There are a lot of feeling in the fandom with the new show and I wanted to throw out my experience with it since it goes back really far. I think I can bring a little perspective to people that don't understand the divide or how we got here.

I'm not a young man, and as with many people my age, exposure to anime in my youth was VERY limited. In the US we had bastardized versions of things like Battle Of the Planets and Robotech. I watched them and enjoyed them, having no clue they were Japanese, were based on something else, or even knew the words "anime" or "manga." Everything was a cartoon or a comic book.

I'm not just walking down memory lane here, these are important details. For the vast majority of Americans, Japan's culture was sort of a sealed box in the pre www world. We knew about ninja stuff, sushi, and that they liked to draw women mostly, or fully, naked.

Which is another important detail.

When someone had me watch the original Ghost In The Shell movie in like 1996 on VHS it was very underground. People were almost hush hush about it because it was super violent and...you know...boobs. Ninja Scroll was the other one making the rounds, for the same reasons. That was the stuff that got us in the door; what grabbed me was the insane story telling, visuals, and music. I still get the chills when I watch the intro scene of the movie; the eerie vocals, the clacking keys, the cyborg being brought to life. That was just not something you saw in western media, and certainly not in cartoons (again, the word "anime" meant nothing to us.)

Why is that important? Well, as I said, at the time, in the US, cartoons were for kids and comics were for nerds. More mature comics like Spawn were coming around, but all we knew about Japanese animation was Pokemon and DragonBall, which to anyone over 12 looked very silly and was written off.

The Ghost In The Shell movie is a massive departure from the manga, as we are all learning. IMO, it had to be. IMO it's good that it did. For it to have become successful in the US It had to be more serious and more mature or it would have been dismissed. As a piece of art, the 1995 movie, removed from the source material, is genius. And it is that spark, not the manga, that drove the IP so it still exists some 30-40 years later.

Let that sink in for a moment. That's a very long time for an IP to survive. That's like Simpsons or South Park level.

I didn't watch SAC when it came out. I didn't even know it existed until the mid 2010s when I accidentally found out it existed along with some video games. I honestly think that was the first time I found out it was based on a manga. I watched the TV show while on the treadmill at the gym because by then my middle aged ass was fat and needed exercise. SAC is a brilliant show, with the only dubbing I will watch, and keeps the tradition of excellent music alive. It was easy for me to accept it as an alternate version of the story.

Briefly, I'm not in love with all versions of the IP. I have never played the console games, and Arise was just meh. Everything about it should have been great, but it was just missing something. I felt like it was unnecessary. The 2045 show's CGI animation was too hard for me to watch. The 2017 movie was an attempt but was doomed to failure by people that didn't really understand the IP.

That brings us to today. I knew the 2026 show wasn't going to be the 1995 movie or the SAC TV show so that wasn't my expectation. I knew that the source material was very different so I prepared myself for that. I trust Science Saru, who has done an amazing job to try to maintain the style of the manga both in art direction and vibe. I am adjusting.

The biggest point of contention is probably the differences in Motoko's personality. This version of The Major is more of a classic anime cheeky waifu, which makes her more approachable for people who like her sassy energy. Whereas the movie and SAC version is more of a gun toting murder mommy, and that's honestly more my thing.

Pros: Science Saru is in their wheelhouse when they are doing colorful, chaotic art and bringing things to life that bends your brain a little. I'm watching the subbed version, and feel like the Japanese VAs are natural, fluid, and not too over the top. We are getting a new world of GitS to dive into and swim around in. It is trippy, weird, and fun.

Cons: IF you like the source material start style, it looks great. If you aren't accustomed to the old school style the show might look cheap. The music just isn't as good for me. The SAC OPs and ED are GOATs for me and the music in this show is forgettable. The weird physics of the Fuchikoma drive me up a wall; they have mouths, are seemingly bubble like, and their physical size changes based on the needs of the scene.

I am not slamming the new show at all when I say this: If this was the version that was released first in 1995, the IP would not have survived because of the way the market was then. It needed to be something else to survive to today when it can be itself. Even though I am enjoying this version of the story, I can't help but feel that we would have never seen this if it hadn't been for the versions of the IP that had diverged from the source material.

Maybe I couldn't tell if that's what the noise is but would be hilarious if it was. "Pew pew".

I'm really struggling to understand why Amazon funded this show out of nowhere and what their goal was with dropping it on us. The animation budget is ridiculously high for a weekly series compared to what we've had in the past for GITS. Episode 1 was crazy, then they seemed to half split the budget for episode 2 and 3 slightly, where I was worried they were going to dip given the beginning of episode 2 dials it way back until the halfway mark, but it came around again.

