Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society
A.D. 2034. It has been two years since Motoko Kusanagi left Section 9. Togusa is now the new leader of the team, that has considerably increased its appointed personnel. The expanded new Section 9 confronts a rash of complicated incidents, and investigations reveal that an ultra-wizard hacker nicknamed the "Puppet Master" is behind the entire series of events.
RichyE reviewedOctober 26, 2025
Set in 2034, Section 9 is back, bigger and sharper, but the ghost still lingers.
Two years after Major Kusanagi’s departure, Togusa leads an expanded Section 9 into a tangled investigation involving cyber-terrorism, child abductions and a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master.
The stakes are high, the tone is somber and the philosophical weight returns in full force.
Visually, it’s sleek and cinematic, a step up from the series, with polished animation and a haunting score that underscores the film’s darker themes.
The cast is solid, with Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka and Koichi Yamadera reprising their roles with the same gravitas that made the series sing.
The story dives deep into identity, autonomy and the ethics of cybernetic control, classic Ghost in the Shell territory.
It’s more focused than the series, but still layered with political intrigue and metaphysical musings.
Not quite as emotionally raw as the 1995 film, but it’s a worthy continuation, cerebral, stylish and quietly unsettling.
A must watch for fans who followed the Stand Alone Complex arc and want closure with a philosophical sting.