I think you're being far too biased here. The styles are intentionally different. The original movie is definitely philosophical but almost so much so that it is detrimental to the individualism of the characters. Almost every scene that isn't political exposition or an action scene has something to do with identity or a sense of purpose. Batou felt like the most "normal" because he was more on the sidelines of Motoko spewing the philosophical lines the entire time. He even objected outright within the elevator scene. A prime example of Motoko being hammy in the original is the boat scene whenever she is detailing exactly what "identity" is. Contrast the amount of intimate development shown with Motoko in the original and the development shown in Innocence with Batou. They are almost entirely opposite. Batou is continually bitter over Motoko being gone and is more quiet, he is more consoling when talking to Togusa, he won't buy certain types of dogfood because he wants to spoil his dog and even is irritated by Ishikawa when he suggests otherwise. All those little scenes let us know who Batou is without him needing to literally face the camera and detail how he is supposed to feel within the setting. The S.A.C. series does retain a few elements from the original movie but for the most part it is much more politically saturated and action oriented. Motoko is changed to reflect this setting as well. She is much more confident in her actions, is rarely if ever shown doing things unrelated to her job and is much more casual around her team. Her relationship with Batou is more brotherly as opposed to a distant romantic relationship. She also has a more light hearted disposition to various circumstances such as when she makes quips towards her team or people within operations. 2nd GiG has more scenes of her being sentimental and indecisive compared to the first season due to the plot being intertwined with her past. Arise builds upon some traits from S.A.C. but focuses more intensely on Motoko's motivations, her as an individual person as opposed to part of section 9 and her investment in the conflict of the story. Because of this she is even more independent and distinct compared to the original or even S.A.C.. In the original Motoko's personality was more of a plot device rather than a manifestation of her environment or personal actions. Her design in Arise is changed to show more vulnerability, inexperience and individualism compared to her seasoned military veteran S.A.C. self. There are multiple scenes where Motoko has to struggle physically and mentally against people who were directly within her past. The formation of the team being more from various individuals who have personal reasons for joining helps create a sense of distance between Motoko which is further stressed with how sharply she treats them during discussions. This distance can be interpreted as a reaction from Motoko with having to deal with her previous acquaintances attacking her and also a form of respect as she had hand picked them. Her sense of self is heavily brought into question when she finds out she had a memory virus which partially crumbles her motivations. We are intimately shown and told that she was within a facility for cyborgs from a young age just as we were shown and told that S.A.C. Motoko was a cyborg from a young age. Arise definitely had careful thought put into it. It was just specifically designed to differentiate itself from previous iterations, although it does have a few homage scenes within the newer movie to the original if you catch them.
In my opinion you've missed out on an important fact, that is, that Motoko from Arise has yet to become the Motoko from the other iterations. She has yet to confront the struggle she'll be facing later on. Since she has yet to grow into the Motoko we know, to me it seems like a logical conclusion to frame her in a much more mundane way, as Arise did. If you look at the promotional art for the new movie that's slated for 2015, you can see, that she already looks a lot more like the Motoko we know.
Robersora in the new trailer they released a few weeks back the desing seems to be the same. i don't know if it will change during the movie though. i personally hope they will change it.
If this truly was an origin story, they did a very poor job at conveying that. They failed to follow the source material. It's like it you did a batman story, but Bruce Wayne was adopted and had blonde hair. Then made Bruce a middle class average every man with no money who was governmentally funded to fight crime, who's also part of the military. You can see why anyone wouldn't want anything to do with it. To much creative liberty waters down the original. It ruins the story altogether.
Skill-point, and what do you consider the source material? Shirow never did an origin story, and the 2nd gig origin story is just one episode. While a VERY good episode if you remove your prejudice for what came first the origin story in Arise makes much more sense as to why Motoko is unique and fits the character of the manga much better.
Howard Rourke regardless of the source material, they all had one thing in common, while this one is far too removed for it to be considered part of the main franchise.
I'm rewatching ghost in the shell arise now, I actually enjoy it. I like how they show how motoko meets everyone that's on the team. For me, it felt like a prequel, I think it was done very creatively, for people who never seen ghost in the shell at all, it's an easy way to get into it without heavy nuance context, and it's for viewers that grew up watching the Ghost in the shell franchise, so naturally it won't be as detailed. I liked the fresh new pace. For me, it was a different take in motoko as a character, and the story, of how section 9. formed. After the movie, I'm planning to watch the original anime film and the Ghost in the shell series. Since I haven't seen it in years, it's nice rewatching such a masterpiece
First and foremost, I personally enjoyed Arise. My appreciation comes from the fact that this version of the characters that we know become epic in their own right is there all fundamentally different and yet hold some of the potential greatness that we know them to be later on. The major is tough and highly skilled, but she exists in a situation where she does not have barely any rights to her own due to the fact that her body is army issue and owned. The chief is another fine example of great intelligence and good leadership qualities. But he's also bogged down with a system whereas he does not have the resources to effectively fight crime on a level it needs to be. The future characters we do see later on are also in situations where they're working pretty well in their own, but they're still stifled by a system that does not allow them to reach their full potential. Has this series progresses we begin to see them all coming together and they become part of a larger unit that will become the section 9 that we appreciate and love.
Perhaps it is with hindsight, and thus not a criticism, since I have seen the 2015 film and the conclusion of the Arise timeline... but I think that it was one of my favorite entries in the series precisely because of it's different take on the character of Motoko. It's a representation of her from a time when she had even less autonomy from the government. This exploration of her orphanage and lack of bodily autonomy as metaphor for the bondage from which she frees herself at the end point of the larger narrative. Arise is best watched with a knowledge of things to come, because while it's stand alone stories are less superficially philosophical, the series deals with much more tangible issues and implications of the technologies and political realities that are, at the point of Arise's story, still in the early stages of becoming what they will be later on... as are the character of Motoko and the other members of section 9. Even her character design works into that theme. Her appearance is not yet the Motoko that we know, and she is not yet that person. Perhaps that's why the series seems lesser than it's peers when viewed in comparison, as a stand alone story.... because it isn't one. All the things that make it fascinating are the ways in which it paralells, contrasts, and informs the events to come in the previous works. That's the charm of a prequel.
It's a prequel meant to show how it all started. Seems like you expected Motoko to be in her final form since the very beginning? Now that would be boring. It was interesting for me to see her vulnerable. It was actually getting boring seeing her almost invincible all the time.
When I saw Arise for the first time, when it come out - I genuinely disliked it. Then I re-watched it somewhat recently and I have to admit it, that it has grown on me. Yes - Arise is not like the original movie, or SAC, but when you look at it on it's own - it is rather descent sci-fi series with rather satisfying story.
@@aaaagamedev3524 Technically, the closest adapration of GITS manga was that one PS1 game, so If 1995 movie was called GITS - I don't see why ARISE can't be a part of GITS. I look at GITS franchise as Final Fantasy franchise. All can be unique and same at the same time
I personally like the rise I like all of the ghost Michel except for the Netflix one. The one that Netflix did was terrible oh, the character design for Majors pretty good but other than that everything is terrible on it. The concept of the stories interesting like a Civil War in North America and stuff like that but how to execute the stores horrible. And then the Ghost in the Shell Netflix made they also have the villains very cartoony and I mean very very cartoony! Did all honesty it just feels like a Syfy cartoon version of Lethal Weapon.
True, I JUST watched The First Series of OVAS 'Cause Someone Uploaded It All In One Here &I Downloaded It @720P :D Got Kinda Confusing around The TinMan/Scarecrow Bit. IT WAS STILL AWESOME !!! OMG From All The Critical Reviews I thought Arise was Not Worth Watching, Like Star Trek Discovery. Which I KNOW Is BAD. IT AIN'T. IT'S GHOST IN THE SHELL :D &I Enjoyed It ^_^
The GiTS genre is best described as a “stand alone complex” ironically. All of the installments are just variations on similar themes and I think it does somewhat of a disservice to any of the content to declare one as the ‘original’ or even worse ‘cannon’ . Is Arise as good as SAC/2nd GiG or the original movie? No absolutely not. Is it bad? not at all. I thought the artistic direction (however I also thought some of the action scenes were quite well done and the OVA length gave more time space for complex sequences to take place) was a bit meh and the characters were somewhat unfamiliar but almost in a good way? It was an interesting take. The plot as seemed slightly disjointed, and was more hurt than helped by the episodic format but was an interesting variation on themes only touched on in the previous series. It’s not of the epic quality of the first movie but I think it’s good, a solid 7-8/10 good installment in the disjointed community of GiTS works.
While I can agree that in many ways the cinematography and use of lighting was not there for Arise I think you nitpick about her design a bit because of nostalgia. I guess they wanted her to look younger with it being a prequel to give the impression of her still evolving and she is known to have used several bodies so it's not really weird for her to have used a smaller body at a time. She's not very imposing at 4'6 though I'll give you that XD. Her design seems based more off the original movie than the S.A.C one was and going back to a more realistic look although they did give her coloured hair instead of black she has the steely blue eyes and looks more like a real person than the very anime cartoony design of S.A.C with purple big hair and red eyes with giant boobs. I think the big reason a lot of people don't like Arise is that it's not a clone of S.A.C they tried to do their own thing with it with the room given by making a prequel including changing some of her origins. I believe Arise somewhat disregards S.A.C and makes it a prequel to the first movie.. I think Arise grew on me the original OVA's I felt were kind of mediocre but I've got into Pyrophoric Cult and the movie
Wow. Really interesting to me that you think the Arise design looks more like the original than SAC's. The new version she has no curves whatsoever, and the blue of her eyes? It's completely different. We're talking a normal, royal/cerulean shade in the new version. Like the crayola blue you get in the standard 8-color box. Go back and re-watch the original film. It's barely blue. More of a steel-like color that also has a lot of grey/silver.
I remind viewers that GitS debuted in 1995. You think about that. In 1995, what was the internet? It was a thing for geeks. And yet they gave us this vision of the future. It was more than well crafted. It was shocking. That movie has become, personally, a foundation stone for my entire life philosophy. And I don't think that's taking it too far. I don't think you'll find many people who would deny that someday computers will be able to scan and copy your consciousness, to duplicate it. That day is coming. The concept of ghost hacking adds a layer of danger, but more importantly, what does it mean to be human? That is the question of the movie. Kusanagi's answer, that she receives from 2501, is that a human is that which evolves constantly, and thus it is no specific definable thing.
I personally like Ghost In The Shell: ARISE. I did watch old series and 1995 movie, but ARISE is somewhat a fresh restart, sadly it's not a famous anime.
good analysis... I agree...the surroundings, light and colour conflict with the story. those streets look perfectly clean, those people look more animated than robots...
I don't know what this means for your analysis, but the 1995 scenery was based on Hong Kong, while Arise and SAC 2045 both look much more like actual urban Japan. While the emotions evoked by the 1995 film are very strong, the latter productions feel like home (I've lived in Japan for almost 10 years). I will agree that a "plain" Motoko is not the best Motoko
At the same time though, the ARISE series made it very clear that she was constantly struggling with her identity and long-term goals, etc. which is why I agree with the review even if you are right about the fact that it's her origin story and doesn't need to be held to same standards as the others. Her standing with others is often called into question, and she tries to spend much of her efforts going sideways at a problem to try and solve it. I think in that manner, it would have been much more compelling to define her and her intro/surrounds as part of her identity crisis, and would have allowed for a more immersive experience with it instead of trying to go about with things like the single photo prop, and stand alone objects as opposed to entire sets.
Arise to me is like the beginning of the team being put together and after a war just happened not to long ago. in the movie and tv show that were already well oiled machine that got the job done, but arise is the background for the characters.
The only thing I disagree on is the character design for Motoko. Being a sort-of prequel to the GitS mythos (Manga, film, SAC), it's great that Motoko has a vulnerable appearance and looks smaller and less badass than the other versions. That way they could show her devolpment also visually (aside from plot and stuff) and have her wear her more badass gear later on and act more confident etc. however, from what I hear they messed this up too. So, I guess the potential was there but meh.
It doesn't really work as a prequel though as it largely contradicts all the other versions chronologically. In SAC for example she is shown in as a bad ass war veteran well before section 9 is even formed, and that is similarly hinted at for the movie and manga as far as I remember. If it was meant to be a prequel to the other works it would have to have been set before she went to war for it to actually be effective, not when joining section 9.
