What part of Arise being in a new universe did you not understand? Arise is its own thing. The original movie and Innocence are their own things. SAC/2nd Gig/SSS are its own things.
Just because it's a new universe doesn't automatically mean it feels like GitS. A lot feels off w/ it, to me.
"To me" suggest I'm expressing an opinion. My opinion is not your opinion. My opinion is not fact. To ME, it doesn't feel like Ghost in the Shell. It doesn't feel as deep. A few things, & I'm not talking about characters (but it may include aspects of characters), feel like they are missing. Arise is more of an action anime than a Ghost in the Shell. To me. & reviews I've read do not give me the encouragement that it gets on track. I shouldn't need to expand on this. I also watched the Commentaries & facepalmed. It sounded like they just forgot 2nd Gig did a few things, AU or not. It seemed like it may not have been meant to be AU, but a screw-up made it AU. Again, this is how I feel, not any facts.
Where is this coming on? @Keith Prime: I once saw some board members debate the same "to me" point once, and one member said something that kind of stuck with me, to which I agree greatly with: anytime I make a post, what I'm saying is either my opinion, my perception of the stated facts, my speculation, etc. The key word there is "my." I never really feel the need to add "to me" or whatever a whole lot to any of my posts as a result. The only time I do is when I'm afraid it may cause any sort of confusion as such. I hope that helps
I don't normally do that repeatedly. I normally either use a phrase to show it's my opinion, when it isn't necessarily obvious, once, or assume it will be understood as such at the outset. But, when someone starts arguing w/ me about an opinion, as if it is somehow wrong, & won't stop, I will go out of my way to make it clear. Especially when I know I'm not the only one w/ a particular opinion, as in this case. It doesn't help I haven't logged into TFW for over a year. So it annoyed me more than it would have had I been posting regularly. It would also be difficult to maintain a discussion that drug on that shouldn't, as I won't be logging in daily, like I used to, now that I'm back (mostly trying to start logging in because I'm trying to get back into working on my comic, however long it will take me to get around to it).
I don't really feel Arise is any further away in tone or story from the original comic than SAC is. They're both about the same distance away, just in slightly different directions. As for enjoyment, I like Arise less than SAC season 1, and like it about the same or maybe slightly less than SAC season 2. On the other hand, I think Arise is much better than SAC: Solid State Society.
Netflix has the first 3 (of 4) movies, the first two dubbed, the third subbed. Blu-ray of 1 & 2 is available on Amazon. Looks like a TV version will start in Japan in April, which recompiles the 4 movies into TV episodes, and adds two original episodes. Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I assume if there are simul-streaming rights to that, they'll go to to Funimation, and not CR.
I have the 1st 2 eps of Arise on DVD (me & a friend split a Blu-ray/ DVD combo; they were sold together, but each ep is on its own disc), dubbed. I haven't been able to find any info on when the other 2 (muchless 4) will release Stateside, or if they'll even be sold together. Also, Arise is an OVA series, which means straight to disc. It's getting special treatment to end up on TV in Japan, I think. It was originally advertised as only getting 4 eps., but for some reason, there's info saying 2 more are being made for the Japanese TV Broadcast.
Given the Runtimes (about an hour each, IIRC), it doesn't make sense to split them into just 6 eps. & Japan doesn't have the same broadcasting restrictions the US does. Episode lengths can very in Japan (ex.: Fate/Zero has a 45 min. & a couple half hour eps. mixed among more typically lengthed eps. (which still range from 23 mins. to 27 mins.) Fate/Zero is not the only series I've seen w/ such varying episode lengths, but it does have the widest spread I have seen.) Sometimes story dictates runtime, as opposed to the US, where advertising time dictates it. I know the UK also has variable runtime, but I don't know how much leeway they give. Also, the info I've seen specifically says there will be 2 new eps. created that will be part of the broadcast. More reliable source than where I first found out about the 2 new eps.: Ghost in the Shell: Arise's Broadcast to Add 2 New Episodes - News - Anime News Network That says it's being broadcast to tie into the Arise Movie that's in production. & a link about the movie announcement: New Ghost in the Shell Film Slated for 2015 - News - Anime News Network
Interesting. Maybe that is what is causing the delay with Arise 3 and 4 in the US. I'll have to have my g/f ask Clarine about it when she talks to her later this week.
Sorry, the 1st ep. of Fate/Zero (Summoning Ancient Heroes) is 47 mins. & 54 seconds. I was looking at its runtime while I typed this. I went from memory on that one, rather than spend time looking at the one I knew off hand. I thought there was more than just it, & looked through all the others (when I made the other post), but that was the only one over a half hour. & it isn't an issue of the 1st 2 eps. being combined, because looking at info regarding the series, it only has 25 eps. listed & the 2nd ep. has the correct title.
Oh yeah, forgot about that one. I forgot about it as I usually skip it when re-watching, you only really need to watch that episode the once. My bad.
New footage from the Arise feature film: 2015 Ghost in the Shell film?s promo previews new footage | RocketNews24 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyiwWRMoXXA