Search - Ghost in the Shell - Stand Alone Complex Official Log DVD/Guide Book (Vol. 1) on DVD

Too many flaws for $50

Kathy Foss | TX, USA | 02/11/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I collect TONS of shell memorabilia and frankly this is one piece that is not really worth it. to put it simply, The logbook has too many flaws to make worthy of its $50 dollar price tag.

Firstly, THE GOOD: the book contains some information about the franchise history and stuff about all the pervious comic versions. Furthermore, the book contains character designs, translation notes, weapons designs, tank designs, interviews with the production crew... etc..../ It also contains explanations of all the general technology in the GITS world too. ALSO the DVD is very interesting and contains allot of very cool interviews and stuff. Furthermore, the print quality of the book is also top notch

NOW THE BAD: The thing that really makes this book have questionable worth is the show descriptions. Now this is the meat of the book, this is what the book is for really!! but sadly its completely botched. The show descriptions are *basic overviews OF THE FIRST 19 Episodes. There's absolutely nothing to gain form the descriptions if you paid attention to the show.

**BUT-once in a while you might get a fact or two that makes you say *wow I didn't know that*...

** ALSO, because the book only goes to episode 19,(there were 26 episodes in the first season of SAC) it fails to relate the events the show completely and it fails to show the complete growth of the Tachikoma'a and the climax of the Laughing-Man situation. In other words, they skipped the most important part of the series, its crazy climatic ending that had everyone on edge.

**moreover- the other glaring oversight is the size of the print in this book. Its about a size 8 or 7 font and is incredibly difficult to read even at a normal distance with 20-20 vision, so you must hold the book up close to read it, which can get tiring after a while...

OVERALL- in the end, this product is for diehard GITS fans who want a collectors SAC book and dvd. If your just a general fan of GITS SAC who's not a collector, skip over this logbook and wait to see if the *Second Gig* logbook is better. OR wait till the price drops to about $25-35,
"

Ghost in a Nut Shell...

Xeon Negotiator | MA, USA | 09/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This collection takes you behind the scenes of the hit series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. It contains a 148 page book and a DVD.

What's in it...
DVD: Never-before-seen footage; interviews with directors, producers, cast, and others; a look in the digital art of the series; analysis of all the episodes in season one.

Book: Background and history of all things in the shell, manga, movies, games and TV; character bios including personality, combat information; analysis of all the episodes in season one, including technical terms backgrounds; interviews with the designers that created everything you see; an essay on Cyberbrain life.

Upcoming Releases:
Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2nd GIG Vol. 2 - scheduled release date 11/22/05
Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2nd GIG Vol. 3 - scheduled release date 1/26/06

NOTE - If you see any anime items for sale that seem to cheap, they are BOOTLEGS. DO NOT BUY!"

A wealth of Information that sheds light on an often subtle

sinisterLemon | Edmonton, AB Canada | 11/09/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"So, you are a pretty dedicated fan of the Stand Alone Complex anime and are looking at this product and wondering if it's worth grabbing?

Strictly speaking, you do not absolutely NEED this bundle of GitS:SAC extras to enjoy the series, nor does it contain a full analysis of the entire first season run (in fact, it limits its scope to the first 19 episodes of SAC).

That being said, the book and DVD are a fascinating look into the backstory and background of the series (with an impending second log inevitably due to continue the work of this edition).

Addressing the DVD first, there is some interesting content here that comes from the actors, visual production team and directors of the first season. The DVD, however, is not meat and potatoes of this set.

It is the scope of the book with its breakdown of the characters, technology, episodes and ideas behind this series that gives this set its value. While containing a lot of information, the book is very much a visual exploration of the series and highlights the manner in which the characters of SAC were translated from the manga to the film (including some early working versions of Kusanagi, Batou, Togusa, Ishikawa, Saito and the like).

The set is uniquely packaged in that the DVD is inset into the book which is held by a clear plastic book jacket.

A word of warning however that the DVD is held in place by means of a small plastic hub which can easily be disloged from the book since it is only very lightly adhered to the cover. My copy dislodged one day without cause (it simply fell out of the book while I was reading it)even though I managed to stick it back on. It still falls out from time to time though.

Overall, this set is a pretty good companion of GitS:SAC for those looking for more info beyond the short interviews contained in the series DVD's. If this is what you are looking for be sure to pick it up--despite it's moderately expensive price."

Data, data, data.

Michael Valdivielso | Alexandria, VA | 11/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This log book gives details about plots, character data and background information on the first 19 episodes. It, along with the DVD, have interviews, chapters on the artwork, mecha designs, the music, the movie, the mangas and even a essay on the advantages of living in a future like that of Gits:SAC.
I can't wait for the second log.
"