Ghost in the Shell - Anime's greatest Sin.

Hi.

Look if you're reading this you have no doubt seen me around certain topics about anime.
Mostly topics of my pure deep seeded LOATHING of this medium and those who practice it.
I'm sure most of you have written me off as some kinda loon who has nothing better to do but whine about things other people like and my arguments are based on some kind of bigotry or lack of understanding or experience.

And while I do have nothing better to do, my zeal against this medium is not unfounded.

In my experience I find the majority of anime to be categorized under three trash bins:
1. A show about illogical storytelling and cultural barriers.
2. A show pandering to a specific demographic that we really should stop worldwide because high schoolers are hormonally driven idiots the need a decade of minimum wage.
3. Really weird and disturbing porn.

Quite literally anime is a land dump where ideas get choked by the foul stench of stereotypes, faceless corporations and losers who should've end their gene line long ago.

BUT!!!....but.

There is one anime, ONE, that I feel would pretty much be the ultimate mountaintop that all other shows fail spectacularly to measure up to. A show that I have never seen replicated or attempted by any other show. And one that makes me so miserable because it was anime.

Ghost in the Shell.

I have no qualms about it. It is THE ANIME that makes me wish shows in other countries had. It could rival some of the world's most classic cult hits: Firefly, Dawn of the Dead, Duckman...(seriously if you never saw that, fuck you).
It is the only anime that I could watch openly and not give a damn about anyone that saw it. How many more hyperboles do you need me to tell you how great this show is?

And...and...and...yet...

This show revealed to me how much I've despise anime since then. How much I wish people would stop recycling the same trash over and over and over and over and over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER...ETC!!!
How I wish this medium would either die or evolve into something that it is not now.

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Now let me explain.

I really won't go over the plot in detail. Because that would be missing the point of this argument.
But it's basic overall view is as follows:

In the future, don't give a damn about the date much like the show, a special task force named Section 9 is task with tackling the cyber information criminal scene. At the helm of this organization is a government savant and puppet master in charge of a group of augmented humans or cyborgs accumulated through harsh backgrounds and tougher situations to tackle. And the main face of this group is a full-cyborg woman named The Major.

Throughout the series you experience some of the most gripping stories from Gov't sabotage to corporate dirt bags. Strange cyber-criminal masterminds and unexpected characters. There is almost very little guessing how most of these plots will turn or how long they will go on but you will be waiting for every episode like a hawk.

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Okay that's the gist but you get what I mean.
This show stands out beyond any other anime. It is the only show that really treats it's audience like adults. There's no stupid magical bullshit or teenage problems and angst. There's no hand holding or lowering it's standards for a broad audience. And it doesn't treat it's concepts in any immature way like sex, drugs, politics or philosophy.

Even some other cult classics in America like Big O or Cowboy Bebop or Trigun cannot avoid falling into those traps, unlike Ghost in the Shell.

I used to watch this all the time when it aired on Adult Swim on Cartoon network. Staying up even on school days just to catch an episode. And then later on youtube whenever someone uploads the episodes, over and over again mind you.
And hands down, Second Gig was my favorite season. Especially after the brilliantly made Laughing Man Saga, I could not believe how far they took the plot with the Stand Alone Complex saga.

And speaking of characters, Batou, friggen love the guy. He is pretty much the glue that holds every other character together. Hard headed, literally, and brash. No nonsense and calm. Can smell the shit you're spewing a mile away. Can you even find another character that badass?


But despite all the love and praise for the character development and plot...
THE ANIMATION IS ATROCIOUS. PURE VILE AND STAGNANT!
HOW CAN THE CREATORS TAKE SUCH AN AMAZING THING AND TURN IT INTO SHIT!???

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Again this is probably the part where some people would say, "Well there's other shows that are like GITS" (which is a lie) or, "You should give other shows a chance if you like this one". Or some other bullshit excuse to overlook the most obvious flaw with not only this show and anime in general.

And here's why.

Take a look at this scene.



Now for those who don't know, this is a flashback story for one of the Section 9 Members.
Take a look at this scene.

..........................

Gripping, suspenseful and almost stressing.
Okay.
Now try this.
Watch it again, but with no sound.

Do you see the problem?

Well let me tell you in case your fucking retarded.

