Introduction
The year is 2045. As a result of the Global Simultaneous Default, an economic disaster that shook every country on Earth to its foundations, as well as the explosive evolution of artificial intelligence, the world has plunged into the Sustainable War, a planned war that can be continued indefinitely. In this near future, the decline has not yet become bad enough that people can sense in their daily lives the risk to human survival posed by A.I.
To combat cybercrimes by the Posthumans, a new breed of human being that has suddenly arisen, Public Security Section 9, led by the fully prosthetic cyborg Kusanagi Motoko, makes its way to Tokyo, which was reduced to ruins in a previous war. What they find there are a refugee group that calls itself "N" and a hostile American Special Forces unit. As the risk of nuclear war set off by a hijacked submarine grows ever greater, the three-way battle between Public Security Section 9, America, and the Posthumans intensifies.
(Source: AniDB)
Audience reviews
16 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
dzzthink
Quite possibly the worst anime ending I have ever seen. I actually thought the animation and action sequences were pretty good in the first season and there was enough to keep the plot interesting. However, this second season largely ignores most of the set up of the first season and goes off on this bizarre storyline involving new characters and enemies, and ignores the dynamics of Section 9. The ending does not make any sense and really ruined the atmosphere by trying to go against expectations. I get that ghost in shell is supposed to be philosophical and touch on the problems of technology but the story was so poorly executed that the ending feels like it was written just to make it like akira or the Matrix or evangelion but ends up falling flat on its face.
Read at the sourcethenewtypetheory
Stand Alone Complex is my favorite science fiction series.
I was disappointed by the first half of 2045. The reintroduction of Section 9 didn't hit as well as I would have liked. The animation wasn't what I'd hoped for, and the writing was decent but not as visionary with the exception of the boxer and bank episodes. Season 2 retreads what made 2nd Gig great. The camaraderie between Section 9 and brief glimpses into their past. A sympathetic antagonist with a grandiose plan. Perhaps most importantly, a stark depiction of the future we're headed towards that lingers with you after the credits roll. I'm looking forward the film edit as I think they focused a tad too much on the "fight" to take down the big bad which messed with the pacing.
Read at the sourceDmAnimeguy
I have been a big fan of the original Ghost in the Shell shows and movies, It would have been REALLY hard to compete. I would describe this show as good. Which is not a bad thing, because (like many other Netflix reboot) could have been REALLY bad.
While they didn’t really build upon the characters we as fans have loved for a very long time, they never needed to. So much of the original series and movies already did a really good job at setting the world and also defining the characters really well too. Its hard to build off of that. What they can do is provide you with a new problem that the team would have to deal with, in this case I really liked the villain. In Ghost in the Shell style the villain is actualities beautifully. This Idea was really nicely executed and thought through ver…
Read at the sourceSingleH
First of all, just to operate with full disclosure here, I’d like to address the fact that, at this point, my brain is just complete mush. I’m at the point now where I can physically feel how much more difficult it’s become, in merely the last five or six weeks, for my fingers to functionally type out my thoughts, jumbled as they already are. I’m not even sure I’m intellectually capable of critically analyzing an anime such as this anymore. I mean—fuck me backwards—some would say I was never intellectually capable of critically analyzing anything. “Thank god you quit reviewing, your reviews were borderline headache inducing and a blight on any anime review section. You act like this is a full time job and it's sad, go outside. It's okay you can maybe review the sky or the grass instead of…
Read at the sourcemeharat
when they try to make a GITS plot and failed miserably
visualy appaling, no good melodies to listen again and again, i badly missed yoko kanno masterpiece on GITS SAC
the story was quite good in the first season but become a real bullshit of a plot at the end. a real good start wiith the post human thingy but no real intelligence to end it properly. so what ? they picked an ending randomly between the worst possible ever ?
the only thing who make that that serie a tiny bit enjoyable are the characters and the franchise at a whole. it's probably the worst title in all the GITS franchise.
Read at the sourceSome1Else_
In my initial review of the first twelve episodes of this season, I lamented over how so many franchises were being brought back tailored for new audiences that completely miss the point of the original show. At the time, I didn’t think I’d ever see a legacy franchise successfully resurrected with the way entertainment is being handled lately.
But then Top Gun: Maverick came out. So, it is possible. With the right writing. Any idea can work with good writing, really. But the people who did this show? I wouldn't trust them to do a nursery rhyme.
As before, I will limit myself to five points. Spoilers ahead.
Use what worked before. That’s fine. But don’t depend on it. The first season dealt with someone who took a book too seriously. The second season dealt with a dude who attempted to ge…
Read at the sourceNever_Know_Best
I had mixed feelings about s1, but after seeing promise in its developing plot—and maintaining an attachment to one of Japan’s most fascinating fictional worlds—I had to give s2 a look.
This half was… better I suppose. Some fairly interesting ideas, cool action, gripping tension and (somewhat) more compelling drama. I did like the final episode, with some reservations about its lack of detail and explanation. I now buy that this series was written and directed by Kenji Kamiyama; the man who gave us the classic Laughing Man and Individual Eleven arcs, as well as a disarmingly affective backstory for one of anime’s most enigmatic protagonists. Additionally, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and the rest of the English cast continued to do their damnedest with this material.
But… it’s a Netflix show…
Read at the sourcePotato_Kawaii
I never write reviews but I feel like most of the bad reviews are from either diehard fans who can't accept anything new or people who are just inherently biased against CGI. I will say this, the story is quite vague and it the effort to explain it isn't quite there compared to the original SAC series and there is a disconnect from its precursor movie Solid State Society. I can not justify this as it's been a while since I've watched any of it and I'm also just not as invested as those fans.
