#gits 2045

[melissuer]

best girl’s back

[nurse-senpai]

im just have gay thoughts all around

[khonar]

Some rough sketches on major Kusanagi after watching sac_2045

[jadbalja]

[skyhopedango]

anime I’ve been watching recently

Oh hey, I’m alive. Sorta? Between work being overwhelming and my schedule being kind of out of whack my energy to do anything in my off time, other than staring at the screen, has been at an all-time low... so low I can’t even throw words on the screen to make some posts.

But hey, I’ve still been staring at the screen, and I do have some opinions that I really need to get out of my system. So, this is the stuff I’ve been watching in the past months:

Listeners: No screenshot for this one because I don’t have any lying around anymore, but anyway, yeah, this was fun? Sure, the ending was stupid and didn’t make any sense, but then again, I wasn’t watching this show for the story, or with any expectations of it being “great” or “worthy” or whatever. It was a fun way of turning off my brain for half an hour every week, and I really enjoyed the music references which were much better-informed/researched and executed than in most anime or manga (where they usually just throw the reference in your face and be like “get it? huh? getit??? aren’t we smart?? you should feel smart, too!”). So what if it ended with “Uh, we actually never planned this far, let’s just do every mech anime ending ever”, the journey was worth it.

Nami yo kiitekure: No screenshot for this one either. Nami yo kiitekure was... meh? It started out well, with Minare being a fun and relatable lead, but then it kind of... stalled. And to be honest I got really annoyed with all the shouting. I don’t mind shouty comedy at all (some of my favorite anime comedies are like that) but here the pacing didn’t really work. And I never got the appeal of the live radio segments either (even though I do actually listen to a lot of radio!), perhaps because the seiyuu was just hamming it up instead of delivering a convincing performance, which I kind of expected to be the point. Anyway, I dropped this halfway through. Nothing technically wrong with it, but it’s not my cup of tea.

The Great Pretender: I actually wrote about this previously, and I haven’t seen any new episodes since then. Are they already out? :O What’s going on with this show’s release schedule?

Appare-Ranman: Oh, this is back! And I... don’t really like it as much as I did the first 3 episodes? I dunno, in the recent episodes it kind of lost its swagger and instead settled comfortably into that “Show That Could Have Been On Adult Swim In When American Anime Fans In Their 30s Were Watching That” routine that has been so prevalent in the recent Netflix-backed shows that I seriously believe it’s on purpose, to emulate popular shows in the US and appeal to viewer nostalgia. And this means that to me the show has become kind of... boring, really. Like, again, there’s nothing actually wrong with it, it’s by far the best of PA Works’ attempts at trying new things, and I am still watching it and derive enjoyment from it. But I don’t find it particularly interesting, it’s just going through the motions without adding anything exciting, visually, story-wise or character-wise. Like come on, it’s The Year of Our Lord 2020, do something new or interesting! Like for example...

Deca-Dence: Oh yes. See, when the first episode came out and people were raving and doing the “anime is saved!” thing, I was like “...huh? but this was like every damn fantasy adventure anime ever.” I mean it looked nice, sounded nice, but it was soooo derivative and boring. And then the second episode rolled around and I was like “OK, now you’ve got my attention! :D” and my attention has stayed with the show ever since. See, here’s the difference between this and say, Appare-Ranman: it’s not that Deca-Dence is doing anything revolutionary either, but it’s at least doing something instead of just following a template. Its ambitions don’t stop with having cool visuals and cute character designs. 

And another plus for Deca-Dence vs Appare-Ranman: the female characters in Deca-Dence don’t have that stupid PAW “cute anime girl” permablush. God that’s so annoying.

Gibiate: And on topic of shows trying for a retro appeal... yeah. There’s this one. You know those snobbish anime fans who always bemoan the decline of anime, and talk about how back in their time anime as such was better? Yeah, you can tell those people have had a very curated experience of anime “back in the days”, because back in the days, in our case in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, “anime as such” was actually more like this one. Really, Gibiate feels like it’s a zombie of some early ‘90s action show resurrected for some weird experiment, and now it just kind of shambles along aimlessly, not knowing what it’s doing in the present or how it should handle the changes of time. It’s kind of embarrassing, really... well, it was for the three episodes I watched. I dropped it out of secondhand embarrassment, more than anything.

