C&C - Ghost in the Shell - "Stand Alone Complex" [5/7]

[The Landstander]

This is it for awhile (hence the title of the show being the title of the episode. Oh what a card, those episode title writers!).

[zmanjz]

what....... :eek:

just happened.



pulls out cartridge and reinserts it:

"What?" :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

[Railith]

what.......

just happened.
I dunno but in GitS terms I'm satisfied.

[Delthayre]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

So we get to spend a good few minutes watching Tougusa (still the most relatable human character on the show for my money) recite his falling apart, then Batou finds him and takes him back to an apparently re-formed Section 9 and then... EXPOSITION!

Bwuh?

By the way, do the character designs seem slightly different to anyone else? Tougusa looked bony and worn, which I initially attributed to to rough three months he'd gone through, but the other characters look different too.

[Dub]

I think I get what happened so far and I actually didnt see this outlook coming but its an extremely smart way to wrap things up clean. The entire thing was a total set-up. I want to see the rest of it first however.

That scene with Ishikawa mocking Batou however was LOL funny.

[Railith]

Copies without an original, crazy stuff and I like it!

Great ending for a great show.

[zmanjz]

so...

It all just is what it is?

[Demonic Raven]

I'll probably need a second viewing of this, but it was a good ending anyway.

With the red hunting hat, the references to Catcher in the Rye come full circle.

[Hyper_Anthony]

Pretty good. I enjoyed the entire season. :)

Hi Dubs :O

[Timmay]

Instead of dramatic conclusion.

Wrap-up.

I got all worked up for nothing..

4/5!

[The_Dominion]

I am satisified with that ending, in fact I couldn't imagine a better way to end a series such as this.

Also a side note, I believe the red cap the major has, is supposed to be the cap Houlden Caufield had constantly in A Catcher in the Rye.

[Railith]

so...

It all just is what it is?
Yes and no, I understand what happend but just can't seem to put it in words.

[Delthayre]

Huh. I followed most of that. I've all ways appreciated the often 'heady' nature of this show, really I have, but while that accomplished the goals of an ending, it wasn't quite the satsifying conclusion I thought we'd get. I was unsuprised that the Laughing Man declined Aramaki's offer, all though I wouldn't mind it if he made a re-appearance, regardless of how brief, in the next season.

The final sequence itself -well it was a 'bit much' again. Not as overdone as the Tachikoma's oil tear last week, but I all most just grunted and through my head back saying, "come on!" But then I remembered that's what John Stossel says, and I hate John Stossel.

Really more of a mop-up and set up than anything else.

** out *****

[Kenshin5000]

All I can say is that it takes a gutsy anime to quote Catcher in the Rye extensively.

[beren]

Ok, I am confused, as are many other people lurking. Can someone please explain to me what happened over the past 3 episodes. Also can someone please break down the sociology aspects of the last 15 minutes of the show?

[Artimus Gigan]

Whoever didn't see this coming as a Season 2 set-up episode should just stand out infront of the bus station...

they won't see that other thing coming either...


because that's all this was, it just wrapped up some the minor bits and pieces...

[Ultra Mike]

It takes a somewhat boring anime too. The ending was very remiscent of Kiddy Grade in a way: Despite all that had happened, the crew gets back to they're normal jobs and acting as if barley everything happen despite all the loss and seperation and betrayal and the like. I mean really, I was hoping for more really, but I guess they wanted things to be back to normal for a second season (which starts late next year I believe) and decided not to change much up.

And in the series in general, I realized one thing that's really annoying: How they can talk on and on and on and on about the case and explain every single little detail to the fullest and hope that someone cares. I suppose someone does, but it's really infurating to have to wait through several minutes of dialogue just for a glimpse of action, and someitmes you don't even get that. The Major/Lauging man scene was a more decent example, but even still that could of been a lot shorter then it ended up being. GITS pacing has always needed work, whatever any fan boy says about it.

BEST MOMENTS: Uh.... Tougasa's opening narrative and some of the Major and Laughing Man's convo.

GRADE: 1 Out of 5 Stars.

SERIES GRADE: 2 Out of 5 Stars.

[Dub]

This was a very good way to end the first series of GitS and to be honest - I'm pleased with how everything worked out. This is the way I interpreted the second half with the Laughing man and how everything related to each other.

