At first glance, Netflix’s new anime series “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045” contained an animation style that was a major disappointment. However, it was quickly forgiven due to an intriguing storyline that proved a second season is a must. The series was a sequel to the original classic (1991) manga and the (1995) anime “Ghost in the Shell” by manga artist Masamune Shirow.

“Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045” started off in a futuristic setting of Palm Springs in the year 2045 where the protagonist Motoko Kusanagi, also known as Major voiced by actress Atsuko Tanaka, is a military fighting cyborg that was once human. She was joined alongside her comrades’ who helped fight a civil war in the United States. The Major, and her elite team of comrades, built items for military purposes and drove into the city as they briefed each other on their next mission. The first few episodes of the series mainly focused on the team’s missions and they demonstrated their capabilities. 

The attention then quickly shifted to a character in Japan, named Togusa, that was once part of Major’s elite team, voiced by actor Koichi Yamadera. Togusa was called to help bring in the team back to Japan in order to assist in fighting a new arising threat known as Post humans, which were a manipulation of civilian’s cyber brains used for murderous purposes. 

Throughout the remaining episodes, the team worked together for the Japanese government under a title called Section 9. They encountered new obstacles that forced them to revalue their abilities. 

The most noticeable attribute to the series was animation and the CGI used for the anime. It made the character’s expressions minimal, and the characters’ movements appeared stiff. There were several scenes where action was the main component, and although it was able to deliver the intensity, you could not help but cringe at how some of it looked. 

The most visually appealing part of the series was the background and scenery, which took on a realistic depiction that the characters lacked. Netflix has created other anime shows that have stayed true to the conventional animation styles commonly familiar with anime, and this sequel could have been even better if they had utilized a similar artistic style like the Netflix original “Saiki K.”

Nevertheless, while I do agree that Netflix should reconsider the usage of 3-D CGI for animation, there is more to this anime than meets the eye.  Despite it appearing like it is aimed for the youth, the story is nowhere near suitable for all ages. The anime took on serious and somber life situations, topics and scenarios, along with murder. Although the CGI could have been improved, the storyline never became boring.

Netflix’s “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045” is not that bad and should not be judged based on its appearance, just a few episodes into the series will leave you wanting more.