Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex

[Shawn]

I just started watching this and I'm really impressed so far. I haven't taken interest in a "new" anime series in a very long time. Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, and Hellsing just haven't really caught my interest much (although the latter has me at least slightly interested), but I downloaded SAC on a whim and I'm really hooked. The art is really top-notch and I like the psuedo-mystery theme of each episode so far. The music is also really fantastic, and I'm now regretting not having grabbed the OST from the BitTorrent forum earlier.

Anyone else watching/watched this?

[Master Yoghurt]

I might check it out. I have heard some good things about it, its apparently very popular. I have not seen Stand Alone Complex, but I have seen Ghost in the Shell I & 2 which I really enjoyed.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

I need to see GItS 2; I've read the manga, and I'm already a diehard Shirow fangirl. I saw SAC on the shelves at Best Buy last week, and about wet my pants. I really need to see them.

[Pierce Tondry]

If anyone ever went to my forums, they'd know that this is one of my official recommendations.

I basically catch new anime as Adult Swim features it. GitS: SAC is really enjoyable out of their newest breed. Wolf's Rain is pathetic, and Witch Hunter Robin could have been good, if they'd redone the dialogue and made things a touch less intricate.

First WHR episode line uttered by a random joe badguy: "Could it be you're what they call a hunter?" WHO THE FUCK SAYS THAT? Maybe someone from the age of chivalry, which is dead.

[Shawn]

I just got GITS2 myself; Haven't got around to watching it yet. I'm watching the Fansubs of SAC... didn't know Cartoon Network was airing it until yesterday. I generally have nothing against dubs, but I feel like it'd be watered down some on that station.

I've only had the chance to watch the first 4 episodes so far, but I'm catching up as time permits. :D

[Pierce Tondry]

Of course it would. It's Cartoon Network. Sex is either toned down or turned into cheese and violence/blood and gore are reduced to still-frames and gunshots being heard over the city rooftops.

But for people like me who can't spend money on anime but still would like the exposure, it's useful in getting the product to me. Short of someone sending me a file or mailing me copies of the GitS movies, I wouldn't likely watch them. Same goes for SAC- if it doesn't fit into my schedule, I won't catch it.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Speaking of GitS; if you haven't read the manga I highly suggest you do. If you like the GitS movie, the manga will help you get a much better feel of the world that Shirow has created. One of the coolest things about Shirow's work is that he has put in an index to fictional historical occurances (as well as real events that happened, I believe) that have shaped his future vision - not to mention it's also a glossary of sorts for some of the terminology that he uses and tactics that Section 9 utilizes.

It's definately some of his earlier work, as a major difference can be seen between GitS and MMI.

His skill with coloring is something I wish I could steal, but for some reason or another, I like his B/W stuff the best.

[Shawn]

To be honest, I'm finding the story of SAC a bit difficult to follow so far. I'd like to blame it on the translation, but I think AonE (the group that did the fansub) probably did as good of a job translating as possibly can be done. They even add footnotes to explain colloquialisms and unusual abbreviations.

Then again, I recall having a difficult time understanding the original GITS movie the first time I watched it. ^_^;

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

That's one of the coolest things about Shirow's work - the first time you see it, it makes hardly any sense. But after that, every time you rewatch or reread something he's had his hands on, you understand more and more, and notice things you hadn't noticed during the previous times you saw/read it :)

[Shawn]

Yeah, I went back and rewatched GITS a few years later and it made perfect sense.

I'm currently downloading the new Appleseed movie. I've heard some complaints about it but I'm curious to check out the animation, if nothing else.

[Pierce Tondry]

Actually, I've never had the problem you describe Christin, with anyone's work. For some reason, stories and plots seem to click in my head and I know what's going to happen as soon as the author drops an indicator in most cases. It's a rare occurrence that I can't figure out where a story is going ahead of time, and an even more rare one that I don't understand what has happened by the time a story is done should I not guess its outcome.

That having been said, my brother found GitS to be fairly repetitive in its message, to the point of obnoxiousness he said. I haven't watched it myself, but a friend of mine has a copy I'm going to watch when I can. I might come back with a discussion once I'm done.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Ok, so I was hanging out at the mall with fellow goon Forzan this evening, and in GameStop, what do my eyes see but GitS:SAC the GAME????

Has anyone heard anything about it? And if so, are the reviews any good? I loved the first GitS game, and I'm very much intrigued by this one.

[Shawn]

It currently has a 67% average score (http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/919632.asp) on gamerankings.com.

I played around with the PSX GITS game. It was kind of fun, once I cranked up the framerate.

[Mu Satach]

I love SAC. So much I lived on crappy food for 2 weeks so I could purchase the 1st volume + soundtrack. Sometime in January I'm going to live on crappy food again to get the 2nd vol. and so on and so on and so on...
:)
I still havn't seen Innocence, but eventually I will.

[Shawn]

I'll torrent it sometime in the near future.