I began watching Stand Alone Complex without any prior introduction into the world of Ghost in the Shell. Despite the fact that I would be immersing myself in the Ghost world unprepared, I was eager to watch this series for a number of reasons. The first was that Yoko Kanno was the writer of the score, although at the time, my now uncontrollable Yoko Kanno fanaticism was only beginning, I was nevertheless eager to see the works for which she had composed music. The second reason was the amount of hype surrounding the series. By the time the TV run ended, I heard a lot of people saying that they were torn between Azumanga Daioh and Stand Alone Complex for the best anime of 2002. The third reason was that I discovered Production I.G., a studio for which I have a lot of growing respect, had produced SAC. With these things in mind, I began watching SAC with two general concerns (or anticipations), the first being an expectation for awesome Yoko Kanno music and Production I.G. animation, and the second being my interest in whether the series would live up to all its hype.

Twenty-six episodes of Stand Alone Complex later, I was not disappointed in any regard. Production I.G. outdid itself with the spectacular animation and Yoko Kanno had written yet another spectacular score. Animation-wise, all of the episodes were very well done and some even had what I would call OVA-quality animation, which is saying a lot for a TV series. The backgrounds painted a stunning futuristic world with enough similarities to our own to be realistic, but also with plenty of unquestionably sci-fi machines and cyborgs for fans of the sci-fi genre. The character designs were pleasantly moderate for an anime, in that no eyes were too large or noses too sharp or too small. The best part about the animated characters was that they did not lose any of their sheen during battle sequences, which were without exception fluid and impressive. Yoko Kanno’s diverse score enhanced the setting flawlessly. From the adrenaline-filled Run Rabbit Junk to the robotic Monochrome, the tracks effectively covered action scenes, dramatic scenes, and everything in between.

The plot, characters, and storytelling pace, however, were by no means perfect. Each episode was classified into one of two types: stand alone or complex. The seven or eight complex episodes were the only ones that were driven by an ongoing, multi-episode-spanning plot. The plot of these complex episodes started out slow and confusing but got more and more intriguing as the series progressed. The main antagonist was a fascinating and well-developed character who kept the plot interesting through the whole series. The rest of the anime consisted of the stand alone episodes, each telling its own episode-long story and often centering on one of the four main characters (that is, one of the four leading members of Section-9). However, while the four main characters developed satisfyingly, all the other characters were generally ignored. Many of the major characters upon which individual stand alones were centered were interesting, but the viewer was given only the length of an episode to get to know them. On top of that, the other members of Section-9, who appeared in almost every episode, had no personalities at all. All of the stand alone episodes had noteworthy stories except that the flow of many potentially interesting episodes was disrupted by whole minutes of political mumbo-jumbo and indecipherable strategic talk that seriously challenged the viewer’s patience and attention. On the other hand, there were a handful of really stunning episodes with stories that posed philosophical questions that, through creative storytelling, always got you thinking. What I found particularly agreeable was that the episodes left the answers for you to decide instead of being preachy about the writers�Eopinions.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is overall a very satisfying product, but not one without its flaws. The pros and cons, however, seem to have a check and balance system; for example, the scenes featuring political or strategic talk are made more bearable by Yoko Kanno’s great music, while on the other hand, potentially interesting stories are disrupted by said scenes in excess. Similarly, while the occasionally over-the-top police sequences may alienate some viewers, the stunning animation more than makes up for it; but even so, there are many episodes that feature or include characters whose personalities are one-sided or who are hard to relate to. In the end, it all works out rather nicely. I can confidently say that in the end, Stand Alone Complex is a great series that no self-respecting fan should overlook. Remember this one next time you’re looking for something good to watch.