GITS:SAC 2045: Oh yes, there’s this one as well. As I predicted, it was crap. It kind of feels like the creators were contracted to do a new series, but they had no actual ideas for a GITS:SAC sequel, nor any inspiration, and also nothing particular they wanted to say with the new show. Hell, apparently they didn’t rewatch GITS:SAC to refresh their memories of the show they were ostensibly trying to create a sequel for. OK, Imma rant about this a bit (copy-pasting something I wrote elsewhere).

1. The visuals are shit. Look, I'm not biased against CG, a lot of shows I enjoy have CG, a lot of them have bad CG. I tend not to care a lot about animation quality be it amazing or crap, as long as I enjoy the rest of the show. But this show looks like shit. The characters are rubber dolls floating in virtual space, physical character interaction is distracting, and all the action is hilaribad. Character animation is fucked up so often, like, they tried to give the Major a sexy hip sway but the result has her walking like she has a stick shoved up her butt. Hell, often they couldn’t even animate lip flaps properly, which doesn’t make the soulless masks the characters have for faces any more expressive. Also, character design-wise, the Major sticks out like a sore thumb, looking like a Sexy Dollfie among all the semi-realistic character designs. It’s kinda offensive, really. 2. Again, I could have lived with the visuals, if the rest of the show was any good. But it's not. With the exception of that one episode with the bank robbery, that was good and felt like real GITS:SAC, this is like someone's subpar fanfic, which is sad considering the writers behind the show. Characterization is weird and fucked up and doesn’t follow SAC. The worldbuilding went from the rather well thought out backdrop of SAC to a mess of ~edgy~ concepts mixed without any particular depth given to them. "Sustainable war!!! Thinkpol!!! 1984!!!!!" 3. The concept of post-humans is such a huge missed opportunity. Paired with the whole "ThinkPol" thing (as eyeroll-inducing as that is) there was a pretty good chance there to explore the dehumanizing aspect of the internet, and tie it into the "anon vigilante crowds" thing the story seems to be trying to get going. But nope, they just went with the stupidest routes. Also, the whole idea of "post-humans" doesn't flow organically from the worldbuilding of SAC, it just feels like something they came up with because they had to do something new. It also kinda feels like someone watched Darker Than Black one too many times.

So yeah, so, so disappointing. I’ll be watching S2 when it comes along because eh, more GITS, but I’m not gonna pretend this is anything but a subpar attempt to cash in on the franchise.

[hunterguyveriv]

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2045............. My thoughts on my initial viewing of “Season 1″

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2045... I am a Ghost in the Shell fan, let's get that established, so anything new with Ghost in the Shell I sop it up with great enthusiasm. But being it is currently in Japanese and Netflix is taking the safety of the voice actors due to COVID-19, an English dub version is pending. More of this at the bottom. So until then, I will have to watch it a couple of times to gather all my thoughts on it.

So I just finished Season one of Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045 that was just released on Netflix on April 23rd. And my initial thoughts are somewhat mixed about it. From what I gathered thus far is that it is a sequel series of the Stand Alone Complex series, which last left off at here comes a mouthful "Stand Alone Complex - Second Gig - Solid State Society" for those new to the animated series

I am still working out the details; it seems like it picks up quite some time after SAC-2ndGig-SSS. But a new Cyber-threat has arisen in the form of Post-Humans who are 100% human who can hack Cyberbrains just by looking at someone with a cyber brain...? As I said, I am still working things out. I'll do a better review of it on my next day off the episode by the episode when I have time to watch it and read the subtitles.

That being said, returning to the issue of English dubbing, I have mixed feelings on who I want to do the voice dubs. It wouldn't be a Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series if the English Voice actors from that series didn't return. But after watching Ghost in the Shell: Arise/The New Movie, I feel that the new voice actors have so much potential and let's not forget this scene where it seemed like Mary Elizabeth McGlynn was done with the role passed the torch on to Elizabeth Maxwell during the GitS: Arise Series.

Some concerns I currently have is as follows:

1.)The pacing of the episodes. It took almost all of "Season 1" for the Section-9 Team to assemble. That is Aramaki, the Major - Motoko, Batou, Togusa, Ishikawa, Saito, Borma, Paz, and their Tachikomas (WHICH STEAL THE SHOW LIKE THEY ALWAYS HAVE!) But also they seem too quick if that makes sense. I'll explain more further down.

