Ghost in the Shell: SAC (Season 1) Part 3 Episodes 9-12

(Originally Written September 7, 2014)

With Section 9 now looking into the Laughing Man it’s time to delve into some routes untraveled in the case.  While Motoko enters a chat room dedicated to the popular subject and gets more than just web gossip, the others find their own mysteries to contend with. Togusa volunteers to go undercover at a medical facility for children with Cyberbrain Closed Shell Syndrome to investigate a hack into the Ministry of Health and Welfare.  A runaway Tachikoma enjoys a day in the sun helping a girl find something special that’s lost.  And Batou deals with a dark terror from his past that has found it’s way to his city.  Between the Laughing Man and some unexpected cases, there’s no rest for Section 9.

Going into it’s third week here on Anime Corner, Stand Alone Complex delivers a half and half serving.  Two stories were exceptionally well done while the other two left more to be desired despite some interesting moments.

First the strong stuff.  When I first heard about a chat room themed episode for the series, my curiosity was peeked instantly.  And man was it amazing to see the chat room of the future in Ghost in the Shell.  It was arguably the strongest of my two favorite episodes this week as we got to see an audience look in on a round table like discussion about the Laughing Man between five avatars and a sexy digitized Motoko.  The group that made up the chatroom is a perfect representation of the chats of today: the moderator, the super serious, the fan who knows everything, the one who mocks the former and the one who may be holding back more than he seems.  Egos and information clash and mesh and you feel like you learn a lot about the Laughing Man and the phenomena his appearance has sprouted…but also not learning much at all since no ones information seems to be concrete.  All the while, Motoko listens in and maybe even has a surprise run in with the topic of discussion…but who knows what she saw.

The other big episode for me this week was centered around a very angry Batou dealing with an incident from his past with the Rangers.  His quest to bring down the mentally broken guerilla/psychological warfare specialist Marco was tense and not just because we’ve never seen Batou this upset.  Episode 10 is definitely the most gruesome and violent of the episodes thus far (to my knowledge it is the only episode of the series that has aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim with an extra advisory about it’s content).  The episode does not skip on the horrific acts performed on the women Marco targets, especially when you hear them in agony.  At one point Togusa has to leave and vomit, which is pretty much what anyone would do reviewing evidence like that.  While I do like Batou’s final solution to the problem at the end, one thing that holds the story down are the two smug CIA operatives assigned to assist Section 9 with the case.  Their arrogance and stupid “We know more than you and we know it and are just going to keep smiling smugly” attitudes were a bit much and it’s a surprise Motoko or Batou didn’t beat the tar out of them sooner.  They were begging for it.

We did get one more surprise Laughing Man episode in  this set as Togusa was sent into an undercover operation to uncover the reason behind a hack of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. I feel this episode went by a bit too quickly.  By the time it seemed like it was getting somewhere, it was over.  But I suppose it was more about the big build up to the revelation that someone Togusa saw in the Social Welfare Center was the Laughing Man himself.  Odds are it was the Aoi kid he was tasked with watching throughout the episode.  But who knows.  At least Togusa got to show that his antique pistol can still come in handy even against a heavily armored cyborg.

Lastly, we got a very oddly split and somewhat uneven episode featuring two separate yet interlocked plots for a stand alone story.  The Tachikoma centered first half was fascinating.  Seeing this heavily powered and weaponized tank with and evolving mind and the voice of a child wander the city with a young girl was a very nice and unexpected use of a Tachikoma plotline.  Hearing the girl reveal that her search for her “lost dog” was a sham but something she hadn’t fully accepted yet was heartbreaking but more so was the Tachikoma’s reaction to just getting fixed when broken.  It does call into question cheating death in the cyberized age of Ghost in the Shell but it’s still something to be said when a child puts life and death into perspective.

The episode heads into strange territory afterwards as Motoko and the team investigate a cyberbrain found by the Tachikoma.  Now here is where it got a bit confusing for me and I wonder if the episode benefited or suffered from not expanding the Tachikoma’s day out into a full episode.  While seeing a purgatory like digital state and Motoko see a film that brings her to tears (she can feel GASP!!!) I don’t think it meshed well or matched the beginning of the episode.  Maybe these two should have been separate episodes but this isn’t the first time shorter stories have made the mold of a single episode.  Maybe I just need to watch it again but the Tachikoma half was definitely the stronger of the two halves.