Nimroc This is why I said "sort-of" prequel. The way I understand it, this is actually a reboot. But like other reboots before it, like Casino Royale, Star Trek 2009, Batman Begins or Tomb Raider 2013, it starts by telling the origin story that wasn't really told in the previous incarnations and then goes of and does its own thing. So having a young Motoko who isn't a badass and maybe even mostly human or at least just in some standard issue prosthetic body, and then see her develop more into the badass we know from previous incarnations (getting a better body, more experienced, etc.) would have been cool and for that purpose her new character design would have made sense. But from what I've heard, she's a badass from the start and her body is super high tech except it looks like a 14-year old for no reason - so they seemed to have screwed this up.
Have you considered that maybe Kazuchika Kise is trying to set him self apart from the other Ghost in The Shell adaptations? He's purposely constructing different shots because he's trying to put a different spin on his version of Ghost in the Shell. I love Oshii's film and Stand Alone Complex, but I appreciate the fact Arise is trying to do something different.
Matt Heitkamp If Arise was a standalone, maybe. But since it isn't, the level of straying from the original is akin to the Star Wars Prequels. People were expecting Ghost in the Shell and they didn't get it.
+Matt Heitkamp The first Arise film was alright, it seemed like a fresh, if not disjointed, attempt at rebooting the series. The rest becomes more and more muddled and messy with each pass. It doesn't connect with the classic series at all, nor does it effectively become its own thing. The director's inexperience really comes across here.
+saintyoo My issue with that line of reasoning is that all of the iterations of Ghost in the Shell are sort of their own thing. The manga is different from the Oshii movies are different from Stand Alone Complex is different from Arise. In terms of the Major's character, Arise probably cuts closer to manga than any of them. I'm not saying Arise is the best (it probably is the weakest of the GITS series), but it gets way more shit than it deserves. I was perfectly satisfied with it and happy to have more GITS.
+NADS IQ Christ, I should know better than to involve myself in a pedantic nerd war, but here it goes. There are aspects of the Major's character that are much less present in the Oshii films and SAC than they are in arise and the manga. The former two don't really touch on her sexuality or romantic relationships at all. Arise doesn't have the hedonistic, virtual lesbian threesomes of the manga, but it shows that those things are at least present in her life. She's also much more hot headed in Arise and the manga. Her working relationship with Aramaki is also more contentious in both. So maybe cuts closer was the wrong phrasing, but it explores aspects of her character and relationships that had been neglected by the other two. Have I proven fandom bona fides, great nit picky gatekeeper of the nerds?
Hmm... In SAC Motoko also had lived-looking homes (either Section 9 members get ridiculous paychecks, or else the Major moonlights as a criminal or stockmarket shark), but I admit that they weren't exactly ordinary. They tended to be opulent and futuristic, large open spaces mixed with large windows and high tech computers and screens filling up the place, sometimes mixed with traditional Japanese elements -- in Solid State Society she even had an indoor pond.
Akin Khoo She has several safehouses that are shown throughout the series. The one with the indoor pond was in Solid State Society, where she was also equipped with some ridiculously sophisticated technology for self-employed ex-Public Security official.
Have you now finished watching all the Arise series? What do you think? Do you think your views still stand? I think because Arise is much more of a prequel, where Motoko maybe have yet to discover her own question about her existence, hence with all the misconnection with the 1995 movie characterization. Of cos, I don't think they really gel that well together. They could do better actually.
WrongTurnAnimations The Oshii movies, Stand Alone Complex show, and ARISE are all different continuities. Ot doesn't matter from a story standpoint which order you watch them in. You should probably start with Stand Alone Complex seasons 1 and 2 and its movie Solid State Society as they are the best version of that universe I think. Then the Oshii movies. Then ARISE if you really want to but they aren't that great as described in the video.
WrongTurnAnimations You can watch them in any order. Just make sure you watch the Osshi stuff (1995 film & Innocence) and Stand Alone Complex season 1 & 2.
+WrongTurnAnimations The original film & the T.V. series (Stand Alone Complex & 2nd Gig). The original film is just that, and the series is obviously a lot longer. Both can be watched independently, it doesn't really matter which you watch first, either way is fine. The newer stuff is pants.
Sir Christopher McFarlane The 1995 movie was the first Ghost in the Shell anime. I don't think it's fair to compare the manga with anything as manga is such a different medium.
+macker33 its not bad, he mostly talks about that ghost in the shell movies and tv show was kinda unique I personally felt that arise feels more like Psycho Pass in terms of style more then original movie or stand alone complexGood but nothing special
By themselves, yes. They're excellent (except for the dialogue and villains). But as part of the whole, it's absolutely garbage. They've rewritten too many characters.
IMHO I can tell something out: Arise GitS is not a direct take on the franchise so you can not go there and say AVOID so freely. I saw the 1st movie and that goes in a slightly different direction than the manga, and everyone loves the movie (me included). Motoko is not the tall imponent japanese fitness model you see on the 95 movie or in SAC, and I liked that a lot since she seems like a normal japanese woman: thin, small, almost delicate; but her personality is completely opposite. One of the most impactful point on Arise is the conversation on how Motoko became what she is, starting on never having a human body since she was given a cybernetic body being a fetus, contrary to the 6 years old she is almost always given on that point of her life. Also her background as an international threat as a hacker that jumped from body to body to the point where she doesn't recognize herself on the current one. She doesn't even remember her age and that's a heavy punch on a person psych. And to say she is more strong than a normal cyborg? Yes, and she is also that on Arise. That's shown on a shot where she fights Batō and puts him to sleep with one punch in a blink. I can agree that this is not GitS classic material: 3D animation is rough, colors are vibrant, and plots are bigger scaled that the classic stories; but I liked that it doesn't feel like something so different that what we already see on the street. Or what? You still are waiting for flying cars on 2015? Technology is jumping farther and farther every year, but that doesn't mean that this is the distant future of 20XX.
OK summary, but I disagree with you about the start - that scene where the Major first appears, seemingly with opposing intentions to Aramaki, threw everything in the fire and made you want to know more. I agree about art style though - it needed to be darker with more colour textures and night-city-scenes. Motoko's character grew on me throughout the series, but I wasn't keen on the hair style they gave her and she was portrayed too young throughout Arise - more a 17 yr old girl with some attitude. Togusa has always been one of my fave chars in Ghost but Arise seemed to weaken him a bit sadly.
Interesting points of view. However, I think maybe they chose inexperienced producers/directors/writers was to give the franchise a new and fresh feel for the new generation of anime fans. The main reason why I love the Ghost In The Shell franchise is because each adapted version has different yet somehow similar feel to it regardless of some changes in the art or directing style. I also believe that the Arise series and the new movie are perfect for introducing new anime fans to the franchise. I can agree with a lot of your points regarding the movies and Stand Alone Complex. I would also like to point out that , in my case, if it weren't for Arise, I wouldn't have bothered with the original adaptions. Mainly because when I tried to watch them for the first time in my mid teens, I got bored with the lack of action and the constant dialogues. But after giving anime series like Evangelion and Steins;Gate a shot after watching almost every action anime there is I found the GITS franchise attractive after seeing the trailers for Arise. Arise(for me anyways) had enough(although VERY minimal) philosophical undertones that anime like Evangelion and Steins;Gate had. This prompted me to revisit the original adaptions and now I am a huge fan of the franchise as a whole. I dunno, maybe anime lovers who saw the originals first may find Arise and the new movie hollow but I think Arise is great in it's own unique way. Maybe not a masterpiece, but it will most likely be a classic in comparison to the dreaded Hollywood adaption with Scarlett Johannson. That's just my opinion though.
The biggest problem is that it tries to rewrite some major points of the original movie and tv series. Call it GITS reimagined, and unfortunately by someone who has little to no stake in the original canon. Sure it's not bad, but it lacks much of what already existed. Even as a stand alone, it's much more brainless action set in a japanese future scape, than a political/mystery/drama set in a japanese cyberpunk world. To emphasize a big difference, the world of arise lacks much of the decay of Oshii's original vision which I'd argue is a huge part of the cyber punk genre. Some people seem to think this is the same Motoko, but it's very clearly a rewrite of an established character. This isn't some pre-movie or SAC motoko, that motoko has an established past as set by SAC 2nd gig, the arise motoko was never really human. I know I'm late to the party as I'm just rewatching it now. On my original viewing I was just happy to have something new from the series, but rewatching has turned up the issues that most everyone else felt. In the end, its not as good as it could have been and that in itself is disappointing.
There's way too much time spent talking about minor details here. The way you started off spending so long talking about Matoko reminds me of how Matthewmatosis would start off his critiques, except his videos are much longer, so focusing on smaller details is much more justified. There's a whole heap of other flaws you could have mentioned here, instead of just focusing on aesthetic details.
I just finished ARISE and I have no clue what was happening almost. Almost very bit of diologe went right over my head. The last OVA for me was impossible to understand. Something about two Ghosts In one person and that's all. Is the rest of the series going to be like that? I'v seen the first episode of SAC and at last it wasn't constantly techno bable. I had to rewind at one point because I wasn't sure of one thing but it turned out I was right. After watching the film will it all make more sense?
+Winterwacko Reborn I had the same problem! watched all four and most of it made no sense! idk the motives of the bad guys plus their actions dont make since in terms of explaining what they are trying to do at all or whats going on it makes no sense to me at all after watching all of GITS arise made no sense to me its different enemies in every ep and different crimes or plot plans but it doesnt explain them and this underling story of a virus that is never explained where or who or why did it with all the other bad guys doing different things in each OVA
+FlyingAce1016 I didn't understand much in the shows either until i watched something that explained the politics of japan and how the government and military are two completely separate entities vying for control. I much prefer the philosophical aspects of the films, nature of being, consciousness and all that to the corporate/political espionage of the shows, they just can't seem to make me care about anyone's motives. But then i have that problem with almost all japanese entertainment.
Do you mean an in-universe timeline, or a timeline of the franchise, itself? For the latter, the franchise's Wikipedia article should be a good start in and of itself. But if you're after a some kind of timeline that ties all these different adaptations together, no such thing exists. The manga, the Oshii films, Stand Alone Complex and Arise all exist in their own separate canons that make homages to one another, but never actually cross over.
The scene when that helicopter manages to match Motoko's FREE FALLING SPEED! To drop along side he. Then shoot her through a window with a mini gun, at point blank range! Which would've torn her to pieces in the other versions. It just totally broke my suspension of disbelief.
I disagree on so much of this. Motoko said it best. We can't all be the same or it's slow death. Same with the movies and such. The fact that arise is so different makes it so beloved and special!
I found this Matoko more believable and identifiable as a career military woman. The earlier Matoko's humanity was supposed to be left ambiguous, but when she spoke of her ghost, I found it unconvincing. She lacked the character depth to leave her authenticity in any doubt. The earlier Ghost in the Shell was produced before society had integrated as deeply with communications technology and artificial intelligence, so it was made with less certainty, more unease about the quality of life it would produce. Needless to say it's a different world now, and a dystopian future doesn't seem so inevitable. Perhaps it's because we have more identifiable threats now than shadowy corporate puppetmasters, who seem much more fallible now than then.
"Angel's Egg" is a Anime from Mamoru Oshii the Director of Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Yoshitaka Amano the Artist from the Classic Final Fantasy Covers. You should also watch "Neon Genesis Evangelion" from 1995 and the Movie "The End of Evangelion" from 1997. If you want more 90s Cyberpunk i suggest "Armitage III Polymatrix" & "Battle Angel Alita".
I'm not sure about your first point. The observations are brilliant regarding the director and opening scenes, but I think the changes to Motoko reflects the director's new approach with her; a less brooding and mysterious character and more of a "modern", self-interested freelancer. I think all of these new touches and approaches though leads to the result that you mentioned, though. We're generally just not interested in any of the characters.
+NADS IQ Don't bother with the man machine interface. It is only crotch shots and it is so unbelievably annoying. Human Processing Error is a good read, though.
NADS IQ Sorry, but as far as the pure literature aspect goes, the whole GitS-Series is not at a very high standard. Its Manga after all, good/higher quality manga, but not taking the drawings into account just makes it mediocre at best (when compared to the great novels of cyberpunk). And Masamune really f* it up with all the crotch shots - but maybe you found a way to interpret that as a part of server architecture. No, hardware engineers are not that easily impressed by panty-shots and a mediocre mix of philosophy and sci-fi.