If I'm thinking right, the original laughing man was something along the lines of the ghost of a memory of a dead hacker's concept of jd salinger that formed on the net. To make sense of that:

The laughing man was the ghost of a concept that never had an original source. (Laughing Man Source)

The kid who Aramaki tried to recruit (Laughing Man Kid) was a very smart and normal kid who feared cyber brain sclerosis, especially upon first discovering the document he found and continued what the "first" laughing man - the one who didnt exist, originally started. The "original" laughing man - the one that didnt exist - began as seeds floating out on the net similar to how the Major disperesed herself on the net just before she was shot in the head. The major was able to survive this experience. The dead hacker of whom the "original laughing man" ghost was based, did not.

As the Laughing Man Kid took on the crusade to stop the politicians based on the Laughing Man Ghost's concept, he felt that he lost some of his individuality along the way, two ghost intermingling into one similar as to how he intertwined with the Major.

And he continued to feel this way all the way up until this very episode where the major pulled out that chip and told him that it is very own sense of curiosity that keeps us as individuals, because if we're not curious then how else do we learn and experience things.

Pretty deep IF I got that correctly, but I'll need to watch the series again a second time because I'm certain I got some nuances wrong or missed some things. I'm nowhere near an expert this having been my first time watching the series, but thats my take on it anyway. Anyone else care to extrapolate on it cause I'm probably wrong but who knows. It's all up to interpretation. ^_^

i REALLY liked this show and I'm looking forward to Second Gig to be honest.

[Wounded_Dragon]

This will probably feel better when I watch it on dvd, but watching it alone like this was unsatisfying. The things they chose to expand on while leaving others to be vague was rather irritating. We didn't even get much satisfaction in taking down that Secretary, which is...confusing. He was very much a lethal nemesis...and he's gone like that. This just feels like a 10 minute epilogue that got turned into an episode.

The only soothing part about this "finale" is that there's another season.

[JetMaster5]

Wait a minute. So what the Chief did was that he setup Section 9 become the fall-guys, had his team get imprisoned, then meet up at some building, and then regroup? And the teammates are happy about what happened? They almost got killed over some stupid politics.

Well, all in all, this show is amazing. It gave us an alternative, futuristic world where all humans have some sort of machinery inside their brains. A world where prosthetic bodies are more common, and showed it through a police-team perspective. I like how the show captured the intensity of the action and the gripping, detective feel of it. The methods the team did to carry out their missions were smart. Giving the "bad guys" some brains or personalities also made the show even better (Like the army using dead bodies to block bullets, or one guy's rage over watching his friend died). The Laughing Man case was very cool, as it dealt with a "copy" who instigated the whole Serano case. By the way, I totally love how the politics were interwoven into these cases, affecting the entire Section 9 team.

Unfortunately, the characterization was unbalanced. Major Kusanagi, Batou, and Togusa had the most time on screen. The Chief and Laughing Man had more time as well, though not as much as Major did. Everyone else (Saito and some other guys' names I can't remember) fell flat. But the interaction between each characters were like what you'd get when you talk to your fellow co-workers. And most importantly, it was believable. Hell, the whole entire GitS world was believable. I'd think that everyone would act the way GitS showed if people had machines inside their bodies.

This is a detective, sci-fi/action show. No doubt about that. And it's a damn good one.

I only have one nagging complaint. Why did the majority of the show just keeps on referencing back to Catcher In The Rye? And it's not a subtle reference, it was a major reference. Was there a good reason behind all of this? I felt it was absolutely pointless.

[Gatomon41]

The ending was mostly unsatisfying. Many questions were still answered. Oh well, at least we get some closure.

-A nice begining with Togusa, and what he was planning to do.
-We see Section 9 survived, but if the whole thing was a set up to protect them, why did they kill all those soliders?
-The Major Lives, thanks to the most obivus way she could have survived.
-Well, they got the General Secertary. Finally, they got that guy. Considering how many people were killed because of this guy, it was worth it.
-Lots of Philosphobabble between Laughing Man and the Major.
-What happened to Saronto when he opened his car door? What was that guy he passed by?

Well, the ending seemed very Anti-climatic. And can anyone tell me what was the conspiracy about?

Oh, well. I give it a 2 out of 5. I could have ended better than this.

Series Score: This is a good Post-Cyberpunk SF series. Deep, interesting with enough action. Beautifully animated and alot off fun. I give it a 5 out of 5.

[True Noir]

What are you all talking about?!?!?! I loved that ending. The fact that it ended the same way it began. Incredible! It could have been better or even ended earlier but I was satisfied. Lovely series! 4.5/5

[beren]

Wait a minute. So what the Chief did was that he setup Section 9 become the fall-guys, had his team get imprisoned, then meet up at some building, and then regroup? And the teammates are happy about what happened? They almost got killed over some stupid politics.