So the chatroom of the future, a deluded menace, the Laughing Man revealed (?) and a Tachikoma gets to enjoy the sun a little bit, not a bad set of episodes here.  And the animation was back up to par with the first episodes of the series.  Will we be getting any more Laughing Man teases or will we actually see who or what Laughing Man is soon?  Time will tell.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC (Season 1) Part 2 Episodes 5-8

(Originally Written August 31, 2014)

The Laughing Man.  No one knows who he/she/or it is beyond a mysterious logo plastered across the faces of poor hacked humans.  Years ago he pulled off the biggest act of corporate espionage ever…and then vanished.  Now he has returned, seeking a new target.  Only this time, he’s up against Major Kusinagi and Section 9.  But the hunt for the Laughing Man never stopped after the crime that made him famous.  Even with their own set of special hacking skills, does Section 9 stand a chance at nailing possibly the greatest cyber criminal of all time?

Section 9 was in it big time this week following the surprise return of a criminal vanished for six years.  And while we know the team will be on this case for the rest of the season from time to time, it was fun watching them start to look into the case, from Motoko’s end almost completely from scratch.  And while Motoko basically reiterated the same questions about the Laughing Man that Aramaki did the previous week, it was fun to see her taking a look at the original crime where Laughing Man first appeared.  The (im just going to call him LM from time to time if that’s ok) LM case is a good argument for the cons of even the slightest of cyberizations in this day and age.  As Motoko points out the only two people who saw what LM looked like for real were two old homeless men with zero prosthetics in any sense.  Everyone else only saw the creepy buy memorable logo.  Clever criminal managing to pull that off.

Some of the best Laughing Man material came in Episode 6, where Motoko and Section 9 had to protect the Superintendent General from a potential LM hit.  As many people claiming to be the Laughing Man popped up left, right and center, it was easy to tell none were the real deal.  But were all of them hacked?  Now that was an almost deadly question to ask.  And while Saito and Pazu didn’t do much, Motoko was on her A Game this episode, taking on “infected” individuals in a skirt, stockings and heels and showing up every security guard.  The revelation at the end of the episode that it was a mix of individuals involved in the catastrophe was neat.  Some were infected by the virus, others were fans and others just went to get involved for the hell of it.  Laughing Man has quite the rep and it’s only getting stronger with his return to the scene. 

And while Section 9 is pretty much the only investigative team on the Laughing Man case, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t other crimes to look into.  We got a couple of decent stand alone cases though maybe not as good as the first three that kicked off the series.  The more interesting of the two was Motoko, Batou and Togusa going after a South American Drug Dealer/People’s Hero, who seemed to have a hard time staying dead when assassinations were made on his life.  The concept of Ghost Dubbing is a big topic of discussion in terms of the times Section 9 lives in: when even in death one can have it set up that their consciousness and memories are transferred to a clone or another cyborg body.  It could almost beg the question how many more like Jarty (and that smug look of not giving a crap cause he can be cloned…idk his look irked me a bit) are out there in the world and how long have their continuous cycle of lives been going on?  It does feel like a way for some to live forever if they had the means to do so.

Speaking of transferring from one body to another, the second stand alone case gives us a small bit of insight into Motoko’s past during a case involving children being given possible stolen cyber organs.  Batou reveals that the Major went fully cyborg around the age of 6, which makes the case a bit personal for her.  It’s such a harsh reality to think of, that even children can’t live full natural lives because of a rotten dealt hand and need cybernetics at some point.  Not that it is 100% horrible given the good Motoko has been able to do with her cyborg abilities but it’s still a bit sad nonetheless.  Though Section 9 does get to have a bit of fun with the perps in the case: medical students trying to be black market organ dealers.  We get to see the team, especially Motoko and Batou cut loose putting the fear of God into these poor kids to teach them a lesson.  And to top it all off, we finally get a Motoko and Batou face off…resulting in a cheerfully smiling Motoko hacking Batou’s arm to knock him out…priceless.

