Ghost in the Shell

[R.I.P.Novas]

Normally, the reviews consist of characters such as Chibi Vlad and of course, Vlad himself.  Although, there maybe other characters introduced into the skit as well…

[R.I.P.GuardianEatos]

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civilinufan wrote:
You don't understand. This is a humorous review of the episodes that he does.

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Oh, okay.

[R.I.P.GuardianEatos]

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Novas wrote:

Normally, the reviews consist of characters such as Chibi Vlad and of course, Vlad himself.  Although, there maybe other characters introduced into the skit as well…

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Oh, I see.

[InUyAsHaFaN11]

Yeah! Can't wait!

[R.I.P.GuardianEatos]

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InUyAsHaFaN11 wrote:
Yeah! Can't wait!

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Hasn't he already done it??

[AhBeeDoi]

I don't think the Jeris resemble Jean Seberg that much.

[scoobdog]

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Vladimir wrote:

• "I'm not good with other women... when I'm around other women, I feel miserable." And now you're fleeing the country because of a crime you committed out of love for a glorified blow-up doll.  Hello, I got a phone call here for a Mr. Lou Zer...

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You know. when I heard that line I started to think that maybe it wasn't a woman he was really looking for...

What are these androids really for? Bush's reeducation program?

[R.I.P.Novas]

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scoobdog wrote:

You know. when I heard that line I started to think that maybe it wasn't a woman he was really looking for...

What are these androids really for? Bush's reeducation program?

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Wouldn't that be interesting...Always wanted the education system to have a new twist in bringing knowledge to the youths of America.  At least then, sex education wouldn’t be so boring…

Or maybe I'm reading too much into your quote...

[Ramble]

[Vladimir]

V: (eyes sparkling, surrounded by shoujo bubbles) Now that's what I'm talking about! (does sissified twirly dance, emitting stars of various feminine colors)

CV:  Yeth, nothing keeps the big guy all happy and thparkwy and shiny like a wittle appweciation!  Why? Thimple.  Becauthe when you get wight down to it, he'th nothing a big ol' attention who-ah!  Hey, it'th either thith or expothing himthelf to old ladieth at ATMth like in that Eminem video!  Do your part to protect your gwandma'th dethenthy and financial twanthactions and potht, potht, potht!

V: Hey, I may be happy and all, but I can still knock your block off for being a rude little b-tch!  (drop-kicks CV off stage in a flurry of Sailor Moon butterflies)

[R.I.P.Novas]

Tonights the night that they had a complex episode, awaiting to see what Vlad and C.Vlad caught that we missed.

Aside from that, just wondering why they bugged the agents?  Did they mention that, or did I miss it?

[Bump]

[Vladimir]

(scene opens on a vacant lot)

V: Ladies, gentlemen, and others!  Not looking forward to the prospect of six weeks of turkey sandwiches?  Got expired canned goods not even the food bank will take?  Already getting those inedible holiday fruitcakes?  We have the solution!  Come bring all your unwanted, inedible, and just plain grossola holiday offerings to our disposal site, where they’ll be taken care of efficiently and completely!

(camera pans over to smiling CV... V picks up a somewhat discolored turkey and hurls it in the chibi’s general direction... the kid pounces the bird and swallows it... he spits out the bones, which make a happy clatter as they fall on the asphalt)

V: For every pound of vile refuse the chibi crams into his insatiable maw, our corporate sponsor, Krudko Novelty Corporation—makers of the original all-cheese Nativity set—will donate a dollar towards the purchase of a new Jacuzzi for the leper colony outside town.

CV: (polishing off a can of what, at one time, may have been jellied cranberry sauce)  Thomething clogged the filtah on the old one.  Think it’th thomebody’th toe.  But they’re not sure.

V: Yes, yes... tragic.  Anyway, come on down and lose those less-than-treasured holiday mementos!  We’re in the vacant lot in back of Sadie and Maisie’s Check Cashing and Adult Bookstore... we look forward to seeing you... er, excuse me, did you want something officer?

