Ghost In The Shell - S.A.C. - Vol. 1

First, a warning to those who are fans of the original Ghost In The Shell movie by Mamoru Oshii... this TV series bares little resemblance to that landmark title.

Instead, it sticks closer to Masamune Shirow's original manga that inspired both movie and series. Whereas the movie was a journey into the psyche of Major Motoko Kusanagi, the series plays out more like a futuristic police procedural with the Major just one character in an ensemble. There is even room for a bit of humour, though nowhere near as childish as that found in the manga.

Volume One of Stand Alone Complex contains the first four episodes of the series, which really serve as an introduction to the characters.

The first episode opens in much the same way as the movie, with Section 9 already mid-mission. The second episode has the team tracking down a rogue tank after its designers consciousness is transferred into it. The third episode sees the Major and co. investigating a spate of suicides by androids.

It is only the fourth episode that really ties into the series-long story arc, introducing the mysterious character known as The Laughing Man, at the same time as focusing on Togusa... the first episode to relegate the Major to a supporting performance.

The animation is amazing, especially considering the budget constraints on TV projects. Similarly, the voice-overs in both Japanese and English are some of the best I've heard in anime. These episodes give you a good Ghost In The Shell primer, but with only one episode that really drags into the greater mystery at work, it's the least impressive of the volumes that make up the complete series.