Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045

Did You Know?

• In May 2024, Hyundai Japan and Ghost in the Shell announced a collaboration to promote the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
• The Shibuya Tsutaya store hosted the Ioniq 5 N from June 3 to June 22, 2024.

Premise

In 2045, an economic disaster called the Simultaneous Global Default has destroyed all currency value, leading the world's Big 4 nations into perpetual Sustainable War. Motoko, Batou, and other Section 9 members now work as mercenaries under the group GHOST, using their cybernetic enhancements to defuse global hotspots. The emergence of Post Humans and a conspiracy uncovered by former Chief Aramaki force the team to reunite.

Production

Kodansha and Production I.G announced in April 2017 that Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki would co-direct a new Ghost in the Shell anime. Netflix acquired worldwide streaming rights in December 2018 for the ONA series, titled Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, premiering April 23, 2020. The series uses 3DCG, with Sola Digital Arts collaborating on production and Ilya Kuvshinov handling character designs. An English dub was delayed to May 3 due to COVID-19 recording delays. Two seasons of 12 episodes each were planned, with the second released May 23, 2022. Compilation films Sustainable War (2021) and The Last Human (2023) were released theatrically and on Netflix.

Reception

The series received generally negative reviews. The first season scored 13% on Rotten Tomatoes, the second 29%. Max Genecov of Polygon stated the series lacked the visceral aesthetics or mood of earlier Ghost in the Shell works. Toussaint Egan of The A.V. Club rated it a C−, calling the action sequences awful and recommending viewers watch Stand Alone Complex instead. Kayla Cobb of Decider wrote that the series ignored deeper paths. Theron Martin of Anime News Network called it the weakest franchise entry, below Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence.