Ghost in the Shell: Arise Part 4

Part 4-Border 4-Ghost Stands Alone

When a peaceful protest turns into a violent massacre, all signs point to the name Fire Starter.  Ever since she left Unit 501, Motoko has been searching for the creator of the Fire Starter virus that infused her with false memories for a time.  Now that she has a full unit, she’s ready to close in on the criminals responsible.  Will Motoko finally close the lid on this case that has haunted her for so long?  Or will she find more questions than answers in the action packed finale of Ghost in the Shell: Arise.

Well at long last and after many lengths to get my hands on it, we’ve finally come to the final episode of the Ghost in the Shell: Arise series.  Was it worth the wait?  Well…kind of?  While it is really great to see all of the key Ghost in the Shell players finally united, the “resolution” we get to this whole series long mystery is non existent.

Yes, there is no resolution to the Fire Starter mystery in “Ghost Stands Alone” (like the nod to the previous incarnation of GITS).  Instead we get one more stand alone tale that incorporates players and elements from the previous episodes in an attempt to wrap something up while stiring the pot more.  There is a pretty interesting story here though.  The subject of Ghost Dubbing reared it’s head a couple of times in Stand Alone Complex.  But multiple Ghost Dubbings is something else entirely, particularly when you’re fusing two minds.  Would you go that far to live forever after death?  How much of yourself is left after countless Dub attempts?  It’s pretty scary when you think about it.  Though not nearly as scary as Togusa getting hacked, holding his gun to his head thinking it’s a phone and talking to his dead father.  Come on, we almost lost him in Solid State Society, quit scaring us like that.

Once again, the characters shine and it’s great to see Motoko’s team together at last.  The serious work mode of SAC is here but so is the humor from the last episode.  Motoko making Batou nude in the chat room to poke fun at him was great, as was the bit where Batou took the fight outside and still got his ass handed to him.  Oh and believe it or not, we got to see the team in their downtime.  Seeing as how the episode takes place around Christmas, we’re treated to some nice final scenes: Togusa going home to his wife and newborn child; Paz, Borma, Saito and Ishikawa all having Christmas Dinner together; and Motoko and Batou sharing a drink on a boat while Batou tries to convince Motoko to go swimming with him (hey I’d love to see this Motoko in a swimsuit too).  The best moments, however, will always be Motoko and Aramaki for me.  By the end of this episode, we come to know why their bond is as solid as it has been in later iterations.  Aramaki’s little revelation to Motoko at the end clearly rocked her world and her opinion of the old ape.

The animation quality seemed to vary from moment to moment.  The intro battle is breathtaking, especially Motoko battling a chopper while falling down a skyscraper.  But once we get to the half way mark, most notably Motoko and Batou’s shootout at 501 HQ, the polish wears off and things look a little more cartoony than they should.  Even at it’s worst, Stand Alone Complex always looked like it maintained steady quality throughout.  Arise has it’s charm but the animation has been inconsistent throughout, which is a letdown.

Now, as for the Fire Starter mystery.  Turns out Arise was meant to be resolved in Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie, which was released the summer after Arise ended (see my review of it here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/ghost-in-shell-new-movie.html)  There was also a televised version of Arise called Alternate Architetcure (AAA).  It split each OVA episode into two parts for TV broadcast and included a bonus fifth, two part story, Pyrophoric Cult, which was meant to tie up Fire Starter while seeding the events of The New Movie.  So knowing that there’s an extra episode that wasn’t included in the original release feels like a bit of a cheat on the productions part.  AAA is available for streaming and download thanks to Funimation, so I could easily download and watch it and see the resolution, maybe even review the episode down the line.  Point is, if you go from this “final” episode of Arise into The New Movie, you’re going to be confused as to why Fire Starter wasn’t resolved.  That’s pretty irritating.

