On the controversial or divisive adaptations list,animeis always near the top. It’s a popular medium with both a dedicated and unforgiving fanbase. Netflix didn’t commission or create the newest entry for theGhost in the Shellfranchise, but they were the streaming service that bought the worldwide distribution rights fromKodanshaandProduction I.G.
Despite the naysayers, the show has a lot going for it, and a second season ofthis sci-fi animewas recently released on Netflix. To help fans get caught up without watching the entire first season, there’s a condensed re-cut of the first season in movie form:Ghost In The Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War. Although we’re focused on the two-hour movie with this list, most of what fans recognize here is also found in the series.
7The Original Voice Cast
How cool is this? It’s not just the viewer’s ears playing tricks, on them or one of the best modern re-casting of voice actors in history. These are the original voice actors from the iconic 1996 movie that started the whole franchise.
Atsuko Tanaka reprises the main role as Mokoto, also known by her military title. The Major is one of the better-known characters in a resume that includes a long and impressive list of other popular shows likeNarutoandJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Akio Otsuka returns withhis deep soothing baritone as Batouand Koichi Yamadera as the earnest Togusa, among others.
6The Characters Fans Know And Love
Some of the criticism related to other entries in this franchise is connected to the lack of certain character appearances or the focus on some at the expense of others. Not only is almost every character from the whole franchise given some screen time, but even in the condensed film version, they have something useful to do.
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The Major and Aramaki fall into their leadership roles naturally, with Mokoto taking care of the fieldwork and Aramaki as the polished diplomat. In the movie, he takes a more important role in rebuilding Section 9 to counter the threat of Post Humans and making the group legit again. Ishikawa also gets to show off his research and diving skills more, and Togusa is more human than human, as usual.
5The Tachikoma
Anime fans who have only seen the movies from the 1990s might be a bit confused as to the nature of the Tachikoma. These quirky mini-tanks were part of the original manga, but not included in any of the anime until theStand Alone Complexseries.
The Tachikomaare often comic relief or the emotional centerof a scene, being that they’re a form of AI that’s not intended to be sophisticated, but their funny demeanor is intended to be off-putting. The action scenes where these versatile machines participate in the fights are impressive, and nobody would want to get on the wrong side of one.
4The Concept of Post Humans
This unique idea sets the series apart from others in the same genre and calls back to Mokoto’s existential crisis that underlies the plot in the first movie. The question isn’t just self-awareness this time, but life itself.
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The conclusion of the movie, like the season finale, only deepens the mystery regarding the intention of the Post Humans and the origin of the virus that creates them. Another advantage ofSustainable Waras a condensed version of season one is that it focuses almost solely on the conflict with Post Humans and skips any superfluous events.
3The CGI…At Least Some Of It
Being a shorter version of the first season ofGhost In The Shell: SAC_2045,this still includes the animationthat had so many fans seeing cyber-red. However, it’s condensed, and there’s a lot less of the jarring, chunky style of the series that put off so many viewers.
The editors that putSustainable Wartogether seemed to keep the good content and leave out as much of the bad when they added and edited. For those asking what the whole point of the movie was in the first place, maybe that was it.
2The Design And Style
It’s still cyberpunk, but it’s stepped up since the 1990s. The genre doesn’t fear bright or vibrant colors anymore, and other details hearken back to the old movies that juxtaposed modern and traditional architecture.
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Other details like the clothing, weapons, and vehicles have similar designs and many of them are recognizable from the earliest days of the franchise. Aside from the Tachikoma, the planes and weapons in particular can be traced back to the movies from the 1990s.
1Literary References That Make Sense
1984, a dystopian novel written by George Orwell, gets referenced and is cited so often that it has lost all meaning beyond the generic “Big Brother Is Watching You” axiom. However, the work is cited here in a way that’s relevant to the plot in a clever and profound way.
“This book will describe everything that will happen in this world,” says the mysterious stranger to Takashi. And he’s not just talking about the Sustainable War, a perpetual state of conflict that looks similar to the situation in Oceania, Eurasia, and East Asia. The content of the book, including the concept of “doublethink,” is one of the things that inspires Takashi to side with the Post Humans.
