Review of Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex

Introduction

In 1995, Ghost In The Shell caught the imagination of anime fans the world over. Combining action and a thoughtful script with a stunning world design realised through cutting edge animation, it was a film that challenged definitions of intelligence and the soul. It isn`t too surprising then that a television spin-off now makes its way to us on DVD. What is surprising though is that it took seven years to make the transition. Perhaps the lengthy gap implies an emphasis on the quality of the final product.

Still, transferring the memorable characters of Ghost In The Shell to television would be no easy task, especially as the heroine of the film Major Motoko Kusanagi`s fate in the film ruled her out of any straight sequel. Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex solves this by ignoring the events of the movie. Set in the year 2030, the Puppet Master never made an appearance, and Section 9`s team of cyborgs continue chasing down cyber-criminals and protecting the populace from the implications of that `brave new world`. The familiar faces are there, Section 9`s leader Aramaki, Major Motoko Kusanagi, Batou and Togusa, and this time they are joined by cute little mini-tanks called Tachikomas who seem to be developing their own little personalities. Twenty-six episodes also give a great opportunity to explore and develop these characters, and we get to know their backgrounds and histories. This first release of The GITS television series contains four episodes on two discs. Disc 1 contains the episodes with DD 5.1 and DD 2.0 stereo tracks, while Disc 2 repeats the episodes, but this time with DTS soundtracks encoded at 754kbps.

Episode 1: Section 9
A hostage crisis involving a highly ranked politician and his aides causes friction between the police and the military. Three Geisha robots are holding the hostages, and Section 9 is best equipped to resolve the situation. But the evidence uncovered in the aftermath doesn`t tally with the hostages` accounts, and it turns out that there is something audacious in the works.

Episode 2: Testation
A robot tank goes rogue a week after it`s chief designer died. Escaping from the R&D facility, it races through the city to an unknown destination for an unknown reason. As the Major and Batou try to stop it with Tachikomas, Aramaki and Togusa badger the company boss to find out the behemoth`s weak spot. But who`s in control of the tank?

Episode 3: Android And I
When a particular make of android starts committing suicide en masse, the culprit is found to be a virus. But who programmed the virus, and why? The answer is at the heart of a wholly unconventional romance.

Episode 4: Intercepter
Togusa`s friend from the police unit investigating the Laughing Man hacker and extortionist calls with evidence of police corruption, but dies in an accident before he can meet with Togusa. Investigating, Section 9 finds that the corruption extends to the highest level. Before justice can be served however, a sinister figure from the past returns.

Video

Ghost In The Shell is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic ratio. I have to say that these episodes look absolutely sublime. The transfer is nigh on flawless. I didn`t notice any problems at all; the image is clear and vibrant all the way through. It must be said that the character design is greatly simplified in comparison to the detailed and beautiful characterisations of the movie. That`s to be expected when creating these characters for a serialised television show, but the animation is still dynamic, and effortlessly realised. However the sheer detail and intricacy of the world design is marvellous. It`s the mix of the animation, design and detail that makes this show look so good. In episode 2, there is a moment when the robot tank is being anticipated by a roadblock, and as the point of view looks off into the distance, you can see the tank appear through a shimmer of heat haze. It`s detail like that, which makes this show something special.

The Ghost In The Shell movie was lauded for its use of CGI. Computer imagery was used to create displays and overlays in the film and certainly contributed to its look. Seven years of advances in animation have made Stand Alone Complex a different animal when it comes to CGI. All 3D objects are realised through the computer, and are flawlessly integrated with the traditional style animation. The displays and overlays are if anything better than in the film. To cap it all off, the title sequence is completely rendered in CGI, with a 3D version of Major Kusanagi in action in a computer-generated world.

Audio

This release comes with a full selection of soundtracks. Disc 1 has soundtracks in DD 2.0 English and Japanese Stereo, as well as DD 5.1 English and Japanese, whereas Disc 2 allows you to watch the show with DTS 5.1 English and Japanese (encoded at 754kbps), as well as a repeat of the DD 2.0 English Stereo track. There are English translated subtitles for both discs. The surround is most effective, with full use made of the speakers. There is plenty of action and sound effects and the immersive experience is another enjoyable aspect of these discs. The only annoying aspect was the DD 2.0 English Stereo track, which shunted most of the sound to my rear speakers, leaving the front speakers subdued in comparison. It was a decidedly odd experience, though one unlikely to be repeated.

