ANIME / JAPANIMATION UMD for Sony PSP – The futuristic world created by Masamune Shirow in the manga and OVA Ghost in the Shell is further explored in the 2002 series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The 26-episode series is set in 2030 — a year after the original film — and revolves around female cyborg Maj. Motoko Kusanagi and her fellow police officers in Section 9 of Public Safety. The environment of Ghost in the Shell is awash in cyber-technology, machines, androids, robots, and computers, all of which are common in everyday life. Section 9 is an elite group that must bring down criminals (as well as corrupt government officials) that use technology for illegal gains. This first volume contains four episodes that begin with Section 9 investigating the hostage-taking of the Minister of Foreign Affairs by android geishas, and delves into the mysterious “Ichinose Report” the military and politicians are scrambling to cover up. Other episodes have Section 9 searching for a technologically advanced killing machine; investigating android suicides; and becoming embroiled in a government conspiracy surrounding a computer hacker. The studio Production I.G. is at the helm for this release, and computer animation and traditional animation are used interchangeably to fantastic effect, especially in scenes involving vehicles. Composer Yoko Kanno (Wolf’s Rain, Cowboy Bebop) adds her influence to the series with inspired music, including the opening theme “Inner Universe” sung — in Russian — by Origa. As for the English dub, stick to Atsuko Tanaka’s voice as Kusanagi in Japanese; Mary McGlynn sounds too old for the part. Both tracks are in Dolby Digital 5.1, and pay special attention to the amazing sound when the first of many helicopters fly by. Sure to be a hit with fans of the Ghost in the Shell OVA, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is animation and storytelling at its best. – Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex Vol. 1
powered by Yahoo shopping
Comment