This weeks Anime Talks is going to be a mini review of "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex". This 2002 anime series which follows the exploits of Major Motoko Kusanagi ( simply refereed to as the Major most of the time ) and her team from the Japanese anti-terrorism crime unit "Public Security Section 9" . The series is set in the fictional Japanese city of Niihama during the mid 21st century, where cyber crime, and cyborgs are common and the setting is very cyberpunk in it's feel.
It is worth noting at this time that there is also a Ghost in the Shell movie, and a Manga series however while the characters are more or less identical within these there medias each is independent of each other with vastly different plots. I like Ghost in the Shell ( both the SAC series and the movie ) because I find the characters interesting, and while it has plenty of action with tons of violence the show is more about detective work and mystery solving though it can get bogged down at time by the heavy political commentary which can be a turn off to some viewers.
The Animation is beautifully drawn, the story is gripping most of the time, the characters are very well developed and the plot twists are intriguing. This is a series that I recommend unless you are not a fan of politically intrigue or dark gritty worlds full of violence, deceit and death.
