Ghost in the Shell

	Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Volumes 1 and 2 (2002) Directed by Kenji Kamiyama. Written by Yoshiki Sakuria. Anchor Bay Entertainment
Neither sequel nor prequel to the 1995 anime classic Ghost in the Shell, Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex is a 26-episode series based on characters and motifs from the Masamune Shirow comic book that inspired Mamoru Oshii’s film. GiTS:SAC is the work of Japan’s Production I.G., producers of the mind-bending Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence theatrical feature, and the animated sequence in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. The four half-hour episodes on this inaugural volume continue the exploration of Philip K. Dick’s twin obsessions (“What is human?” and “What is real?”) that propelled the original GiTS manga and film adaptation. Shirow’s futuristic terrorism and cybercrime concepts remain as current as ever, and the use of computer animation provides an elegant synthesis of form and content. The supporting cast of the elite cyber-police unit Section 9 has been developed, providing credible camaraderie. Some of the lyricism that surrounded Major Motoko Kusanagi (who fights crime while dressed like a lap dancer) has been transferred to other characters, such as a physically disabled engineer whose religious upbringing denied him the prosthetic he needed to survive, or a young man who falls in love with an android companion. Volume 2 is every bit as strong as its predecessor, opening with a two-episode story that marks Section 9’s ongoing hunt for a cyberterrorist called The Laughing Man. Episode 7, “Missing Hearts” (about medical students involved in black market organ sales) suggests Pulp Fiction in microcosm. Quasi-Caucasian character designs and Occidental corporate logos lend a global character, with the designers reaching beyond the original film’s Blade Runner influence into vintage film noir stylings.
Yoko Kanno’s soundtrack music abets the drama, highlighted by an eerie, techno-operatic theme song performed by Russian soprano Origa. The care invested in the sound design is apparent even in two-channel playback. While the dubbing is above average, the subtitled Japanese language track reveals shadings of meaning lost in the English version. The 16:9 transfer has been given some unnecessary sharpness enhancement, creating a fine, white line to the right of
all edges. Thought- provoking, witty, and often visually stunning, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex demonstrates an intelligence and commitment to quality American television producers have yet to aspire. —Michael Draine