One mini qualm with the latter two episodes of this set, the animation quality dips a bit.  Some of the reactions look a bit more cartoony than the serious animation we saw in the first few episodes.  It’s kind of distracting but not as good as the standards this series has set thus far.

Stand Alone Complex continues to shine, through both sets of Stand Alone and Complex episodes and Section 9 was given the chance to stretch and show off both it’s offensive and investigative skills.  Plus we got to see them have some fun on a case and that’s something a super serious procedural type Anime rarely ever does I think.  Add that to some potentially endless debatable ethical notes and you’ve got a series that is every bit as fun as the manga and films that proceeded it.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC (Season 1) Part 1 Episodes 1-4

(Originally Written August 24, 2014)

2030 AD.  In an age where cybernetics have evolved and the line between human and machine blurs daily, crime is more rampant and unpredictable than ever.  Hackers, cyber warfare specialists, terrorists, criminals everywhere who are one small key stroke away from committing acts of unspeakable terror.  That’s where they come in.  They are Section 9: a small crack team of investigators, hackers, and soldiers led by the beautiful but no nonsense Major Motoko Kusinagi.  From runaway AI Tanks, to simple hackers to a cold case from years gone by, if it has to do with policing the net, Section 9 is at the ready.

Ah Ghost in the Shell.  It’s a title that, like Akira or Astro Boy before it, comes right to mind when the genre of Anime is mentioned.  The original 1995 film is an action classic and while a nice masterpiece, one couldn’t help but think while watching it, this would make a good TV series.  Well it took a few years but the wish was granted and sure enough we got Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.  And as a favor for a friend, it’s my next big series project on Anime Corner.

The series is definitely an Anime not just because of it’s art style but also the setting and Japanese mannerisms that exist even in the (now not so somewhat) far off future.  But SAC does have the prints of a classic procedural police drama tv series…you know when they’re not chasing down giant tanks with smaller tanks with childlike AI.  The cases of the week in these first four episodes are a nice set, ranging from espionage to potential serial murders to the first glimpse of the arc long mystery of the first season.  Each has their own distinct feel, some light hearted, some a bit more serious, some action packed and others mysterious and highly intellectual.  In a way it reminds me of what NCIS or CSI could be if they went fully cyberized and used second to none hacker skills to solve cases…which they do on occasion but I digress.

I should point that out right away.  Much like the movie that preceeded it, SAC is heavy on the existential dialogue, which makes sense considering we’re in that area of scifi that Blade Runner and Metropolis helped make fascinating: man vs machine.  This is an age where technology and humanity have blended together so well that it can be hard to tell who is fully human and who has even the slightest bit of cyborg technology in them.  Some show signs of their augmentations freely like Batou with his eyes.  But could you really tell that the perp who gets his ass kicked by Motoko in the opening moments of Episode 1 is a cyborg until he makes that leap and gets his foot shot off?  I’m sure that deeper debates on the matter will appear in future episodes.  The lines between man and machine have blurred greatly and it will take a new breed of cop to distinguish who’s who in this vibrant and beautiful if not dangerous future. 

And that new breed of cop rocks one interesting costume choice lol.  As the sole female member of Section 9 (well if you don’t count the robot assistants working the cpus at HQ) Motoko has to show that she isn’t just a pretty face rocking what looks like a swimsuit and a leather jacket with boots (that look garnered quite a lot of controversy back in the day but I think it’s alright).  And the first couple of episode show that she can do just that, shooting off feet and taking on tanks with no fear.  She takes no nonsense but has a light sense of humor.  She cares about her team but isn’t afraid to stick it to them when she thinks they’re in the wrong.  Motoko may be a beautiful woman but doesn’t change the fact that she’ll light you up if the situation calls for it.  I will admit, her rant about one poor kids obsession with an outdated female android and how he may treat her is pretty funny, especially Batou and Togusa’s reactions to it.

