Ghost in the Shell: Arise

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Honestly, I'm disappointed.

The new character design is just... wrong. I appreciated how Motoko in all her previous incarnations was an able looking adult that matched her job and personality, but it looks like that's been tossed out the window. The final shot at the end of the opening sequence (with Section 9 standing together) is particularly cringeworthy. Okay, I get that this is a prequel - that doesn't mean that she should have the body of an emaciated child. I had some serious misgivings when I saw the initial character art weeks ago, but this is really worse than I had anticipiated.

The design of the (medical?) robot in the trailer looks silly to me.

The faces of the other members of Section 9 seems off -- it seems that the lead artist has trouble with eyebrows, and tends to squish character's facial features together to the center of the face.

The music is promising in some ways, but overall just isn't working. The theme in the titles sequence is atmospheric but lacks emotional strength - it's pleasant but hollow and too "light". The voice samples are a big part of the problem here. The "action" music in the second half of the trailer, on the other hand, is all sorts of bad. Generic guitar, oh, I'm enthralled. It;s poorly composed, nor does it feel like gits.
 
i really like it
the cast seems pretty much visually unchanged except for the major and i like her new look
so happy to see togusa again

i also really like the music in the op, cornelius seems to be a good alternative for yoko kanno
 
Honestly, I'm disappointed.

The new character design is just... wrong. I appreciated how Motoko in all her previous incarnations was an able looking adult that matched her job and personality, but it looks like that's been tossed out the window. The final shot at the end of the opening sequence (with Section 9 standing together) is particularly cringeworthy. Okay, I get that this is a prequel - that doesn't mean that she should have the body of an emaciated child. I had some serious misgivings when I saw the initial character art weeks ago, but this is really worse than I had anticipiated.

The design of the (medical?) robot in the trailer looks silly to me.

The faces of the other members of Section 9 seems off -- it seems that the lead artist has trouble with eyebrows, and tends to squish character's facial features together to the center of the face.

The music is promising in some ways, but overall just isn't working. The theme in the titles sequence is atmospheric but lacks emotional strength - it's pleasant but hollow and too "light". The voice samples are a big part of the problem here. The "action" music in the second half of the trailer, on the other hand, is all sorts of bad. Generic guitar, oh, I'm enthralled. It;s poorly composed, nor does it feel like gits.

Agreed
 
I think this is reboot, and I believe the Major is actually a bit younger.

Notice Aramaki has dark hair.

Also, the Major's body is effectively a shell, or a car she drives around. It can look whatever it wants.
 
I think this is reboot, and I believe the Major is actually a bit younger.
...
Also, the Major's body is effectively a shell, or a car she drives around. It can look whatever it wants.

Yes - it's been established that as she grew older she changed shells, from time to time, to reflect her age. However, some problems:

1. The time frame of ARISE is only three years before SAC (2027-2030). There is no reason for such a dramatic change in appearance, from a teenager (And this is quite generous, conforming to the conventions of anime...objectively the ARISE body is prepubescent) to an adult woman.

But even if there was some explanation created in the story to explain the radical change of shell;

2. It doesn't change the fact that, fundamentally, the change in appearance is a stylistic choice. I am disappointed by Motoko's new design on these stylistic grounds, for the reasons I mentioned above. Yes, her shell can look however it wants, but it doesn't excuse bad character design.


Man, I'm really bummed out. I had been looking forwards to the new GiTS but find myself not really excited anymore. Cyberpunk 2077, don't you let me down now...
 
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