Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 Lacks What Makes Ghost in the Shell so Interesting

Ghost in the Shell, in all its incarnations, is a mix of cyberpunk mysteries and futuristic action–and the newest series, Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045, is no exception. However, what makes Ghost in the Shell special is how it uses its framework to explore the deeper mysteries of the human condition. It’s on this level that SAC_2045 comes up short.

SAC_2045 follows the Major and her team being recruited into a new Section 9 to deal with a new threat to the world at large. Seemingly at random, a small number of people have turned into something new–something “Post-Human.”

While their bodies contain only the normal cybernetic augmentations that everyone has, they are able to perform actions far beyond the scope of both humans and computers alike. They can dodge bullets with ease, have ridiculous spacial awareness, and can outfight career fighters with literally no training at all. But their real power is the ability to hack nearly anything–even the Major is barely able to defend for more than a few moments against one.

What these post-humans are and how they came to be is the mystery at the core of SAC_2045. However, that’s really all there is to the series. We have action and intrigue but little beyond that. And that’s a shame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmXOr-QRq24

Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 take on the story has a similar mystery–a hacker of unbelievable skill at the center of a massive conspiracy. However, the film is as concerned about the implications of a cyberpunk society and what it would mean for humanity as much as it is about the mysterious Puppet Master. The following are just a few weighty ideas that the film touches on in its mere hour-and-a-half runtime:

With cybernization getting to the point where your whole body and even most of your mind can be synthetic–to the point where all that is biological is a smattering of gray matter in your head–are you still human?
Moreover, if you have a full-body prosthetic like the major, how can you even know you are human and not an AI–it’s not like you can see your own brain?
The Major claims to know she is human because of her intuition–sometimes she feels her “ghost,” her soul, compelling her towards a certain course of action. But how do you prove the existence of a soul–and can a machine gain one?
What does it mean that even your ghost can be hacked–causing major changes to the core of your being?
In a world where you can have any body you choose, what does that mean for ideas like sex and gender? The major is the most traditionally masculine character in the film yet prefers a female–and physically weaker–body.
What does it mean for self-identity when any number of other people may be wearing the same synthetic body as you?

To me, exploring and attempting to find answers to questions like these are what Ghost in the Shell is really about. But so far, SAC_2045 doesn’t touch on anything deeper than its superficial plot. The sad thing is, the story itself has plenty of room to explore topics like these. But for now, all we can do is hope that they will be when the series returns with new episodes.

Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 can be seen on Netflix.