The rest of Section 9 is pretty diverse: Batou the heavy, Ishikawa the head hacker, Saito the sniper, Pazu and Boma…uh…you know I guess I should touch on that real quick. Motoko, Batou, Ishikawa and Togusa (who I’ll get to in a second), even Saito have their own specific set of special skills they bring to the table.  Pazu and Boma I can still not figure out how they really fit in with Section 9 as a whole.  They just seem like the other guys, back up for characters who need no back up.  Even Saito’s skill set seems limited and we see the least of him after Episode 2 when he uses his really big rifle to take out a menacing tank.  I don’t know, it just seem like, much as with the movie, Motoko, Batou, Togusa and Ishikawa are a fine team on their own without the excess back up. 

Then there’s Togusa, who is one of Section 9’s most interesting characters.  Unlike the rest of Section 9, he is still almost 100% human, well I think Aramaki is as well but not sure.  It’s interesting that Motoko would bring on someone like him to the team especially since they need to be a hard hitting cyberized squad at times.  But Togusa’s human element brings a lot to the mix.  His investigative mind is superb (especially when he gets to show it off in Episode 4) and the fact that he has a family outside of the job is a nice touch.  I think Mokoto really likes having him on the team and she admires how he adjusts to the situation around him and grows as a member of her team.  Oh and partnering him up with Batou is great stuff, not just for the human vs. robot philosophical discussions but also for Batou’s beat down the door approach to Togusa’s more careful execution.

One last thing I will touch on is the soundtrack of the series.  It’s funny jumping from Cowboy Bebop to SAC because you wouldn’t know it unless you looked at the credits…but they both have the same composer, the legendary Yoko Kanno.  Anime’s best music composer is on her A game once again, trading the blues and jazz for a cyberized, technopunk style soundscape that matches the setting and each story perfectly.  And cudos to her on the main theme, “Inner Universe” which is both soothing and blood pumping at the same time.

So as far as initial setup episodes go, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is off to a great start.  Setting established, team (mostly) established, main season villain hinted at but just enough to leave us wanting more, fun had…definitely.  Who is the Laughing Man and what’s his story?  What other hacker threats are out there?  And what other sexy outfits does Motoko have in her closet?  Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is just getting started.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig Part 2 Episodes 5-8

When the Prime Minister becomes the subject of death threats, Section 9 is called in not to solve the crime, but to take point playing her bodyguards.  As the name “Individual Eleven” begins to reemerge, acts of terrorism begin to bombard the city.  Section 9 finds it’s hands tied and unable to work at their best, if not by the PM’s need for security then by the twisted plots of their supposed rivals, Goda and the CIS.  There’s more to this Individual Eleven case than anyone realized and it’s starting to give a feel of déjà vu for Section 9.  What is the Individual Eleven and what does a white skinned cyborg who feels no pain have to do with them?

If I had to give a one word description for this weeks set of episodes, it’s gotta be FRUSTRATING.  And let me be clear, it’s nothing to do with disliking the series, on the contrary I still think it’s great.  I just think it sucks that Section 9 seems so left in the dust when it comes to the Individual Eleven, the PM and most infuriatingly of all GODA!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ahem, sorry got ahead of myself there.  That being said, more pieces are in play to shake things up for the second season.  It’s pretty clear this escalating conflict is going to be more serious than the Laughing Man ever was.

Like is said, the story is fine but it’s Section 9 being denied a win, or a stand alone case just for them, that really bugs me.  Between the Kayabuki constantly needing Section 9 as her bodyguards and Goda’s smugness pulling their chain along, Section 9’s being treated like easy marks unable to do what they do best.  Even two cases that should have been decent stand alones ended up being tied to Goda’s freaking hidden agendas.  It’s clear that this scar faced bastard is up to no good and he’s shoving Section 9’s face in their inability to do anything about it.  And after that sly grin Kayabuki gave Motoko after their first meeting, I was disappointed to see that she was so easily scared and disrupted by death threats, an assassin and a box of severed cyborg fingers…granted that might freak anyone out, true enough.  But I’m beginning to see her as a woman unsure of what she needs to do beyond be protected by Section 9.  I’ve gotta side with Batou’s frustrations this week.  Section 9’s hands are being tied and it doesn’t sit well with me at all.  My one tiny bit of satisfaction from all of this was during Section 9’s para drop operation.  You can tell Batou was going to have fun with Goda being scared of his first air drop…haha you son of a…ahem, apologies again but anytime that guy gets ass kick handed to him, im going to revel in it.

