Well, you certainly can, but it's not a good idea.
Summary:
- Netflix only has Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 and nothing else from the franchise.
- While SAC_2045 is a sequel to the Stand Alone Complex series, it can be watched as your first entry.
- Older fans still advise against it, as they think the new anime is simply not good.
If you've seen Netflix's catalog of anime, you probably noticed that the streaming service has Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045. However, nothing else from the franchise is available on the platform (outside of the Sustainable War movie, which recaps SAC_2045). That prompts the question: can the anime on Netflix be watched without anything else in the franchise?
It's Technically a Sequel to the Stand Alone Complex Anime
The answer is actually somewhat complicated. The entire Ghost in the Shell (Koukaku Kidoutai) franchise has multiple continuities which are separate from each other, and technically, they're all separate. And yes, the 2017 Hollywood movie has pretty much nothing to do with any anime or manga in the franchise.
Perhaps the most famous is the 1995 Ghost in the Shell anime movie, directed by Mamoru Oshii. It was followed by another film, Innocence, in 2004.
These two movies are the only things in their own continuity, and they are very different from the manga — which is more fanservice-focused. The changes from the manga were actually welcomed by most fans.
The other main continuity is the Stand Alone Complex series (which also doesn't have much fanservice). Initially, it consisted of two seasons and some movies. However, SAC_2045 is technically a sequel to that (yes, that's what SAC stands for).
It Can Be Watched Without Anything Else, But Older Fans Don't Think It's Good
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While SAC_2045 is a sequel, and watching the entirety of Stand Alone Complex would heavily benefit if you want to get into it, you don't actually have to watch the older anime. In fact, SAC_2045 was made with new viewers in mind, and it explains the mechanics of the world well enough to work as a standalone series.
However, this fact also means that the worldbuilding of Ghost in the Shell — which is extremely complicated — was made much simpler in SAC_2045. This upset many older fans who loved the franchise for both its psychological aspect and its complex worldbuilding. The new anime doesn't really do justice to either.
Ultimately, fans of the old anime don't really like SAC_2045. This has nothing to do with it being full CGI; in fact, the CG animation in it is one of the best among Netflix anime.
The anime is just not very good at being Ghost in the Shell, and many would advise you to skip it entirely — or to watch the Stand Alone Complex series first to compare it for yourself.