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Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (all seasons, OAVs, movies).

Also, while I'm on the subject of animation not looking like Motoko, has anyone else noticed that the art style in 2nd GIG seems to switch between episodes? It's been a while since I've seen it, so I can't exactly give any examples, but I remember the art being pointier and less 'realistic' in a few episodes when compared to others.

And speaking of the extras, has anyone seen the interview with Kamiyama on the last volume of SAC? I felt it was a great analysis on Togusa spoiler[ putting him, Aoi, and Aramaki on a horizontal axis. Basically, his interpretation explained that Togusa was in the middle of the line, having established himself with an individual sense of justice, where Aoi was the younger and naive version of Togusa who was implusive and hadn't quite found his footing in life yet. And that someday when Togusa reached Aramki's age, he'd be in the same position in terms of personal integrity, demeanor, and so on. I found that to be a very cool way of characterizing all three of them!]

The art will vary from episode to episode as a lot of them had a sort of rotating joint effort of different Art Directors, not to mention 2nd GIG had a set of new character designers, so it wouldn't be surprising if you saw a little bit of variation within the characters and such. They talk about it in the extras of 2nd GIG Vol.2 (an interview with character designers, Takayuki Goto and Tetsuya Nishio).

And speaking of the extras, has anyone seen the interview with Kamiyama on the last volume of SAC? I felt it was a great analysis on Togusa spoiler[ putting him, Aoi, and Aramaki on a horizontal axis. Basically, his interpretation explained that Togusa was in the middle of the line, having established himself with an individual sense of justice, where Aoi was the younger and naive version of Togusa who was implusive and hadn't quite found his footing in life yet. And that someday when Togusa reached Aramki's age, he'd be in the same position in terms of personal integrity, demeanor, and so on. I found that to be a very cool way of characterizing all three of them!]

In relation to SAC, after rewatching the last episode and reading a couple of the ending threads, I think I've figured out how the "Laughing Man" case ties into 2nd GIG. spoiler[ As was mentioned about the Stand Alone Complex, our society has "developed" to the point of being able to create a sense of alienation amongst the different peoples of the world. For whatever reason that some people just aren't able to cope with the pressures of life, they become isolated and eventually split apart from the rest of the population, and thus the "Stand Alone" part.

Though it's not directly explained in SAC, Aoi mentions that he is not, in fact, the original "Laughing Man," but a mere copycat himself like a few of the people we saw in earlier episodes. The whole nanomachines vs. Murai Vaccine was his own agenda as adapted by a similar intent when he accidentally stumbled upon the fragment of the the original LM's blackmail threat to the same Serano, but most likely for a different purpose.

But with the society being the way it is (not only in the series, but you could argue the real world as well), you've got all of these people who want to individualize themselves from the rest of the bunch. I'm not sure if this is necessarliy a part of the Stand Alone Complex itself, as I thought that was more of a result from society, not the individual. But whatever the inverse is called by way of the individual casting off society instead, you have this "other Complex" (or it could be the same, if anyone can clear up this terminology for me) that these IE followers are trying to mimic.]

I eventually came to think that the writers of both stories spoiler[were commenting on the tendency of the masses to gravitate to fads. People tend to like the same things and act in the same way and rationalize their beliefs in the same ways all the while shaking their fists in the air claiming they are different just like everybody else].

Do the Japanese interviews shed any light on some of Second Gig's murkier points?

Also, while I'm on the subject of animation not looking like Motoko, has anyone else noticed that the art style in 2nd GIG seems to switch between episodes? It's been a while since I've seen it, so I can't exactly give any examples, but I remember the art being pointier and less 'realistic' in a few episodes when compared to others.

I finished Vol.5 tonight, but my brain is feeling overloaded, as I can't think of anything to type about it right now, other than spoiler[ I was right in guessing Kuze is that little boy that did the origami, and the prosthetic girl from then is The Major. I didn't think they'd make things so melodramatic...]