Ghost in the Shell occupies a place in the pantheon reserved for legendary anime, and the latest entry in the series comes courtesy of Netflix, who have just released the official trailer for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045's second season.
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is back in spring 2020 as one of the streaming giant's completely new and original anime offerings, with the series’ distinctive 3D CGI art style instantly raising more than a few eyebrows. See, while productions like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex have been praised for their smart CGI usage to enhance its storytelling experience, SAC_2045 was welcomed with mostly negative reception due to what many felt was a drastic departure from the franchise’s roots.
Now, after being booked for a second season and the subsequent release of a complimentary Ghost in the Shell movie in Japan, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is finally back and seemingly picking up right where it left off, with Major Motoko Kusanagi, Batou, Togusa, and Purin Esaki at the forefront of the story. The series will also continue embracing its visual style with Russian illustrator Ilya Kuvshinov returning as lead character designer. Furthermore, Production I.G and Sola Digital Arts will handle animation, and Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki are coming back in directing duties for what fans will be hoping is an improved season two once it drops on Netflix in May.
The theme song heard in the trailer, titled “Secret Ceremony,” is performed by Millenium Parade, and it will serve as Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045's opening theme song. Furthermore, the end credits song, called “No Time to Cast Anchor,” is also from the same artist. Summing up the team behind the anime, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 will see the entirety of its cast return for a second season, so anyone who enjoyed that will probably feel right at home.
Although Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is widely considered the worst animated iteration of Ghost in the Shell, next to the commercial and critical flop that was the live-action Ghost in the Shell movie starring Scarlett Johansson, some fans have learned to appreciate it for just how different it is. Whereas the original 1995 anime was a deep introspective dive, what separates Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 from the rest of the franchise is that it’s heavily action-oriented, though even that aspect is not everyone's cup of tea.
It bears saying that Sola DigitalArts is the same studio behind Blade Runner: Black Lotus, another anime take on the very cyberpunk icon that inspired many of the themes present in Ghost in the Shell. Suffice to say, the somewhat antiquated CGI character models and backgrounds can find it hard to express the same feeling from the originals.
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 season two is coming in May, 2022.
Source: Netflix | YouTube