MEAN-LOOKING COP: ‘Myes, we gots a report about some illegal dumpin’ goin’ on round here... whazzat in the background, some kinda rat?

(CV drops his pumpkin pie... his eyes glow red)

V: Uh, oh.  Looks like the colony will be able to spring for the deluxe version.

Message Edited by Vladimir on 11-29-2004 07:56 PM

[Vladimir]

• It’s times like these I wish I knew kanji so I knew what the hell was going on.
• Don’t you just hate it when your boss walks in on you when you’re looking at stuff on the computer you shouldn’t be, nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more?
• “How ‘bout a drink, just you and me?” Careful, Yamaguchi, I don’t think that’s a mini-bottle he’s reaching for...
• For the record, this is a “Complex” episode... yes, I know they’re all complex, but these particular episodes are part of a larger mystery that spans the whole series.  So put on your deerstalker caps and start taking notes.
• When people you haven’t talked to in several years call you at 1:10, they usually have bad news... either that, or they’re drunk.
• “It goes further than that, maybe all the way to the top.” Doesn’t it always?
• Careful, mister... wet roads can be so very treacherous... especially when you’re suddenly stricken blind...
• I guess given Kusanagi’s choice of wardrobe, Saito not wearing a shirt isn’t a big deal.
• Maybe Batou pumps iron out of habit or as a stress release... a hold-over from his life pre-cyberization...
• What a lousy way to wake up.  Bet he didn’t even brush his teeth before he fell asleep.
• Hasn’t Kusanagi learned by now that nothing is ever as simple as it seems?
• It may seem unfair that Togusa is being given only three days to clear up the matter, but remember, all he has is a hunch, no matter how good it might be...
• “It’s the largest act of cyberterrorism since the war.”  The manga, like most works of sci-fi, alludes to a third World War without giving many specifics.
• Does Aramaki always doodle on important documents?
• Isn’t having an open laptop at a funeral a bit tacky?  Not as much as a camcorder, which I’ve actually heard of people using...
• How does Yamaguchi’s widow know what Togusa looks like?
• I knew it! Cheesecake!  Wait a min... that’s a kid!  And a dog!  You sick ba$tard!
• In case you were wondering, Togusa is checking for mosaics, miniaturized digital images imbedded in larger ones.  It’s a technique that’s only recently become viable in our time.
• “So?  My babe does stuff like that too sometimes.”  A little bit of kink now and then goes a long way towards keeping the marriage fresh.
• And isn’t adorable that he still calls his wife “babe”?
• And that Kusanagi is looking after him?  She handpicked him for Section 9, you know.  By the way, this is about as close to “adorable” as this show gets.  No pink bunnies here.
• Eureka!
• So that’s it!  There should have been a reflection of the camera someplace, even if only in someone’s pupil!  Doh!
• Is that a shadow on Fukami’s face, or a birthmark?
• “The top brass are sitting on the fence...” For reasons which will soon become obvious...
• The interceptor is, more than anything else, symbolic of the lack of privacy which is a hallmark of this world.
• Focus!  FOCUS!
• So apparently somebody rigged Yamaguchi’s interceptor to malfunction and made it look like an accident.  It’s the Silkwood case gone high-tech.
• This business with Serrano is a simple case of one hand washing the other.  You think maybe Serrano was actually behind the whole Laughing Man adventure, staged a hit on itself to remove suspicion, and is now worried someone might add things up?  (scribbles in Lil’ Detective’s Notebook)
• “Doesn’t this mean they know Togusa is working on the case already?” Then let’s keep the guy away from the clinic till this crap blows over.
• Behold the slums of Tokyo, with their shambling homeless and black-market electronics...
• Wow.  For a moment, I thought AS actually let an f-word slip, but it was the just the schmo’s speech impediment.
• “I don’t get many classy customers anymore.” I wonder why.
• “I would (stop in for a drink) if you didn’t have anything that wasn’t watered down.” Trust me... she’ll know.
• Isn’t Grandpa Aramaki amazing?  A few phone calls from him and wham—instant media frenzy!
• The Japanese always refer to that country as “Holland”, even though that’s not the official name for it... guess it’s easier to nipponicize...
• So they’re coming clean... but how clean?  Of course Nibu becomes the scapegoat, but what about his bosses?  Turns out someone has something to say about that.
• Redcap has got to be a plant by Aramaki.
• Behold the mysterious and all-powerful Laughing Man!  What, he looks familiar?  He should—Mr. Yuk is his third cousin on his mother’s side.
• The logo reads, “I thought what I’d do was, I’d pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes.” I think I know what he means by this, but don’t go by me.  I’m crazy, remember?
• LM is such a drama queen.  What he was saying, in case you couldn’t follow it, was that he knew the fuzz wasn’t telling the whole truth here and he was going to make sure it got out.  I think the case just got a fresh lead...

