When the first teaser trailer for Netflix's upcoming anime series Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 arrived last fall, viewers were quick to downvote it based purely on visuals. They (rightfully) compared the new and relatively cartoonish style to PS2 games, kids cartoons like Bob the Builder, and even porn-parody versions of the beloved title. That upvote/downvote ratio more or less evened out over the last few months, but now a new official trailer for the anime series is here, and fans are riled up all over again. This time, it's not just the visuals they hate, but the featured music, too.

And I get it. The Ghost in the Shell series, be it manga or anime (but definitely not the live-action film), has long been a bastion for mature storytelling that just so happens to be animated. It's great sci-fi, which is hard to do right in any medium. So to introduce a visual and musical style that seems more childish and downright poppy... I can understand the backlash. However, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is still directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) and Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed), and the wholly different character designs come from up-and-coming artist Ilya Kuvshinov. So while it might take a little getting used to when it comes to the character/world re-designs, there's a good chance the core story of GITS:SAC is still there.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 arrives on Netflix this April; add it to your watchlist now!

Check out the first trailer for Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 below:

In the year 2045, the world has entered a systematic “Sustainable War.”

 

Hired as a mercenary unit, the former members of Japan’s elite Section 9 are faced with the sudden appearance of “Post-Human,” a being with tremendous intelligence and physical capabilities.

 

Netflix Original Anime Series “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045”

Streaming worldwide April 2020, Only on Netflix.