When Netflix announced in 2018 that Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki were directing a new addition to the Ghost in the Shell series, I was initially excited. I am a fan of the original movie. It is one of the more intelligent takes on the big questions that have plagued humanity for centuries: What is humanity? What is personhood? Furthermore, it explored the potential evolution of man and machine into something integrated and new in a way that was thought-provoking, yet entertaining. As a result of this interest, I had been waiting for them to drop a trailer for the new series, entitled SAC_2045.
Well, it’s available now. And I have my concerns. The first concern I have is the new visual style. The series has moved from the hand-drawn anime style to a CG style that is out of place with the cyberpunk aesthetic of the Ghost in the Shell. This wouldn’t be so bad, except that the CG is pretty awful. It is no exaggeration to say that it is reminiscent of PlayStation 3 cut scenes. This is especially obvious when the trailer cuts to daylight scenes. Furthermore, while there are small hints of the usual philosophical musings that the show is known for, the trailer is inundated with action, gunfire, and explosions. I’m certainly not averse to action in an anime, but this trailer is dominated by it.
All in all, I’m not optimistic. However, I will try to remain unbiased and see what they do with the show when it comes out. It could be that the art style will change a bit, or at least improve. In the meantime, I think I’ll fire up my original copy of Ghost in the Shell and sit down to enjoy it.