[GinaSzanboti]

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Vladimir wrote:

(scene opens on a vacant lot)

V: Ladies, gentlemen, and others!  Not looking forward to the prospect of six weeks of turkey sandwiches?  Got expired canned goods not even the food bank will take?  Already getting those inedible holiday fruitcakes?  We have the solution!  Come bring all your unwanted, inedible, and just plain grossola holiday offerings to our disposal site, where they’ll be taken care of efficiently and completely!

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Wasn't this an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force?

Loving the reviews as usual, just don't have much to add, since I still can't figure out who half the characters are yet. This just isn't my favorite show to come down the pike for awhile, I'm afraid. Might have something to do with our heroine's absurd wardrobe. Maybe she might not look so out of place if all the other cops ran around in thongs too...

[Real_AirCooledMan]

50und5 +3h ub3r c001!!!!!!!!!1111!!!111!!!!!11!1one

[scoobdog]

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Vladimir wrote:

• So apparently somebody rigged Yamaguchi’s interceptor to malfunction and made it look like an accident.  It’s the Silkwood case gone high-tech.

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So that's what happened? Wow, thanks V and CV! I think I need thist thread just to interpret what the heck is happening in this show...

[Vladimir]

Thanks for all the applause.  I realized early on that my reviews may help people unravel a series that can be very difficult to follow.  That's part of the reason I opted to work with GITS rather than FMA.

And if you're having trouble placing all the characters, I think AS's character guide is pretty well done... check out the "Shows" tab, then look for GITS and go to the character listings.

[civilinufan]

Not to mention, they are downright hilarious!

[R.I.P.Dork_E1]

as always ^_^  , ive seen the first movie , and i like the fact that all the voices are the same, that crosses one worry off my list, but GITS is the best blend of CGI and animation , if better exists feel free to correct.

Message Edited by Dork_E1 on 11-30-2004 09:18 PM

[R.I.P.Novas]

You know, now that you mention it, GITS blend is done rather nicely.  And usually when the creators blend animation with CGI, it seems off...though I'm happy to say this isn't the case in GITS.

[Any Key]

[Vladimir]

(back at the set of “Vladimir Live”…)

V: Ladies, gentlemen, and others, have I got a treat for you today… an exclusive interview with two of AS’s hottest new stars who need no introduction… Edward and Alphonse Elric! (spotlight flashes on to reveal the brothers… the crowd goes wild… EDWARD gives them a metallic thumbs-up while ALPHONSE waves creakily)

AL: Er… brother… if we don’t need any introduction, why did he just give us one?

ED: (whispering in an aside) Just play along.  I hear this guy’s crazy.  The black lipstick tells you more than enough…

V: So, fill us in… you’re all the rage back in the Land of the Rising Sun, and you’ve finally crossed the pond.  Howzit feel?

