over and plotting is still top class even now. The setting is about a 21st century society where cyberization and robots are common day features. Accordingly terrorism, blackmailing and other crime waves are more futuristic like hacking into people's brain to making clones and such. The series focuses on a group of detectives/counter terrorist who are elites in solving such crimes, one could say modern day FBI.

Each and every episode is a gem, initially each episode seem to be a standalone case, it seemed the focus was to introduce us to the modern society, only by the end do we realized its all tied up to a mega case. The story is now only about showing great animation fight sequences is the case with other similar anime instead it makes you ponder over complex questions.

The animation is top class, the fight sequences are still a treat to watch, from the conceptions, to the detailed sequence, to the smart follow through. The same can be said for the sound.

The characters, each and every one have their own story to tell, while the star of the show is Major, the supporting cast is well developed. Another stand out figure is the enigmatic Laughing Man, even when you don't see his face he leaves a lasting impression.

One of the best though out and executed anime I have come across.

So glad I bought both seasons

[coolmunky88 · 10/10 · 26 April 2010]

As a big fan of the original movie, I was quickly inclined to watch the series as soon as I heard it existed. The series is a beautiful work of art which gives unparallelled greatness in my books. The sophisticated in depth plots simply blow your mind. I often find my self picking up even more information that I missed watching after the third time watching it. The animation is wonderfully done throughout all episodes, combined with the incredible cases in which the characters divulge in. The intertwining plots create an amazingly enjoyable anime series, even after watching final episodes, has you contemplating on the theories and ideas incorporated within this spectacular mind candy that is Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. To conclude this review, I'd give this must watch a 10/10 any day.

Very mature themes, well executed

[pipin_ferreras · 10/10 · 25 May 2017]

GitS:SAC borrows a lot of the philosophical musings from the original film and manga, but it goes a long way into further developing this particular world and showing the various ways that technology interferes and redefines what is human. All this is explored both in the series' core "complex" episodes, as well as its "stand alone episodes", which show one different story at a time. If you are interested in non politically correct, thoughtful futurism, this is the show for you. It covers issues like AI, body augmentation, the roots of self-conscience, evolution and so on. I really like the fact that it also explores the political landscape of this not so distant future. Overall, a great experience.

Revolutionary, But Very Hit-Or-Miss

[ianwagnerwatches · 7/10 · 2 February 2022]

Animation was phenomenal, art was very good, soundtrack was interesting, story was beyond impressive, narrative was good, characters were pretty good, and it was incredibly original.

This series told a cyberpunk story unlike any other I have experienced before. Though the anime's animation and narrative was pretty mediocre at times, the story was incredibly complex, detailed, and intellectually engaging. The movies had remarkable animation, especially for its time. Overall, the series was revolutionary and had an impact on the sci-fi industry the marks of which are evident to this day.

A Most Watch Anime for Any Sci-Fi Fan

[Karkuen · 10/10 · 30 March 2006]

For those who are a fan of the 1997 anime/Manga Movie "Ghost In The Shell", they maybe shocked to know that the Stand Alone Complex series is NOT a sequel or alternate version of that storyline. Instead it is set in a alternate timeline. However it doesn't make this a must avoid anime spin off.

The script and animation quality are the same standards as depicted in the 1997 anime/Manga movie. I personally find Stand Alone Complex has a more interesting and entertaining storyline than, that of the original movie. The main attractions in the series are the Tachikomas "Sential Tanks". I personally enjoyed the episodes, which featured these small "thinking" tanks, which possessed the personality of a small child! A true anime/manga classic in the making,superior to the original 1997 anime/manga movie.

Disjointed storyline, pseudo-"science" & way too much talk are killers.

[ajrcvr · 5/10 · 5 August 2016]

I've been a sci-fi and fantasy fan, as well as author, for many years; thus I enjoy anime that has well-done sci-fi. Unfortunately, GITSAC doesn't do that, I'm sorry to have to tell all those people who think it does. GITS is fantasy. There is no real science in any of the GITS movies or series. This can be OK if you treat the storyline accordingly - as in fantasy and magic stories - but they treat everything here as if it's possible and everybody knows that it is. It isn't. You can't disappear into thin air no matter how badly you want to. The tachikomas wouldn't bounce around when they talk because it would use too much power and eventually bounce them to pieces. You can't broadcast thoughts any way at all, ever - thinking is entirely different from any broadcast system. There is no "ghost" in any living thing; mind and spirit are a function of trillions of cells and interconnecting electrochemical junctions, not some alternate existing thing. Computers work entirely differently than brains and you cannot make the two of them compatible; all you can do is get some minor functions in a bionic prosthetic part to respond to simple brain pattern electrical impulses. We can do that today with arms and legs, for instance; this is the most rudimentary connection of electromechanical devices to some of our simplest brain impulses; you cannot duplicate what the brain does with a computer. Even the best AI is far inferior to and simpler than what the human brain does. In fact, it's inferior to what a Border Collie's brain does! You cannot match the trillions of cells and connections in the brain with even a few hundred thousand electronic circuits in computers. GITS is NOT the future, it's FANTASY, ie, making a story with things that cannot happen. It's more like magic, since magic can't ever happen either, but we understand that and can make interesting fictional dramas with it. I've only pointed out a few things here that are not and never will be possible, but there are many more in the GITS series. It's a safe bet that regardless of how tough Motoko is in her "cyborized" body, she can't jump from a 50 story building, hit the ground and be fine! You couldn't drop a tank from a 50 story building and have it be functional after it hit the ground, and tanks are tougher than she is. The tachikoma can't jump all over the place as they do, their mass is too great and it would take tremendous power if it were even possible, which it's not - especially not with people inside. The sudden violent momentum change would smash the occupants to pieces. And there are many more impossibilities. The reason I bring it up is all of it destroys one's willing suspension of disbelief, and relegates it to Road Runner & Coyote "science" which just makes it another cartoon.

All that said, the story is too disjointed and confusing, trying to put too much in when less would be better: more action, less theory and talking. The graphics and animation are about average here, there are much better anime, visually, out there. As in the movies, the characters are still bland, without much humanity; I mean, the tachikomas are more interesting, personable, and human, and they are complete machines! So, although some of the stuff they do in GITSAC is interesting, it just doesn't come up to being great sci-fi or storytelling.

The most powerful series ever created

[commandstation · 27 October 2005]

I've been a fan of "Ghost in the Shell" since 1997 when I saw it for the first time. The movie offers sophisticated entertainment that Hollywood couldn't even come close to. Then "Innocence" came out and was an extraordinary achievement with an incredible story and special effects (I still wish they would come out with an English dub).

I didn't think that a TV series could come close to the movies.

I was wrong.

Even though the graphics are a downgrade from the movies, the story has an impact that will give you with goose bumps! The story is an interweaving of events that span for sometime through the series. You have to pay close attention to everything or you'll lose some insight on what is going on.

"SAC" gets into tough subjects like corporate corruption; political corruption and scandals; individuals fighting to restore some semblance of justice and sanity; self sacrifice; robots and their individuality that creates a "Ghost" or a sort of living entity; among other subjects that normal movie production artists wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. It may require most people to watch it at least 3 times to take in all of the information.

For the ultimate in entertainment, sound effects, music - this IS a must own for any individual!