And now for my final thoughts.  Flaws and all, I really liked Ghost in the Shell: Arise.  The animation may have flip flopped and the score isn’t the knock out of the park hit that Yoko Kanno’s SAC score was, but I loved the fresh takes on this cast.  Seeing the beginnings of Motoko, Batou, Togusa, Aramaki and the others was a lot of fun and it showed in their interactions.  The stiffened seriousness of Stand Alone Complex didn’t stop this series from cracking a joke more than once every few episodes.  I also really enjoyed Motoko as a younger, still flawed individual coming into her own.  She still retained her smarts and her determination but was always learning to trust others and work with a team.  Seeing her in love was one of the shows best stories, showing Motoko is still capable of feeling an emotion many, myself included, didn’t think she ever could (poor Batou).  Plus I really dig the red outfit.  If the main story had been wrapped in this initial telling, then I would rate the series higher.  But to have to track down another episode isn’t very appealing, even if ill do it eventually.  Still, what I saw did leave me wanting more, in a good way not just in a “the story wasn’t wrapped up entirely” kind of way.  If you’re a Ghost in the Shell fan, this one’s for you.  If you’re just a fan of scifi and Blade Runner especially, still give it a shot…but you might like the 1995 Oshii movie or Stand Alone Complex a bit more.

7/10

Well it’s time for a bit of a change with our next series.  Next week I’ll be taking a look at a slice of life series I know and love dearly.  There’s kendo, there’s strong female characters and…there’s sushi.  Bamboo Blade starts next week…don’t freak out ok?

PPS

Might have one other review from Katsucon that I’ve been meaning to post.  So expect a potential special double posting today.

First Impression Friday (FIF) #1-Your Lie in April

Kousei Arima was a piano playing master at the age of 11.  Taught by his mother, there wasn’t a number he could not play…until one day he could not.  Ever since a tragic blunder during a performance, Kousei has lost the ability to hear the sounds of the instrument he loved to play.  But then he meets the beautiful Kaori Miyazono, a prodigy violinist.  She is determined to play to her hearts content and she wants Kousei to back her up on stage at the piano.  There are reasons why Kou lost his gifts and why he is afraid to return to the spotlight.  But sometimes the road back is paved with challenges, from facing your fears to falling in love.

Welcome to First Impression Friday.  In this new little feature, I’ll be posting my initial thoughts on different series im checking out but not intending to do a full review of them.  These may be the first couple of episode or even a small group of 6, kind of depends on what ive seen.  I’ll share my likes, dislikes and whether or not I’ll be carrying on with this series for the foreseeable future.  Chances are I could just be watching out of excitement or desperation in the hope that a show will get better (trust me that bit’s been known to happen).  And to kick off this new run, I taking a look at a series that was heavily promoted at Katsucon: Your Lie in April.

Personally, when it comes to Anime I am an action/scifi/mecha lover first and foremost.  Anything else I take with a grain of salt and it will be a long shot that I enjoy it.  However, sitting down at the premiere of the English Dub of Your Lie in April at Katsucon 2016 was something I needed.  I was a bit bogged down by events earlier in the day and I needed some inspiration.  I could have gotten that anywhere at the convention but somehow, being in this room, watching these 3 episodes was what I needed at the time.  Was it the characters, the humor, the music (especially the opening and ending themes)?  Well it was a mix of all.

While the degree to which Kou’s mental block affects him has yet to be fully revealed, I think we’ve all been at some stage of talent block in our lives: Music, writing, animating or otherwise.  I feel for him, mostly.  How bad his mother probably treated him during his training makes me wonder why Kou put up with it.  That’s still too early in the series to talk about.  What I can talk about is the blossoming friendship between Kou and Kaori, which is the selling point of this series.  Kaori is insane, in a good way…sort of.  She’s hilariously rabid and violent but a gentle soul around children.  And when she’s on stage, she’s a rockstar with a violin.  Kaori breaks the rules and plays the way she wants to play.  And it’s this philosophy she wants to impart to Kou to help snap him back into playing.  Why do you play the violin?  Why do you play the piano?  All are good questions to be discussed as this series continues.  Now does Kaori see Kou as more than just her accompanying Pianist?  I want to say yes but more needs to develop.  Still, the effect Kaori has on Kou is obvious even if he doesn’t know what to make of it.  It’s heartwarming and overpowers my head scratching over Kou’s inner situation.  Just what the hell did his mom do to him.