ED: Well, I’ll tell ya… only bad thing so far has been that promotional trade show we did at that anime-con in Secaucus… I’m mindin’ my own business, signin’ autographs, and that creepyass monk who’s on that show… what’s the name… Inu-something… wouldja believe he tried to grab my a--?  “A thousand pardons, I believe I dropped my quill pen”, he sez.  So I transmute one of those cheesy ballpoints they gave us as “souvenirs” and after I’m finished painting him blue, I tell him where he can stick his shakujo. And if that isn’t rich enough, this chick with a boomerang comes over and drags him back to his own booth—by the ear!  I nearly bust a gut!

V: o_0 Why the hell was Miroku trying to feel you up?

AL: (sighs) It’s the hair.  And the tight pants.

V: Oookay... and what about you, Al?  How are you adjusting?

AL: (blush) Me?  Well, I guess I’m doing okay.  Something weird happened during that same convention, though… I found a black mamba in my bed.  And it wasn’t happy.  It couldn’t hurt me, I know, but it’s the thought.  I don’t want to imply anything, but Olympias had the room right next to mine, and I know she’s kinda jealous because her show doesn’t have that many fans.  (double blush) And… well… she had somebody in her room that night… they were kinda loud… he must have left before dawn, because I saw Alexander coming out just about then, and she wouldn’t have her son over at the same time, right? 

V: >_<

ED: O_O

AL: Uh… why are you making those faces?

V: Never mind.  Anyway, I wanted you to meet the chibi, but I can’t seem to find him.  (suddenly, drilling and hammering noises start echoing from within AL… the chibi pops out of the helmet and onto the floor… he’s wearing a little mechanic’s outfit)

CV: Okay… thandard realignment and oil change… tightened a few gasketth… oh, and I found thith… (holdth up what appears to be a CD… the Allman Brothers’ “Eat a Peach”)

ED:  I was looking for that thing all Friday afternoon!

AL: It’s not my fault your collection’s a mess!

CV: Ith thomebody gonna take ca-eh o’ thith bill?  I got a guy named "Diamond Donnie" who'th gonna stuff me in a thement mikthah if I don't make up fah that botched daiwy double by ten!

V: I wonder if D!ck Cavett ever had problems like this…

[Vladimir]