I reveled in talking about the story and characters. But what happens when you take that away? What happens when you are not interested in the dialog or the story or the characters. What are you left with?

The same cheap ass animation the almost ALL anime uses even to this day.

This show's animation choppy, almost poorly drawn at some points and even lack emotional grip.
Look how the solider took a shot from a FUCKING SNIPER RIFLE! He's laying down like he has a tummy ache.
His face doesn't even any sort of anguish or pain or anything. Even if you were to say he was a cyborg, there's still a human brain in that shell. And face with the possibility of dying, you don't fucking act like you just ate a spoiled bit of milk. YOU PANIC LIKE A SUCKLING BABY!

And then the usual suspects: Mouth flaps, no subtle movements, dull expressions even under duress. And let's forget: THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GUN BATTLE WITH A SNIPER THAT TAKES OUT HALF THE TEAM!

Of course there are also the endless scenes where the show stops completely to spew philosophy, even if some of it's interesting, while panning across multiple pictures. No not animation, pictures. Look at this keyframing.



Same story btw.

I get this a guy telling a story. But fuck I want to watch it, not keep coming back to the episodes plot of playing cards.
And there are FAR MORE WORSE SCENES of characters meandering around spewing dialog like an uncontrolled flood gate. But i'm sparing you that because at least this has a little bit of action.

One whole Episode in particular involves another detective talking to some Govt agent while the main plot is the DISARMING OF A POTENTIAL NUCLEAR BOMB! It's just blah blah blah blah blah blah blah and... Oh yeah, back to the bomb they find out is a fake at the END OF THE EPISODE!

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This really must seem like nitpicking. And maybe it is. Maybe.
But let me bring you back to the main point.

I consider this anime the greatest sin of the medium, animation and art.
And why I pick this out of any other show, even against some really great animated features; including the prestige of Studio Gihbili, Jiggly, Gibbally?

It's because, it's the only one that can hold my interest despite it's terrible animation.
That's right.
I can enjoy a story if it's REALLY good and say fuck to the animation.

But I can certainly never say that about any production.

Every other effort from every anime studio relies so much on it's core demographics and region that not only does their animation fall to wayside, it makes approaching putrid and toxic.
No one can ever tell me that there's anime that comes to the effort that Ghost In the Shell made to reach an actual audience with a brain. Let alone one with animation even remotely in terms of surpassing it's animation.

You want to know why?

Because while I can find no information on how much Ghost in the Shell has made...
I FOUND THE TOP GROSSING ANIME OF ALL TIME IS ONE PIECE!

ONE PIECE!!!
ONE FUCKING PIECE!!!

You know the same people who's company draws like this?



I suggest turning off the sound and just looking.

Are you telling me that, that garbage...that abomination...sells more dvds, merchandise and sponsers over Ghost in the Shell with animation that makes Nick Jr look professional?

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And this is the bar for anime in general. No matter the style, if any. No matter the recycled plots. No matter how fucking cheap Japan's slave labor (which by the way is a whole 'nother discussion in itself) churns it's products out like unmitigated diarrhea. This is the anime that is the top of the hill. This is the what all people should be striving for to draw. This is the best of the best.


No. No....Noo....No....   NO! Nonononono NO! NONONONONONONO! NO! FUCKING NO! NO TO THE INFINITE SQUARED! NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOO O O O O O O.....o....o...oo.......oooo....
(Breath)

FUCK NO!

THIS IS WHY I HAVE NO RESPECT FOR ANIME AS AN ARTFORM.
THIS IS WHY I HATE PEOPLE WHO DRAW ANIME!
THIS IS WHY I WANT IT TO DIE!

I will never accept anime in it's current incarnation and wait for the day when the Japanese pull their heads out of each others asshole, grow up and start taking art more seriously than as a product to sell to degenerates with money. And I would love for the day when someone pulls those chopsticks out and make something with not only a story like GITS but finally makes one with respectable animation that the rest of the world already pulls off in spades.

People may say cartoons, regardless of their origin, are stupid.
Well I say you idiots wouldn't know the difference between animation and someone jabbing knifes in your eyes and calling it a story.
BUT FUCK IF YOU HAVEN'T PROVED YOU SURE LIKE EYE GOUGING YOU MORONS!

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Now if you excuse me, I think I'll head over to youtube. I think someone might have uploaded Second Gig fully...hopefully.