Anime: Koukaku Kidoutai Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society

Synopsis:

The story takes place in the year 2034, two years after the events in Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG. Major Motoko Kusanagi has left Public Security Section 9, an elite counter-terrorist and anti-crime unit specializing in cyber warfare, which has expanded to a team of 20 field operatives with Togusa acting as the field lead. Section 9 is confronted by the mysterious suicides of thirteen operatives of the disbanded Siak Republic in Indonesia, remnants of which found asylum in Japan.

Review:

For those of u who don’t know, the series was first adapted into a theatrical anime film adaptation in 1996, entitled “Ghost in the Shell”, directed by Mamoru Oshii. (A Japanese animation and live-action film writer and director famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling.) The film was followed by another theatrical movie sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, produced in 2004, which was also directed by Oshii.

It also spawned the hit TV series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig. Ghost In The Shell was the first theatrical length anime film that I ever watched when I first started out and so it hold a special place in my heart, I instantly fell in love with the Cyberpunk/Post Cyberpunk it created.

Before I start my review please note that Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society does not take place in the same “timeline” as the first and second movies. The closest fictional history matches one presented in Appleseed suggesting that both Appleseed and Ghost in the Shell may be occurring in the same fictional universe but different time lines.

Story:

The Cyberpunk/Post Cyberpunk world that the movie creates is just amazing. The last time I watched something that pulled me into such a world was “Blade Runner” and “Dark City”. The idea of an online collective and the possibility of a whole separate world that can exist online separately from our own is very intriguing to me, as it hasn’t been touched on a lot by other anime titles.

The story for the movie starts of were Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig stopped, the plot slowly unfolds in the beginning of the movie at first no one knows why these mysterious random suicides happen. But then slowly but surely all the pieces of the puzzle come together as Section 9 discovers the true meaning behind these mysterious suicides. The pace of the movie is perfect it starts of slowly never leaving u behind thinking what the fuck just happened everything gets explained to the viewer leaving no loose ends untied.

What I really enjoy about the movies is the philosophical and ethical view on what it means to be “self-aware” and the merging of humanity and technology. The development of artificial intelligence and how it may cause individuals to loose there individualism and uniqueness. The show also tackles political questions like low child birth rates, the elderly, racism, immigrants and the rights of an individual. I take my hat of to the people at Production I.G they really did a great job with the story.

Animation:

Nothing much to say here but once again Production I.G has outdone themselves in the animation department. They kept the same level of animation quality throughout the TV series and transferred that to the big screen for the movie. The integration of CG into the show is smooth from the cars and airplanes to when they cloak themselves during a mission. It’s so well done that u start not to notice it anymore and that’s a big achievement in an Anime show, usually CG sticks out in a show like a sore thumb but not in this case.

Sound/Music:

Here I am going to be really biased and say u won’t find a better musical score to accompany an anime than in this show. Why u ask? Well one word “Yoko Kanno” and “Origa” okay that would be two words they are legends in there own right in the Anime music industry the music they wrote and sung for this show fits it perfectly and adds to the Cyberpunk/Post Cyberpunk feel of this movie.


Characters:

Nothing much to add here since Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Solid State Society is based of the TV series so they just basically build onto the existing set of character of the show especially the character of Togusa - Koichi Yamadera. But there is a surprise appearance by a couple of characters that was the heart and soul of the series (don’t worry I wont spoil it)

Enjoyment:

If u new to the Ghost In The Shell series I would recommend u first watch the TV show and then watching this as to give u a better idea about the Ghost In The Shell series as a whole. But if you are a big fan of Cyberpunk/Post Cyberpunk or just a big Ghost In The Shell fan this movie is for u and I cant recommend it enough. (P.S the Major still looks hot in her battle outfit)

GitS: Solid State Society is a continuation of the "Stand Alone Complex" series (not the GitS movie series) meaning, while it does contain cyber-philosophy, it is not as rife with the philosophy as the other two films are and focuses more on the cyber-police aspect than the cyber-philosophy aspect of GitS.

Solid State Society, as to be expect of the Ghost in the Shell series, is a complex and entertaining cyber-mystery anime which (in the style of the other Ghost in the Shell titles) will throw in a major plot twist every 5 minutes or so to keep you on your toes and keep you entertained.

The setting is 2 years after the events of the 2nd GIG; Section 9 has expanded in order to take on more cases, Togusa is now the operational leader in place of the Major, Motoko, who mysteriously left Section 9 soon after the events of 2nd GIG.

The plot involves the sort of political intrigue and complex cyber-philosophy that we have come to expect from Ghost in the Shell, and if you enjoyed the other Ghost in the Shell titles you will love this plot. The plot twists are unpredictable and while there arn't many battles there is a lot of drama and action as Section 9 races to figure out what the "Puppeteer" is up to and thwart him.

