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Small Ghost in the Shell Ramble
Apr. 24th, 2012 05:20 pmDamn, has a work ever made so little impression on me? I netflixed Ghost in the Shell, the original 1995 movie, the other day on the theory that it's a classic I'd missed seeing since, well, 1995, and I really ought to correct that omission. I'd seen one of the later ones, and it hadn't made much impression, but I figured I should still see the original.
So I started watching it, and about 40 minutes in, it began to dawn on me that, indeed, I had seen it, unless the GitS universe does the thing with the blonde cyborg woman's torso more than once. The more I thought about it, the more I began to think that I had, in fact, netflixed this before (not more than year or two ago). I eventually stopped watching and sent it back. I still can't remember how it ends. I can't really bring myself to care.
I know this is a classic anime. And, yes, the animation is lovely--it reminds me a lot of Akira, but it's better, being newer. The story also steers clear of almost every annoying anime trope out there. Even its fan service, which is considerable, has the virtue of being plausibly anatomically proportionate. It's "good quality"; it just makes no impression on me. The plot/theme--cyborgs and the nature of identity and all--doesn't seem very original (not even in 1995). The characters are not annoying but have little personality and almost no chemistry with each other. It makes so little impression on me I evidently can't even remember I've watched it. Well, at least now I can say I gave it a shot (twice apparently).
So I started watching it, and about 40 minutes in, it began to dawn on me that, indeed, I had seen it, unless the GitS universe does the thing with the blonde cyborg woman's torso more than once. The more I thought about it, the more I began to think that I had, in fact, netflixed this before (not more than year or two ago). I eventually stopped watching and sent it back. I still can't remember how it ends. I can't really bring myself to care.
I know this is a classic anime. And, yes, the animation is lovely--it reminds me a lot of Akira, but it's better, being newer. The story also steers clear of almost every annoying anime trope out there. Even its fan service, which is considerable, has the virtue of being plausibly anatomically proportionate. It's "good quality"; it just makes no impression on me. The plot/theme--cyborgs and the nature of identity and all--doesn't seem very original (not even in 1995). The characters are not annoying but have little personality and almost no chemistry with each other. It makes so little impression on me I evidently can't even remember I've watched it. Well, at least now I can say I gave it a shot (twice apparently).