Ok, they were the fall guys to whom for what?

[JetMaster5]

Ok, they were the fall guys to whom for what?
All I was able to pick up on was that when the Chief presented the evidence to the "important-looking" guy 2 episodes ago, Section 9 was going to be attacked. What I don't understand was why were they attacked. I thought, at first, it was some sort of political move. Having the defendant declaring that Section 9 were an evil, secretive group that exploits their power in order to nullify their evidence. But then Saito (or whoever that guy's name is) said that the Chief setup Section 9 in order to protect them. That part I don't understand. Can anyone shed some light on this?

[Dub]

Yakushima - big bad political muckety muck that Serano was going to implicate - knew he was being investigated and, using his power turned the whole thing around on Section 9 basically. But it went deeper than that - the majority of the politicians that knew what was going on wanted to keep the Yakushima scandal AWAY from the political elections also going on around that exact time, which would have caused a much bigger riot in comparison: the laughing man, cyber-brain sclerosis, dead bodies, cover ups - politically it would be an absolute nightmare. When Aramaki confronted his friend - big important friend guy from two episodes ago - he found out about the Section 9 attack authorized by Yakushima early, but was in a position where all parties now trying to oust Yakushima had thier hands tied. Aramaki had no way of ousting Yakushima before Section 9 could be attacked and his operatives killed, so he made a deal:

He hands over the files implicating Yakushima to his friend who is over the prosecutors. In return, Section 9 takes the fall and Aramaki escapes completely unscathed to do whatever he wants - in Aramaki's case this would be reforming Section 9, this time still sanctioned but totally in secret to better remain offensive in the future, after the whole thing blows over. The only catch is that all the members of Section 9 had to stay ALIVE long enough for this all to take place.

Togusa is the first captured. Aramaki has him imprisoned A) because he's the only human in the group B) he's the only one with wife and family C) he just got out of the hospital. He would be the easiest target to kill and prison would be the safest route until Section 9 became "officially terminated" in the eyes of the public. Everyone else was captured and we know what became of Batou and eventually, the major who was considered to be the most dangerous (most likely due to her being caught on camera under the Laughing Man costume).

After all this happens, and the political elections are over, Yakushima's cover is totally blown. I'm not sure about Serano to be honest. That was the only part I wasnt positive on. Eventually everyone else manages to reform Section 9, now being able to finally operate in offensive secret again. Most likely they were keeping tabs on the whole thing which is how Batou and the others ended up discovered Togusa, and eventually revealed to him the cover up behind the cover up.

[PickHut]

I thought the first couple of minutes were good, until Togusa found out everyone was alive, then it sort of went downhill from there. Pretty anti-climatic considering what's been done in the last two episodes. The best part of the episode was when Ishikawa was making fun of Batou, that was hilarious:D .

I give Stand Alone Complex a C+.

I give Stand Alone Complex (the series/season/first 26 episodes/whatever) a B-. It was an above-average series with a few great episodes.

[MattThomasM2B]

I can't believe I sat through most of that. Wolf's Rain and Witch Hunter Robin were more interesting shows than this.

[beren]

Aramaki had no way of ousting Yakushima before Section 9 could be attacked and his operatives killed, so he made a deal:

Ok so the guys with the battle armor and wierdo masks that section 9 killed alot of were working for Yakushima?


He hands over the files implicating Yakushima to his friend who is over the prosecutors. In return, Section 9 takes the fall

They are arrested for false crimes? Or arrested for abducting Serano or what? I thought that the millitary unit with the armor was working for Yakushima, was it really working for his friend? If so is the friend mad section 9 killed alot of those soldiers?

Ok maybe those soliders were working with Yakushima however instead of killing section 9, they only captured them and turned them over to the goverment, however if that was the case why would they need to take a fall for anything.

Basicly please explain it again and include Aramaki leaking the existance of section 9 intentionaly, leading to the Serano-Major incident becoming public knowledge, which lead to section 9 being under attack, how does by starting those chain of events does Aramaki help section 9, and help put Yakushima in prison? Also make it clear who the soldiers were working for, a timeline might help also =).

p.s. The Major when talking to the LM said the body that got shot in the head was a remote shell or something like that, if that was the case why would she have to spend time on the net?

[Hakuhatsu]

It's late here (3am CDT), so I'll try to cram the whole Serano/Yakushima/LM thing into a microsingularity before I hit the sack.