The characters rely a lot on development from previous titles; the only characters who are explored more deeply in this anime are Togusa, Batou, and Motoko. As usual, the dialogue at the end of the movie explains much about the development of the characters and expounds upon the philosophy of the movie, which I found very interesting. Even though there are many more Section 9 agents we see only one or two consistently on screen; I don't even know if they were given names and they had only one or two lines in the movie.

I especially enjoyed the development of Togusa with relation to his family and Batou's relationship with Motoko, as well as the conflict within Section 9 between Togusa and Batou.

The animation is spectacular; it is obvious this is a 2006 movie with good funding. The animation is extremely fluid, the backgrounds are lively even when the focus is elsewhere (the focus character is speaking/acting, but other characters are also moving in background or water is moving or the wind is blowing some plants). The animation is also detailed, with subtle facial expressions and good special effects throughout the film.

The music, as is typical of GitS, is great. Though some of the songs are definately reused from other GitS titles, it doesn't change the fact that the music was great. The voice actors also performed extremely well.

I would reccomend Solid State Society to all fans of the GitS series, especially those fans of the Stand Alone Complex titles. The story will keep you entertained throughout, and the animation is so spectacular that you will never be able to rate another anime as "10" in animation again.

The ghost in the machine - who or what is in control of what we see in front of us? This is about the only issue Ghost in the Shell as an animation series has explored. Solid State Society is no exception - another "puppet master" is at it again, and no knowing when Kenji will move on to other subjects in the cybernetic world.

Animation
Perhaps it is a Japanese culture thing, but I can't understand the obsession with Motoko leaping off a building. It was only good the first time or so, over ten years ago, when it was shocking, different, and with that eerie music. After seeing SAC1 and 2, I get this pervading sense of worn-out, tired animation. The characters' faces look tired, the city looks tired. I wasn't expecting Ghost in the Shell 2 (which was an extraordinary visual feast), but the action sequences were static, the dialogs were full of empty expressions and meaningless "introspective" pauses, and the characters' faces were amazingly blank and pasty. To the animators' credit, there were a few shots that bordered on beautiful, and the mechanic and architectural detailing is, as always, breathtaking.

Sound
The dialog is standard Ghost in the Shell quality. The voices are excellent, very well toned. The one great aspect of this Special is the superb music by Yokko Kanno. With some vocals lent by Origa, they bring the atmosphere closer to what I was expecting before I watched. High marks.

Story
The plot undergoes a form of metamorphosis; starting out with a low-grade, standard "eyecatcher" of an action sequence, dropping down to a bare minimum of interest while the details of today's conspiracy are fleshed out, followed by a throbbing return to consciousness. By the middle, I found myself engrossed in the plot details, despite the weak start. This build culminates in a spine-tingling climax (not the best I've seen in the Ghost franchise, but respectable nonetheless), which sputters and dies in an overly-cliche'd ending. It's a formula, and a successful one, but when is enough enough?

Characters
Ghost in the Shell characters are notorious for their closedness and mystery. The same is true today, when a vast array of weary, angst-ridden soldiers try to hold down a crumbling Section 9. I don't expect too much character development to appear out of a TV special, but we hardly learn anything we don't already know. Batou still has his childlike crush on Motoko (yet they keep aiming weapons at each other). Togusa is still more or less happily married to his tolerant wife, as well as devoted to his new family. I doubt a newcomer would be able to keep up, and a seasoned Ghoster knows all these points already.

Value, Enjoyment
In closing, it's a nice, entertaining bit of fun, with a few extra psychological pieces added. If you really loved SAC1 and 2, you'll probably like this too, and it's worth the watch. Though it's definitely not for newcomers, and I believe only the truer of hard-core fans will really want to see it.

I'm looking forward to the next movie/series/tv-special/bubblegum-wrapper-comics, which will feature an even greater menace, most likely with a name at least as creative as "The Puppet King" or "Lord of the Puppets". Maybe it'll feature a rap singer who stars as the arch-nemesis, Puppet Daddy.

For starters just let me tell you this... if you liked the Ghost In The Shell - Stand Alone Complex series (Gits SAC from now on) then you're going to like Solid State Society. It's full of the excellent storytelling, intense mystery and political intrigue that you've come to expect from Gits SAC. On the other hand if you want to see some mindless action , a cheerful school story or simply something easy to digest, you probably already know that this is not the anime you're looking for. As with all the other Gits titles this one also requires a lot of attention and thought from the viewer.

Heh , it seems I ended up giving nines in almost all categories... Well, I think it probably reflects this movie's quality since it excels in every department but it's not something that will define a genre or make history.