The music is very well done.  Both the opening and ending themes and the classical music are great.  The musical throwdown between Kou and Kaori steals the show in these first few episodes.  I’m not sure how classical music purists would feel about this little step away from performing but damn it was awesome.  This is arguably the best use of orchestra ive seen in an Anime since Evangelion and MAN I didn’t think anything could come close after that series.  Im wondering if the infamous Beethoven Symphony #9 will come into play before the series ends.

There’s a pretty fair balance between the humor and heavier moments in Your Lie in April.  Usually most of the darkness revolves around Kou and his breakdowns.  Which is a good thing that fun supporting characters like Tsubaki and Watari are around to liven things up along with Kaori.  Kou is practically immortal with all of the physical abuse (THE FUNNY KIND NOT WHATEVER THE F HIS MOTHER WAS DOING TO MAKE HIM A BETTER PIANIST) being thrown his way by all three characters.  But the humor is good motivation and is pretty uplifting at times.  Kaori’s special kick and finishing pose on the roof is easily one of the funniest moments in an Anime ive seen in a long time.

So will I continue with this series?  You know what, yeah.  I’m four episodes in and im invested with what happens to Kou, Kaori, Tsubaki and Watari.  I’m guessing there will be some heartache and some love triangles or two developing between these four.  But the inspiration they create when theyre all together is undeniable.  I haven’t been into an Anime about music like this since K-On.  Could this be the next K-On or Ouran High School Host Club for me.  I certainly hope so.

 

RWBY Vol.3

The Vytal Festival Tournament has finally begun.  Teams from academies across the kingdom gather for an all out but friendly brawl for victory. And Team RWBY is ready to prove their worth to the world.  But there are others who have their own plans for the tournament.  Cinder, Emerald and Mercury finally begin their plan which has been ages in the making.  A darkness descends upon Beacon, the likes of which has never been seen before.  For Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang and their allies, this will be the battle that tests them like never before.  And when the dust finally settles, nothing will ever be the same again.

Following the unfortunate passing of series creator Monty Oum last year, the future of RWBY was uncertain.  But Rooster Teeth announced that Oum’s series would carry on and return to fans within the year.  And RWBY did indeed return.  But I don’t think anybody was ready for what this season was going to bring.

This is easily the darkest RWBY has ever been.  It kind of harkens back to the first few character trailers before the series began.  The action, music and pacing seemed pretty dramatic and it wasn’t until we saw Yangs trailer that we found some of the series humor.  Now the humor is still there but that’s mostly placed in the first half of the series before the rug is ripped out from under us in the second half.  Merciless is how I have been describing the events of Season 3 to most people.  And I know that a lot of what goes down, especially in the finale, is going to divide the fandom straight down the middle.  Will anyone stand against what the creators did to so many beloved characters or will they embrace change?

Me?  I actually embrace it.  That doesn’t mean it’s hard watching characters get killed or maimed.  But one thing I felt was particularly lacking about the first two seasons was a sense of tension and danger for the girls and their friends.  Everything felt like it was building up to something but we never got a proper payoff.  Now there is still the elaborate chess movement of characters and plot points that is still continuing in this season as well.  The difference is that there’s payoff here and I like that there are bold moves made that cant be reversed (right now anyway but who knows).  The two halves of Season 3 are distinct.  The opening half is all of what we love about RWBY and more: the action, the team dynamics, the still kick ass music.  But half two is when everything falls apart, literally and you feel like youre on the edge of your seat more than ever.  It’s always a risky move to shake up a world like this.  But I cant wait for Season 4 with the hopes that the new direction sticks while retaining much of RWBY’s charm and humor…but no laughs during the season finale folks, it was all tears and WTF’s.

Even with the much missed presence of Monty Oum (made harder by the fact that they had to recast Wren, who Oum voiced) you can tell that the Rooster Teeth staff is doing their damnedest to honor his memory.  Season 3 is, in my opinion, the best looking season to date.  There’s a more natural Anime kind of feel to it and it just looks much smoother and polished (probably helps that they didn’t release RWBY in the summer like they usually do and waited for Fall).  All of the characters you know and love are back as well.  Though with the redirected closer focus on Cinder, Emerald and Mercury, a couple of fan favs kind of get left to the side like Sun and Neptune, at least until the finale.  I feel like a little more could have been done with Weiss’s sister, Winter, especially with her relationship with Qrow.  And man, after all the hype, Qrow did not disappoint with his drunken arrival.  You can tell why Ruby and Yang are so energetic and optimistic in their adventures by just seeing how great they are around him.  Also helps that Qrow is voiced by Vic Minogna (aka Edward Elric of Fullmetal Alchemist fame).  How RT managed that I don’t know but theyre awesome for it.