The whole thing started back six years prior to the series with the whole Murai Vaccine vs. Micromachines in curing cyberbrain scoliosis (henceforth referred to as CBS). Yakushima was on the committee (as was Serano, I believe) that investigated the potential of Micromachines and the Murai Vaccine to cure CBS. The LM had that e-mail and had studied the issue, cyberbrain hacked into Serano to debate the whole thing with him and dragged him into the public venue to try to expose the whole thing, but Serano wouldn't be swayed. So, LM blackmailed the various micromachine producing companies, which resulted in stocks taking nosedives, and subsequent government bailouts and kickbacks (Yakushima tied to Serano in this deal).

The whole Serano Genomics and Police Interceptor incident brings the LM back out into the open to expose Serano and government corruption and subsequently decides to try to resurect the issue of the Murai Vaccine vs. Micromachine debate in the process. Section 9 picks up the LM investigation after Togusa's co-worker was killed and as the investigation progresses, Togusa and the Major, learn of the LM's motives while at the same time LM manipulates events to uncover the truth.

The whole hit squad escapade is controled by Yakushima, who has connections in the MSDF (Maritine Self Defense Force (NAVY)) and the equivilent of the ATF and carries out a series of "black ops" to silence those who know too much. (Note: Yakushima's ties to the MSDF are what allowed the assault teams access to the power suits.)

Now, Aramaki takes the files containing the information of the Yakushima - Serano conspiracy (pro-micromachine, anti-Murai vaccine)/kickbacks, etc. to the Prime Minister, who wants to keep his power base, so decides to sit on this information until the lower house elections secure his position of power in the Diet (Japanese congressional body). In the meantime, those involved with the conspiracy leak the info. of the Major impersonating the LM and whip up a media frenzy against S-9. This causes Aramaki to put into motion the apparent sacrifice of S-9, so the public outrage is quelled. The government adds to this by sending out the attack squads that hunt down and arrest/kill the various members of S-9 (again, make the PM and his party look good for the public). Aramaki then takes the files to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to try and save as much of S-9 as he can, and the section cheif of the MOJ says he must also wait until the end of the elections, then the PM will be on their side to take down Yakushima and really give the public a sense of justice being carried out.

And as we saw tonight, everything worked out alright... more or less.

So there's the whole link between the Laughing Man/Aoi, Serano and Yakushima and why the military attack squads were out hunting members of S-9.

Now, that was a broad look at the whole mess, I'm sure I've overgeneralized a lot, but like I said at the begining of my post, it's late and my function is not braining as good as it could. If anyone wants to elaborate on what I've said or clarify things I screwed up (I'm sure I have), feel free to note so.

Goodnight, and I hope this helped clarify things a bit.

[Hakuhatsu]

Oh, BTW, beren, you asked...

"p.s. The Major when talking to the LM said the body that got shot in the head was a remote shell or something like that, if that was the case why would she have to spend time on the net?"


She transfered her "ghost" (or conciousness, or at least the essence of what made her "Motoko Kusanagi") onto the 'net temporarily, until she could download herself back into one of her shells. At least that's what I can gather at this point. It was more or less her quick escape before her head popped like a water baloon.

[Sampo]

http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/motoko.jpg
"MOooTOOooKOOOOO!"
3 Meg WMV File. (http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/motoko.wmv)


Meh, overall I think the series is pretty awesome. Although I agree that the ending was a bit of a let down. I did like the begining with Togusa reflecting what had happened and how things turned out. After that it started going down hill for me. I LOVED that scene when the Section 9 crew back together again and they started making fun of Batou. Ishikawa's VA did a great job there. On the other hand I was at a complete loss during the interaction between the Laughing Man/Boy and the Major.

I agree, they went through hell and killed soldiers who were ordered to do their jobs. Now everything is back like before?! Oh well.



...
They are arrested for false crimes? Or arrested for abducting Serano or what? I thought that the millitary unit with the armor was working for Yakushima, was it really working for his friend? If so is the friend mad section 9 killed alot of those soldiers?
...
I thought I had something... but after some thought it made no sense. So I'm stumped. :sweat:



...
Basicly please explain it again and include Aramaki leaking the existance of section 9 intentionaly, leading to the Serano-Major incident becoming public knowledge, which lead to section 9 being under attack, how does by starting those chain of events does Aramaki help section 9, and help put Yakushima in prison? Also make it clear who the soldiers were working for, a timeline might help also =).
...
Aye I'm kinda confused on that too.



...
p.s. The Major when talking to the LM said the body that got shot in the head was a remote shell or something like that, if that was the case why would she have to spend time on the net? My take on that is the Major might have experience some kind of shock or trauma from having her shell shot up like that. So her conscious mind might have just wandered around instead of returning back to her original shell.

