Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - All Stand Alone Episodes
Classification: Anime
Number of Episodes: 14
Setting: Japan 2030
Plot: The Stand Alone episodes of Ghost in the Shell each take on an individual plot thread which is usually resolved by the end of the episode. From a psychopath committing android genocide, to a group of med students stealing organs to sell on the black market, the diversity of the plots themselves allow us to look into a wide array of topics.
Of course, honorable mention goes to a small handful of interconnected yet unique plots. First, the Marcelo Jarti incident (Idolater) calls into question whether the Romantic Hero is justified in committing unethical acts to promote the greater good. This is expanded on when the Section 9 team battles a terrorist group stationed at an offshore industrial rig (Not Equal), and we are left to ask whether many unethical actions can be construed as for the greater good.
When Major Kusanagi and Commander Aramaki go to the UK and end up in the crossfire of a money laundering scandal (Angel's Share), we get further insight and affirmation into this phenomena. We go on to find further ways to exploit the criminal underworld to further our overworld. Finally, the scandal brought on by the kidnapping of the Prime Minister's daughter (Captivated) reveals where this phenomena can fall short of ideal, thus creating a foolproof case for us to abide by.
This review will focus mainly on the "Big Four" (the episodes mentioned above). However, all of the episodes which were considered "Stand Alone" have really good insight and should be considered worth examining.
Scores:
Inspiration: 2.5/3: The stand-alone episodes look into everything from Cyber Bodies to Artificial Intelligence to Augmented Senses. The amount of future tech is staggering but oddly enough is not the primary focus conveyed in the series background. A full score cannot be given because of this, yet there is still more than enough to grasp hold of.
Aspiration: 3/3: Based off the progression of the Big Four, we are given a flawless case study of the criminal underworld and a plethora of angles with which to approach it. It's such a convincing argument that one would be a complete fool to turn a blind eye to the potentials brought on by unjust means. Shirow Masamune was able to sell this idea that in order for us to succeed, we need to embrace our dark side, because it's all the same coin. Simply brilliant.
Plausibility: 3/3: The problem with science fiction is that it can be completely invalidated by the march of time. As we approach 2030, we are able to more accurately predict what our world is going to look like. Somehow, most of Masamune's predictions have started to come true. Human prosthetics are advancing, military hardware is becoming more unstoppable, artificial intelligence is taking off at an astonishing rate, augmented vision is a reality, Japan and China are closer to full-scale war, the United States is threatening Civil War, and above all else, criminal organizations are becoming more and more popular among society. The world envisioned by Masamune is is fast becoming our reality.
Verdict: 8.5/9
Entertainment Score: 9/10: Besides being an incredible talking point, the twelve Stand Alone episodes are full of action and suspense. Expect brilliant firefights, thrilling espionage, and even a bit of nightmare fuel thrown in the mix. These twelve episodes can be watched again and again for full entertainment value on top of their incredible knowledge value. I strongly recommend them to anyone and everyone, regardless of their tastes in visual media.
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