Fantastic video! I havent seen arise but i heard a lot of bad things and seeing this brought out all the points. Can't wait to see more analysis stuff from you in the future
One must remember that "Arise" is clearly a prequel, so much of the experience and confidence that defines the Major in the movie and S.A.C have yet to mature - which we see in the visuals, wherein she looks like a less mature woman, younger, smaller, and less self-assured. The bright colors forbode something because we know the darkness becomes more prevalent in the originals; what happens to change the optimistic, brightly colored, world we see in "Arise" into the darker, more desperate universe of "GITS"? Seeing the rise of terrorism in the show might be a clue. I liked the fact that we got to see the Major in relationships in "Arise" as well, we learn that she's actually quite sexually active and that she goes through boyfriends like tissue. It speaks to the problems associated with her work and her inability to connect to others. We then see a long history of betrayals throughout the series, working to make her a more bitter and less trusting person. I enjoyed seeing how she built the team and got a stronger sense for how some of the relationships evolved. I agree, it's the lowest quality of the anime, but it still deserves the "Ghost in the Shell" moniker.
SAC basically copied the original movie's opening shot so that makes it good? :/ and she looks like a playbunny in SAC so I dunno why you are bashing the character design of ARISE by saying it doesn't make her look intimidating. If you are attributing her power to her physical stature at all, it shows a lack of understanding for the original content. It was her combat experience and cyborg strength that made her powerful...not the size of her physique.
I appreciate the critique of Arise but I think it's a bit off base. In fact I find the changes to Motoko's character to be one of the more welcome features of Arise saga. Not to say any of the previous entrees were bad, but the Motoko of GiTS SAC was a strange hyper-competent infallible character. I think the Arise series made her much more human and much more relatable by allowing her to make mistakes, get duped and even be on the receiving end of criticism from her section 6 buddies.
So I take umbrage with your assessment of the introduction of the character Motoko. You complain that the introductory shots of Motoko are generic and in contrast to the first movie and SAC. The movie and SAC's introductory shot of Motoko is one where she's shrouded in mystery. She's partially obscured by darkness. Her face isn't visible. And the city structure behind her is the thing actually being lit. Just because Arise doesn't have her perched like Batman doesn't make it any different from the others insofar as visual storytelling. She's still obscured by darkness, her face unseen, with the city structure behind her lit up. The next shot of her is one of her in action, taking aim at someone, while brightly lit. What are the next two visuals we get of Motoko in the movie? 1) her brightly underlit as she takes action, beginning her fall. 2) shooting her gun at baddies. Though the actual visuals are very different, I'm of the opinion that the visual storytelling isn't very different at all.
I have to disagree with parts of this analysis. The impression I got throughout the movie that while the other parts of the series we about her figuring out who she was, this was about learning who she's not, to kind of give a foundation... you know, the seed that would into the motoko we've grown to know and love from the series. the way she is presented in the opening and animation was a way of giving the audience something empathize with, because she IS a robot, and at this point in the series, she cannot see herself better than we can see her. the plot in the movie largely centered around her character development. yes there was counter-terrorism involved and all of that, but more importantly, some of the things we did not know were illuminated about her character and how she grew to became the character we've known. It was a great introduction to GITS imo, for SAC. you kind of get a new sense of satisfaction when she is reintroduced after the movie, because of the strength in her character. it happens some time after section 9 has been put together obviously, but this gives enough room to the imagination to connect dots as to how she may have come to be that way. she was a human who forgot their humanity, just like any person struggling with an identity disorder, but she was obviously led to question the purpose of individuality in a system created for the purpose of something else altogether. I like how who she was led into who we would learn she had become
@AnimeEveryday Going to repost a comment i previously made This may be a unpopular opinion but, The thing that turns me off the most about the Arise interpertation of GITS was Mokoto's chatarcter design. Now i hate fanservice i cant stand it and I dont like it in any of my shows. But what made mokoto such a great character in my eyes was the fact that she appeared ver feminine. In the original gits shes was pretty sexualized and esepcially in S.A.C she has that whoreish getup. But this is what made her has a character so much better. Mokoto is a very strong, independant female lead. Shes very focused, vigilant essentially a perfect leader. She is a little snarky at times. You can say that Mokoto as a character has ALOT of Gravitas (dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner.). In society very few women bear gravitas, it's usually a trait found in men because they cannot depend on their good looks to get what they want. But what makes Mokoto such a great character is that she bears such a astronomical amount of gravitas, yet resides in a shell of a female body, in SAC bato usually mentions and askes her why she does not switch to a male body, that she would be treated differently if she was. But what really makes Mokoto bold as a character, what really highlights her gravitas. Is the fact that she is very feminine. That regardless of society's lower expectations towards women in more dangerous jobs, and the statistically very few women who choose these jobs. Truly define Mokoto and make her an extremely well constructed character. She aserts her power as a woman, but does not take advantage of it all the time, she relies on her gravitas and her merit to get it done. And that is truly what makes her such a beautiful character narratively. what made mokoto so fascinating was that she didnt appear to fit into the job she is doing until you saw her in action. She steps up, and sets the bar as a woman in her profession, using solely her gravitas really a sort of "fuck you" to a mans world. But then you got arise. Shes got this total tomboyish look to her as if she belongs in the force. She lacks those qualities. Which ruin the character for me
+Seventh “Sugar J” Swell are you a girl bec you hate fanservice.? plus you just wrote a rant for feminism..but shirow as a man & writer made her intelligent. not a woman writer writing a female character. plus her sexualism is what created the sales for media companies to make movie & anime. so sex really does SELL...
+Andre Isis How am i a feminist. I am for the sexualization for mokoto how is that feminist?. You cant read clearly, or i didnt understand what you wrote because that paragraph looks like it was written by a droopy eyed autist. Let me clairfy since you seem to be misguided, the reason why it's positive for Mokoto as a character to be hyper sexualized is because of how she overcomes what is expected of her in society, regardless of her appearance she wins most of her battles through merit and experience. The reason why I say that Mokoto needs to bear more womanly features because it augments her as a character, since she bears both good looks and a large amount of gravitas. If you look into SAC Bato asks mokoto why she does not change into a male cybernetic body. This is important because it states that Mokoto has the choice to change to a man but does not. Why is that? I think it's because she is extremely powerful and she knows it, and she asserts her dominance even if she is a female. It makes her character more powerful and stronger because she not only gained her position but she overcomes societies norms as to what is expected of women, You see it all the time in SAC how there are paid cyber hoes, and how it is stated in the show that the society is majoritvely dominated by men. Yet Mokoto, debately one of the most powerful people in society is not. The point im trying to make is that because she is ver feminine in appearance, it displays how much more powerful she is because she is not only extremely skills, but is able to dominate, a fight, conversation or encounter despite the fact that she is a woman. The original write with GITS puts alot of detail in his world, its clear that this was intentional. Also in terms of fanservice, as viewer. I hate fanservice, it adds not quality to the show whatsoever and it makes the show less attractive to me. You clearly didnt read my post, I am talking in context to the story not in real life, and in the universe of GITS there is a lot of power given to men, this is not a bad thing and I dont want to change it rahter I embrace it because IT amplifies Mokoto as a character.
Seventh Swell you keep blah blah blahing about how great it is to be a woman..ergo a feminist in my eyes. have you read the manga by shirow? probably NO bec you reference SAC anime but they were terrible & stupid vs ideas in the manga. the woman in the manga was amazing. you are verbose unnecessarily.
Seventh Swell in the anime[bec you have not read the manga], motoko is only powerful bec she works for a group where she is given a powerful artificial body. she has no special skills in hacking. batou could beat her in straight hand to hand. she is not a sniper. she cannot solve crimes like togusa. granted she is perceptive[bec the writers had to give her something] but not really as other members compensate for her deficiencies. you talked in generalities w/o any real specificalities to motoko's strengths. that's why i found your analysis dull. also you prefaced your write-up by stating your opinion is left of field or an outlier. so when i disagreed, why are your surprised. you must agree that 99% of utube comments are more like twitter comments. so are you suprised that people would read your lengthy write-up and a dull one at that.
arise imho is the best art and story i dont know why i just love the logicomas the stories the weird sounds and the music and also the genesis origin story of how the team all came to be together the art far exceeds laughing man and all the other series and the colour is epic, it doens t do like the first movie or innocence but i love it i thinks its awesome, check out stand alone art and arise theres massive difference even the logicoms are way cuter then the tachcomas and the major is at her hottest i even love the voice actor better for the makor except her American drawl sounds a bit much .... thins is just my opinion obviously it what i like i just dont know why its not loved more, also batou is a bad guy half of the movie and another thing its also like a mystery. Like i said its the genesis , oh btw does anyone where to find pyrophoric cult in English and speaking of which the plane explosion art in pyrophoric is some of the best ghost in the shell art apart from batou in the convenience store in innocence
You're brutal bro, but thanks for sharing. I too love the Ghost in the Shell series and remember catching the original movie on some long lost VHS cassette that almost nobody knew about, but I was hooked. SAC, I thought was really well done. Then again in my younger days I wasn't as deep as you seem to be! Thanks for the insights!!
Is it wrong to argue with a post from 5 years ago? :) I disagree with a ton of stuff but it does feel meaningless to point those out now. And since in that five years we had the privilege of watching a certain live action movie everything else seems perfect in contrast:)
My first impression of the art style for arise was that it was trying to blend in with every other bland new anime that gets released recently. Its like they tried to make it fit in.
The cardinal sins of Arise are as follows... I. Ret-conning Matoko's origin story as described in GitS:2ndGig. It was solid. It set up an antithesis to Batou (the other protagonist of GitS) in Kuze, and reinforced the idea put forth by the original movie that on some level, Matoko has always had the mind of a human. II. Reducing Batou. What makes GitS2 Innocence, and the anime adaptations excel, is the usage of Batou as the second protagonist. He's almost as much a cyborg as Matoko, he loves Matoko, and believes in the sanctity of what remains of her humanity (in the same way that she does.) He embodies a very similar situation, but with a sense of humor and sentimentality that lets others treat Matoko as a machine. When Matoko is gone, Batou hides his sentimentality- And when Batou is endangered, Matoko becomes more single minded (where she is otherwise trying to ensure their mutual safety.) III. Matoko's sentimentality. Outside of Batou, or the people in Batou's circle (Togusa, Arimaki, Ishikawa,and Borma mainly,) she only demonstrates sentimentality towards Kuze (something that makes her admired by the likes of Saito and Paz.) Instead ARISE makes her "team" of "parts" a huge object of sentimentality, which is wastefully given an excess of exposition. Instead of Section 9's roster being filled out with the lost souls acquired by Matoko and Batou (since he was her first choice in teammates,) it becomes almost disingenuous, and too Shonen-ish in the "team spirit" angle; to the detriment of Matoko's established character. IV. ARISE forgets that GitS is a spiritual homage to Blade Runner. Instead of using imagery and ideas that call back to the Blade Runner film and it's source material ("Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Phillip K. Dick,) it's mostly just standard sci-fi anime. Much of the animation in both original films call back to portions of Blade Runner (the Puppetmaster's monologue in the rain, the forcibly altered perceptions of reality with a mythic quality related to the cyber-mind, the falsification of memories etc.)
Hmmm... One side of me sort of agree-ish that some choices doesn't fit the Ghost in the Shell feel. While the other side can't agree at all with this opinion. I think the comparison as stated in this video is to harsh and to desperately trying to hold onto the original movies/anime/manga. This series is more to give the viewers a insight to the backstory of the setting, plots and characters. The original material tends to throw the viewer into this deep philosophical world with almost no information about the characters. One of the most obvious hints of this is the younger Motoko and fact that this is the story before cyberization. The majority of the population hasn't even heard about these concepts. Which leads to less focus on the philosophical standpoints and therefore the less heavy cyberpunk setting and color pallet. Or the fact that Motoko still regard herself as human and is fighting actually to be treated as such. Not as a weapon by the military. I also believe that the contrast of these series and the original movie has been on purpose. The original movie is post-cyberpunk, this is pre-cyberpunk maybe. And maybe even to reflect not only the society and world as less cyberpunk, but also as Motoko is considering herself still as human, the world reflects this by giving a feeling closer to the current modern day. I agree, the story is pretty shallow and easy to follow. Missing any real backbone and the philosophical underlying themes. But this series isn't to continue the sage, it is to provide background info. How the characters became who they are, how and why section 9 is formed and evolved. How the world became what it is in the movies/manga and anime. Aka how the world was raised. Hench the title. I used to have the version of the Lord of the rings books that had the appendix included. Almost a whole book going into extreme detail about all aspects of the world. What the different pipe-weeds are, and which family reigned many years before the books happened. It isn't there to read as a stand alone book, it's something extra for the fans to dive deeper into the characters and the world. And I feel the Arise series are suppose to be watched the same way. Not as a stand alone entry in the series, but as an extra background information.