[CaptainRed]

Hmm... let's take about two good episodes, follow them up with a boring epilogue, and thensay everything in those episodes was a big April Fools joke. Yeah, that'll be good.

"Ghost in the Shell... or will we ever shut up?"


i'm not complaining just because those episodes had action in them and this one didn't... there were a fair number of actiony episodes earlier in the series I didn't like. It's just that there was something at stake in the previous couple of episodes, and nothing at stake here.(this also being my problem with the earlier episodes)

And then the Harvey Birdman laugher ending. Oy.



I can't believe I sat through most of that. Wolf's Rain and Witch Hunter Robin were more interesting shows than this.

Uhh.... uh-uh.

As much as this show irks me, I can't agree with you. I mostly look back on those two series with indifference. As much as GitS has disappointed me, it has had a few flashes of brilliance along the way. Too bad it was iron pyrite...

*honks hugs and whatever else*
Cappy Red

[Funkatron]

The guys laughing it up at Batou and Togusa made it all worth while. I was laughing my ass off, especially when they were teasing Batou :p. Poor Togusa, out of the loop AGAIN. Guy can't get a break

[Anime411]

Well I can see this show appeals to certain people with certain tastes. I eventually got into it and I loved it!!

I couldn't get over how great the beginning was, with Togusa and all. I mean they really brought him out here, and it bothers me that Section 9 left him out of the loop a little too much. They forget the depths of human emotions, I mean, if Togusa didn't have a family he might have killed himself! Yet, he might have done it anyway, since they seemed to be the only people tying him to earth. Those guys really need to be more careful XD

The reunion between Batou and Togusa was hilarious, and I'm glad Togusa tried to do something rather than just sit there. He didn't seem to mind that he might have gotten killed. I loved how Batou had to place the revolver in his hand b/c Togusa was so shocked. I bet he didn't mind seeing Batou's car again :D :D

Ishikawa has my respect for sure!! That was hysterical for him to tease Batou like that :D So mean yet funny! I couldn't believe Batou had said such things about Major XD "I couldn't give a rats ass about that *****!" I was like >_< LIAR

The scenes with Aoi and Major were good, b/c they explained everything, but you really have to listen XD Some people didn't like this show b/c it makes you think too much, unlike others that have simple plot lines. This was a hard plot to follow, but it was thrilling. I too wish they had showed some interaction b/w Major and Chief getting back to the gang, it's not all that fun when you just see them all back together again, even though I'm glad it works out :D

I really felt something in this series starting when Togusa went undercover and met Aoi. Something clicked, and I watched all the first eps again (have them TIVOd) and loved it. It's weird how that works XD XD

Sampo - I know you are busy and all, but any chance I could have some pictures of Batou when he spoke to Togusa for the first time, particularly of him tapping his shoulder and all, if you don't mind! My favorite partner group :D

From what I hear Ghost in the Shell will start a weekly run next monday at 1:30am XD TIVO TIVO TIVO!!

HURRAY FOR SECTION 9!!! :D :D :D

[Anime411]

Found this on Anime Talk, hurray for September Second Season!! :D

We've still got two DVD volumes of the first season of Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex on the way, but it's never too early to think about season two, 2nd Gig. Courtesy an announcement from Manga, we'll see the start of the second season on DVD beginning Sept. 27. That's a tentative release date, though Manga reports we'll also see volume two shortly before Thanksgiving. Bandai and Manga have joined up together for the release of both seasons of the TV show, and chances are the second season DVD releases will be similar to the first: special edition volumes will be available with an assortment of treats, and the second season will begin airing on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim during the same month of the DVD release. The 26-episode second season of the hot TV show continues to follow the Major, Batou, Togusa, and, hopefully, the Tachikoma battle tanks, as they police a cybernetic future where the lines between man and machine are gone. This is one of the better shows around in anime right now, and some DTS disc issues aside, the first season DVD releases are must-haves for people who love the franchise.

Yay for the Tachikomas!! I saw some in the pictures for Second Season!! Somehow they get more or something XD

[bigddan11]

The ending was ok. It showed that Section9 was never really destroyed. Instead they were sent back underground the way they should have been from the beginning, but I really wish "The Laughing Man" would have joined the team. That would have made the entire second 1/2 of the season perfect for me. Instead I'll have to hope for side trips to visit him.

[RD!]

I think this episode of GitS is why a weekly format doesn't work too well. Not to say I didn't like it, but it was a cool-down season finale which isn't what you really want after a week's wait and anticipation.