The introduction of the samurai sword wielding Kuze was a high point this week.  His brief showdown with Motoko at the Zen shrine had a bit of a Spike vs Vicious from Cowboy Bebop feel, just in the sword vs gun action.  There was plenty to be curious about in regards to Kuze as well, from his body (being able to take so many bullets and still keep going, plus his mouth never moved as he spoke) to his history that, of course, only Goda seems aware of.  Could tie into more of the world building we have seen so far and what we’re bound to see more of as we possibly see Kuze’s history explored.

Speaking of history explored, we got to take a trip to Tokyo this week with Togusa and a Tachikoma.  We got a bit of background on refugee and other labor forces following the end of the last war.  But the scariest takeaway for me was seeing Tokyo mostly submerged under water.  It’s almost hard to believe that in the shining city where society thrives and Section 9 polices, that parts of the world like this exist, scared battleground and remnants of time long since passed.  More of this will no doubt play heavily into coming weeks regarding both Kuze’s past and the growing powder keg issue that is the Refugees in Dejima.

I have to say that im really hoping we get to see some stories that are more self contained beyond the two we saw last week.  Despite appearances from two of them, every episode ended up being connected to one another, a move that Season One only did in a couple of two parters and then the final seven episodes of that season. Point is, there was room for different cases.  Here though, everything had to have a tie back to Goda or the Individual Eleven.  That could make this series a bit harder for new viewers to jump in on.

Section 9 never seemed to get a legit win in this week and that’s something that will hopefully improve in the coming weeks.  Kayabuki needs to toughen up, Goda needs a punch to the face and kick in the ass…and hopefully Motoko Kusinagi will in some way be the one to deliver to both characters…or Batou, if anyones earned the right to sock it to Goda it’s him…man I really don’t like that guy.

Cowboy Bebop Part 6 Episodes 23-26

(Originally Written August 17, 2014)

The Bebop crew reaches a crossroads.  For some, the time has come to move on.  For others, it’s time to settle old scores once and for all.  When Vicious stages a coup and assumes leadership of the Red Dragons, everyone’s in danger, even Spike long lost love Julia.  But when the greatest tragedy imaginable happens, the time comes for the final showdown.  Spike vs. Vicious-who will walk away…will anyone walk away.  It all ends here.

Sigh, as they say, “All good things must come to an end”…but man did Bebop get one heckuva show stopping ending.  There’s a lot to cover in this final review and hopefully I can touch on everything.  Let’s get rolling then.

The set starts with the slow but still interesting Episode 23, which has the crew going up against a mysterious cult leader who may be more than he seems.  What I liked about this episode was seeing the crew acting like a team.  Not that we haven’t seen it before but watching Jet, Ed and Ein (holy crap the data dog finally shows off his skills) work out the secret of Londes was awesome.  Spike and Faye had some ok moments but mostly this was Jet, Ed and definitely Ein’s time to shine.  Also notable was the cancellation of the Big Shots bounty hunter news show, signifying that the end of the series was near.

Then to nail that “End has Come” notion in further, we bade a fond farewell to everyones favorite hacker and data dog duo.  I love Ein debating several times whether or not to go with Ed or remain on the Bebop as both are clearly important to him.  But clearly, as much as Jet has raised him and Spike and Faye has had their back and forth moments, Ed is the most important person on the Bebop to Ein and for them to go running off into the sunset (supposedly after Ed’s dad) is the perfect ending for them.  It’s a shame that Ed and Ein haven’t gotten a spinoff show of their own but like much of this show, it’s probably better that way to maintain the unique legacy of this series.