What you have talk about makes me even more worried about the upcoming 2017 live action Hollywood *Ghost in the Shell* since the director is Rubert Sanders, whose only directorial feature was Snow White and the Huntsman... Either he will merely mimic the 1995 movie without the substance or just make a straight generic FBI v CYBER TERRORIST movie. You would think that Paramount would try to approach a more experienced director like Christopher Nolan for Ghost in the Shell. In fact Nolan would be a great choice for artistic and financial reasons; he knows how to make action films that are also contain alot of complicated context and themes to challenge viewers, and thanks to his work on THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY he is a household name that can sell a movie. But apparently Paramount/Viacom want another generic-ish action movie...
Maybe we have luck and it will good ( I shouldn't expect to be as genuise as the original two movies) or it will be something rage about like the second Silent Hill movie in case of Silent Hill.
Completely disagree with your summation. Most of your points are mentioning that Arise isn't the original movie or SAC. Yeah, so what. That's why it's good. Motoko by way of Salander is a useful angle, and fits current ideas of androgyny, which the character has always embraced. Arise does have some problems, but you're being overly critical.
Although I haven't actually seen Arise, I gotta admit I think you're ripping into it a bit too much from what I've seen here. The turn of giving Motoko a sense of personality and the change in the colour pallet (although is debatable weather or not it was a good or bad element in itself), doesn't seem to be a particularly bad change considering the context. She's much younger and seems to have an almost rebellious look, not as refined or experienced as we know her, which I think worked with the colours - It wasn't as aged or experienced (gloomy), it felt 'revived', which I felt through the colour. The story I can't comment on but I think what you've said about it being dull was a bad turn if you're correct, I loved the philosophy and ethics in the original movies. I think that (as a big GitS fan), we've gotta be more open to these changes (even if they've been a bit too drastic as shown in Arise), its just how its always developed, the films had massive changes from the manga, and the SAC series were different from the movies.
I came here from your analysis of Ghost In The Shell with your particular voice stuck in my head. So, when I looked at the scenes you showed I found myself applying the same lyrical analysis to them. Totally made me see I saw a few things differently. Particularly in the visual elements. I think it was seeing one after another that did it. If Motoko is a voice with the body obscured there is a mystery; it has a different answer. You could say that the difference in approach to the character is signaled by the fact she comes into focus from the POV of the people gathered. It highlights her surface and relationship to the people gathered only. In the scene of the Major on the roof in GITS the POV is the viewer's. Personally, I find myself puzzling as to the Major's. We are set up to try and understand what she sees. Motoko is wearing red, the color of blood. It's Motoko without the angst. She's alive. Her house looks like someone lived there because someone does, easy peasy. The city pales in comparison. The people in the street are all dull and prosaic and you see a yellow stripe down the center which implies a path they are all following (the golden path?) of conformity. In fact, of the scenes you showed the ones with paths or implied paths (entrances to the hangars) all lead to instances of conformity or group think. Maybe all these things may have been part of a subconscious process while in Ghost In The Shell, it's conscious. And/or it may be that it's the lack of money or too many cooks syndrome. At least with you it's obvious you have really thought out your points rather than being told "This is a classic, worship accordingly."
I was wondering since you have done a great job with this analysis could you do the same for the latest reboot of Berserk? Also could you talk about the 90's version as well and why it worked despite the fact it was low budget.
Wait why didn't you discuss that Kusangi's CO having the voice of the major from the TV series?! In my opinion that's one of, if not the biggest issue with Arise.
I dislike how half of your augments are invalid if you just watched the all the episodes from Arise... and the other half is your opinionated nit picking the visual design and aesthetic of Arise.
Honeslty I'm with @EpsilonKnight on this one. While this analysis is well done it sounds very biased. To me it sounds like your pointing out how it isn't the same as the movie or S.A.C. and that that somehow makes it less ghost in the shell. While ill admit it has some flaws I like how ARISE focuses on Mokoto as a person rather than just asking if she's a person. Dont get me wrong I love the movies and S.A.C. but I think ARISE brings its own taste to the series asa whole and its not half bad
PLEASE do one oft these for the new live action Ghost in the Shell movie due for release soon. After watching your analysis video as well, i fully trust that you will do a stellar comparison of the live action film to it's anime predecessors
This isn't a well thought out breakdown. Arise is a prequel series and as such I think it works really well. She's not completely confident in her self yet, but knows that she likes more outside the box outfits, she's the first completely cybernetic person and the technology isn't fully ingrained with the world yet and on and on.
7 years ago, I asked about a timeline, because Arise feels like an young adult Makoto and the creation of Section 9, while Ghost in the shell SAC feels like, what happened between Arise and the 95 movie and a sequel, despite being different interpretions and views about this franchise.
Boi Srsly There's so much wrong with this. First of all, where did you get that idea of protagonist introduction being a well-lit front an center clear shot of its mug being an overwhelming convention and Kusanagi's introductions in the original movie and Stand Alone Complex being unique and cool is beyond me. Protagonists have been introduced in a number of ways, and sometimes you can't even tell who the protagonist is for a while. Drawing line in the sand between Major in the original with SAC Motoko and Arise's introduction with Kusanagi being off camera on the "wrong", or "unacceptable", or whatever sort of rationalisations for not liking it you prefer, side of things is just bizarre. Then you, for whatever reason, impose your bizarre arbitrary requirements on a character that is decidedly and intentionally being reimagined starting with manga Motoko being quite a differently behaved character than an anime one, which is just amazing. I wonder what you think of SAC: Solid State Society, Innocence, GitS 2.0 and The New Movie. You're probably one of the hipsters shitting on the US GitS for "whitewashing", "not being true to the original" (also: which original exactly, again?) and other brainfarts like that (as opposed to shitting on American Ghost for just being a lackluster and shallow action flick and not a philosophical masterpiece). I haven't watched Arise yet and maybe it is in fact not good, but your criticism is just based on your weird demands and understanding of the franchise. Imo.
im trying to find an Anime with a girl standing a a red bridge with something earthquake and stuff cant find it anymore but it was fall 2014 or winter 2015
Note that Masamune Shirow's involvement mus not be neglected, as he is the original creator, and he was involved in SAC. (Doing designs for the Tachikoma at the LEAST)...which may help.
I wonder why they changed Motoko's eye color... Just realized her eyes were blue in the first GITS film, then they changed to red in the SAC and 2nd Gig series...
Maybe the dark shaded opening is the symbolic representation of feminine dark side of a proper Yin versus the well lit masculinity of a cyberpunk, dystopian city (Yang).
I think in Arise the Major is at the beginning of her career and the show was a prequel to the Ghost in the Shell franchise and I think before her cyborg enhancement.
Arise didn't bother me so much. The colour scheme and the lack of heavy symbolism was a little off but mostly just different to me. What really got to me was the rewriting of some of the characters back stories for some reason. Particularly Saito's from Second GIG. But how are you going to top that right? Would have been cool if they could have just expanded on them but again you know how it is. Each story the characters are updated and changed so as to allow more flexibility within the new universe.
Can people please stop comparing every other iteration to the original!? This guy is saying Arise is not good because the intro isn't exactly the same, the character not the same, the colors not the same... No shit mate, it's a different take on the gits universe. I for one am glad to not be wearing the eternal nostalgic lenses that deprives people from enjoying something new. I actually did enjoy Arise. Is it perfect? No way. I thought the characters could've been more developed and maybe the story could've been a bit more easier to understand/follow. But that can be said about most of the gits works. The character design of the major was brilliant as well as the character. I can't stand the stand alone complex major (no pun intended) since she is too human, feminine, sexed up. Kise did a great job bringing her back to a more cyboresque version like the original. I much prefer the lively, life like colors of arise to the incredibly sombre and depressing tones to the original. I really wished people like him would stop ruining it for new comers to the series who might be tainted by these biased opinions and immediately dislike the new versions because the butt hurt purists tell them to.
I think you are over critical about Arise. I know that Aris does not share the same time-line with other Ghost in the Shell series but the last scene of the The New Movie positions the Arise, like before 1995 movie. I mean the last scene of The New Movie is similar to the first scene of the old movie :) I may be wrong but from what I understand, in Arise's time-line people (except army) are newly starting to convert themselves to cyborgs. So I think a more colorfull city design is more suited since people are not yet melancholic about their lives maybe. About Motoko, almost everyone in Arise have different back story. In the Stand Alone Complex series Motoko turned into cyborg after a plane crash when she is about let's say 8, I don't remember exactly. But in Arise, Motoko is turned into cyborg when she was a fetus. And also in Arise memory tempering is a big issue. So Arise's Motoko trying to act like more human suits her growth in my opinion. I also think Arise is not that far away from original series' philosophical approach. I strongly think that Kurutsu is like the first version of Puppet Master or more like Motoko merging herself with vast net. I honestly think that if you think Arise as a new beginning, it wouldn't look so bad as you critisice. Do I like Arise? Yes. Would I chose it over original series? NO! But it was damn good to see Motoko (even with that cheesy look) and Batou again ;D
Arise is a prequel of ghost in the shell movie originally motoko used teen body after the section 9 given budget by the government she change her body to a mature one.
+AVTPro That's it. It's simple as that. The same thing that happens over and over again in other Media series like for instance Spider-man, The X-men and of course Star Wars. I don't like Arise also because it looks like generic Japanese animated TV show but the teenage angle is obvious anyway.
I think you're being far too biased here. The styles are intentionally different.
The original movie is definitely philosophical but almost so much so that it is detrimental to the individualism of the characters. Almost every scene that isn't political exposition or an action scene has something to do with identity or a sense of purpose. Batou felt like the most "normal" because he was more on the sidelines of Motoko spewing the philosophical lines the entire time. He even objected outright within the elevator scene. A prime example of Motoko being hammy in the original is the boat scene whenever she is detailing exactly what "identity" is.
Contrast the amount of intimate development shown with Motoko in the original and the development shown in Innocence with Batou. They are almost entirely opposite. Batou is continually bitter over Motoko being gone and is more quiet, he is more consoling when talking to Togusa, he won't buy certain types of dogfood because he wants to spoil his dog and even is irritated by Ishikawa when he suggests otherwise. All those little scenes let us know who Batou is without him needing to literally face the camera and detail how he is supposed to feel within the setting.
The S.A.C. series does retain a few elements from the original movie but for the most part it is much more politically saturated and action oriented. Motoko is changed to reflect this setting as well. She is much more confident in her actions, is rarely if ever shown doing things unrelated to her job and is much more casual around her team. Her relationship with Batou is more brotherly as opposed to a distant romantic relationship. She also has a more light hearted disposition to various circumstances such as when she makes quips towards her team or people within operations. 2nd GiG has more scenes of her being sentimental and indecisive compared to the first season due to the plot being intertwined with her past.
Arise builds upon some traits from S.A.C. but focuses more intensely on Motoko's motivations, her as an individual person as opposed to part of section 9 and her investment in the conflict of the story. Because of this she is even more independent and distinct compared to the original or even S.A.C.. In the original Motoko's personality was more of a plot device rather than a manifestation of her environment or personal actions. Her design in Arise is changed to show more vulnerability, inexperience and individualism compared to her seasoned military veteran S.A.C. self. There are multiple scenes where Motoko has to struggle physically and mentally against people who were directly within her past. The formation of the team being more from various individuals who have personal reasons for joining helps create a sense of distance between Motoko which is further stressed with how sharply she treats them during discussions. This distance can be interpreted as a reaction from Motoko with having to deal with her previous acquaintances attacking her and also a form of respect as she had hand picked them. Her sense of self is heavily brought into question when she finds out she had a memory virus which partially crumbles her motivations. We are intimately shown and told that she was within a facility for cyborgs from a young age just as we were shown and told that S.A.C. Motoko was a cyborg from a young age. Arise definitely had careful thought put into it. It was just specifically designed to differentiate itself from previous iterations, although it does have a few homage scenes within the newer movie to the original if you catch them.
Underrated post. In many ways I like Arise much more than SAC for the reasons stated above.
In my opinion you've missed out on an important fact, that is, that Motoko from Arise has yet to become the Motoko from the other iterations. She has yet to confront the struggle she'll be facing later on. Since she has yet to grow into the Motoko we know, to me it seems like a logical conclusion to frame her in a much more mundane way, as Arise did. If you look at the promotional art for the new movie that's slated for 2015, you can see, that she already looks a lot more like the Motoko we know.