2. Music. So far, the music has been rather eh... But keep in mind its hard for me to focus on the music when I need to read the subtitles and watch what's going on, especially when it is Ghost in the Shell. A series like this, if you miss one visual detail or dialogue detail, the plot of the episode risks being lost on you. But from what I have heard, some queues in episode 9 seemed recycled or reused from the Swamp Thing "shit is about to drop" theme of the 2019 series (listen to music from the 3:28 mark to the 3:51 mark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4928j0YunmE ) and other themes just haven't grabbed me or also contributed to the story. I am not trying to compare the soundtrack to Yoko Kanno, because that would be unfair considering there are many masterpieces of hers from the series you can catch on Adult Swim's Toonami... when they aren't playing trash series.

3.) The episodes do hook you in like the original series. BUT thus far, it has been almost all action, which made the episodes fly by too fast. The original series had substance to it, whether it was political, philosophical, world-building, character development, it didn't need to rely on action almost all the time to keep the viewer's attention. But it felt like this season barely had any of that. Keep in mind, this was just my first viewing of the entire season and may have missed a lot of things, because when it comes to GitS, I prefer it dubbed, so I don't miss any visual or dialogue detail going back and forth between the two.

4.) If you aren't ready for it, it touches on some sociologically dark themes when it comes to "positions of power" and one female character. It also seems to touch on the subject of an obsessed female character literally stalking a member of Section-9.

My last concern is how the "Season"... if you can truly contain Ghost in the Shell to 12 episodes and call that a season, ended. Certain series ending on a cliffhanger works, but Ghost in the Shell is not, and I repeat in bold letters NOT one of those series. I understand while being a possible sequel series to the 2000s Stand Alone Complex series/seasons & animated movie, they want to make their own identity. Still, they are going to need to work hard to not only tie this series with the 2000s one but make it a Ghost in the Shell fans expect when they see a Ghost in the Shell series.

I know I am going to have to do at least 2 or 3 more viewings of the Stand Alone Complex 2045, but as someone who watched everything Ghost in the Shell, I just honestly don't think Netflix is the right place for a new Ghost in the Shell series. My attitude may change when the original SAC Dub-Voice actors return (according to IMDB), and we get more seasons, but I will see then.

I still would recommend it, it is, in my opinion, a better series than some that I have watched or tried to watch on Netflix, including the Godzilla animated movies, Voltron: Legendary Defender, and a few others I tried getting into.

Until then, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I look forward to your thoughts on it. Did you like it? Not like it? What parts did you dislike or like?

[lordelmelloi2]

The absolute fucking funniest thing about people not wanting to watch GitS_2045 because Ilya Kuvshinov did character design & plagiarized a CD cover is the fact that the composer for the entire 2D animated SAC series, Yoko Kanno, has been caught plagiarizing REPEATEDLY, INCLUDING with GitS SAC's OST

[rankakiu]

Pensamientos del Droide: Ghost In The Shell S.A.C._2045 (trailer oficial de Netflix)

¡Hola, gente de Tumblr! ¿Cómo han estado en esta semana? Como siempre, espero que muy bien. Recientemente Netflix, la plataforma de servicios streaming más popular del mundo, ha publicado en internet el tráiler oficial de Ghost In The Shell SAC_2045, la próxima serie de esta mítica franquicia de ciencia ficción. Y por lo que veo, dicho tráiler ha tenido una cálida recepción, más que el Teaser que presentaron ya hace varios meses. Si bien el tráiler no es excelente o una obra maestra, sí que ha resultado interesante y ha aumentado las expectativas. Un tráiler bien hecho, en que presenta la tónica de lo que vendría siendo el producto final. Sin más, vamos a analizar dicho tráiler.

Diseño de personajes: He de decirlo. El artista Ilya Kuvshinov ha hecho un excelso trabajo. No solo respetó fielmente los diseños de los personajes de la Novena Sección, y también agregándole de su propio estilo, como lo había mencionado en mi anterior análisis. Tenemos por ejemplo a Togusa, quien ahora luce con un corte de cabello más corto, al contrario de otras producciones donde lo tenía casi hasta los hombros. Un diseño que me gustó por mucho fue el de Batou, quien ahora regresa con su corte de cabello al más puro estilo de la película clásica del 95, siendo mi diseño favorito del personaje. Saito, Ishikawa, Paz, Borma y el Jefe Aramaki también son bastante identificables, aunque al igual que la Mayor, lucen un poco más jóvenes.  

