Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002) – Bald Move

Special thanks to Brian Strader, previous commissioner of the podcast for the underrated sci-fi saga, Babylon 5. This time he’s back to, as he says, “play ‘TV Show Dumpster Fire’ roulette.” Unfortunately we think he may have lost by betting on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. We were suitably impressed with the detail of the animations, certain aspects of world building, and the themes were philosophically engaging here and there. Unfortunately, other aspects of the world building struck us as silly or worse, the dubs and probably general translation on the version we watched were almost universally bad, and the themes that were otherwise engaging have been either dated or made more engaging by later works such as Altered Carbon.

Still, you spin the wheel, you take your chances, and we admire your all or nothing spirit in genuinely commissioning works you’re passionate about, Brian. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to discuss the show, and for your generous support!

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