Robersora in the new trailer they released a few weeks back the desing seems to be the same. i don't know if it will change during the movie though.
i personally hope they will change it.
If this truly was an origin story, they did a very poor job at conveying that.
They failed to follow the source material.
It's like it you did a batman story, but Bruce Wayne was adopted and had blonde hair.
Then made Bruce a middle class average every man with no money who was governmentally funded to fight crime, who's also part of the military.
You can see why anyone wouldn't want anything to do with it.
To much creative liberty waters down the original.
It ruins the story altogether.
This isn't about the canon of a franchise, its about the quality of the show. I wouldn't ever use continuity to justify shitty writing and execution.
Skill-point, and what do you consider the source material? Shirow never did an origin story, and the 2nd gig origin story is just one episode. While a VERY good episode if you remove your prejudice for what came first the origin story in Arise makes much more sense as to why Motoko is unique and fits the character of the manga much better.
Howard Rourke regardless of the source material, they all had one thing in common, while this one is far too removed for it to be considered part of the main franchise.
I'm rewatching ghost in the shell arise now, I actually enjoy it. I like how they show how motoko meets everyone that's on the team. For me, it felt like a prequel, I think it was done very creatively, for people who never seen ghost in the shell at all, it's an easy way to get into it without heavy nuance context, and it's for viewers that grew up watching the Ghost in the shell franchise, so naturally it won't be as detailed. I liked the fresh new pace. For me, it was a different take in motoko as a character, and the story, of how section 9. formed. After the movie, I'm planning to watch the original anime film and the Ghost in the shell series. Since I haven't seen it in years, it's nice rewatching such a masterpiece
First and foremost, I personally enjoyed Arise. My appreciation comes from the fact that this version of the characters that we know become epic in their own right is there all fundamentally different and yet hold some of the potential greatness that we know them to be later on. The major is tough and highly skilled, but she exists in a situation where she does not have barely any rights to her own due to the fact that her body is army issue and owned. The chief is another fine example of great intelligence and good leadership qualities. But he's also bogged down with a system whereas he does not have the resources to effectively fight crime on a level it needs to be. The future characters we do see later on are also in situations where they're working pretty well in their own, but they're still stifled by a system that does not allow them to reach their full potential. Has this series progresses we begin to see them all coming together and they become part of a larger unit that will become the section 9 that we appreciate and love.
Perhaps it is with hindsight, and thus not a criticism, since I have seen the 2015 film and the conclusion of the Arise timeline... but I think that it was one of my favorite entries in the series precisely because of it's different take on the character of Motoko. It's a representation of her from a time when she had even less autonomy from the government. This exploration of her orphanage and lack of bodily autonomy as metaphor for the bondage from which she frees herself at the end point of the larger narrative. Arise is best watched with a knowledge of things to come, because while it's stand alone stories are less superficially philosophical, the series deals with much more tangible issues and implications of the technologies and political realities that are, at the point of Arise's story, still in the early stages of becoming what they will be later on... as are the character of Motoko and the other members of section 9. Even her character design works into that theme. Her appearance is not yet the Motoko that we know, and she is not yet that person.
Perhaps that's why the series seems lesser than it's peers when viewed in comparison, as a stand alone story.... because it isn't one. All the things that make it fascinating are the ways in which it paralells, contrasts, and informs the events to come in the previous works. That's the charm of a prequel.
It's a prequel meant to show how it all started. Seems like you expected Motoko to be in her final form since the very beginning? Now that would be boring. It was interesting for me to see her vulnerable. It was actually getting boring seeing her almost invincible all the time.
Actually Kise was a animation director for the GiTS movies...
yea this guys a idiot
When I saw Arise for the first time, when it come out - I genuinely disliked it. Then I re-watched it somewhat recently and I have to admit it, that it has grown on me.
Yes - Arise is not like the original movie, or SAC, but when you look at it on it's own - it is rather descent sci-fi series with rather satisfying story.
cool next time they do a somehwat decent scifi dont call it GITS. Call it something else and leave the iconic name for.something deserving it.
@@aaaagamedev3524 Technically, the closest adapration of GITS manga was that one PS1 game, so If 1995 movie was called GITS - I don't see why ARISE can't be a part of GITS. I look at GITS franchise as Final Fantasy franchise. All can be unique and same at the same time
@@3rdHalf1 and i see it as one of the pillars on which cyberpunk as we know it stands. you dont draw grafitty on notre dame.
@@aaaagamedev3524 nowadays you can, its brand new, nothing like the original
I personally like the rise I like all of the ghost Michel except for the Netflix one. The one that Netflix did was terrible oh, the character design for Majors pretty good but other than that everything is terrible on it. The concept of the stories interesting like a Civil War in North America and stuff like that but how to execute the stores horrible.
And then the Ghost in the Shell Netflix made they also have the villains very cartoony and I mean very very cartoony! Did all honesty it just feels like a Syfy cartoon version of Lethal Weapon.
The plot went awry midway through and sometimes it doesn't always know what it's trying to do. A distinct break from the self assured SAC or movies.
I thought I was the only who noticed. lol
True, I JUST watched The First Series of OVAS 'Cause Someone
Uploaded It All In One Here &I Downloaded It @720P :D
Got Kinda Confusing around The
TinMan/Scarecrow Bit.
IT WAS STILL AWESOME !!!
OMG From All The Critical Reviews
I thought Arise was Not Worth Watching, Like Star Trek Discovery.
Which I KNOW Is BAD.
IT AIN'T.
IT'S GHOST IN THE SHELL :D
&I Enjoyed It ^_^
The GiTS genre is best described as a “stand alone complex” ironically. All of the installments are just variations on similar themes and I think it does somewhat of a disservice to any of the content to declare one as the ‘original’ or even worse ‘cannon’ . Is Arise as good as SAC/2nd GiG or the original movie? No absolutely not. Is it bad? not at all. I thought the artistic direction (however I also thought some of the action scenes were quite well done and the OVA length gave more time space for complex sequences to take place) was a bit meh and the characters were somewhat unfamiliar but almost in a good way? It was an interesting take. The plot as seemed slightly disjointed, and was more hurt than helped by the episodic format but was an interesting variation on themes only touched on in the previous series. It’s not of the epic quality of the first movie but I think it’s good, a solid 7-8/10 good installment in the disjointed community of GiTS works.
While I can agree that in many ways the cinematography and use of lighting was not there for Arise I think you nitpick about her design a bit because of nostalgia. I guess they wanted her to look younger with it being a prequel to give the impression of her still evolving and she is known to have used several bodies so it's not really weird for her to have used a smaller body at a time. She's not very imposing at 4'6 though I'll give you that XD.
Her design seems based more off the original movie than the S.A.C one was and going back to a more realistic look although they did give her coloured hair instead of black she has the steely blue eyes and looks more like a real person than the very anime cartoony design of S.A.C with purple big hair and red eyes with giant boobs.
I think the big reason a lot of people don't like Arise is that it's not a clone of S.A.C they tried to do their own thing with it with the room given by making a prequel including changing some of her origins. I believe Arise somewhat disregards S.A.C and makes it a prequel to the first movie..
I think Arise grew on me the original OVA's I felt were kind of mediocre but I've got into Pyrophoric Cult and the movie
Wow. Really interesting to me that you think the Arise design looks more like the original than SAC's. The new version she has no curves whatsoever, and the blue of her eyes? It's completely different. We're talking a normal, royal/cerulean shade in the new version. Like the crayola blue you get in the standard 8-color box. Go back and re-watch the original film. It's barely blue. More of a steel-like color that also has a lot of grey/silver.
Tbh I liked this one a lot more than the current on Netflix I liked seeing the early characters and bad cyborgs trying to stop her
Hard agree. Also I want to mention the intro song for SAC 2045 is atrocious compared to any of the previous shows. What where they thinking .
they did fuck up arise. I loved the music though.
And here I didn't love the music but series. :D
I remind viewers that GitS debuted in 1995. You think about that. In 1995, what was the internet? It was a thing for geeks. And yet they gave us this vision of the future. It was more than well crafted. It was shocking. That movie has become, personally, a foundation stone for my entire life philosophy. And I don't think that's taking it too far. I don't think you'll find many people who would deny that someday computers will be able to scan and copy your consciousness, to duplicate it. That day is coming. The concept of ghost hacking adds a layer of danger, but more importantly, what does it mean to be human? That is the question of the movie. Kusanagi's answer, that she receives from 2501, is that a human is that which evolves constantly, and thus it is no specific definable thing.
I personally like Ghost In The Shell: ARISE. I did watch old series and 1995 movie, but ARISE is somewhat a fresh restart, sadly it's not a famous anime.
good analysis... I agree...the surroundings, light and colour conflict with the story. those streets look perfectly clean, those people look more animated than robots...
I don't know what this means for your analysis, but the 1995 scenery was based on Hong Kong, while Arise and SAC 2045 both look much more like actual urban Japan. While the emotions evoked by the 1995 film are very strong, the latter productions feel like home (I've lived in Japan for almost 10 years). I will agree that a "plain" Motoko is not the best Motoko
This video is incredibly misguided in one aspect, Kusanagi. She is supposed to be different, it's about her, before she became who she is.
At the same time though, the ARISE series made it very clear that she was constantly struggling with her identity and long-term goals, etc. which is why I agree with the review even if you are right about the fact that it's her origin story and doesn't need to be held to same standards as the others. Her standing with others is often called into question, and she tries to spend much of her efforts going sideways at a problem to try and solve it. I think in that manner, it would have been much more compelling to define her and her intro/surrounds as part of her identity crisis, and would have allowed for a more immersive experience with it instead of trying to go about with things like the single photo prop, and stand alone objects as opposed to entire sets.
Well, it's a poorly written origin story.
It's "the last airbender" movie all over again.
1. It was supposed to be the war, and years of training that shaped her that way.
2. This doesn't fit in ANY GITS continuity,
jozef How ya figure?
And where in the movie does it say that this was her beginning.
Arise to me is like the beginning of the team being put together and after a war just happened not to long ago. in the movie and tv show that were already well oiled machine that got the job done, but arise is the background for the characters.
guess your going compare everything to what you learned in a film class now
Just subscribed. Your analysis are smart and well thought. cheers!
The only thing I disagree on is the character design for Motoko. Being a sort-of prequel to the GitS mythos (Manga, film, SAC), it's great that Motoko has a vulnerable appearance and looks smaller and less badass than the other versions. That way they could show her devolpment also visually (aside from plot and stuff) and have her wear her more badass gear later on and act more confident etc. however, from what I hear they messed this up too. So, I guess the potential was there but meh.
It doesn't really work as a prequel though as it largely contradicts all the other versions chronologically.
In SAC for example she is shown in as a bad ass war veteran well before section 9 is even formed, and that is similarly hinted at for the movie and manga as far as I remember.
If it was meant to be a prequel to the other works it would have to have been set before she went to war for it to actually be effective, not when joining section 9.
Nimroc
This is why I said "sort-of" prequel. The way I understand it, this is actually a reboot. But like other reboots before it, like Casino Royale, Star Trek 2009, Batman Begins or Tomb Raider 2013, it starts by telling the origin story that wasn't really told in the previous incarnations and then goes of and does its own thing.
So having a young Motoko who isn't a badass and maybe even mostly human or at least just in some standard issue prosthetic body, and then see her develop more into the badass we know from previous incarnations (getting a better body, more experienced, etc.) would have been cool and for that purpose her new character design would have made sense.
But from what I've heard, she's a badass from the start and her body is super high tech except it looks like a 14-year old for no reason - so they seemed to have screwed this up.
Have you considered that maybe Kazuchika Kise is trying to set him self apart from the other Ghost in The Shell adaptations? He's purposely constructing different shots because he's trying to put a different spin on his version of Ghost in the Shell. I love Oshii's film and Stand Alone Complex, but I appreciate the fact Arise is trying to do something different.
Romano Coombs
Oh, literal Romano...
Why can't people just like both arise and the original
Matt Heitkamp If Arise was a standalone, maybe. But since it isn't, the level of straying from the original is akin to the Star Wars Prequels. People were expecting Ghost in the Shell and they didn't get it.
+Matt Heitkamp The first Arise film was alright, it seemed like a fresh, if not disjointed, attempt at rebooting the series. The rest becomes more and more muddled and messy with each pass. It doesn't connect with the classic series at all, nor does it effectively become its own thing. The director's inexperience really comes across here.
