Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Season One (2002)
After watching The Ghost in the Shell, the latest entry in the vaunted anime franchise, I felt the urge to rewatch the first season of Stand Alone Complex. The newer title certainly has its pluses (e.g., Science Saru’s vibrant animation), but I ultimately prefer Stand Alone Complex’s slower, more methodical approach to storytelling and world building, which is closer in tone and spirit to Mamoru Oshii’s landmark movie. Nearly 25 years after its release, Stand Alone Complex’s cyberpunk world of augmented humans, virtual reality, AI, and mechs still feels cutting edge, while its storylines about political corruption, corporate malfeasance, law enforcement, and technology’s impact on society could be clipped from today’s headlines. The first season does occasionally get bogged down — a couple of episodes serve no purpose other than exposition and info dumping — and there are some storylines that could’ve been fleshed out a bit more, like the growing intelligence of Section 9’s AI-powered tachikoma mechs. Regardless, Stand Alone Complex’s first season represents a high water mark for serialized anime storytelling, adroitly balancing action, suspense, and, of course, philosophical speculation about technology and human nature. Also, I’d be sorely remiss if I didn’t mention Yoko Kanno’s soundtrack, and in particular, opening theme “Inner Universe,” which features the soaring vocals of Russian singer Origa (RIP).
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