Ghost in the Shell sac 2045 - First Thoughts

Posted on 26 Apr 2020

First up, what a pain it is to get a screenshot from Netflix! Thank goodness taking a photo of my screen gave me a reasonable result!

Anyway... Much has been made of the new Production IG series of Masamune Shirow's seminal Ghost in the Shell. This Netflix exclusive iteration, entitled SAC (Stand Alone Complex) 2045 showed us early footage a few months ago. Looking somewhat less than stellar, internet reaction was almost universally negative, so both the show and Production IG have much to prove to avid fans.

The intro itself is a jarring experience. Mixing some of the most ill-fitting music I've heard for a show in a very long time, the punk-rap overture plays atop a very Westworld looking set of visuals, showing a body being created from skeleton to skin. I shall be hammering the 'skip intro' button for the rest of the series.

But what of the animation itself? Well this too is a mixed bag, though I'm happy to report things are much smoother and more appealing than that early test footage let on. There are some nice textures here, movement is fairly natural and even though it's all very clearly CGI, some effort has been made to make everything look that bit more like an animation than a photo-realistic set-piece. The mecha in particular looks wonderful, the little Tachikoma units darting around the screen and unleashing hell as only little spider-bots can. One slight shame is The Major herself, now looking a lot younger than shown in previous series. It's always been something of an impressive feat that the show could retain its popularity with an older (by anime standards) female lead. A shame this has been lost, though it should be said that her younger appearance is closer to the original manga design.

Direction, by the always reliable Shinji Aramaki, combines Hollywood-style action alongside slower beats and a more considered tone. It looks and feels like a quality production, but I really couldn't help but wish they'd just animated it more traditionally. The end credits, with a fitting song from Mili, shows the characters as fully drawn animated figures and it's soooo much better. Oh what could have been...

The CGI does make sense in context - there's a lot of neon-overlay, beautifully showcased when Togusa swipes away the visual stimulus that's being broadcast directly into his brain, leaving only the dingy street beyond - much of the fancy camerawork is a lot easier with an entirely computer generated environment too, so it's a smart decision in that sense. When it's all moving, it looks good, but pause the show and the illusion is instantly broken with blank-eyed marionettes staring back at you.

All of this is to say that the series isn't the unmitigated disaster you might have feared, and while you may not be over the moon with the final result, in motion and in context it's serviceable enough.

This first episode reveals that Section 9 has been disbanded, with all the former members, minus Togusa (the only 100% human) forming their own independent unit and taking on missions vital to public safety. In a world where standard paper currency is now defunct, the nations trade in "sustainable war", however the full details of what this actually means on a wider scale aren't delved into. Know only that society has all but collapsed, with a ruling elite now casting the rest of humanity aside and pursuing their own agendas. We, the every man (and every woman) are no longer required commodities. It's an intriguing (and very current) setup.

As ever with these First Thoughts pieces, the idea is not to judge the entire series, but instead to judge the hook. Does GitS SAC 2045 do enough to warrant further viewing? I'd give it a tentative "yes" at this point.

With close captioned subtitles and at least 2 out of 3 of the major tent-poles (voice acting, story and animation) holding up to scrutiny, it's certainly worth further attention. I've never been as in-love with Ghost in the Shell as some of the fanbase, but I've always respected it. Dedicated fans will have stronger reactions than mine I'm sure, but for casuals, this feels like an adult drama with somewhere to go. I'm sure my associates on the UK Anime Network will no doubt give us a more fulsome review soon. In the meantime I'd urge you to check this out, if only to satisfy your curiosity...