+saintyoo My issue with that line of reasoning is that all of the iterations of Ghost in the Shell are sort of their own thing. The manga is different from the Oshii movies are different from Stand Alone Complex is different from Arise. In terms of the Major's character, Arise probably cuts closer to manga than any of them. I'm not saying Arise is the best (it probably is the weakest of the GITS series), but it gets way more shit than it deserves. I was perfectly satisfied with it and happy to have more GITS.
+twentymooseman yes! Those are my thoughts exactly!
+NADS IQ Christ, I should know better than to involve myself in a pedantic nerd war, but here it goes. There are aspects of the Major's character that are much less present in the Oshii films and SAC than they are in arise and the manga. The former two don't really touch on her sexuality or romantic relationships at all. Arise doesn't have the hedonistic, virtual lesbian threesomes of the manga, but it shows that those things are at least present in her life. She's also much more hot headed in Arise and the manga. Her working relationship with Aramaki is also more contentious in both. So maybe cuts closer was the wrong phrasing, but it explores aspects of her character and relationships that had been neglected by the other two. Have I proven fandom bona fides, great nit picky gatekeeper of the nerds?
I loved the ARISE series
I didn't like Arise as much, but this video often felt more like nitpicking than the actual criticism.
I'm wondering why you keep calling her "M *a* toko" when her name is M *o* toko.
lol dude go home. The guy has a very obvious accent.
@@Carmine.Falcone exactly he's Scottish
Hmm...
In SAC Motoko also had lived-looking homes (either Section 9 members get ridiculous paychecks, or else the Major moonlights as a criminal or stockmarket shark), but I admit that they weren't exactly ordinary. They tended to be opulent and futuristic, large open spaces mixed with large windows and high tech computers and screens filling up the place, sometimes mixed with traditional Japanese elements -- in Solid State Society she even had an indoor pond.
Akin Khoo
She has several safehouses that are shown throughout the series. The one with the indoor pond was in Solid State Society, where she was also equipped with some ridiculously sophisticated technology for self-employed ex-Public Security official.
Have you now finished watching all the Arise series? What do you think? Do you think your views still stand? I think because Arise is much more of a prequel, where Motoko maybe have yet to discover her own question about her existence, hence with all the misconnection with the 1995 movie characterization. Of cos, I don't think they really gel that well together. They could do better actually.
Haven't seen any Ghost in the Shell. What order should I watch the series/movies in??
WrongTurnAnimations The Oshii movies, Stand Alone Complex show, and ARISE are all different continuities. Ot doesn't matter from a story standpoint which order you watch them in. You should probably start with Stand Alone Complex seasons 1 and 2 and its movie Solid State Society as they are the best version of that universe I think. Then the Oshii movies. Then ARISE if you really want to but they aren't that great as described in the video.
WrongTurnAnimations You can watch them in any order. Just make sure you watch the Osshi stuff (1995 film & Innocence) and Stand Alone Complex season 1 & 2.
+WrongTurnAnimations The original film & the T.V. series (Stand Alone Complex & 2nd Gig). The original film is just that, and the series is obviously a lot longer. Both can be watched independently, it doesn't really matter which you watch first, either way is fine. The newer stuff is pants.
NADS IQ Oh no please don't. The manga is the worst version right before ARISE.
NADS IQ As though somehow shoving a thesis in your drama makes your drama "smarter" and not just bloated and unfocused.
Why keep on referring to "the original film" if that film was itself an adaptation?
Sir Christopher McFarlane The 1995 movie was the first Ghost in the Shell anime. I don't think it's fair to compare the manga with anything as manga is such a different medium.
AnimeEveryday no matter what you say its still an adaptation and it doesnt follow the manga at all.
lone wolf It's not strictly an adaptation, it's a movie that was based on the manga rather than a movie adaptation of the manga.
+AnimeEveryday what's your thought on the live action movie staring Scarlett Johansson as the major?
manga sucks compared to 1995 gg
A collection of shoddy arguments. I'm not arguing the series is good, you're just not hitting on the whys.
I'm a big gits fan and can be critical but i thought the 4 arise ovas to be very good.
+macker33 its not bad, he mostly talks about that ghost in the shell movies and tv show was kinda unique
I personally felt that arise feels more like Psycho Pass in terms of style more then original movie or stand alone complexGood but nothing special
By themselves, yes. They're excellent (except for the dialogue and villains).
But as part of the whole, it's absolutely garbage. They've rewritten too many characters.
Skill-point, rewritten what? Only when compared to SAC so it becomes an argument of SAC v Arise, which to my mind Arise wins easily.
IMHO I can tell something out: Arise GitS is not a direct take on the franchise so you can not go there and say AVOID so freely. I saw the 1st movie and that goes in a slightly different direction than the manga, and everyone loves the movie (me included). Motoko is not the tall imponent japanese fitness model you see on the 95 movie or in SAC, and I liked that a lot since she seems like a normal japanese woman: thin, small, almost delicate; but her personality is completely opposite. One of the most impactful point on Arise is the conversation on how Motoko became what she is, starting on never having a human body since she was given a cybernetic body being a fetus, contrary to the 6 years old she is almost always given on that point of her life. Also her background as an international threat as a hacker that jumped from body to body to the point where she doesn't recognize herself on the current one. She doesn't even remember her age and that's a heavy punch on a person psych. And to say she is more strong than a normal cyborg? Yes, and she is also that on Arise. That's shown on a shot where she fights Batō and puts him to sleep with one punch in a blink.
I can agree that this is not GitS classic material: 3D animation is rough, colors are vibrant, and plots are bigger scaled that the classic stories; but I liked that it doesn't feel like something so different that what we already see on the street. Or what? You still are waiting for flying cars on 2015? Technology is jumping farther and farther every year, but that doesn't mean that this is the distant future of 20XX.
OK summary, but I disagree with you about the start - that scene where the Major first appears, seemingly with opposing intentions to Aramaki, threw everything in the fire and made you want to know more.
I agree about art style though - it needed to be darker with more colour textures and night-city-scenes.
Motoko's character grew on me throughout the series, but I wasn't keen on the hair style they gave her and she was portrayed too young throughout Arise - more a 17 yr old girl with some attitude.
Togusa has always been one of my fave chars in Ghost but Arise seemed to weaken him a bit sadly.
I fuucking loved the whole series, gave me post series depression LOL
Interesting points of view. However, I think maybe they chose inexperienced producers/directors/writers was to give the franchise a new and fresh feel for the new generation of anime fans. The main reason why I love the Ghost In The Shell franchise is because each adapted version has different yet somehow similar feel to it regardless of some changes in the art or directing style. I also believe that the Arise series and the new movie are perfect for introducing new anime fans to the franchise. I can agree with a lot of your points regarding the movies and Stand Alone Complex. I would also like to point out that , in my case, if it weren't for Arise, I wouldn't have bothered with the original adaptions. Mainly because when I tried to watch them for the first time in my mid teens, I got bored with the lack of action and the constant dialogues. But after giving anime series like Evangelion and Steins;Gate a shot after watching almost every action anime there is I found the GITS franchise attractive after seeing the trailers for Arise. Arise(for me anyways) had enough(although VERY minimal) philosophical undertones that anime like Evangelion and Steins;Gate had. This prompted me to revisit the original adaptions and now I am a huge fan of the franchise as a whole. I dunno, maybe anime lovers who saw the originals first may find Arise and the new movie hollow but I think Arise is great in it's own unique way. Maybe not a masterpiece, but it will most likely be a classic in comparison to the dreaded Hollywood adaption with Scarlett Johannson. That's just my opinion though.
The biggest problem is that it tries to rewrite some major points of the original movie and tv series. Call it GITS reimagined, and unfortunately by someone who has little to no stake in the original canon. Sure it's not bad, but it lacks much of what already existed. Even as a stand alone, it's much more brainless action set in a japanese future scape, than a political/mystery/drama set in a japanese cyberpunk world. To emphasize a big difference, the world of arise lacks much of the decay of Oshii's original vision which I'd argue is a huge part of the cyber punk genre. Some people seem to think this is the same Motoko, but it's very clearly a rewrite of an established character. This isn't some pre-movie or SAC motoko, that motoko has an established past as set by SAC 2nd gig, the arise motoko was never really human. I know I'm late to the party as I'm just rewatching it now. On my original viewing I was just happy to have something new from the series, but rewatching has turned up the issues that most everyone else felt. In the end, its not as good as it could have been and that in itself is disappointing.
It is a good anime but Stand Alone Complex is a looooooong shadow.
I love this video such an interesting insight to the show. I can't wait for more!
There's way too much time spent talking about minor details here. The way you started off spending so long talking about Matoko reminds me of how Matthewmatosis would start off his critiques, except his videos are much longer, so focusing on smaller details is much more justified. There's a whole heap of other flaws you could have mentioned here, instead of just focusing on aesthetic details.
i thought arise took place before the original. before they formed the section 9 organization..
i enjoyed arise.
I just finished ARISE and I have no clue what was happening almost. Almost very bit of diologe went right over my head. The last OVA for me was impossible to understand. Something about two Ghosts In one person and that's all. Is the rest of the series going to be like that? I'v seen the first episode of SAC and at last it wasn't constantly techno bable. I had to rewind at one point because I wasn't sure of one thing but it turned out I was right. After watching the film will it all make more sense?
+Winterwacko Reborn I had the same problem! watched all four and most of it made no sense! idk the motives of the bad guys plus their actions dont make since in terms of explaining what they are trying to do at all or whats going on it makes no sense to me at all after watching all of GITS arise made no sense to me its different enemies in every ep and different crimes or plot plans but it doesnt explain them and this underling story of a virus that is never explained where or who or why did it with all the other bad guys doing different things in each OVA
+FlyingAce1016 I didn't understand much in the shows either until i watched something that explained the politics of japan and how the government and military are two completely separate entities vying for control. I much prefer the philosophical aspects of the films, nature of being, consciousness and all that to the corporate/political espionage of the shows, they just can't seem to make me care about anyone's motives. But then i have that problem with almost all japanese entertainment.
icepick method What did you watch that explained it? Also it was mostly the techno babble that went over my head.
same here!
Does exist any timeline explained from this franchise?
Do you mean an in-universe timeline, or a timeline of the franchise, itself? For the latter, the franchise's Wikipedia article should be a good start in and of itself.
But if you're after a some kind of timeline that ties all these different adaptations together, no such thing exists. The manga, the Oshii films, Stand Alone Complex and Arise all exist in their own separate canons that make homages to one another, but never actually cross over.
Lightice1
Is like the multiverse theory on many franchises.
The scene when that helicopter manages to match Motoko's FREE FALLING SPEED! To drop along side he. Then shoot her through a window with a mini gun, at point blank range! Which would've torn her to pieces in the other versions. It just totally broke my suspension of disbelief.
I disagree on so much of this. Motoko said it best. We can't all be the same or it's slow death. Same with the movies and such. The fact that arise is so different makes it so beloved and special!
I found this Matoko more believable and identifiable as a career military woman. The earlier Matoko's humanity was supposed to be left ambiguous, but when she spoke of her ghost, I found it unconvincing. She lacked the character depth to leave her authenticity in any doubt.
The earlier Ghost in the Shell was produced before society had integrated as deeply with communications technology and artificial intelligence, so it was made with less certainty, more unease about the quality of life it would produce. Needless to say it's a different world now, and a dystopian future doesn't seem so inevitable. Perhaps it's because we have more identifiable threats now than shadowy corporate puppetmasters, who seem much more fallible now than then.
I am impressed by the attention to details in this analysis. Great job, thumbs up!
Nice vid mate, I thought I was the only one that noticed all does details.
I am very old... so, I admire both interpretations of the characters...
About the bedroom scene. Wasn't Motoko's perception messed up because of the virus she had ? so that wasn't how the room looked like, right ?
NADS IQ No, I mean in Arise, forgot to specify
I have seen Ghost in the Shell. What other movies and series should i watch?
Akira, Jin Roh, Ghost in the Shell SAC, Patlabor.
All these films/series have similar qualities to Ghost in the Shell.
"Angel's Egg" is a Anime from Mamoru Oshii the Director of Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Yoshitaka Amano the Artist from the Classic Final Fantasy Covers. You should also watch "Neon Genesis Evangelion" from 1995 and the Movie "The End of Evangelion" from 1997. If you want more 90s Cyberpunk i suggest "Armitage III Polymatrix" & "Battle Angel Alita".