Regardless I liked it a lot. I was initially annoyed about the whole "it was all a trick ^__^!" but I got over it. I don't know if it works completely but whatever. I was a little confused by the Major's state during the episode but shrugged it off as meta-techno jargon which didn't matter a terrible lot.

Great episode for a great series.

Nuts to you dew, Wilson etc.

[Sampo]

...
Sampo - I know you are busy and all, but any chance I could have some pictures of Batou when he spoke to Togusa for the first time, particularly of him tapping his shoulder and all, if you don't mind! My favorite partner group :D
...
This ok?


http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/togusa.jpghttp://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/batougrin.jpg


When I saw his mug pop up again, I had a grin on my face too. :D I agree, they made a pretty good team.

[RD!]

http://home.hawaii.rr.com/wizardgrey/images/Temp/togusa.jpg


At this point, I was expecting Togusa to be so inspired by the Catcher in the Rye to go shoot a politician.

And then a scene from Taxi Driver pretty much happened.

[Duke]

I agree, they went through hell and killed soldiers who were ordered to do their jobs. Now everything is back like before?! Oh well. I personally loved the end when the Major asks if Batou's ready, and he shows up all of the sudden in this heavily armored helicopter.

The thing I'm most angry about is that the Major just did a swan dive off the building, not her traditional spiral jump.

[thefncrow]

I think this episode of GitS is why a weekly format doesn't work too well. Not to say I didn't like it, but it was a cool-down season finale which isn't what you really want after a week's wait and anticipation. Part of what might explain this is the original release schedule in Japan. Every month, at the beginning of the month, 2 episodes would come out on pay-per-view. So, really, the wait between the pairs of episodes is basically zero. However, all the even numbered episodes, then, were the ones that would have giant gaps after them. If you look back over the old episodes, and note this happened, and that these were really, effectively, pairs of episodes, the pacing makes a lot more sense.

The first batch gets you interested, the second batch leaves you with the first Laughing Man appearance, the next batch is the first Laughing Man arc, then two stand-alones, they bundle together the slow Chat Chat Chat with Jungle Cruise, bundle Togusa at the clinic and the episode with the Tachikoma around town and the cyberbrain it interacts with, two stand-alones, the next bundle is the episode about the end of the Tachikomas and Batou finding the boxer, then two stand-alones, then the Prime Minister's daughter being kidnapped along with Togusa's investigation into the Laughing Man, then the search for Yakushima and the fallout with the agents trying to frame Aramaki and kill Motoko, then Motoko's impersonation of the Laughing Man and the fallout from its discovery, then the remaining members on the loose being hunted, the deaths of the Tachikomas, and Togusa about to take up the helm of the Laughing Man.

Its not a very realistic scheduling option for Adult Swim, but, if you look at it this way, the pacing really works. Its the awkward breaks between episodes which weren't designed to have a break between them that makes it so odd.

[G1Ravage]

The thing I'm most angry about is that the Major just did a swan dive off the building, not her traditional spiral jump.
Why is she always jumping off of roof tops, anyway?

She thinks she's soooo great. :rolleyes2

[Timmay]

Why is she always jumping off of roof tops, anyway?

She thinks she's soooo great. :rolleyes2 I was wondering that too.. I mean.. is her body so tough she can withstand falling 100s of feet?

And why would you go onto the top of a skyscraper in a random building just to jump off it?

[Duke]

And why would you go onto the top of a skyscraper in a random building just to jump off it?IIRC, it was a recon mission in the original film. That scene of her jumping off became symbolic for the franchise, so nowadays it's basically for tradition.

[BBunny]

That episode went fast. :eek: It seemed like 10 minutes.

What did the Major say to Batou as she got on the plane?


By the way, do the character designs seem slightly different to anyone else? Tougusa looked bony and worn, which I initially attributed to to rough three months he'd gone through, but the other characters look different too.I noticed that too. The style changes even more in 2nd Gig.

[Lord Dalek]

IIRC, it was a recon mission in the original film. That scene of her jumping off became symbolic for the franchise, so nowadays it's basically for tradition.Yeah the first thing you see in the movie is a naked Katsuragi jumping off a building to the sound of Kenji Kawai's "Making Cyborgs"

[JetMaster5]

One big explanation

An even bigger explanation
Thank you!

[Hades]

No offense people, sorry for this rant, but what are you expecting? Seriously, Big O. Witch Hunter Robin. Cowboy Bebop. Wolf's Rain. And now Ghost in the Shell. Are you guys ever happy with any ending? It seems like all you guys do is whine that the ending was not the way YOU wanted it to be. Or that they didn't answer every little detail in full. You should be used to it now as the Japanese always have open ended endings. You should be happy you get an ending at all compared to American toons which just end without any conclusion at all. So tell me, WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING? All you have to do is think, THINK!

