It’s time to get (further) into GitS
Answer: Anywhere and all of it.
I had no idea this franchise had so much content, wow
Same. The original movie didn’t really grab me. SAC was entertaining enough. Just kind of fell of my radar after awhile.
I may be an outsider’s perspective. I’d suggest starting with 1995 movie, then Stand Alone Complex S1. Then dive into the original manga and see how much it informed the latter two. From there you can pursue any route without issues.
The collected manga (12 issues) set up the world and lore very well. Suggest you start there. Wasn’t really a fan of mmi, but others have good things to say about it. I also like the thought shirou puts into his designs - get an art book.
My only point of disagreement with the article is I really like Man/Machine Interface. I know it’s kind of messy and not as clear with the plot and themes as some other entries, but the visuals alone make it worthwhile for me, it’s such a trip.
As someone that’s watched it all. I will tell you that the original and Arise are comfortably the best.
