Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War is related to Netflix’s Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 anime series and the larger Ghost in the Shell franchise but is not a conventional sequel. The movie sees Major Motoko Kusanagi and her Section 9 teammates operating as mercenaries in a cyberpunk future where an economic collapse has led to armed conflict worldwide. Like the SAC_2045 series and other Stand Alone Complex works, the movie is directed by anime veteran Kenji Kamiyama.
The Ghost in the Shell franchise has seen many different renditions over its 30-year lifespan. It began as a manga by Masamune Shirow that ran between 1989 and 1991 but is best known for the 1995 anime movie version directed by Mamoru Oshii, whose movie combined a cyberpunk sci-fi setting with fluid action and philosophical reflections. The franchise has since grown to include an unsuccessful Hollywood adaptation, an animated sequel and prequel, and various video games and television series. Perhaps the best received of these additional franchise entries was the original Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex television series, which featured more of a procedural approach to Section 9’s work alongside an ongoing storyline about cyber-terrorism.
Netflix revived Stand Alone Complex in 2020 as Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, taking place 11 years after the Stand Alone Complex: Solid State movie. The Sustainable War movie, however, is not a sequel to the Netflix series but rather a retelling of its first six episodes. Those episodes form an extended story arc, similar to the “Complex” episodes in the original Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, so the movie provides a condensed version of the story in a single installment that could be used as a catch-up for the upcoming second season of SAC2045.
This kind of compilation movie that condenses an earlier television series is fairly common in anime. Before home video, compilation movies were a way for fans to experience or re-experience TV series. Creators often use compilation movies to polish animation or remove filler material required by the weekly TV production process. In some cases, compilation movies have become the definitive version of the story, as with the Mobile Suit Gundam movies currently available on Netflix, which are compilations of the original 1979 anime series. The first two seasons of Stand-Alone Complex also had compilation movies condensing the “Complex” ongoing storylines, although they were released as direct-to-video OVAs instead of theatrically.
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War uses the same 3D animated style as the prequel series Arise and the SAC_2045 TV series. The movie release, therefore, could replace a viewing of the first season, or at least its first half, but is likely not a necessary watch for those who have already seen the original Netflix series. Adding to the potential confusion is that “Sustainable War” is also the title of the first episode of the series, which makes up part but not all of the films. The second half of Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 season 1 consisted of stand-alone episodes that aren’t included in the movie’s storyline and are meant to be more episodic and removed from the ongoing story. The first season of SAC_2045 received a largely negative response from critics and fans, but the Sustainable War movie could provide a more digestible way for fans to check out its story as opposed to committing to a 12-episode series.
