No.5369
As far as I know, this is the most "adult" anime ever created. Many shonen and seinen feature adult themes but that doesn't really make them for adults. If anything, the often overt and heavy-handed instances of the adult themes display a not-yet-adult obsession with them.
Ghost in the Shell is about adults behaving as adults, some changing slowly but mostly set in their ways like adults are. The lack of an overarching goal also makes it unique. While the plot is primarily driven by the "villains" and criminals, the "good guys" have no Holy Grail to find, no ultimate goal to succeed in, only the immediate problems they face. Worse yet, since they are cops, their job is to maintain the status quo.
Above all what I like best is that it's not a pandering show and that's what really sets it apart. Every other anime I've ever seen, some of which I love, feels like it was made to please the viewer or provide some kind of cheap gratification. GitS doesn't feel that way to me at all, with all its loose ends, moral ambiguity, and cynical vision of the future. It feels like its own thing, and that the viewer is simply along for the ride.
PS Kusanagi is one of the most mysterious and seductive females in any visual medium. First, that revealing outfit baiting you into thinking it's just a "eye-candy girl with super powers" like that dumb ho from Black Lagoon. Then, the displays of her skills (and limitations!) showing she is as good as any dude and deserving leader of the squad. Finally, the repeated little moments showing you the richness of her inner life and solitary nature, culminating in her choice to temporarily leave her body to live on the internet.
Will there ever be anything like it again bros?