Anyway, with that said, I highly enjoyed the ending. It was very entertaining and was the best way to end the season. I cannot wait to own it on DVD so I can watch it again grouped together with the other episodes.

I give this episode a 5/5 stars, and the series a 4.5/5 stars.

[Funkatron]

The ep fit perfectly. Bad guys caught. Team back together. Major is alive.

and ..ahem

MOTOKOOOO!!!!! :p

That scene where they rant on Batou still cracks me up :p

[Vallen Valiant]

IIRC, it was a recon mission in the original film. That scene of her jumping off became symbolic for the franchise, so nowadays it's basically for tradition.Actually, there is offical data on that...

If you watch the extras from the DVDs, one of them has the Director explaining the camera angles used in the TV series... The Director asked M. Oshii if he got the 'style' right, and Oshii pointed out Motoko's 'trademark' leaps off buildings uses 'vertical movement', while the camera moving up/down. Oshii complements him for getting it right, as most movies use horizontal camera motion because humans generally move on a horizontal plane. Cybernetic bodies allow an individual to leap upwards or fall downwards at great distances, which translates to unusual up/down motion that is uncommon to the audience's viewing experience, and reinforces the idea that 'they are above-average people'.

If you go back to the DVDs, see how many scenes uses vertical camera motion... especially when Motoko's in the frame. It's intentional.

(p.s. In second Gig, She will do her trademark again. If you want to blame anyone, blame Shirow Masamune who had her doing the leap in the very first chapter of the manga:D . )

[Duke]

That's what as known as an "excuse" for having the ultra-cool jumps. :P

[NickWhiz1]

So we'll get 26 more episodes of "Drop and Shoot"? Goodie :D

[Vallen Valiant]

So we'll get 26 more episodes of "Drop and Shoot"? Goodie :D
Well... Not quite.
The director and crew are the same, but:
The first season had Shirow as the advisor, who supplied a few rough-draft scripts.

2nd GiG has Oshii as the advisor, who also contributed his own scripts...

I haven't come close to finishing 2nd GiG, but I can tell you brain power is needed to watch it. Oshii is like that. And those people who complained about Section 9 being too omnipotent? You will find out how frail they really are politically.

About the Tachikomas...
Let's just say Motoko kept that bio-chip for a reason... That bio-chip she held up in ep 26 to the real LM was the physical proof that humans don't have to collapse into nothingness (Stand-alone-complex as an illness) when they meld with the society on the net. (hence the LM copycats... They became self-made drones that follow someone else's ideals rather than follow their own path. The weird part is, none of the copycats got made into who they are by anyone except themselves. They ALL think they are LM.)

That chip came from the Tachikoma that Batou had feed natural oil, and still held the original source of individuality that had spawned from a hive-mind... A 'Stand Alone Complex' that worked in reverse. It's proof that there is a chance for humanity to reinvent themselves, even after they lost their sense of self. After all, if a machine that never knew what it feels like to be an individual can gain it, couldn't a human that lost his individuality repossess it?

Think about this, and just wait for the next release:cool:

[Crimefighter]

I just had a real problem being interested in this show. Obviously, Full Metal ran circles around Ghost in the Shell, Full Metal was a lot more interesting and fun to watch. This show was not. Full Metal was the one where I'd watch it off tape when I wasn't home when it aired. Not Ghost. Since the whole series is gonna be rerun on a "weeknight" schedule soon I shall be watching it again hoping I could understand the thing. That's if I don't get bored watching it.

[Ultra8]

I came into this episode thinking they'd do something big(read:explosive) and they do, just in a completely unexpected way.:D :D This eps. left me satisfied and laughing. Batuo's line about the Major show's he's still sour about her decoy tactic, and you gotta love Ishikawa and the others teasing him about it.:p One of the best endings I've seen. Ranks high on my list with Digimon 02(Hey, it was one of the first animes that I saw an ending for, and a good ending, at that) and Cowboy Bebop.
The only complaint I have, is that I don't understand the scene with Serano and the car door or Shades walking away from the garage. Isn't he the fake LM, that was hired to assainate that commisioner??:confused: Was there some type of message or bomb on Serano's car? Or are these supposed to be explained next season?
If anyone could explain I'd be very gratefull.:sweat:

Eps: 10/10
Season: 10/10

Bring on next season.:D :anime:

[CaptainRed]

IIRC, it was a recon mission in the original film. That scene of her jumping off became symbolic for the franchise, so nowadays it's basically for tradition.

