Phew, it really has been a while since I've been on here again after what seemed to be a lifetime ago (what was it, 7 years ago?? Jesus).
A lot sure has changed since then. On a personal note, now that I've graduated from university, suffice it to say, I'm now a full-fledged adult, with oh so many adult responsibilities. I'm currently working full-time as an online English teacher, and because of that, my art career has taken a bit of a backseat since then.
After some of the big changes on this site, I decided, like so many other artists before me, to migrate from here to Twitter, but oh Lord did I not expect that site to become.....quite so toxic in the span of 7 years. It just became tiring to be exposed to a timeline that runs on hatred and actively shoves that right in your face.
Hence, why I came back here. I just wanna keep my peace, stick to my bubble, and appreciate art on here, so moving forward, I think I'm going to hang around here more often and slowly migrate away from Twitter. I also decided to make this new blog as opposed to remaking the old blog for preservation purposes. Expect more posts coming from me here, especially of my art, cuz while it may have taken a backseat, it's still the core of my being.
I'm glad I decided to watch Stand Alone Complex concurrently with reading the manga cuz upon finishing 2nd Gig, I realize that this wasn't a completely original story at all. Though not straightforward, it's actually a roundabout adaptation of the original manga!
The first season certainly had its referential moments, but I feel like this becomes more poignant in 2nd Gig, especially around the latter half.
First of all, Kuze. It's not a 1:1 similarity, for sure; he doesn't possess a female prosthetic body, nor was half of his body strapped to an operating table for questioning, but his goal to transcend his consciousness to the net, as well as his seemingly kindred connection to the Major lead me to believe he's SAC's equivalent to the Puppetmaster, albeit a more charismatic version with loftier goals and ambitions than just asserting his autonomy.
The imagery in the way they go out further reinforces this.
Second, the final stand-off in the last episode. Turns out, Kazundo Gouda, that slippery bastard who was manipulating every crisis going on in 2nd Gig from behind the scenes, was our stand-in for the diplomat from the intro of the manga/1995 movie this whole time (When I heard talks of a vassal state being controlled by a consumer state, and he mentioned that Japan was a capitalist country at heart, I knew his fate was sealed).
Heck, we even have Aramaki (this time with Togusa) issuing out his arrest warrant, just like in the manga!
And of course, just like in the manga, 1995 movie, and now the 2026 anime, we all know how well that goes for him. Probably one of the most gratifying deaths in the series, ngl.
And finally, the final scene.
We find the Major and the rest of Section 9 resting on their new Fuchikoma units at a cherry blossom field and awaiting news of their budget increase, in what is clearly a reference to one of the introductory chapters of the manga (pictured in the 2026 anime here).
I think it's really interesting that this is the scene that they chose to end it on. In doing so, it really felt like they practically told the original Ghost in the Shell story in reverse. Compared to manga Major, who starts out in this scene in a much chipper demeanour, SAC Major ends it in this scene becoming a lot more philosophical and contemplative of all the things she'd witnessed up to now.
Anyways, Stand Alone Complex has been a treat. After this, I only have Solid State Society left before I'm officially signed off on this part of the franchise, which makes me a bit sad, in retrospect. This is probably my favorite incarnation of the Ghost in the Shell series with my favorite characterizations of the characters here (especially Batou, the GOAT).
I am gonna miss watching this one, but hey, that leaves me open for the other GitS incarnations, so that'll be fun!
Anyways, much like how 2nd Gig ended on one of the very first scenes of the manga, the end of this is just the beginning.
Regarding some of the discourse I've seen about whether it's appropriate that Motoko seems to be a bottom: I have it on good authority that a lot of hypercompetent and powerful people turn extremely subby when they're in private. They have a serious psychological need to turn it all off and temporarily stop being That Person. When she's with her friends and away from her job, she can leave off being the Major and just be Motoko for a while... at least until Batou and Aramaki call her back in.
(Also note: In the manga, these three have a profitable sideline recording and selling these VR sessions, so Masamune Shirow damn near predicted OnlyFans in 1989.)
The Major being a sub is not at all odd to me, all things considered, but I think the craziest thing that Shirow casually revealed in footnotes (and goes into exhaustive detail into the mechanics of) is that she, a high-ranking commanding officer in a top secret government spec-ops unit that handles all manner of cybercrime and political terrorism on a daily basis, dabbles in lesbian porn as a side hustle.
I don't know what Shirow is on, but clearly he's a visionary for predicting that as a lucrative line of work these days. Or maybe he was just horny. An equally valid explanation.
In the manga, Kurutan's excitement was much more low key. She was also giddy thinking more of the money they'd make monopolizing the model as well as the money Ran could make from the potential higher paying work her new body could get her.
The anime meanwhile made her outright THIRSTY for her two GFs and the limitless sex stuff they could now do thanks to the specific body model both her partners had.
It's funny how the anime made the threesome scene more Teen+ over being outright hentai, yet made one of the characters way more of a freak. ๐
A true testament to the hotness of the Major cuz she can fit in either a tight-fitting, pantsless leotard or be completely covered up in a tactical military suit like this and she'd still be drop dead gorgeous either way.
I think part of what sold me on SAC is that the Major isn't the only competent one of Section 9. Everyone's got their part to play, and old ape face here is *really* good at pulling strings and aura farming when he does it.
