It’s 2045. War is the main industry and cryptocurrencies are invalid, leading to even more conflict and civil unrest.
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 doesn’t start with a bang. It takes several episodes before the plot gains momentum and you’ve seen enough of the world, and the people in it, to really get into it. But it’s worth sticking with it.
Unlike such dystopias as Mad Max, the post-apocalyptic world of SAC_2045 is familiar to ours. It’s about real people. The series shows the impact of a large economical crisis and currency devaluation on average people.
The impact of the United States as a global power on other countries is another nice touch. It’s a bit of a cautionary tale, and this aspect of the anime is very well done.
What is less well done is the animation. I am not a fan of this style of cheap and basic-looking CGI at all, and I feel the anime deserves better.
SAC_2045 also leaves the viewer with a lot of questions. If you’re not a diehard Ghost in the Shell fan, and thus familiar with the background and setting, you will be wondering why the mayor is a full prosthetic-body cyborg? What are these cyberbrains? Why this the world so full of invasive and oftentimes dangerous technology? What are the backstories of the main characters? How did they come to the point where they are at the beginning of the anime?
Hopefully they can expand on that in Season 2.