There’s a great sadness that will stay with you long after the Season 3 credits roll.  But there’s also a fire, that burned in me at least, to see Season 4 pronto so all of this could be resolved.  Binging this season was a lot like binging Madoka Magica.  You feel wide eyed in wonder at the beginning and then leave teary eyed and a little pissed…but in a good way, in a good, GOOD way.  RWBY Season 3 will be the most controversial season yet but whether fans love it or hate it, like me they’ll be back for more when Season 4 commences sometime this year.  Cause no matter what happened to them this round, through the fire and the flames, Team RWBY will carry on.

9/10

T5W#28-Top 5 RWBY Moments (Season 1&2)

So…I binge watched the third season of RWBY the other night.  Lotttttts of feels, both heartbreaking and infuriating.  Who thought Rooster Teeth could be so ruthless with their storytelling but do it in a Game of Thrones matter that makes you love it more?  I’ll be sure to do a review on it soon while it’s fresh.  In the meantime, since I don’t feel like talking Season 3 spoilers, I figure id take a look back at the first two seasons of RWBY that ive covered on this blog.  These are my Top 5 favorite moments across both sets of episodes and ill do my best to keep things spoiler free…that’s what Season 3 is for.

 

#5-Red Like Roses (Red Trailer)

RWBY was first announced in a surprise trailer following the credits of Red vs Blue Season 10.  The trailer was a mystery for sure.  A little red ridding hood looking girl looking over a gravestone.  Suddenly she is surrounded by Grimm.  What comes next is totally unexpected.  Red produces a gun sythe and goes on a slaughter spree of all the monsters.  While the more mature feel of the trailer wouldn’t find it’s way into the series til much later, the Red trailer showcased Monty Oum’s talent for over the top and imaginative action sequences.  And this was only the first taste of what was to come.

 

#4-The Entrance Exam (Season 1)

So much of the first seasons charm can be found in this middle arc.  Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss along with Jeaune, Phyrra, Wren and Nora all meet for the first time, creating their teams, getting into mishaps and ending their first test with a Final Fantasy style clash against an enormous monster.  The action and music are perfect.  But it’s the little moments like Ruby crying out for Yang while running through the forest or Jeaune absolutely hilarious, “It’s not the relic, it’s not, it’s not,” when he’s ambushed by a scorpion that make this little segment worthwhile.

 

#3-Weiss makes peace with Blake (Season 1)

Weiss was a stubborn character in Season 1 and probably what I felt was the weakest link.  She kept repeating story beat three different times, twice with Ruby.  Still, each time she got through them and came out a better person.  And this is best exemplified when she scolds Blake for not coming to her team about her past with the White Fang.  At first you think Weiss is going to be kind of a bitch.  But her kind words, reminding Blake that this team has her back no matter what, brought a tear to my eye as well as Blakes.

 

#2-Zewi (Season 2)

Every Anime needs a mascot and Rooster Teeth mustve loved Cowboy Bebop.  Enter Zwei, Ruby and Yangs adorable puppy.  Not only can he be fired as a projectile to great affect, but he can even sway Weiss and Professor Oobleck to keep him around when he really shouldn’t be in Beacon or on a mission.  Zwei is the most adorable puppy and an instant win for the series.  If you cant fall in love with a face like his, you’re not human.

 

#1-Food Fight (Season 2)

“Justice will be swift.  Justice will be painful.  It will be…DELICIOUS!!!”  With this battle cry from team leader Ruby, Season 2 of RWBY got off to an amazing start.  We were given an excellent fight between Team’s RWBY and JNPR in what can only be described as fun.  Tables flying, turkey’s being used as boxing gloves, Ruby wailing as Weiss falls, this has easily been the high point of the series for me.  It’s the perfect blend of action and fun, which is what RWBY has always been.  Which makes the events of Season 3 all the more tragic when looking back at this sequence…but more on that at another time.

