mzgothicgamrgrrrl
I live and breathe Ghost in the Shell. Cliché expression I know, but I've no other way to explain my fascination with both the Manga and the Anime adaptations. So naturally, at the mention of a new franchise,a prequel no less, I leaped at the opportunity to see it, only to reel backwards at the result.Now, don't get me wrong. For a TV series, the animation is beyond fantastic, and the colors especially are very well detailed. The use of darkness, alongside the foreboding shadowy atmosphere works really well at developing an alternate flavor to the preexisting franchise. The action scenes are very entertaining, and the accompanying musical score really helps to set the mood, settling you into a time of adept digital technology.The vulnerability we witness in heroine, Major Motoko Kusangi, is something we have not encountered before, and really helps in not only sympathizing with her character, but in realizing that she is a younger, less powerful individual than we have previously encountered. Despite this, she continues to display the same level of determination, authority and compassion we have previously had the pleasure of viewing.Although I questioned why Motoko was not of a lesser rank during this feature (in Shirow Masamune's original manga, Ghost in the Shell, it was mentioned she was once a Lieutenant), this question was made irrelevant by the sheer lengths Motoko was willing to go to find the truth about what happened to her superior, Lieutenant Colonel Mamuro, which brilliantly convinces us how much this man meant to her.The inclusion of the Logicoma (the younger version of the Tachikoma) is additionally fun to watch, although our four legged friend perhaps deserved some further screen time, which is certainly made up for during the sequel, Ghost Whispers.Furthermore, the story is filled with a great depth of intrigue that is fabulously built up, in which the creators feed us only slips of information as we attempt to solve the puzzle, having to wait until the final moments to successfully unravel the truth.There is perhaps more of the story that could have been fleshed out, and additional background provided to characters, with Motoko been the primary focus of this episode, however this is not the reason behind why I felt disappointment with this feature. Despite the addendum that Motoko looks nothing like she has formerly, with a completely different hairdo, physique, outfit and voice, this I was willing to overlook in order to simply enjoy the episode.Ghost Pain explores the back-story of not only Section 9, and how it began to be formed, but how the Major came to become fully cyborg. This endeavor is quite ambitious, and would have worked perfectly, if the feature had not decided to reinvent everything.During Masamune's manga, Ghost in the Shell 2 Man-Machine Interface, Motoko reveals she underwent the procedure to become completely cyborg when she was just a child. In the first season of Stand Alone Complex (SAC), Kenji Kamiyama reveals the Major was 6 years of age when she experienced the surgery that transformed her into a cyborg, which is further detailed in SAC 2nd Gig, where the audience discovers Motoko suffered a massive ordeal, her human body been irreparably damaged, therefore requiring her mind to be transferred to that of a cyborg replacement. Moreover, the back-story regarding how Paz joined Section 9 (which was explored during SAC 2nd Gig) is also changed. Long story short, none of these are taken into account, this prequel subsequently telling a completely different and contradictory storyline, that long time fans of the series might have difficulty digesting.If this is not enough, during the special features, located on the Ghost Whispers disc (the sequel to Ghost Pain), the director of both episodes notes how he has forgotten if Motoko's back-story was developed during SAC. If the man directing the project apparently hasn't done his research, and the same can probably be said for the writers, hence the lacking connection between this series and the previous, how are we, the audience, supposed to trust these developers with the continuation of a much loved franchise? As a stand alone feature, Ghost Pain is an interesting edition to the series. When in contrast with what has come before, I personally think the creators should have done their homework. In watching the feature, it is obvious one of the driving influences was to reveal Motoko's humanity, a factor that could have been equally attempted if the writers had taken the time to view what had come before. If those at the helm of the project are willing to create a show that changes all that we have learned about Motoko's background, should we be willing to participate?
kyphe
Now If I am honest I went into this movie a bit sceptically due to the looks of the trailers. But upon pressing play I found the new visual design to be of little consequence and very soon I settled down to what I hoped would be an enjoyable watch. So where did it all go wrong! Well not graphically! I can tell you, graphic quality is not an issue in this production. In fact this is very much a spectacle rich movie in line with western blockbusters as far as that goes, but just like western blockbusters the brains have left the building! It's all flash and no bang, the plot is both boring and stupid, the pacing of the non action moments are so poor you find yourself drifting and thinking about shopping lists and laundry! The things that made GITS so special above its setting its look and even its main characters, was it depth and intelligence! You will find little of either in this film. It is not bad, it is just no where near a 7 out of 10. It is a mediocre 5, watch it and forget it.
dodoublebs
OK so I have been waiting for some new GITS for a looong time, and I finally had a chance to check it out. Although I usually enjoy my GITS dubbed, I found the sub superbly done and have no doubt the dub will be right up my alley when it is finally released. The animation was top notch as well. When I first saw the previews I did not particularly appreciate what they had done with the major; that said however, I actually ended up liking her character look a lot more when I finally saw the complete episode. Bauto, tougusa, pazu, and aramaki all look pretty much the way we have known them throughout. Back to the animation... It was beautiful! The fight scenes were crisp and very dynamic. Although I must say that occasionally I did feel that the main characters did not have enough detail in the faces, but this was more in scenes while walking or a "non-close-up" part. Now why I gave this ep an 8... Pros: animation was absolutely astonishing, and I came to appreciate the changes to certain characters. I loved the story line with the major because of the internal struggle she has to deal with and because I liked seeing this side of her personality. In SAC we got to see glimpses of the majors more human side, but most of the time it was all business. In this ep we see the major as more of a human and how she reacts to personal issues or her coping mechanisms with personal dilemmas. I really connected with the major on a more personal level than a sexy, gun-toting, ass kicking, cybernetic bad ass that we all know and love from SAC. To me she seemed more human in this series so far... I guess is what I'm getting at.Cons: one of my favorite aspects of SAC was the soundtrack, hell I'd try and sing along to openers/closers (not very well mind you lol). But in this ep there was nothing that really hooked me and to be honest I felt closing credits was the most boring song ever to end such a exciting show. The only other issue (which is really the reason I deducted two points from my rating) I had with the ep was the conclusion to the over arching story line. I know maybe I've been too spoiled with the super intellectual and exciting endings in SAC, but this one just made me ready to move on the next ep with glimpses of what is to come.So in conclusion watch this show however you can because it will not disappoint, even with my few cons this show is prime time and I loved it. Cannot wait to see episode 2!