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex also makes great use of music. From the title track to the end credits, the music suits the style of the show down to the ground. It`s definitely a soundtrack CD worth looking out for.

Features

The discs come packaged in an Amaray case, slipped inside a rather flimsy cardboard slipcase. (It had already come unglued on my review copy) There is a nice little min-poster slipped inside the Amaray.

The discs` presentation is impressive. Glorious animated menus reflecting the cyberpunk style of the show are set to the show`s music. The transitions between menus are short and never get tedious.

Disc 2 contains just the episodes, and an Interactive Quiz. Answer ten questions about and around Ghost In The Shell, and you unlock a sneak peak of episode 5.

If you select an episode on Disc 1 only, you`re taken to a sub-menu that lets you play the episode, read an episode synopsis or read the character profiles.

Also on Disc 1, you can suffer through 32 minutes of trailers for other Manga releases, complete with that thrash metal soundtrack that tends to make my ears bleed.

There is a 12-minute interview with director Kenji Kamiyama, presented in 4:3 with burnt in subtitles and DD 2.0 sound. He discusses the genesis of the television series and how it differs from the movie.

An 11-minute interview with actress Atsuko Tanaka, voice of Major Motoko Kusanagi looks at the difference between the character she voiced in the movie, and the Major as she is written for the television series. She also talks about the first four episodes.

Finally there is an image gallery slideshow that lasts for 5 minutes. It`s set to some really annoying sound effects, but it gives a chance to look at some stills from the stunning title sequence without any of the pesky text. It also makes use of the full screen ratio unlike other similar features on other discs.

Conclusion

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex is yet another excellent anime series, at least on the evidence of these first four episodes. The film was an amazing triumph of style over substance, masking a thin story and some cod philosophy behind some stunning visuals and state of the art effects. It`s hard to imagine how a 26 episode series could be made on the strength of Ghost In The Shell`s brief premise, and actually they haven`t even tried. At its heart, Stand Alone Complex is a cop show; in each episode a particular cyber-crime is committed and Section 9 is sent to investigate and solve it. It`s a winning formula that works almost every time and is eminently suited to the world developed in the film.

I`ve already mentioned how the character designs were simplified for the television series, but the characters are also different in fundamental ways. The series is at heart not as introspective as the film and the characters reflect that. Major Kusanagi is hardly as soul searching as before, and here is apt to make the occasional quip. The character of Togusa is explored to a greater extent here and he is more at the heart of the show. Being minimally enhanced, he`s the everyman character who guides us in the world of cyborgs. But it`s Batou who is the most different, he`s practically a comedian in his new guise as opposed to the dour man of few words in the movie, and it`s a change that is definitely one for the better. You can see the potential for these characters to grow and develop over the course of the series.

The stories aren`t exactly complex having to fill 25 minutes, but they are certainly imaginative, and keep the attention with as much facility as the gorgeous visuals. The opening episode is certainly a story that I haven`t encountered before, despite my fascination with cyberpunk, and while the other stories have familiar aspects, they are accomplished with a freshness that rejuvenates the ideas. Just when you think the stories are over, you are treated with a short Tachikoma animation at the end of each episode that features the cute little creations.

I can see that Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex could be an expensive habit to get into, with 26 episodes in the first series, and I have read somewhere that there is a second series as well. It takes a different tack to the movie, focussing on the day-to-day business of Section 9, and like most modern anime serials, there is an ongoing thread that develops through the episodes. Where the show fails to match up to the intricate animation of the original movie, it more than makes up for it in atmosphere and style.

This release, while light on extras, certainly attempts to cater for all possible home theatre set-ups. The image is excellent and the sound no less so. If you`re a fan of the film, be prepared for something a little different, but either way, Stand Alone Complex is a treat.