


Humour bonus points: There were moments, but not enough to give points. If, like me, you enjoyed these aspects, Arise might be a disappointment. If you found SAC too slow, found Motoko too cold, or thought the philosophical/political issues were excessive you'll likely enjoy Arise. Arise has entertainment value, but whether you'll enjoy it as somebody who has seen Stand Alone Complex/2nd GIG will depend on what you thought of the SAC series. Recommended for: People who are new to Ghost in the Shell would do well to watch this after the original movie in order to understand the mechanics a bit more. That being said, plenty of action makes for an entertaining watch and those who have not viewed Stand Alone Complex/2nd GIG or who thought that those series were too slow will likely enjoy Arise. Animation is stellar in the action scenes, but issues with animating Motoko's face can be very apparent at times. The story is a bit disjointed and inconclusive. While the old team remains similar, significant changes were made to Motoko's character (the main character) that I didn't think were good. Overall: 5.75/10 - Ghost in the Shell Arise is less of a canonical prequel and more of a different take on the series altogether. This review has very, very minor spoilers in regard to one minor subplot.
