GITS: SAC 2045 (New Ghost in the Shell) [Netflix]

[Anh_Minh]

I watched up to ep 8.

I really think I preferred the old Togusa. Family guy and strait laced cop bringing some balance to the team of loose canon super spies thing.

And if they were going to change things, maybe they should have altered the cast a bit more. The "new Section 9" is identical to the old one.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

So I just watched the whole 12 episodes and........ I really like it. 2045 is fun but still written so well.

Without spoiling much, the story is pretty easy to follow but not dumbed down. It's not convoluted and hard to track like in Arise. Even though it still hasn't reached the highest peak of SAC, some of the best episodes are easily on par or even surpass the middling episodes of SAC. One of my favorite episodes is the bank robbery one-off. Watching the elderly people struggling with technology like cellphone & bank transaction are very relatable and the story around them is pretty compelling. When one of the elderly character said "How much does it cost to (legally) die?" in one particular scene, it really hit somehow. What I like the most from 2045 is that it's not an edgy futuristic anime like Psycho-Pass. The world they live in is not a utopia nor a dystopia. The world is just the world, which got hit by a financial meltdown where top countries are now conducting what they call "Sustainable Wars".

There's a "clash of class" in the America continent and I like that Motoko & gang are just letting loose and have fun there after removing themselves from Section 9. I like that we spent most of the good half of the season in the US soil following the GHOST-team's antics & mission. Their banter are always a highlight. While in the US, the show really let loose by taking some jabs at Suicide Squad, Tony Stark & Agent Smith from The Matrix. Oh, and all the meme-worthy character-movements from the previous gifs are actually plot relevant for the enemies that our protags are currently facing.

Speaking of protags, I'm liking most of the regulars of 2045. Motoko & gang are always enjoyable to have and I really like the sassy-Motoko in this show. The Prime Minister is an American, but actually a good one who respects Japan and isn't just being a puppet of the US Government though his background is not without flaws which I like. Purin is a nice addition. Since she's being somewhat of a caretaker for Tachikomas, she gave them komas someone to really interact with, not just with Batou all time. Also that makes sense that she's a fan of Batou. At one point, she almost took Ishikawa's role by going ahead of him during a net investigation, but she still need more experience. Divorced-Togusa is still a chill guy after he overcame his guilt, but the fact that he is divorced is not lost on the story. There's a sweet (non- romantic) gesture which he did to a single mother near the end of the season. But the last episode is such a cliffhanger for his character that it almost made me angry coz I really want more.

As for the visuals, I really have no big problem with it. Is it the best I've ever seen? Absolutely not, but it is lightyears away from being terrible. In fact, the whole show looks really nice & eye-pleasing. It's pretty much middle-to-high ground for today's standard for TV show. Yes, the characters can move rather doll-like sometimes but never to the point where it distract me. I also understand the animation style they are using for the characters. Instead of going Pixar, they still want to retain some anime look with the lines. To me, it looks like a much fancier version of the Telltale game's visual. Not bad. Not bad at all.

There's also great cinematography & fight coreography in various places. Btw, boxing Motoko is pretty cool.

Oh and I like the OP. The ED is pretty decent. Unlike the previous video posted here, the ED uses more than just one screenshot.

All in all, a very enjoyable watch. Solid story. I devoured the season in one go and still want some more. I'm a GITS fan, but I recommend letting go of your strict preconception about GITS and what a character must or musn't do. That will certainly help longtime fans to enjoy the show.

[wissenschaft]

Half way through the show and I'm on boarded with it. If you can get past the CG animation then theres a good story that fits Ghost in the Shell. I'm glad I ignored all the negativity surrounding the show and decided to judge for myself.

The OP is horrid and doesn't fit ghost in the shell at all but the ED is fantastic. I just wish we had a full 4min or so version. Maybe that will be on the OST when it comes out.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by wissenschaft

The OP is horrid and doesn't fit ghost in the shell at all but the ED is fantastic.

Eh, really? I think it fits just fine. It's a funky song like SAC's original ED:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/kG2R8LqnLOs

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[wissenschaft]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Eh, really? I think it fits just fine. It's a funky song like SAC's original ED:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/kG2R8LqnLOs

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That song is WAY better. Admitedly I am picky with music so *shrug

[Magewolf]

Originally Posted by wissenschaft

Half way through the show and I'm on boarded with it. If you can get past the CG animation then theres a good story that fits Ghost in the Shell. I'm glad I ignored all the negativity surrounding the show and decided to judge for myself.

The OP is horrid and doesn't fit ghost in the shell at all but the ED is fantastic. I just wish we had a full 4min or so version. Maybe that will be on the OST when it comes out.

I have made it through the second episode so far and it is really not clicking with me. The ending of this episode was very out of character.

Spoiler for Episode 2 ending:

The Major should have been hacking the drone not wondering off leaving it there with live ammo. If they just wanted them to fail they could have had a second stealthed drone pop up when they took down the first one. So they could fail without looking stupid. I mean the first thing I thought of when I say the drone on the ground was"That missile looked undamaged. The Major is going to have to do something about that.". But she just left it there so it could be fired.

[wissenschaft]

Originally Posted by Magewolf

I have made it through the second episode so far and it is really not clicking with me. The ending of this episode was very out of character.