• Another Complex episode that picks up right at the fallout of the last one.  I forget the toad-man’s name… I’ll have to recheck my manga.
• Hasn’t Aramaki been nothing but restrained?  Even the chaos he creates is perfectly engineered, like a controlled burn on a windless day.
• Why wouldn’t anybody step in to stop the assassination?  Is the Superintendent General being used as bait?  Are they that desperate?  Or is there something else?
• Bad Batou!  No donut!
• June 6… about two months or so have passed since that mess with the cyberjacked tank.
• Introducing Nanao Ei… the perfect suspect… almost too perfect…that’s what certain people are counting on… but I wonder whose interests are being served here…
• “Oh yeah, we uncorked a big can of worms…” A can with a cork?  Way to mix your metaphors, big guy.
• Saito’s contact’s supervisor is obviously more than annoyed by this guy being constantly pulled away from his work to speak with all these cops who ask the same useless questions.
• Why would a strident anti-capitalist like Nanao get involved with a megacorp like Serrano?  To sabotage it from the inside?  It would explain why he participated in the design of the interceptors, even though he would have probably objected to the very concept… and he might be able to use similar tech to project the Laughing Man icon… but remember, the set-up’s too perfect here…
• Behold the pachinko parlor of the future!
• Did I just catch a cut s-word from that mook at the computer?
• Um… maybe you could actually look at the photo?  I’m sorry if he’s not as busty and vocal as whatever you’re watching, but it can’t be helped.
• So all Nanao is doing is sitting around sending out… spam?  KILL HIM AND BEAT HIM AND THEN KILL HIM AGAIN!!!
• Is this where the Major lives?  Even if it’s a hotel room, it’s obvious her unique skills fetch a pretty hefty salary.
• Didja hear that?  That’s the sound of roughly 150,000 fanboys grunting in pain as this new piece of info about their beloved Major turns their rocks an even deeper shade of blue.
• Talking shop even now, dear heart?  Don’t you know what they say?  All work and no lesbian orgy makes Jane a dull cyborg.
• This is Rainbow Squid Morning News, with your favorite host, Candy Cuecard!
• If you were actually listening to Kusanagi’s summary of the case, you can find the fairly obvious lie to the Nanao-as-Laughing-Man theory: how the hell could he holding Serrano hostage and perform that famous visual hack job at the same time?  The police are hungry for the culprit, but so of course they bite on all the scraps of red herring LM is feeding them, if only so they can tell the public they caught the perp.
• It’s not hard to imagine the LM as some kind of urban folk hero.  Remember Kevin Mitnick?
• Were those other companies hit to disguise the Serrano link?  Or maybe the whole series of attacks was calculated by the government to excuse the payoffs so the public wouldn’t start griping about corporate welfare?
• Why are talking heads on panel discussion shows always so stupid?
• Aramaki doesn’t know what Kusanagi is planning, but he goes along with it… how could he not?  Her Ghost is whispering.
• It’s obvious now that even if Nanao isn’t LM, he’s cooperating with the real LM to pose as such.  But what does he get out of it?  Notoriety?  A chance to eff over the system like he always wanted?  Both?
• The Superintendent General is afraid, but doesn’t dare show it, so he settles for looking constipated.
• You didn’t really expect the Major to show up in her street clothes, did you?  This is a formal function with dignitaries and photographers and those little sandwiches with the crusts cut off that look better than they taste!  But isn’t it awfully crowded considering there’s been an assassination attempt announced?
• Meanwhile, the SIU boys pout and snipe at each other like the impotent weenies they are.
• Here it comes… here’s why everything is dovetailing so perfectly.  Repeat after me: everything I know is a lie.
• If you’re dumb enough to stand in the way of a raging Batou in full gallop, you deserve what you get.
• So now I get it!  These interceptors don’t just eff with the people who have them implanted; they eff up everyone in the area whose even remotely cyberized so that they only see what they want you to see… essentially the high-tech equivalent of a stocking over your head or a Ronald Reagan mask.  And now they don’t know where this Nanao is or what hideous thing this virus he’s released is going to do or even if there’s any point in going after him, and Section 9’s got egg all over its interface.  Can they still pull the SG’s considerable fat out of the fire… as well as their own?  To be continued… (cue dramatic organ chord)

[R.I.P.Novas]

I was wondering about that as well, on Major listening to her Ghost whispering...

Would this be similar to the expression, 'my conscious is telling me something' or 'My instincts are telling me something'?

[Vladimir]

That was my impression.  The Ghost is what we would call a soul, a spirit, that part of the human equation that can't be explained biologically or scientifically... a part of Motoko which is especially important to her (as it well should be) because it guides her actions... and I hope I can say this without spoiling too much, but it may very well be the only thing she can truly call hers.

[R.I.P.Novas]

Well, I see what you mean.  In the age of technology she lives in, almost everything is now technologically based.  The human body is nothing more but a mechanical part that can be replaced if damaged.  And so, those parts are of someone else's creation, and most likely owned but that corp.

In other words, everything is no longer ours really, there is no sense of self as a whole; mind, spirit, body, ect, ect.  Since the body and the rest of our 'parts' are now synthetic, all we have left is the spirit.

Any ways, perhaps someone else can decipher my illogical logic.

[scoobdog]

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Vladimir wrote:

• If you were actually listening to Kusanagi’s summary of the case, you can find the fairly obvious lie to the Nanao-as-Laughing-Man theory: how the hell could he holding Serrano hostage and perform that famous visual hack job at the same time?

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Indeed.

You know, after listening to her summation of how the Laughing Man could escape without being identified, it occured to me that the whole question of identity and what is indeed "real" has no real answer in the future. Can these people look at a someone else or even a mirror without questioning whether or not what they are seeing is actually what someone else wants them to see?

It seems that part of this shows complexity has everything to do with the collateral issues of a society of technologically enhanced people. Its more than the issues they face: its difficult just understanding what they consider themseves to be.