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Title:
  Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex vol 3

UK Distributor:  Manga Entertainment (DVD Only)

BBFC Certificate:  12

Suggested Retail Price (SRP):  £19.99

Episodes:  9-12 (of 26)

Audio Options:  English & Japanese 5.1 DTS, 5.1 & 2.0

Subtitles:  English

Reviewer:  Rich (Webmaster)

 

Click here to visit the Official Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex site!

It's nearing the mid-point of the series and it seems that Section 9 definitely has its hands full!  If the ongoing mystery of master hacker The Laughing Man wasn't enough, there is also a crazed killer on the loose whose horrific murders have a special significance for Batou, mysterious occurrences in a mental institution with a difference which baffle Togusa and a rogue Tachikoma tank to deal with...

I've really been enjoying this series so far, and after leaving the main story for a couple of episodes in the last volume the Laughing Man is back to being the focus at the start of this one.  Major Kusanagi decides to do some digging about the Laughing Man so visits a web forum about him, which is a pretty novel way of filling the viewer in on the Laughing Man case without being too patronising.  Because this episode is mainly discussion and scenes of the his past crimes it is pretty light on the action front, which in fact most of the episodes revolving around him so far have been.  However, what this series is good at doing is balancing dialogue heavy episodes with action packed ones - usually with a brief sojourn from the Laughing Man story arc - and this is true once more in this volume.

As with the previous volume Section 9 have a daily job to do and can't spend all of their time chasing the Laughing Man's shadows, so whilst Motoko focuses on that case the series shifts its gaze to Batou and Togusa.  The episode which revolves around Batou is probably the highlight of the disc, despite having a plot which seems like it was lifted from a cheesy 80's action film (full of 'cop on the edge' shenanigans and 'nam style flashbacks) as he hunts down a crazed killer in the city.  It actually has the strongest horror elements of the series so far, and is quite disturbing in places, but it gives a welcome and intriguing insight into Batou's past and character and has plenty of action too.  The Togusa episode sees him go undercover in a institution for kids who are too well connected to computers to integrate in normal society and is therefore stronger on intrigue than action, but it does play out like a more traditional detective story and balances the Batou episode well.  There are also some interesting links in this episode to the Laughing Man case which suggests that this plot may move forward a lot in the next volume.  The final episode on the  disc, in which a Tachikoma tank runs away and befriends a girl, is probably the weakest but does have its moments, particularly in the second half when Motoko and co delve into a mysterious cyberbrain.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex has been an intriguing series so far, and I have been constantly impressed with how it manages to combine some really deep and thought provoking sci-fi with unashamed 80's style police drama.  This volume is certainly strong on the sci-fi front - I particularly like the idea of a failed film director whose unmade masterpiece exists only in his head, so he allows his cyberbrain to be passed around after his death so people can look inside and see it - but it grounds it with entertainment, drama and action.  The animation and sound is stunning as always, the stories are strong, the characterisation good and each episode is capped off with a little comedy short which is worth waiting till the end of the credits for.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex continues to be an excellent series which somehow manages to be hi-tech and futuristic but still feels familiar and slightly retro (and it's not all because of Togusa's Pat Sharpe style mullet).  Volume 3 is once more laden with more high quality extras than you could shake a stick at, and the content of the episodes doesn't disappoint either.  One of the few series that can be enjoyed superficially but still has plenty of intelligence, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is one of the best anime series available in the UK and if you haven't started buying it already I suggest that you do so immediately.

Ratings

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