Animation
For me, animation is divided into 3 categories : direction , drawing style and technical quality. Direction is once again from Kenji Kamiyama and it's excellent. Kamujama changes the mood along with the pace of the story and delivers some very beautiful and atmospheric moments, along with some powerful and intensive action scenes. As far as the drawing style is concerned , I find it really good. It's pretty realistic, with each face having it's own very distinct characteristics and the ability to portray accurately the emotions each character feels. I saved the technical quality of the animation for last, since I don't have much to say. It's just superb. It's better than the SAC series and that says a lot. You'll find very fluid animation , detailed backgrounds and CGI models that mix nicely with the environment. All and all, I will give the animation a 9 since it can't reach the visual quality of , let's say , gits 2 - innocence which had of course a much bigger budget.

Sound
Well, the voice acting is ,simply put, incredible. Generally in Gits SAC the work that has been done in the voice-acting department is one of the best I've ever heard. The leading characters have deep and mesmerising voices and especially Motoko's is superb. Music also reaches very high standards. The opening and ending songs written by Yoko Kano and performed by Origa are very good (as usual) and the music used in the background helps to support/change the mood. I won't give it a ten since there isn't some really incredible score that will blow you away , but it definitely deserves a 9.

Story
You'll find all of the following in carefully measured doses: a thrilling mystery , political intrigues , cyberpunk philosophical debates and many clever plot twists that will keep you interested

Synopsis[/b]: Motoko has left Section 9 and Batou hasn't taken it very well. He refused to take the position of the major and Togusa ended up taking her place. A mysterious hacker, called the puppeteer, has appeared and has forced several members of a political extremist group to commit suicide. When Batou investigates the crimes he bumps onto Motoko... Who is the puppeteer, what's the reason behind the assassinations? what is the connection with the covered-up child abductions? could Motoko be somehow involved with the crimes?

The story is very well done, the plot twists will keep your interest at high levels and the political and social aspect will keep your mind working. The story is not action packed but it has a very strong thriller element that will maintain your adrenaline high. Also, the movie is not that philosophically oriented as the Gits movies and that's not a bad thing since it works rather well. In conclusion, what we have here is concrete storytelling with the right pace.

Characters
We basically see the same characters as in the SAC series. There are some new faces in sector 9 , but of no real importance to the story. The focus is on just the few already important people of section 9 and especially on Batou and Motoko. It's nice to see that there has been some insight and development in their relationship. Nothing drastic happens, but it's those two that really support the film. Togusa also comes onto the light along with his family that gets caught in the whole mess and we get to see a very intense sequence with him. Expect characters to be realistic, there are no real villains or heroes here, it's just human nature that fights with itself. Since I've watched Gits SAC, I've already cared for the characters a lot and this movie has managed to make me want to see their adventures and struggles , even more. Of course Motoko still remains a mystery and as in all SAC titles you don't get any major character changes , but that's not really a bad thing.

Value
Is Solid state Society worth watching? - Absolutely. Is it worth buying - for sure. Will you rewatch it? - I have no idea.

First of all let me say that while it might be better to watch this movie after you've seen the SAC series, it's not necessary to do so. Some situations can be fully understood only if you've known the past of the characters but in essence the movie is stand alone. After watching it, I spent some time wondering about what will happen to the characters from now on and about the social and political issues the story dealt with. So it's a fact that the movie left some impact on me and I think that this will be the case with other people. If you ask me about rewatchability , I really don't know what to say. I rarely rewatch a movie or a series and when I do it's mostly by chance or if a friend asks me to. I generally feel that there are too many good stuff I haven't seen to spend my time watching something I've already seen. Ok, so I've watched Blade Runner 3-4 times , but that's the exception. So in the end SSS has a lot of value for my standards since it manages to do everything right.

Enjoyment
Yes, I've enjoyed Solid State Society a lot. From the very beginning to the end it kept me interested. As I stated in the start of this review if you enjoyed Gits SAC , you're going to enjoy this movie too. If you'd like to watch a clever and thought-provoking cyberpunk thriller , this is the movie for you. Let's hope that SSS won't be the last adventure of the Major and her squad and that we'll see more of them.

If you've read this review please tell me what you think of it. I'd like to hear your suggestions and your comments whether they're positive or negative.[/b]

Some Notes :
The hacker called the "puppeteer" in Solid State Society, seems to have a lot in common with the "Puppet Master" of the first Gits movie, but we don't really know if they are the same or not. It's more possible that they are different "entities" , but things don't get clear , so we can't say for sure. Also, if you've read the manga you may have noticed that SSS has been influenced a bit by one of the early chapters , although the story has been taken to a completely different direction.