Ghost in the Shell-
Standalone Complex Vol.2
(Manga Region 1 NTSC DVD)
(2004)
review by Head Cheeze

Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell manga was one of the 1990's most popular pieces of illustrated fiction, combining the lighthearted police story elements of his own Dominion Tank Police with a dystopic vision of a future straight out of a Philip K. Dick story. The film adaptation, directed by one of anime's most respected filmmakers, Mamoru Oshii, dropped most of Shirow's humour (as well as much of the Mecha stuff!), focusing on just a small chapter in the overall manga; the story of cyborg agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi. While the film was not especially faithful to it's source, Oshii's Ghost in the Shell would go on to become one of the most critically and financially successful animes of all time, as well as one of the most influential.

Now, nearly a decade later, the series continues with both an all new manga series by Shirow, as well as an O.V.A. from Manga Video called Ghost in the Shell-Standalone Complex.

This new series focuses on the exploits of Major Motoko Kusanagi and her section 9 counterparts as they do battle with a cyber-terrorist known only as "The Laughing Man". The Laughing Man has threatened to kill the Police Superintendent, splitting Section 9 into two groups; those protecting the superintendent, and those investigating a potential smuggling ring that deals in the business of human organs! All the while, Motoko continues to struggle with her own inner demons, balancing the human and the machine within her ghost.

With production values as good as most feature animes, Ghost in the Shell-Standalone Complex looks incredible (and expensive, for an O.V.A.). It's animation is fluid, lush, and balanced with unobtrusive C.G.I. that complements rather than overpowers the overall look of the series.

Manga presents the series on DVD with the option of English Dubbed and far-superior Japanese language soundtracks, both in 5.1 Dolby Digital sound. The transfer is marvelous, with rich colours, and no artifacting or digital noise. Manga rounds up some bonus features, including a pair of interviews with voice actor, Osamu Saka and composer, Yoko Kanna, as well as a collection of animated shorts.

Fans of Ghost in the Shell will find much to like about this series, especially the way it ties up a few loose threads from the film, as well as re-incorporates some of the manga's humour and police procedural stuff back into the series. I also have to admit that I rather like the series' lighter tone a bit more than the film's downbeat vibe (especially the English dub of the film in which everyone spoke as if they were chomping down Oxycontins).

Ghost in the Shell-Standalone Complex is a deep, well written, and very well made anime that belies it's O.V.A. label, looking and feeling more like an extended feature than "low budget" series. It's good stuff, indeed.