Spoiler for Episode 2 ending:

The Major should have been hacking the drone not wondering off leaving it there with live ammo. If they just wanted them to fail they could have had a second stealthed drone pop up when they took down the first one. So they could fail without looking stupid. I mean the first thing I thought of when I say the drone on the ground was"That missile looked undamaged. The Major is going to have to do something about that.". But she just left it there so it could be fired.

Spoiler:

If they did that someone else would complain that was bad writing as well. Having some new drone suddenly appear at the end just to make the team fail can feel like a Diabolus ex Machina. Personally, I'm glad they showed section 9 isn't perfect, humans make mistakes. And frankly they didn't make a mistake so much as too much was happening for them to handle everything. You know whats not believable? The Major always handing every combat situation perfectly.

[Kazu-kun]

If you can get past the crappy CG, this is actually pretty good. Much better than Arise actually.

It's a shame most people must have bailed out after the first episode.

[Magin]

So... getting mixed reviews everywhere it seems.

I mean, I want to give this a chance, but after the horrible reception Arise got, I really don't watch to touch any GitS series. Especially since what's happening to Motoko is basically the Casca (of Berserk) treatment: this Motoko is really getting moe-fied; for those who may not be familiar with Casca, my understanding is that she started out as a dark-skinned, dark-haired female warrior and ignoring all the other stuff in Berserk, they made her skin much lighter (don't remember about her hair) and basically changed her character.... though i guess the character change is at least arguable.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Magin

Especially since what's happening to Motoko is basically the Casca (of Berserk) treatment: this Motoko is really getting moe-fied

Honestly, Motoko being cute in 2045 is really not even a concern for me. And I consider myself an Avid GITS fan. Also, Motoko has been cute as early as in the original manga anyway:

Images

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Her being cute is always part of her traits. The 90s movie actually made her too much like a female Chuck Norris

[Sheba]

I always found the Oshii movie to be the wrong entry point to the franchise. And I am speaking as someone who started on the works of Masamune Shirow through the original Appleseed manga, when it was published in France by Glenat.

His Appleseed and GiTS could be at best described as a Tom Clancy squad shooter with substantial plot and occasional musing on geopolitics and the future of society and mankind. Shirow have had his contemplative moments but never forgot to make it griping and entertaining. Which is why I love Stand Alone Complex much better compared to the Oshii movies.

[Alchemist007]

Up to ep. 8 now, it gets better after the really underwhelming first ep. It's a far cry from the old SAC but at least most of the cast is themselves; Togusa being the strange outlier though I have a hunch on why that might be the case...

Spoiler:

He's one of those neo-humans

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Here's a more fair review from a fellow GITS fan:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/1ZxMG03hIaI

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[wissenschaft]

Originally Posted by Obelisk ze Tormentor

Here's a more fair review from a fellow GITS fan:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/1ZxMG03hIaI

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Glass Reflection is an excellent reviewer. I'll watch this a bit latter and come back with my thoughts. Overall, its a pretty good show that gets a bit too much negativity. Mostly because of the CG animation apparently.

Edit: As always, its a very fair review. And he points out why Episode 7 was a great episode. I agree fully on this thoughts on the OP and ED. The OP feels very jarring to me while the ED fits better with Ghost in the Shell.

[Yu Ominae]

Spoiler for Obsidian Map Image:

Found an interesting map of the world circa 2045.

[JagdPanther]

So the west coast finally left the union and took a couple inland states with them...?

[Yu Ominae]

Could be. A lot happened since SSS.

Until a logbook/visual book/second season comes out, we can only second guess.

UPDATE:

Finished watching it. I liked how the season 1 ending is awfully similar to the 1st SAC season.

And yeah, I could totally see how Tate could be a Japanese PM despite not being born in Japan. That part's obscure in real Japanese politics.

[Alchemist007]

Finished the 12 eps. It went in a somewhat odd but I guess ok direction. I may revise my score provided there's enough change in how the narrative is in the 2nd half, but I'd say it's at about a 6.5-7/10 now.

[Ghosty 404]

I finally got around to watching the Ghost in the Shell 2045 series made for Netflix. I was a bit apprehensive that Netflix would stick their Woke, Progressive, political correctness in to the show much like they've done with every thing else. Thankfully they kept their mitts off of it and let the Japanese Production Team alone to do their magic.

I'm very disappointed there are only 12 eps in a 24 ep arc. They ended it right in the middle of the story. "To Be Continued next season."

The CG animation takes a bit of getting used to. It is much smoother than the traditional animations. Why did they have to make the Major so moe though. She looks like a child's doll ?

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Ghosty 404

I finally got around to watching the Ghost in the Shell 2045 series made for Netflix. I was a bit apprehensive that Netflix would stick their Woke, Progressive, political correctness in to the show much like they've done with every thing else. Thankfully they kept their mitts off of it and let the Japanese Production Team alone to do their magic.

Well, I don't know if it counts as "woke" or "progressive" but SAC always had quite a bit of social and political commentary. Second Gig in particular was pretty critical of capitalism, for instance. In fact, the US were the bad guys backing up Goda from the shadows in Second Gig.

The new series lacks balls in comparison. It managed to keep the philosophical aspect of the original but lost the political bite.