Wow, a clear move towards an even more political edge than its predecessor, you can clearly see how Oshii embedded this work in his political ideas and it bleeds through every aspect of the film. The movie feels atmospheric and slow, contemplative, with its conversational and peaceful sections feeling like the backbone of the narrative, there is a intense feeling running through the movie, like a calm hardly keeping itself together, which runs through right up until the ending. The animation work here is incredible, detailed and fluid, perfectly complementing the varied shots and worldbuilding carried out in an orderly authored manner, complemented further by the expressive yet restrained character interactions and lush but somewhat sombre soundtrack, further enhancing the films themes of disorder brewing under control. Maybe not his best work, but probably his most personal and meaningful, can’t say it strikes a particular chord for me but definitely a fascinating time capsule, holding historical and artistic value and even somewhat of a current relevancy, definitely a movie worth watching, and one best appreciated like a classy cigar, slowly and appreciating every note, looking past the surface at the meaning of the ambiguous.