Evangelion. Nuff said.
I'm not sure about your first point. The observations are brilliant regarding the director and opening scenes, but I think the changes to Motoko reflects the director's new approach with her; a less brooding and mysterious character and more of a "modern", self-interested freelancer. I think all of these new touches and approaches though leads to the result that you mentioned, though. We're generally just not interested in any of the characters.
+NADS IQ Don't bother with the man machine interface. It is only crotch shots and it is so unbelievably annoying. Human Processing Error is a good read, though.
+NADS IQ must be gay if "someone" doesnt like crotch shots...
NADS IQ Sorry, but as far as the pure literature aspect goes, the whole GitS-Series is not at a very high standard. Its Manga after all, good/higher quality manga, but not taking the drawings into account just makes it mediocre at best (when compared to the great novels of cyberpunk). And Masamune really f* it up with all the crotch shots - but maybe you found a way to interpret that as a part of server architecture. No, hardware engineers are not that easily impressed by panty-shots and a mediocre mix of philosophy and sci-fi.
Not opinion, it's fact. But I do not mind your wrong opinion. I tolerate it.
Didn't the first movie cherrypick the best out of the manga and turned it into a coherent plot?
Fantastic video! I havent seen arise but i heard a lot of bad things and seeing this brought out all the points. Can't wait to see more analysis stuff from you in the future
One must remember that "Arise" is clearly a prequel, so much of the experience and confidence that defines the Major in the movie and S.A.C have yet to mature - which we see in the visuals, wherein she looks like a less mature woman, younger, smaller, and less self-assured. The bright colors forbode something because we know the darkness becomes more prevalent in the originals; what happens to change the optimistic, brightly colored, world we see in "Arise" into the darker, more desperate universe of "GITS"? Seeing the rise of terrorism in the show might be a clue.
I liked the fact that we got to see the Major in relationships in "Arise" as well, we learn that she's actually quite sexually active and that she goes through boyfriends like tissue. It speaks to the problems associated with her work and her inability to connect to others. We then see a long history of betrayals throughout the series, working to make her a more bitter and less trusting person. I enjoyed seeing how she built the team and got a stronger sense for how some of the relationships evolved.
I agree, it's the lowest quality of the anime, but it still deserves the "Ghost in the Shell" moniker.
SAC basically copied the original movie's opening shot so that makes it good? :/ and she looks like a playbunny in SAC so I dunno why you are bashing the character design of ARISE by saying it doesn't make her look intimidating. If you are attributing her power to her physical stature at all, it shows a lack of understanding for the original content. It was her combat experience and cyborg strength that made her powerful...not the size of her physique.
I appreciate the critique of Arise but I think it's a bit off base. In fact I find the changes to Motoko's character to be one of the more welcome features of Arise saga. Not to say any of the previous entrees were bad, but the Motoko of GiTS SAC was a strange hyper-competent infallible character.
I think the Arise series made her much more human and much more relatable by allowing her to make mistakes, get duped and even be on the receiving end of criticism from her section 6 buddies.
James Bowman ive only watched border 1 of Arise and yes, you're right. Its a nice and refreshing change of pace for Motoko's character.
So I take umbrage with your assessment of the introduction of the character Motoko.
You complain that the introductory shots of Motoko are generic and in contrast to the first movie and SAC.
The movie and SAC's introductory shot of Motoko is one where she's shrouded in mystery.
She's partially obscured by darkness. Her face isn't visible. And the city structure behind her is the thing actually being lit.
Just because Arise doesn't have her perched like Batman doesn't make it any different from the others insofar as visual storytelling.
She's still obscured by darkness, her face unseen, with the city structure behind her lit up.
The next shot of her is one of her in action, taking aim at someone, while brightly lit.
What are the next two visuals we get of Motoko in the movie?
1) her brightly underlit as she takes action, beginning her fall.
2) shooting her gun at baddies.
Though the actual visuals are very different, I'm of the opinion that the visual storytelling isn't very different at all.
I have to disagree with parts of this analysis. The impression I got throughout the movie that while the other parts of the series we about her figuring out who she was, this was about learning who she's not, to kind of give a foundation... you know, the seed that would into the motoko we've grown to know and love from the series. the way she is presented in the opening and animation was a way of giving the audience something empathize with, because she IS a robot, and at this point in the series, she cannot see herself better than we can see her. the plot in the movie largely centered around her character development. yes there was counter-terrorism involved and all of that, but more importantly, some of the things we did not know were illuminated about her character and how she grew to became the character we've known. It was a great introduction to GITS imo, for SAC. you kind of get a new sense of satisfaction when she is reintroduced after the movie, because of the strength in her character. it happens some time after section 9 has been put together obviously, but this gives enough room to the imagination to connect dots as to how she may have come to be that way. she was a human who forgot their humanity, just like any person struggling with an identity disorder, but she was obviously led to question the purpose of individuality in a system created for the purpose of something else altogether. I like how who she was led into who we would learn she had become
@AnimeEveryday Going to repost a comment i previously made
This may be a unpopular opinion but, The thing that turns me off the most about the Arise interpertation of GITS was Mokoto's chatarcter design. Now i hate fanservice i cant stand it and I dont like it in any of my shows.
But what made mokoto such a great character in my eyes was the fact that she appeared ver feminine. In the original gits shes was pretty sexualized and esepcially in S.A.C she has that whoreish getup. But this is what made her has a character so much better.
Mokoto is a very strong, independant female lead. Shes very focused, vigilant essentially a perfect leader. She is a little snarky at times. You can say that Mokoto as a character has ALOT of Gravitas (dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner.). In society very few women bear gravitas, it's usually a trait found in men because they cannot depend on their good looks to get what they want. But what makes Mokoto such a great character is that she bears such a astronomical amount of gravitas, yet resides in a shell of a female body, in SAC bato usually mentions and askes her why she does not switch to a male body, that she would be treated differently if she was.
But what really makes Mokoto bold as a character, what really highlights her gravitas. Is the fact that she is very feminine. That regardless of society's lower expectations towards women in more dangerous jobs, and the statistically very few women who choose these jobs. Truly define Mokoto and make her an extremely well constructed character. She aserts her power as a woman, but does not take advantage of it all the time, she relies on her gravitas and her merit to get it done. And that is truly what makes her such a beautiful character narratively. what made mokoto so fascinating was that she didnt appear to fit into the job she is doing until you saw her in action. She steps up, and sets the bar as a woman in her profession, using solely her gravitas really a sort of "fuck you" to a mans world.
But then you got arise. Shes got this total tomboyish look to her as if she belongs in the force. She lacks those qualities. Which ruin the character for me
+Seventh “Sugar J” Swell are you a girl bec you hate fanservice.? plus you just wrote a rant for feminism..but shirow as a man & writer made her intelligent. not a woman writer writing a female character.
plus her sexualism is what created the sales for media companies to make movie & anime. so sex really does SELL...
+Andre Isis How am i a feminist. I am for the sexualization for mokoto how is that feminist?. You cant read clearly, or i didnt understand what you wrote because that paragraph looks like it was written by a droopy eyed autist.
Let me clairfy since you seem to be misguided, the reason why it's positive for Mokoto as a character to be hyper sexualized is because of how she overcomes what is expected of her in society, regardless of her appearance she wins most of her battles through merit and experience. The reason why I say that Mokoto needs to bear more womanly features because it augments her as a character, since she bears both good looks and a large amount of gravitas.
If you look into SAC Bato asks mokoto why she does not change into a male cybernetic body. This is important because it states that Mokoto has the choice to change to a man but does not. Why is that? I think it's because she is extremely powerful and she knows it, and she asserts her dominance even if she is a female. It makes her character more powerful and stronger because she not only gained her position but she overcomes societies norms as to what is expected of women, You see it all the time in SAC how there are paid cyber hoes, and how it is stated in the show that the society is majoritvely dominated by men. Yet Mokoto, debately one of the most powerful people in society is not. The point im trying to make is that because she is ver feminine in appearance, it displays how much more powerful she is because she is not only extremely skills, but is able to dominate, a fight, conversation or encounter despite the fact that she is a woman. The original write with GITS puts alot of detail in his world, its clear that this was intentional.
Also in terms of fanservice, as viewer. I hate fanservice, it adds not quality to the show whatsoever and it makes the show less attractive to me. You clearly didnt read my post, I am talking in context to the story not in real life, and in the universe of GITS there is a lot of power given to men, this is not a bad thing and I dont want to change it rahter I embrace it because IT amplifies Mokoto as a character.
Seventh Swell
you keep blah blah blahing about how great it is to be a woman..ergo a feminist in my eyes. have you read the manga by shirow? probably NO bec you reference SAC anime but they were terrible & stupid vs ideas in the manga. the woman in the manga was amazing.
you are verbose unnecessarily.
+Andre Isis maybe you should learn to read. good bye
Seventh Swell in the anime[bec you have not read the manga], motoko is only powerful bec she works for a group where she is given a powerful artificial body. she has no special skills in hacking. batou could beat her in straight hand to hand. she is not a sniper. she cannot solve crimes like togusa. granted she is perceptive[bec the writers had to give her something] but not really as other members compensate for her deficiencies. you talked in generalities w/o any real specificalities to motoko's strengths. that's why i found your analysis dull. also you prefaced your write-up by stating your opinion is left of field or an outlier. so when i disagreed, why are your surprised.
you must agree that 99% of utube comments are more like twitter comments. so are you suprised that people would read your lengthy write-up and a dull one at that.
arise imho is the best art and story i dont know why i just love the logicomas the stories the weird sounds and the music and also the genesis origin story of how the team all came to be together the art far exceeds laughing man and all the other series and the colour is epic, it doens t do like the first movie or innocence but i love it i thinks its awesome, check out stand alone art and arise theres massive difference even the logicoms are way cuter then the tachcomas and the major is at her hottest i even love the voice actor better for the makor except her American drawl sounds a bit much .... thins is just my opinion obviously it what i like i just dont know why its not loved more, also batou is a bad guy half of the movie and another thing its also like a mystery. Like i said its the genesis , oh btw does anyone where to find pyrophoric cult in English and speaking of which the plane explosion art in pyrophoric is some of the best ghost in the shell art apart from batou in the convenience store in innocence
You're brutal bro, but thanks for sharing. I too love the Ghost in the Shell series and remember catching the original movie on some long lost VHS cassette that almost nobody knew about, but I was hooked. SAC, I thought was really well done. Then again in my younger days I wasn't as deep as you seem to be! Thanks for the insights!!
it´s "Motoko", not "Mehtoko"
Is it wrong to argue with a post from 5 years ago? :) I disagree with a ton of stuff but it does feel meaningless to point those out now.
And since in that five years we had the privilege of watching a certain live action movie everything else seems perfect in contrast:)
My first impression of the art style for arise was that it was trying to blend in with every other bland new anime that gets released recently. Its like they tried to make it fit in.
The cardinal sins of Arise are as follows...
I. Ret-conning Matoko's origin story as described in GitS:2ndGig. It was solid. It set up an antithesis to Batou (the other protagonist of GitS) in Kuze, and reinforced the idea put forth by the original movie that on some level, Matoko has always had the mind of a human.
II. Reducing Batou. What makes GitS2 Innocence, and the anime adaptations excel, is the usage of Batou as the second protagonist. He's almost as much a cyborg as Matoko, he loves Matoko, and believes in the sanctity of what remains of her humanity (in the same way that she does.) He embodies a very similar situation, but with a sense of humor and sentimentality that lets others treat Matoko as a machine. When Matoko is gone, Batou hides his sentimentality- And when Batou is endangered, Matoko becomes more single minded (where she is otherwise trying to ensure their mutual safety.)
III. Matoko's sentimentality. Outside of Batou, or the people in Batou's circle (Togusa, Arimaki, Ishikawa,and Borma mainly,) she only demonstrates sentimentality towards Kuze (something that makes her admired by the likes of Saito and Paz.) Instead ARISE makes her "team" of "parts" a huge object of sentimentality, which is wastefully given an excess of exposition. Instead of Section 9's roster being filled out with the lost souls acquired by Matoko and Batou (since he was her first choice in teammates,) it becomes almost disingenuous, and too Shonen-ish in the "team spirit" angle; to the detriment of Matoko's established character.
