>The anime has some problems; namely pacing and the density of narrative.
I wouldn't call those problems, in that those are the hallmarks of the entire Ghost in the Shell franchise: relatively slow pacing, extreme density of information/concepts, and lots of exposition. If you're getting into a GitS work either you accept those and enjoy it or you don't and have a bad time. It's like saying Naruto has too much fighting.
Otherwise, I completely agree about Stand Alone Complex, and to me Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG was even better. It's astonishingly prescient, it seemed to absolutely nail how the 2016 election would go down to having a Steve Bannon figure who uses manipulates the media and intelligence information to achieve his goals.
The pacing issues IMO are more how the story moves along at a glacial pace, then 75% through infodumps on you and expects you to follow along through a half dozen futurist topics mashed together at the end. The exposition episodes would be fine if they were better translated.
I still think the show is worth watching despite those issues. It's easily my favorite anime series (also agree that 2nd Gig is the better half of the show; they're only separated because of how anime was funded in blocks of 26 episodes in the early 2000s).
I wouldn't call those problems, in that those are the hallmarks of the entire Ghost in the Shell franchise: relatively slow pacing, extreme density of information/concepts, and lots of exposition. If you're getting into a GitS work either you accept those and enjoy it or you don't and have a bad time. It's like saying Naruto has too much fighting.
Otherwise, I completely agree about Stand Alone Complex, and to me Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG was even better. It's astonishingly prescient, it seemed to absolutely nail how the 2016 election would go down to having a Steve Bannon figure who uses manipulates the media and intelligence information to achieve his goals.