Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex. Episode 14, Automated Capitalism.

Hello, and welcome to episode fourteen of my Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex review. Another stand-alone episode, and I didn’t think I would get much out of this one. However, a few moments caught my eye, and trying to understand the inspiration for the story was pretty interesting. They can’t all be classics, but I have to make my way through this journey, regardless. The episode was directed by  Hideyo Yamamoto and was written by Kenji Kamiyama. Thank you for joining me.

An aeroplane enters a beautifully lit skyline, and as its mysterious passenger leaves the arrivals lounge, she claims the city is haunted. Section 9 finds themselves in less luxurious surroundings as they go undercover as trash collectors. Batou is relaxed about the sting, leaving Togusa to remain cautious. The Tachikomas are instructed to loosen all the spark plugs of the surrounding vehicles and secure the area. The Major knocks on the door of the suspected building and explains the refuse wagon is here to collect their trash, and she will need a signature, one way or another. The plan works, and the Major gains access. However, one of the gang pulls out a shotgun, but Batou enters the back way and brings the gunman down. The sting was a success, and the intel was correct. Unfortunately, one of the gang members converts into a killing machine, and as a gunfight ensues, the Major ends up in the trash. Back at Section 9, Motoko gives Armaki a rundown of the operation, in some unusual clothing.

The gang, originally from South China, were planning to take revenge on Inner Star, a company that sold all its stock. Mr Wang, a Chinese intelligence official, informs Aramaki that he believes this suspicious activity may also indicate an assassination attempt on Kanemoto Yokose, a prominent yet reclusive Japanese billionaire. He has an obsession with collecting gold, a wealthy weirdo who must have a lot of enemies. Togusa is aware of Yokose after watching Mansions of the World. Section 9 is then tasked with protecting the ex-mathematician. The stranger who arrived in the city earlier is now entering a bank and is making an exchange. Back in her car, the woman has a modified arm that is also a weapon, she loads it with the coins she collected from the bank and her ammunition is secure. Section 9 makes their way to Yokose’s mansion and the man defines mysterious, and they are unsure if there is any way of reaching him. The Major asks one of the Tachikomas to camouflage and join her. 

Togusa confirms that a hitman is on his way to kill Yokose. Batou enters the grounds of the mansion, and inside the garage, he admires the beautiful fleet of luxury cars that should be set free. However, Batou is surrounded by a pack of robotic guard dogs and flees to the roof. A van from the bank sits in front of the building, and its occupants are already dead. The Major then enters the mansion and claims to be a maintenance worker. She notices the entrance is grand but also silent, apart from the ghostly dolls that keep it going. The assassin is already in the building with the Major, and time is running out. The Major tries to access a computer, but she is accused of suspicious behaviour and is then attacked by one of the dolls. Thankfully, the Major wins this battle, but it is not over yet. The assassin enters Yokose’s bedroom first, but she isn’t there to wake him up.

“You sleep in contentment surrounded by gold, that you fleeced from the needy.” 

Finally, Togusa and Batou are ready to help the Major, and Batou has some new friends. The assassin attempts to kill Yokose, but the Major pleads with her to come out peacefully. Unfortunately, the Major has to bring the assassin down with force. Gold bars lie across the floor in abundance. Yokose sleeps like a dead man. That is because he is and has been for about seven months. The billionaire previously made arrangements for his death, and the money-maker program kept running. Someone will have to notify his next of kin, but he has none, so his fortune will go to the state. Togusa places a gold coin on the dead man’s chest. The coin is for the ferryman to pay for his journey across the river. The artificial intelligence used to run the money-maker program needs to be closed down. Back at home, Togusa’s wife has made some money from her stock investments, but as the couple leave their computer alone, something sinister is at play with their gains.

I cannot wait to start the complex episodes, but I still have a fair way to go. However, I said I wanted to learn more about Ghost in the Shell, and here I am. Alternatively, I got a little more insight into the characters, and I enjoyed those moments. My highlight of the episode is the animation and design of the gang member who turned into a killing machine,  and there is something truly frightening and almost enjoyable, watching a humanlike person turn into something so destructive. The stand-alone episodes also give the characters more chances to breathe a little. You see the dynamics of the group and they are written very well. The Major is a little uptight, and Batou enjoys watching her in situations that expose her shortcomings. Even Aramaki gets in on the joke. The Major trying to punish the Takhikomas is just a little taste of her reluctance to relax. Togusa is a cautious character who is always ready to follow orders to the letter. However, Batou is keen to enjoy the small moments, laugh and show compassion for the things around him. All this adds much-needed depth to the group and creates a family environment that most people can understand. 

Kanemoto Yokose, the billionaire reclusive, was an interesting idea for the show. If I have learnt anything about the stand-alone complex, it’s that real-life events are often used in creating an episode. I did look around, and the big story around that time was the death of multibillionaire banker Edmond Safra. Safra lived in the largest penthouse in Monte Carlo but was never without a group of bodyguards following him around. However, one night, one of his nurses started a fire that would create headlines across the globe. It contains murder, money laundering and a mystery that still gathers interest today. Just like the episode, the money-maker kept doing its thing. I wouldn’t say no to a lifetime of wealth, but at what cost? I would hate to be followed around by security twenty-four hours a day, my lifestyle followed by journalists and my happiness provided by the seclusion of prying eyes, but that’s just me. However, I did learn something new, and with that, I shall call it a day on ¥€$ and move on to episode fifteen. 

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