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NEWS: Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Anime Reveals New Clip, Confirms 2nd Season

Who Is This Guy!? wrote:

Btw, any word if they're bringing the original dub cast back? I'm fine with it either way, but...that original cast really brings back memories.

I'm not sure why Netflix hasn't posted it on their official YouTube or Twitter account yet but they did post a dub trailer on their site and it seems most of the main cast is back though there's not a full cast list yet. I'm really excited to hear Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Motoko again. That dub cast was perfect.

Quote:

every single show they have labelled as "Netflix Original" is full 3DCG

This is demonstrably not true.

Edit: Thanks to your post I just searched for it to see and found the trailer, I agree it totally sounds like they're back Heard at least McGlynn's Motoko and Knight's Aramaki in there, as well as what sounded to me like one of the several SAC dub Tachikoma VAs for that one's one word in the trailer, so I would imagine the rest of the team's voices are likely back too even though they didn't have any lines in the trailer. This made my day.

I don't mean all the shows labelled as such, but the ones that actually are Netflix Originals: those made for Netflix, not exclusively licensed to them for the international market, I should have clarified that.

OjaruFan2 wrote:

No, Netflix doesn't ask for that. It's the directors who make that decision. I think the reason why plenty of these Netflix commissioned shows/movies are produced in CG is because: 1. Japanese animation studios have only recently opened up to full-CG productions after years of staying away from it. 2. To try something different. It's nice to have some variety instead of all productions being in 2D. 3. The master files delivery deadlines for Netflix seem to be much more flexible (since they take everything in binge-watchable chunks), which allows for the animation studios to do full-CG productions and still turn in something professional on time. The extremely tight deadlines for Japanese TV networks and the cheaper budgets for TV animation just doesn't mesh well with the nature of CG animation, which is much more expensive and time-consuming. That's why the vast majority of anime produced for a linear TV broadcast uses 2D animation.

Netflix is already known to specifically ask for this stuff, every single show they have labelled as "Netflix Original" is full 3DCG.
And no, Directors do NOT make the call for 3D CG in the production of animation, that is decided by the production committee, they are the ones in charge of selecting the studio that will handle the creation of the animation, they also select the director as well as many other roles, such as the VA director and main cast.
In this case, though we don't have access to the decision tree, we can assume Netflix received a new project pitch by either Sola DA or Production IG for a new GITS anime, after the "success" (since we don't have numbers) of Ultraman on Netflix, but asked the project to be handled in 3DCG because of cheaper costs associated with 3DCG and that the previous show was sorta ok in terms of criticism. I'm quite sure Production IG and Kamiyama protested to the idea of a full 3DCG production with sound arguments like the fans getting enranged and potentially killing the franchise, but were otherwise silenced by a lack of funds if they wanted to keep the project alive, and that they had a bit of confidence to pull it off seeing their past experience (Appleseed projects among others), at least Sola DA can handle the CG work and Kamiyama is part of the board of directors in it, so everything is kept close together instead of spreading thin.

Also, regarding your points...

1: Wrong, Japanese studios have been opened to full 3D CG productions for decades, Sola DA, the studio handling the project has tackled stuff since Appleseed with Aramaki at the helm, and the stuff is OLD. You can also trace back a lot other shows dating to the early 2000s made in full 3DCG. Also note the "3DCG" I'm using, because full CG animation has been a thing for even longer, with all-digital productions being made in the mid to late 90s, the original GITS 1995 being an example of mixed production, 3D models and 3D animation aside, all the composition, as well as inserted animations and many other things were handled digitally with Digital Generated Animation or DGA, one of the early and reliable methods of using computers to handle a lot of the work. The fact Netflix is commissioning so many 3DCG shows is not because of Japan's "recent" adoption, but because of some other objectives, such as the more realistic -it doesn't look like chinese cartoons- many of the people around Netflix's decision making likely thought to themselves and noticed that 3DCG is able to reach a wider audience, albeit not the one that anime is aimed at.

2: It's definitely not to try something different, if that were the case the aesthetics of the 3DCG shows in Netflix's "Originals" that stem from Japanese studios would have been vastly different, however, what we have seen is that the aesthetics are almost identical between all the shows, the recent GITS included. And no, I'm not talking about character design, but everything else related to 3DCG: shaders, illumination, animation, etc.

3: 3DCG is less time consuming and much more flexible than traditional 2D animation by a HUGE, HUGE margin, changes can be made on the fly, edits right before airing, and everything from lip synch to lighting can be changed with the flip of a button. Preparatory work is also much faster and agile. You also only need to create specific hero assets for the show, everything else can come from a library and used as-is for stuff on the background, and slightly edited for more noticeable things or others that have more screen time. Also, 3DCG productions are far cheaper than traditional animation ones, require far less people and is much more controllable because of this, besides the obvious benefits of space, equipment, etc.
Also, the all-at-once practice Netflix has might actually be quite problematic for studios that are used for weekly deliveries, it might seem good, but this essentially means the production switches from a TV show one to a movie style production, with everything this entails (single payment, good cost control, adequate accounting, etc. something animation studios aren't exactly well known for, with many going bankrupt because of these very reasons). At least Sola DA is used to making movies, so it might not be a big deal for them, which is also most likely one of the reasons Netflix has a deal with them and Production IG.

DangerMouse wrote:

Edit: Thanks to your post I just searched for it to see and found the trailer, I agree it totally sounds like they're back Heard at least McGlynn's Motoko and Knight's Aramaki in there, as well as what sounded to me like one of the several SAC dub Tachikoma VAs for that one's one word in the trailer, so I would imagine the rest of the team's voices are likely back too even though they didn't have any lines in the trailer. This made my day.

I wasn't able to tell for sure but was that Sherry Lynn playing the Tachikoma in that trailer?

Netflix is already known to specifically ask for this stuff, every single show they have labelled as "Netflix Original" is full 3DCG.

The fact Netflix is commissioning so many 3DCG shows is not because of Japan's "recent" adoption, but because of some other objectives, such as the more realistic -it doesn't look like chinese cartoons- many of the people around Netflix's decision making likely thought to themselves and noticed that 3DCG is able to reach a wider audience, albeit not the one that anime is aimed at.

It's definitely not to try something different

if that were the case the aesthetics of the 3DCG shows in Netflix's "Originals" that stem from Japanese studios would have been vastly different, however, what we have seen is that the aesthetics are almost identical between all the shows, the recent GITS included. And no, I'm not talking about character design, but everything else related to 3DCG: shaders, illumination, animation, etc.

3DCG is less time consuming and much more flexible than traditional 2D animation by a HUGE, HUGE margin, changes can be made on the fly, edits right before airing, and everything from lip synch to lighting can be changed with the flip of a button. Preparatory work is also much faster and agile. You also only need to create specific hero assets for the show, everything else can come from a library and used as-is for stuff on the background, and slightly edited for more noticeable things or others that have more screen time. Also, 3DCG productions are far cheaper than traditional animation ones, require far less people and is much more controllable because of this, besides the obvious benefits of space, equipment, etc.

Looks like an FMV from a PS3 game.
Why can't Netflix hire studios to do actual traditional anime that will all love.
Look at the stuff Ufotable can do blending CG with anime and more recently the amazing scenes in FGO: Babylonia from CloverWorks.
Then there's this...

So a 2nd season has been greenlit before anybody even knows if the first is any good? Doesn't seem like a good business model. But then again Netflix isn't known for good business models. Nice to see Agent Smith got out of the Matrix.

3DCG is less time consuming and much more flexible than traditional 2D animation by a HUGE, HUGE margin, changes can be made on the fly, edits right before airing, and everything from lip synch to lighting can be changed with the flip of a button..

Also, 3DCG productions are far cheaper than traditional animation ones, require far less people and is much more controllable because of this, besides the obvious benefits of space, equipment, etc.