Ghost In The Shell - Stand Alone Complex - Vol. 1 [DVD] [1995]

The initial shock of anyone familiar with the original Ghost in the Shell to the very short length of the episodes (twenty minutes, give or take) is more than counterbalanced by the density of the writing. Stories which would take an X-File ninety minutes to unfold are delivered with punch, and a zero-tolerance attitude to irrelevant material. The environment created in the original Ghost in the Shell is both explored and developed, serving not only to enrich the work in itself, but to explain elements of the feature film, which were not wholly explored the first time around, and had to be accepted at face value. Though the series is punctuated by references to the original film, a good singular example is the addition of a sniper to the Section 9 team - a tantalising inclusion in the film, which is rightly explored by the series.

Though each episode is tightly self-contained, time is also given to the philosophical issues raised by the feature film; discussion of the basis by which individuals identify themselves, the issues raised by the blurring of borders between physical and mechanical, and the implications of externalising memory. Where mainstream series like 24 shy away from tackling the intangible, The Standalone Complex embraces these irreconcilables as its very foundation. It is this ambitious approach which makes the first instalment great, and sets a new precedent not only for other anime series, but for any crime or sci-fi serials claiming the intellectual edge. Ghost in the Shell: The Standalone Complex is a rewarding buy for fans of the feature-film, and a breath of fresh air for those onto their twenty-ninth series of Dragonball Z. If only they'd run it on BBC4.

This is not a programme that feels like spoon-feeding it's themes to the audience so a decent level of concentration is required for each episode. However, your efforts will be repaid in spades. I kept thinking to myself that there is no way something like this could be made in the UK or US. It is simply too inaccessible for a mainstream, mass audience. True sci-fi fans however will feel like their prayers have been answered.