"Looks like we're gonna have to jump!" (http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail106.html)


No offense people, sorry for this rant, but what are you expecting? Seriously, Big O. Witch Hunter Robin. Cowboy Bebop. Wolf's Rain. And now Ghost in the Shell. Are you guys ever happy with any ending? It seems like all you guys do is whine that the ending was not the way YOU wanted it to be. Or that they didn't answer every little detail in full. You should be used to it now as the Japanese always have open ended endings. You should be happy you get an ending at all compared to American toons which just end without any conclusion at all.

Witch Hunter Robin — the series was so flawed that the ending didn't matter.

Wolf's Rain — ditto... somewhat. Eh, nevermind. Full ditto.

Big O — the ending was okay. I enjoyed most of the series, in spite of the fact that the overall plot was a bit muddled.

Cowboy Bebop — I loved the ending on this one. Chewed me up and spit me out, it did. Then again, if you consider CB to have an open-ended ending, then so does FLCL, and that's probably my favorite show ever.


So tell me, WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING?

Weren't you just complaining about the expectations people have expressed?


Overall, the series almost hooked me a few times, but never followed up. Mostly I've been watching out of habit. The season break might give me a chance to break it.

*honks hugs and whatever else*
Cappy "more like grumpy" Red

[One Radical Dude]

"I couldn't give a rats ass about that *****!"
LOL, I thought that was pretty funny. At the same time, though, I immediately thought, "Batou, what the hell? You're joking, right?" :p

I didn't follow this series, like I did with FMA, but there were some intense episodes. This episode gets a B. We start all over, it looks like. :p

[Freedom Fighter]

No offense people, sorry for this rant, but what are you expecting? Seriously, Big O. Witch Hunter Robin. Cowboy Bebop. Wolf's Rain. And now Ghost in the Shell. Are you guys ever happy with any ending? It seems like all you guys do is whine that the ending was not the way YOU wanted it to be. Or that they didn't answer every little detail in full. You should be used to it now as the Japanese always have open ended endings. You should be happy you get an ending at all compared to American toons which just end without any conclusion at all. So tell me, WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING? All you have to do is think, THINK!I just think people wanted to see the show end with action sequence after action sequence. All we got was 'where are they now?,' a reunion, and then an expose on what the Laughing Man's job really was.

I was thinking of demeriting this episode a few points 'cause of that, but I decided against it because of the conversation between the Major and LM in the second half. Though, as usual, most of the stuff probably flew over my head, but in some weird way the whole plot made sense to me. Yes, everything from the original conspiracy involving that condition that killed cyber-brains, to the government's attempt to squash Section 9.

If the theory that the Major uploaded her memory to the 'Net when her head got exploded last week, I wonder how long she was there... and if it was the LM who pulled her out of limbo?

The last topic resonated the most to me... it pretty much summed up why the show was subtitled "Stand Alone Complex." It's funny in a way, too, because this was the Major's POV on the Tachikomas until last week. The fact that LM was doing this not only to correct the wrongs of a government conspiracy, but to help prove that individuality matters more in life, and that synchronizing data increases the chances of the truth being hidden, which in turn would lead to more shady and illegal actions by the government if left unchecked.

If that's a ploy for saying we should never, ever let machines completely run our life, it's a very good one. 8 out of 10 for "Stand Alone Complex."

[Ben]

Great explanation Dub. I think you hit the nail on the head. I agree that it would have been nice to see the sec-gen go down, but in the real political world these things always fizzle out unsatisfyingly so in that respect it was realistic. Liked Togusa's grittier look, and him throwing The Catcher in the Rye off the building was a very nice moment. Watching him almost become another Laughing Man was an EXCELLENT lead-in to the Major's talk.

I do have to say that on finding out Sec. 9 was reformed I would've been hugely shocked/pissed off/embarassed if I was him. Not enough to shout at them, but enough to excuse myself and go have some me time.

Good final episode despite the lack of action.


2nd GiG has Oshii as the advisor, who also contributed his own scripts...

BOO. I love the Shirow cyberpunk philosobabble, it actually projects the show further into the future. Oshii just weighs down his GitS projects with pointless quotations. I hope they had an assertive series director.

[Fresh V]

This was a good end of series, IMO. It was interesting even without much action. I should rewatch all the Complex episodes, though. So confusing.... The end was the best part, with everyone doing their regular Section 9 stuff. It really didn't tick me off so much that it just returned to the way it was in the beginning.

Anyways, I give this last episode a B+/A-.

I give the whole series an A-.