Ghost in the Shell
Rooster Teeth showed off a very comprehensible list of all the material that came out with a suggested viewing log. However, I'm going to compose my own review of what I thought of the series.
(1st Timeline) Two Ghost in the Shell Movies - I honestly did not enjoy the movie both times I watched it. I barely made it through the second movie. The movies compose very delicate mind breaks where you observe what is happening to the characters as an outsider. Whether or not you catch what is really happening in the movie is really up to you. I simply didn't like the idea of the Major being strictly an AI with some form of implanted AI. I also did not quite enjoy the fact that the whole plot revolved around the idea of two AIs combining as one where they are free to "float" through cyberspace. It isn't a concept I find... relatable.
(2nd Timeline) I love Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Not only do I enjoy the open dialogue of the "Laughing Man" through several of the episodes but I enjoy the Crime Investigation of the *cough* stand-alone episodes. Besides episode 10 (which aired with a disturb warning before the episode), I highly recommend watching every episode in its entirely. If you must, you can watch the movie segment that combines all episodes about the Laughing Man. How the episodes are arranged are down below:
Future Tech: 1, 2, 3, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18
Laughing Man: 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Interesting Episodes: 8, 16, 17, 19
Disturbing Episodes (Don't watch): 10
Also, Mind Breaks in: 18, 23
Movie Composition : 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
However, the second season "2nd Gig" does get rather boring. Instead of a team investigation approach, the series moves on to a wrestling among the refugees in Japan. I say this because the religious undertones can drown out the plot. Section 9 isn't really doing their own thing anymore. They are there to assist with the Prime Minister's problem. A few episodes dive into some rather inappropriate imagery while episode 10 is there just to get your blood boiling with its lawyer manipulation of questions. I will admit the episodes that focus on the characters do help broaden your understanding of their personalities, but its up to you to decide if you are interested in the series as a whole.
Other: 2 (Mind Break), 3 (Saucy), 10 (Angry), 17 (Saucy)
Individual 11: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Character Episodes: 11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19
(3rd Timeline) The Arise series is setup differently. It isn't a movie and it isn't a television series. Instead, they are setup as hour brackets. The artwork is rough around the edges and it seems the characters (and voices) are different this time around. That is because this is a prequel to the Ghost in the Shell we know. It gets confusing almost to the point to barely watchable. The team and their tachikomas slowly form over the episodes. Only Borders 2 left me with a good impression with its action sequences. Overall, the story leaves way too many loose ends with every victory being secretly a hidden loss.
Episode 1 (Mind Break) - The idea of false memories
Episode 2 (Action) - Fighting on the run
Episode 3 (Saucy) - A romantic catastrophe
Episode 4 (Psychological) - Theory in relation to Oz
"Episode 5" (Desperation) - Fighting using cyber warfare
That just leaves the new movie with Scarlett Johansson, or Black Widow as I normally call her. I felt like they were going for a modern take on the very first 1995 movie with the idea of her being a young girl like the Arise timeline and squeezing in some rushed background character development. I'm not saying it's bad. At the very least, it is not rated R. Just that the reasons why I disliked the original movie still remain.
4-0-2018