Por otro lado, si mis ojos no me engañan, en el tráiler vemos dos diseños de Tachikoma. El primer diseño es un tanque más compacto, que se transforma en una especie de motocicleta armada, lista para entrar a la acción. El segundo diseño, ya correspondería a los clásicos Tachikomas vistos en las dos series de SAC, siendo más un tanque en miniatura.  

Además, al parecer el tráiler nos revela a quien sería el antagonista de esta nueva entrega, el cual probablemente sea un cyborg, o como el tráiler lo define en un nuevo termino: “Post-Humano”. Más que verse amenazador, dicho antagonista luce más bien con un aire de enigma, misterio e incluso un tanto de misticismo. Curiosamente, el diseño de este personaje encapuchado, recuerda por mucho a Kuze, el personaje e interpretación que dio el live action de GITS. ¿Qué objetivos tiene? ¿Cuál es su propósito? Solo lo sabremos al ver la serie.

Animación: En este apartado, mi opinión se mantiene igual a como lo presenté en mi análisis anterior. La animación CGI es buena, los movimientos son en cierta medida fluidos, pero otras veces luce bastante acartonado. Afortunadamente la mayoría de las veces, se ven a nuestros protagonistas en acción y movimiento continuos y lucen bastante agradables a la vista. Aunque igual sigo opinando que debieron atreverse a animar esta serie en 2D. Igual podría acostumbrarme a esta nueva animación con el mejor de los ánimos.

Acción: En este tráiler nos dieron una pequeña probada de lo que sería la acción. Y realmente NO decepciona, ya que es la clásica acción que se ha visto dentro de anteriores productos de la franquicia. Particularmente, el tráiler muestra una escena de persecución –al más mero estilo policial- en un desierto, en donde nuestros protagonistas dan caza a vario sospechosos criminales e incluso vemos que disparan armas de fuego de alto calibre. La velocidad y dinamismo de la persecución, al mismo tiempo que las explosiones y el intercambio de balazos, hacen que esta pequeña muestra de acción sea esperanzadora, ya que probablemente veamos una acción cuya única alteración sería e cambio de formato de animación nada más.  

El cast de voces y dos genios regresan: Indudablemente, una de las mejores sorpresas que dio el tráiler fue precisamente revelar el cast de voces (para la audiencia japonesa, cabe aclarar) que darán vida a los personajes. Y ciertamente el cast de voces está intacto en su totalidad. Desde Motoko, hasta el Jefe Aramaki, e incluso los Tachikomas, tendrán sus respectivas voces originales, lo cual es fantástico. Por otro lado, tenemos a Kenji Kamiyama y a Shinji Aramaki, quienes ya tienen amplia experiencia al tratar con series del maestro Shirow. Aparte, al parecer Production I.G. estará supervisando esta nueva serie, lo cual habla de que ahora se están tomando las cosas en serio, lo suficiente para entregar un buen producto de calidad.  

Ambientación y escenarios: Muy al estilo del subgénero Cyberpunk. Escenarios completamente futuristas; ciudades altamente tecnológicas, junto con maquinaria avanzada, vehículos sumamente modernos y más. Realmente se nota el esfuerzo en crear los escenarios para que estos complementen la historia y esencia de GITS.

Historia: Aun no sabemos mucho de la historia, pero llama la atención el resumen que el tráiler da: Al parecer la Novena Sección se ha disuelto tiempo atrás, y ahora Motoko y compañía se contratarán como mercenarios. También dicho resumen cuenta con que el mundo ha entrado en una nueva etapa conocida como “Guerra Sustentable”, quizás una especie de economía que funciona mejor si hay más conflictos por todo el mundo. Como mencione líneas arriba, los antagonistas serían conocidos  como los Post-Humanos, que en el tráiler muestran sus habilidades más allá de lo inimaginable, ya que hay una escena en donde uno de estos seres logra hackear los ciber-cerebros de toda una unidad militar en tan solo segundos.  

Al parecer, también se nos estaría diciendo que esta serie presentará toda una nueva completa historia, aunque aún no se ha dado nada por sentado y quizás si sea una especie de secuela a la historia de SAC original. El tiempo lo dirá.

En conclusión, el tráiler ha aumentado expectativas, ha creado un interés por la nueva serie y luce bastante prometedora. Siendo que cada vez más está cerca su estreno, solo podemos desearle lo mejor a este serie. Esperemos que todo el equipo creativo logre una serie de alta calidad y que finalmente esta serie sea la que redima a Netflix, después de cosechar fracasos con sus anteriores adaptaciones.  

Saludos

Rankakiu