However, there are a lot of nuances that I think people failed to appreciate in line with the original concept of what it means to be a human (having a ghost or not) and the story they presented with this show was OK. Not amazing, not spectacular, but it wasn't a complete dumpster fire as some of thes…
Read at the sourceCuteChaff3503
This series doesn’t get the justice it deserves!
Just like the first season it didn’t fail to hook me, Just couldn’t put it down. Also the graphics have improved massively compared to the first season. On that topic I will say that if you have a 1080p monitor or tv, you probably won’t enjoy the new graphics that much or look that much different. But I Watched it on a Macbook 2020 that has a good retina display, therefore; it looked really good on my end. 1080p just doesn’t give this show any credit it deserves as it doesn’t look great in 1080p.
Story:8/10
Really good, but it also was a little confusing near the end especially the last episode [episode 12] even the major was lost.
Art:10/10
Like I said at the start of this review, if you don’t have a good monitor over like 2k I reckon yo…
Read at the sourceJoexySun
Short Review (Spoiler-free):
One word for this season and SAC_2045 as a whole: Wow.
I know, I know, there are so many valid criticisms one could level at SAC_2045 (2045 for short from here on). It still looks like bad PS4 game graphics (occasionally with ray tracing or other next-gen features turned on). Characters still look like polished plastic dolls, and Mokoto Kusanagi still looks like a super legal loli or something. With the first season taking hours to get to the important story and compelling mystery, my expectation for Season 2 was a 7 or 8 out of 10 at best. But wow, how wrong I was. Alas, we do not live in a perfect world where the best anime screenplays always get the best animation team. By that, I mean the story of 2045 completely blew my expectations out of water, and it…
Read at the sourceJimmyGodShoes
I will preface everything by saying I absolutely detested the first season, and the rewatch I did in preparation of the second season coming out did nothing to change any part of my opinion of it. The bastardization of the characters, the absolute nonsense of the new world building elements, the seemingly arbitrary way the plot flowed around the characters rather than it being the normal push and pull of them and the factions they are fighting against, the muddying of the message regarding the nature of human relationship to technology and the implications it has to both our sense of self and our sense of a cohesive society, the annoying additions to the casts which seem to serve no purpose but to fulfill market preferences.
Again, I absolutely detested the first season. And I tell you t…
Read at the sourceImRingo
GitS: SAC is one of my favorite anime. Period. Hell I even really enjoy the finale OVA film “Solid State Society” even if it hankered back way too much to the first GitS film. After finishing this new SAC anime though...I feel like a lot of its issues could easily be brushed of if it didn't share that “SAC” branding.
It's honestly the same feelings I had with all the “Arise” stuff; not particularly amazing but was willing to see what direction the show(s)/film(s) would go in because it was an entirely new thing. To me, my experiences with the SAC entries is that it is distinct from the main-line films, it is distinct from Arise. This new anime feels pretty close, in my opinion, to the core values and “feel” of Arise. Sure there are some instances that make me feel like it could be a SAC t…
Read at the sourceH1GHLANDER360
I forgot that a second season of this was in the making and then it came out. My initial feelings towards the first season were mixed. It had some great ideas and unique concepts to explore but it didn't deliver it as it promised. The artwork and music were some its stronger aspects. Though it couldn't be said about its storyline and new characters. I found some episodes average at best and some are just downright forgettable.
GITS is one of my all time favorite anime franchises to pre-phase something before going in a lil further. I was excited to see what S1 of SAC_2045 had to offer. At the end of it I found myself a lil disappointed by the end results.
S2 comes out, hoping that it would make things better but it felt like the same issues I had with S1. Throughout watching S2 I tried s…
Read at the sourceWavePath
The second season was good ; in my opinion it envision a point in time and space where humans no matter how greedy and powerful they get ; they will always seek to destroy themselves for more power and hunger ; creating a critical point in time and space where they stop thinking of what they can become and evolve and they turn into what they can gain by dominating others with will of force ; its a fine line of morale that it shows and a good lesson ; was a good series close to the real one but i would say it improved in some aspects where the story takes crazy twists and turns that turn the story 360 and can shift into any direction until the end its hard to figure a lot of stuff but every piece is a puzzle in this season and they all add up to one big amazing picture
Read at the sourceAnders_Spiegel
Came closer to what GITS should be [based on the original movie and series'] than the first season, and hinted at deeper threads in areas. But utterly flubbed in tying anything together into any form of a satisfying and or cohesive ending.
I was able to just dismiss the first season as meh tier cash grab, but this was more frustrating as it showed some promise at times.
Scoring this is difficult due to the hints of promise; the only thing that never specifically bothered me was the sound / music so it gets nominal marks - the rest just get my overall score.
Edit: grammar
Read at the sourceMakkusuUnfilwin
As a huge fan of Stand Alone Complex, and GITS in general, I find myself to be very, very, very, very, very, very, very conflicted over this season, and understandably so, as this iteration of GITS came the closest to reimagining the genius of Kamiyama Kenji's first outing with the franchise, but, as you'll soon find out, somehow managed to crash and burn gloriously in the final lap and right before the finish line. I have a lot of scattered, disjointed and eager thoughts I feel I need to dispel, but I don’t really know how to organise them into anything resembling a legitimate review of this show, so, this write-up will be mostly stream of consciousness. With specific regards to any mention of the visuals, this "review" will, more or less, cover both seasons, as they are ostensibly the ex…
Read at the source