Ghost in the Shell: Arise Part 3

Part 3-Border 3-Ghost Tears

Life should be pretty good for Major Motoko Kusinagi.  She’s not only got the unit made to her perfect specs, but she’s also found herself a nice boyfriend in the form of Akira Hose.  So what’s the downside?  Beside Firestarter still at large, Motoko is still short one team member to get her unit recognized.  Plus she’s got a terrorist attack on a Water Dam and the death of a detective to investigate.  And the prime suspect in both incidents?  Akira.  Motoko seems a totally different person around this man.  Will she be able to separate her desires from her duty?

Kept you all waiting huh?  Well here it is at long last, the first of the final two episodes of the Ghost in the Shell prequel.  And I think we got one of the much stronger, character driven episodes than anything we’ve gotten in either the movies or the Stand Alone Complex saga.

What made this episode special for me is Motoko.  Arise has given me probably my favorite interpretation of the character: younger, flawed but learning, tough and beautiful.  But Ghost Tears showed us a side to Motoko we’ve never really seen before: Motoko in love.  Every scene she shares with Akira is a new experience.  Motoko is happy, practically glowing and will take no crap from Batou for teasing.  There’s a much more human feel to Motoko seeing her in a capacity other than law enforcer or soldier.  I mean just look at her in the dress she wears to Akira’s friends wedding…damn.  And what’s more is that Akira really seems to care about Motoko just as much.  He’s genuinely a good guy, which is something Motoko never thought she deserved.  Now we’ve seen teases of Motoko romances in the past with Batou and especially Kuze in 2^nd Gig.  But those always played second fiddle to Motoko being all about business.  Here, she was enjoying pleasure…even if one of those mini vacations was only 5 hours and 7 minutes long.  It’s a welcome sight that I wish could have lasted a lot longer.

Another aspect that seems to place this adaptation above SAC is the comradere between Motoko’s Proto Section 9 team.  There’s a nice bit of humor and welcome to the group, different to the totally cold depiction of the team in SAC.  Heck one bit of humor from the manga that only showed up once in SAC is Motoko making Batou punch himself when he gets out of line.  She does that to him twice and no one even bats an eye.  It’s just another day for the team. 

After sitting out last episode entirely, Togusa came back to the fold.  I really like this take on his character.  He’s eager, eccentric and a lot of things Motoko and her unit are not.  And I like how he eventually wins Motoko over and she recruits him to be the final key team member.  His reaction comes perfectly timed with the announcement of his wife going into labor.  The human element Togusa brings is very welcome.  Aramaki even reiterates something Motoko herself spoke in the Ghost in the Shell movie, “Overspecialize and you breed in weakness, it’s slow death.”  Togusa’s detective instincts and humanity will definitely give Motoko’s unit an unexpected edge for sure.

The Firestarter Arc of this series did have a couple of extra players thrown in to keep the mystery going alongside the main story of the episode.  Hozumi, much like Godha in 2^nd Gig, just screams obvious bad guy with her whole Darth Vader mask get up.  Dr. Thied’s story wasn’t totally wrapped up this episode so I’m sure we’ll see her again next episode.  But more puzzling is Krutzu’s apparent new protegee for Unit 501.  One short meeting with Motoko and this young one is confident she can take Motoko?  There wasn’t a lot of focus on Fire Starter but the pieces are moving into place slowly.  Should make for an interesting finale next week.

Ghost Tears was a solid episode if only for how well the characters were done.  The action was ok but not as good as Episode 2.  The main draw was Motoko in a world of romance and the tragedy it brought to her world in the end.  Will this change her down the line and will we see any of this affect her with one more episode left in this little series?  Sucks to say but as quickly as it has returned, Ghost in the Shell Arise concludes next week with a nice little nod of a title: Ghost Stands Alone.

Catch ya next time.

PS

Having caught a couple of new-ish titles at Katsucon last weekend, I have an idea for a new feature on the Anime Corner.  Keep an eye out Friday for a special debut that I hope everyone will enjoy.