And it’s probably a good thing Ed and Ein took off when they did because there was sadly no room for comic relief or levity in the slam bang two part finale “The Real Folk Blues”.  Bullets and blood fly and Jet takes a shot in the leg as Vicious and the Red Dragons returned to shake things up a bit.  Gloom and doom were everywhere here and for the first time you felt like this might really be it for the crew of the Bebop.  And when Vicious ended up victorious in ending the lives of the former Red Dragon leaders, the stage was set for something epic.  Hell, the theme song doesn’t even play in the last episode, just a quiet black title screen, chilling.

But of course there was one element that still needed to appear and that was Julia and wow, what a woman.  Blonde, mysterious and possessing an instant draw and likability, she had some great scenes with both Spike and Faye (the latter of which she got a fun highway action sequence with).  And while we didn’t get all the answers to Spike’s past with her (just a couple of minor extended versions of images we’ve seen before) it was still good to see Julia and Spike reunited if only for a short while.  Still, the way these episodes were going, a happy ending just didn’t seem likely and while Spike did manage to blow away a bunch of Red Dragon hitmen with a shotgun, he still lost Julia.  The look in Spike’s eye said it all…no more running.

Which led to one heart wrenching farewell for Spike and his best friends.  He and Jet share one last meal and stories they hate while Faye tearfully begs Spike not to go to his death.  Oh Faye and Spike.  Theirs is a relationship that many fans of the show hoped would evolve into something more.  And why couldn’t it?  Spike’s a good looking bad ass and Faye is…well a good looking bad ass with nice legs lol.  They compliment each other and get along very well but because of his love for Julia, Spike could probably never love Faye as more than a close friend.  If things could have ever been more with them, we will never know.

And as a special rendition of “The Real Folk Blues” (appropriately titled See You Space Cowboy I think) played in the background, Spike wagged a one man war through a skyscraper of Red Dragon soldiers to get to Vicious.  Every hit Spike took made you worry.  Would he even make it to Vicious and even if he did would he be able to kill him?  The answer to that was built up to in one of the best Anime duels ever.  Finally, we got the rematch we were denied in Jupiter Jazz as Spike and Vicious clashed sword against gun one more time, resulting in wounds, a stand off, a slide of weapons to each other and one final blast…bye bye Vicious you amazingly evil bastard.

Which brings us to one of Bebops most fascinating aspects: the ending.  Spike descends some stairs as stunned Red Dragon soldiers look on.  Spike stops, smiles, raising his hand in the form of a gun and says the final word of the series…BANG, and then falls.  Cue the start of “Blue” (Yoko Kanno’s beautiful final track for the series) and a slow drag of credits leading to one final image of the fallen Spike.  NOW, when I first saw this series, the end was how I saw it: Spike defeated Vicious and died from his wounds, sad ending.  However, director Shinichiro Watanabe is pretty playful with his replies to Spike’s fate.  Did he die…or is he simply sleeping?  Truth be told, the latter is possible because it’s Spike and passing out after a fight is something he would do.  But, as hard as it is to say sometimes, I like Spike dying in the end.  It’s a suitable conclusion for his arc and while he didn’t get to be with Julia or his friends, he finished Vicious off for good.  He finally earned a rightfully deserved his long rest. 

Final Thoughts:

I know many hope that Spike’s alive so that one day there can be a sequel to the series.  But in a way, it’s better left to just these 26 episodes.  Cowboy Bebop may not be completely perfect but it’s flaws are overshadowed by it’s sheer fun and unique vibe that has made it able to gel with audiences who aren’t just into Anime but also scifi, action, westerns, film noir, jazz.  If it does succeed at one thing, Bebop blends a lot of elements together into a world anyone can love.  The characters, action, stories and especially Yoko Kanno’s music are always remembered long after a viewing.  I think it’s safe to say that if it’s one Anime anyone should see before they die…it’s Cowboy Bebop.

9/10

 

Hope everyone has been enjoying the classic reviews so far. Starting next week it's a double dose of Ghost in the Shell: Brand new 2nd gig review on Monday and the beginning of the Season One Review of Stand Alone Complex the rest of the week. Get ready for the cyberpunk take over everyone.