You won't be disappointed!

Better Late Then Never

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

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?

When I acquired my copy of Stand Alone Complex, I remember watching this at least a dozen times in a row, none of the episodes ever failing to entertain. I still relished every battle scene; admired every line of dialogue, and cried like a baby each time I witnessed the penultimate episode. Major Motoko Kusanagi to this day remains, quite possibly, my favorite anime character of all time, and what Mamoru Oshii accomplished during the films, and Kenji Kamiyama conceived during the series, was to create a character so beautiful, intelligent and mysterious, nobody could possibly look away from her. Although more respectful and mature than Shirow Masamune's depiction (who occasionally resembled Duenan from Appleseed), Motoko's unflinching authority and superior abilities remained. The youthful impression we have of the Major in Ghost Pain doesn't capture the voice that Masamune conceived, however, does paint a new image of her character that we have never been privy to.For those who have viewed the 2ng Gig of Stand Alone complex, you may remember Kamiyama developed a back-story for the Major, in which, as a young girl, she was involved in a catastrophic crash. After her human body failed her, Motoko's mind was transferred to that of a cyborg. This entire back-story is forgotten in Ghost Pain, which instead describes something else. As Masamune never actually wrote about how the Major came to be heavily cyborg, this allows plenty of leg room for a multitude of perceptions. The fact this feature doesn't reflect what has been previously developed may cause the audience to wonder which interpretation is most plausibly accurate During Ghost Pain, the Major is a seemingly short young woman with florescent blue hair and turquoise eyes. Although the actress voicing her is talented, the fact her vocal range never touches upon previous depictions of Motoko's character, makes adapting to this new design a little difficult. The colors used in Ghost Pain are very well developed, and Motoko's red outfit is further evidence of this. However, if the creators had retained a similar hair color to the previous series and comics, and gone for a blue suit (fans who have read Ghost in the Shell Phantom Fund might know what I mean), I think this would have done the character greater justice.Although Aramaki, Batou, Togusa and Raz make appearances, these often feel like underdeveloped cameos, with Motoko commanding the screen, and though there is nothing particularly wrong with this, one cannot hope fans will want to join the Major on another adventure if she is nothing like they once remember. Rather than feeling like the traditional cyberpunk, although these elements distinctly remain, Ghost Pain is more film noir than anything else, and is a classic case of trying to figure out who the lead antagonist is. Despite been a different interpretation, the way this is written works really well, the developers making the viewer believe one particular idea, before pulling the rug out from beneath their feet and having them believe something else entirely. It is not until the case is concluded that we have all of the answers.I would never go so far as to say the story is creepy, or even retains the same level of darkness as Ghost in the Shell 2 Innocence, but the writers do take advantage of the storyline. As some characters find their memories and eyes hacked, they are forced to witness and believe things that are untrue, and their frustrating battle to uncover what is real, alongside the fear they are losing control, is really well conveyed. Moreover, rather than having all of the answers, Motoko is seen to be a character with vulnerability, and her humanity is heightened in the actions that she takes. Although 'show don't tell' works great in literature, I have always had preference for Motoko's philosophical discussions, none of which make an appearance in this adaptation.The action we have come to appreciate from Ghost in the Shell certainly does make a resurgence, the acrobatic movements of the cyborgs being a flurry of color, the sound of one cyborg smashing violently into another heightening these scenes. Despite a number of robotic bodies been irreparably damaged in some instances, it is perhaps contradictory the same level of destruction is never applied to the human combatants who are attacked. Furthermore, the music, which sounds very retro and digital, really helps immerse the viewer in the action scenes, though the opening and concluding themes are certainly no where near the caliber of Kenji Kawai or Yoko Kano.If you are a massive fan of the Ghost in the Shell universe, you will probably do yourself a disservice by not watching this new reincarnation of the franchise. Don't be surprised however if it fails to live up to expectations, although by the end, if you're anything like me, you'll still want to marry Motoko Kusanagi and have a bunch of cyber babies with her. Despite Ghost Pain been no where near the most exemplary addition to the Ghost in the Shell universe, there are certainly a number of twists and entertaining scenes to captivate your interest. Just don't expect the same story or character quality exhibited from previous titles, both of which could have been equally fleshed out.

For fans of the original film and the 2004 follow-up Innocence, this will be both impressive and disappointing. It seems to be intended as the first part of a TV series rather than a film, so it feels abrupt and under-developed. I may be biased as someone who deeply appreciates robot sci-fi stories but also has high expectations for them.For first time viewers of any Ghost in the Shell animation, this may be as mind-opening and impressive as the other 2, although the animation style reverts to the original and may seem a little old to people used to more recent animation/cartoon advances. The essence of the science-fiction story remains, with some more modern realism thrown in to keep the story relevant.The makers should either rebuild and expand this into a proper film or follow-up with another short film that fills in the gaps and then combine the 2. It would be sad to see a great film series like this turn into half-developed TV melodrama.

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!