IV. ARISE forgets that GitS is a spiritual homage to Blade Runner. Instead of using imagery and ideas that call back to the Blade Runner film and it's source material ("Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Phillip K. Dick,) it's mostly just standard sci-fi anime. Much of the animation in both original films call back to portions of Blade Runner (the Puppetmaster's monologue in the rain, the forcibly altered perceptions of reality with a mythic quality related to the cyber-mind, the falsification of memories etc.)
Hmmm... One side of me sort of agree-ish that some choices doesn't fit the Ghost in the Shell feel. While the other side can't agree at all with this opinion. I think the comparison as stated in this video is to harsh and to desperately trying to hold onto the original movies/anime/manga.
This series is more to give the viewers a insight to the backstory of the setting, plots and characters. The original material tends to throw the viewer into this deep philosophical world with almost no information about the characters. One of the most obvious hints of this is the younger Motoko and fact that this is the story before cyberization. The majority of the population hasn't even heard about these concepts. Which leads to less focus on the philosophical standpoints and therefore the less heavy cyberpunk setting and color pallet. Or the fact that Motoko still regard herself as human and is fighting actually to be treated as such. Not as a weapon by the military.
I also believe that the contrast of these series and the original movie has been on purpose. The original movie is post-cyberpunk, this is pre-cyberpunk maybe. And maybe even to reflect not only the society and world as less cyberpunk, but also as Motoko is considering herself still as human, the world reflects this by giving a feeling closer to the current modern day.
I agree, the story is pretty shallow and easy to follow. Missing any real backbone and the philosophical underlying themes. But this series isn't to continue the sage, it is to provide background info. How the characters became who they are, how and why section 9 is formed and evolved. How the world became what it is in the movies/manga and anime. Aka how the world was raised. Hench the title.
I used to have the version of the Lord of the rings books that had the appendix included. Almost a whole book going into extreme detail about all aspects of the world. What the different pipe-weeds are, and which family reigned many years before the books happened. It isn't there to read as a stand alone book, it's something extra for the fans to dive deeper into the characters and the world. And I feel the Arise series are suppose to be watched the same way. Not as a stand alone entry in the series, but as an extra background information.
What you have talk about makes me even more worried about the upcoming 2017 live action Hollywood *Ghost in the Shell* since the director is Rubert Sanders, whose only directorial feature was Snow White and the Huntsman... Either he will merely mimic the 1995 movie without the substance or just make a straight generic FBI v CYBER TERRORIST movie. You would think that Paramount would try to approach a more experienced director like Christopher Nolan for Ghost in the Shell. In fact Nolan would be a great choice for artistic and financial reasons; he knows how to make action films that are also contain alot of complicated context and themes to challenge viewers, and thanks to his work on THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY he is a household name that can sell a movie. But apparently Paramount/Viacom want another generic-ish action movie...
Maybe we have luck and it will good ( I shouldn't expect to be as genuise as the original two movies) or it will be something rage about like the second Silent Hill movie in case of Silent Hill.
at least james cameron is the script writer and the producer so he gets the final decision. Remember avatar, titanic...
nu-production ig cant into ghost in the shell anymore
You realize that arise is the prequel arc for sac, sac 2, and the movies
Completely disagree with your summation. Most of your points are mentioning that Arise isn't the original movie or SAC. Yeah, so what. That's why it's good. Motoko by way of Salander is a useful angle, and fits current ideas of androgyny, which the character has always embraced. Arise does have some problems, but you're being overly critical.
Although I haven't actually seen Arise, I gotta admit I think you're ripping into it a bit too much from what I've seen here. The turn of giving Motoko a sense of personality and the change in the colour pallet (although is debatable weather or not it was a good or bad element in itself), doesn't seem to be a particularly bad change considering the context. She's much younger and seems to have an almost rebellious look, not as refined or experienced as we know her, which I think worked with the colours - It wasn't as aged or experienced (gloomy), it felt 'revived', which I felt through the colour. The story I can't comment on but I think what you've said about it being dull was a bad turn if you're correct, I loved the philosophy and ethics in the original movies. I think that (as a big GitS fan), we've gotta be more open to these changes (even if they've been a bit too drastic as shown in Arise), its just how its always developed, the films had massive changes from the manga, and the SAC series were different from the movies.
I came here from your analysis of Ghost In The Shell with your particular voice stuck in my head. So, when I looked at the scenes you showed I found myself applying the same lyrical analysis to them. Totally made me see I saw a few things differently. Particularly in the visual elements. I think it was seeing one after another that did it.
If Motoko is a voice with the body obscured there is a mystery; it has a different answer. You could say that the difference in approach to the character is signaled by the fact she comes into focus from the POV of the people gathered. It highlights her surface and relationship to the people gathered only. In the scene of the Major on the roof in GITS the POV is the viewer's. Personally, I find myself puzzling as to the Major's. We are set up to try and understand what she sees.
Motoko is wearing red, the color of blood. It's Motoko without the angst. She's alive. Her house looks like someone lived there because someone does, easy peasy. The city pales in comparison. The people in the street are all dull and prosaic and you see a yellow stripe down the center which implies a path they are all following (the golden path?) of conformity. In fact, of the scenes you showed the ones with paths or implied paths (entrances to the hangars) all lead to instances of conformity or group think.
Maybe all these things may have been part of a subconscious process while in Ghost In The Shell, it's conscious. And/or it may be that it's the lack of money or too many cooks syndrome. At least with you it's obvious you have really thought out your points rather than being told "This is a classic, worship accordingly."
I did not recognise Mokoto from the You Tube clip of Arise, it was only the title that told me it was a GiTS. I was confused.
I was wondering since you have done a great job with this analysis could you do the same for the latest reboot of Berserk? Also could you talk about the 90's version as well and why it worked despite the fact it was low budget.
So how's the tv series doing?
Wait why didn't you discuss that Kusangi's CO having the voice of the major from the TV series?! In my opinion that's one of, if not the biggest issue with Arise.
jrDNis It was well thought out tho, think about it if its a separate timeline, then its logic that she has a different VA.
This was excellent, well done
I dislike how half of your augments are invalid if you just watched the all the episodes from Arise... and the other half is your opinionated nit picking the visual design and aesthetic of Arise.
Honeslty I'm with @EpsilonKnight on this one. While this analysis is well done it sounds very biased. To me it sounds like your pointing out how it isn't the same as the movie or S.A.C. and that that somehow makes it less ghost in the shell. While ill admit it has some flaws I like how ARISE focuses on Mokoto as a person rather than just asking if she's a person. Dont get me wrong I love the movies and S.A.C. but I think ARISE brings its own taste to the series asa whole and its not half bad
PLEASE do one oft these for the new live action Ghost in the Shell movie due for release soon. After watching your analysis video as well, i fully trust that you will do a stellar comparison of the live action film to it's anime predecessors
This isn't a well thought out breakdown. Arise is a prequel series and as such I think it works really well. She's not completely confident in her self yet, but knows that she likes more outside the box outfits, she's the first completely cybernetic person and the technology isn't fully ingrained with the world yet and on and on.
7 years ago, I asked about a timeline, because Arise feels like an young adult Makoto and the creation of Section 9, while Ghost in the shell SAC feels like, what happened between Arise and the 95 movie and a sequel, despite being different interpretions and views about this franchise.
Boi
Srsly
There's so much wrong with this.
First of all, where did you get that idea of protagonist introduction being a well-lit front an center clear shot of its mug being an overwhelming convention and Kusanagi's introductions in the original movie and Stand Alone Complex being unique and cool is beyond me. Protagonists have been introduced in a number of ways, and sometimes you can't even tell who the protagonist is for a while. Drawing line in the sand between Major in the original with SAC Motoko and Arise's introduction with Kusanagi being off camera on the "wrong", or "unacceptable", or whatever sort of rationalisations for not liking it you prefer, side of things is just bizarre. Then you, for whatever reason, impose your bizarre arbitrary requirements on a character that is decidedly and intentionally being reimagined starting with manga Motoko being quite a differently behaved character than an anime one, which is just amazing. I wonder what you think of SAC: Solid State Society, Innocence, GitS 2.0 and The New Movie. You're probably one of the hipsters shitting on the US GitS for "whitewashing", "not being true to the original" (also: which original exactly, again?) and other brainfarts like that (as opposed to shitting on American Ghost for just being a lackluster and shallow action flick and not a philosophical masterpiece). I haven't watched Arise yet and maybe it is in fact not good, but your criticism is just based on your weird demands and understanding of the franchise. Imo.
is alternative architecture a prequel or sequel?
im trying to find an Anime with a girl standing a a red bridge with something earthquake and stuff cant find it anymore but it was fall 2014 or winter 2015
How much until GITS 2?
Note that Masamune Shirow's involvement mus not be neglected, as he is the original creator, and he was involved in SAC. (Doing designs for the Tachikoma at the LEAST)...which may help.
I wonder why they changed Motoko's eye color... Just realized her eyes were blue in the first GITS film, then they changed to red in the SAC and 2nd Gig series...
Maybe the dark shaded opening is the symbolic representation of feminine dark side of a proper Yin versus the well lit masculinity of a cyberpunk, dystopian city (Yang).
yea it did things wrong but also things right like the amazing background sounds u hear even more with headphones
I think in Arise the Major is at the beginning of her career and the show was a prequel to the Ghost in the Shell franchise and I think before her cyborg enhancement.
Arise didn't bother me so much. The colour scheme and the lack of heavy symbolism was a little off but mostly just different to me. What really got to me was the rewriting of some of the characters back stories for some reason. Particularly Saito's from Second GIG. But how are you going to top that right? Would have been cool if they could have just expanded on them but again you know how it is. Each story the characters are updated and changed so as to allow more flexibility within the new universe.
Can people please stop comparing every other iteration to the original!? This guy is saying Arise is not good because the intro isn't exactly the same, the character not the same, the colors not the same... No shit mate, it's a different take on the gits universe. I for one am glad to not be wearing the eternal nostalgic lenses that deprives people from enjoying something new. I actually did enjoy Arise. Is it perfect? No way. I thought the characters could've been more developed and maybe the story could've been a bit more easier to understand/follow. But that can be said about most of the gits works.
The character design of the major was brilliant as well as the character. I can't stand the stand alone complex major (no pun intended) since she is too human, feminine, sexed up. Kise did a great job bringing her back to a more cyboresque version like the original.
I much prefer the lively, life like colors of arise to the incredibly sombre and depressing tones to the original.
I really wished people like him would stop ruining it for new comers to the series who might be tainted by these biased opinions and immediately dislike the new versions because the butt hurt purists tell them to.
Why dont you create a whole new universe then, if you want a _"different take"_ that changes literally everything?
I bought Rise but it does not come up to the other movies.
I think Arise is closer to the manga. Personally I prefer Matoko(sp) in Arise to the movie or orginal show. Shr actually has a personality.
I think you are over critical about Arise. I know that Aris does not share the same time-line with other Ghost in the Shell series but the last scene of the The New Movie positions the Arise, like before 1995 movie. I mean the last scene of The New Movie is similar to the first scene of the old movie :)
I may be wrong but from what I understand, in Arise's time-line people (except army) are newly starting to convert themselves to cyborgs. So I think a more colorfull city design is more suited since people are not yet melancholic about their lives maybe.
About Motoko, almost everyone in Arise have different back story. In the Stand Alone Complex series Motoko turned into cyborg after a plane crash when she is about let's say 8, I don't remember exactly. But in Arise, Motoko is turned into cyborg when she was a fetus. And also in Arise memory tempering is a big issue. So Arise's Motoko trying to act like more human suits her growth in my opinion.
I also think Arise is not that far away from original series' philosophical approach. I strongly think that Kurutsu is like the first version of Puppet Master or more like Motoko merging herself with vast net.
I honestly think that if you think Arise as a new beginning, it wouldn't look so bad as you critisice.
Do I like Arise? Yes. Would I chose it over original series? NO! But it was damn good to see Motoko (even with that cheesy look) and Batou again ;D
Arise is a prequel of ghost in the shell movie originally motoko used teen body after the section 9 given budget by the government she change her body to a mature one.
I'd rather have Arise trying to do things differently and fucking up than Arise following the GITS playbook to a T.
It’s that movie Cabaret, tomorrow belongs to me.
I liked Arise but it was obvious that the wanted to make it commercially successful with a younger audience and maybe even teens.
+AVTPro
That's it. It's simple as that.
The same thing that happens over and over again in other Media series like for instance Spider-man, The X-men and of course Star Wars.
I don't like Arise also because it looks like generic Japanese animated TV show but the teenage angle is obvious anyway.