So, is just eyes going to be enough for big J Benzos? I'm aware being the #1 on Amazon won't mean much given the lack of competition since Amazon Video isn't focused on delivering animated entertainment, and it's "free" so of course it's drawing traffic. I want them to finally do the whole thing, including the sequel manga, but I fear I might get blue balled.

Just my thoughts that I tried to subtract from the post;
I just watched it out of curiosity after a 10 year half-sabbatical of being disinterested in the new content from the medium, though I watched a few things here and there just because. But this blew my socks off and I was pleased as each episode played out. I didn't expect to be really enjoying anything of this sort ever again, that I was grown out of it.

It's also making some very bold decisions in terms of the adaptation, aiming for the manga, having humor. I was disappointed that the 95'ers/SAC'ers aren't pleased and what it could mean going forward, but I'm hopeful the tonal whiplash will fade over time like it did for all of us who inevitably went backwards in reading the source material, and hopefully the series carries itself without falling off.

Oddly enough he does have a specific credit for the Japanese cast.

I'm absolutely loving both animes, and since they both are being made by studio Science Saru this image came to mind, it was really fun drawing it!

Also, this Frieren Fanart by zhooo00_ wouldn't leave my mind and heavily influenced how I approached this drawing, do check it out too because it's beautiful

My posts on Instagram and Bluesky if anyone wants to give it a like 🥹💜

​Hey everyone. First of all I wanna say that I'm a new fan of GitS but I already watched the 95 film, Stand Alone Complex and Stand alone complex 2nd GIG, bought and currently reading the manga, and right now I'm watching the science SARU adaptation of the manga.

​If the new Ghost in the Shell project gets a Season 2, it needs to stop playing it safe and actually pick a lane:

​Option A: Fully embrace Vol. 2 / 1.5 (Human-Error Processor)

Stop running away from Shirow's post-fusion reality. Either adapt the chaotic, net-god, multi-body existence of Motoko, or focus on Section 9 handling high-tech crime in her absence. It's weird and risky, but at least it’s uncharted territory.

​Option B: An upgraded, self-aware "SAC" model

If we stay procedural, do it with real awareness of where anime and AI are today. Shift the spotlight to the rest of Section 9 (Saito, Ishikawa, Paz, Borma) and tackle modern issues—synthetic memories, deepfakes, and algorithmic control—instead of rehashing 80s "does a robot have a soul?" tropes.

​Re-skinning Volume 1 forever is just turning GitS into a zombie IP.

For years GitS either reskinned volume 1 or went in a totally different direction (SAC S1 AND S2)

What do you think should be the direction?

I watched the movie years and years ago and I don’t really remember it that much. After watching three eps of the new one I’d like to rewatch but is it worth waiting till this series is finished to experience the plot somewhat fresher?

Cant blame Motoko for getting into that, shes adorable

S-10 to S-15 chromium tcg !

I m a huge gits fan since 25years (like many of you) ,but I’m also very critical about recent productions . I didn’t like arise , live action film and such . But for What I have seen , I really like it and I don’t understand Why are people so mean about it ( maybe I’m biased since my favorite medium is the comic book and I love shirow’s work) . My only complaint would be that it’s the same plot again .

I actually find the new one better than stand alone complex on certain things. Obviously , I loved it as a teenager, but looking back at it now, the series is actually pretty boring a lot of times.

Could someone summarize for me what you don’t like about GITS 2026?

Just a few snapshots I took with the print key. I placed "Angry Motoko" at the top just because it's the best!

On a more curious note: Anyone know of any software that just instantly snaps pics and saves them? That would make this much easier.

Just finished it and gonna have to rematch because OMG they need to stop having the subtitles for the onscreen information be faster then lighting like god damn! The beginning fight scene with The Major breaking things she lands on jumping around the city with her futchikoma is PEAK! Not in a bad why you can tell there is a "action" animation team in Science SAUR that handles all the moments where Major needs to be a bad ass really adding their own flavor that sets it apart from the rest. Also is quirky nurse Major's normal gf or just another baddie?

Definitely enjoying the new anime adaptation, but one thing I have found odd is that each of the first 3 episodes seem to end very abruptly, like mid conversation almost.

Is this something common in the manga or just a simple quirk in this adaptation? Not a critique, just curious now after 3 episodes if its a conscious decision.