Ranked #40

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG

NOTE: If you haven't seen 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex' I recommend you watch that first. I have reviewed that as well.

Just when one thought that with 'Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence' and 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex', this franchise had reached its pinnacle, Studio I.G. came up with GiTS: SAC 2ng Gig.

It carries over the same qualities that made the first series such a brilliant watch - an excruciatingly complex plot with conspiracy, intrigue and plenty of action and smashing music. The reason why this tops the first season is the more personal feel. Character development, that was mostly sidelined in the first season, is present aplenty in the 2nd gig. You feel you're delving into the lives of the men and woman of Section 9. You get a glimpse of the pasts of the clandestine characters all while maintaining the cloak-and-dagger mystery.

The series also explores several political and moral issues of governance and right and wrong. It does not preach, there are no absolutes, and there is no such thing as a perfect political set up. The series maintains a hue of grey on all these matters, and tastefully so.

If you liked the first series, you absolutely must watch the 2ng series. If you haven't I recommend you watch the 1st gig before embarking on this one. The series ends in a perfect set-up for the new GiTS: SAC Solid State Society movie, which by the way, was quite disappointing, but nevertheless a great addition to the GiTS family. I'm not going to review SSS because if you're already hooked onto Stand Alone Complex, you won't be able to resist watching it. read more

"Life without truth is not possible. Truth is perhaps Life itself" - Franz Kafka

One of the keys to creating a successful story is innovation, in particular, creating something that is both interesting and relevant, but approached from a different perspective. Of all the genres of the storytelling medium, science fiction is the only one that holds up a mirror to a possible future be it good or bad. It's for this reason that the genre is often lauded and derided, sometimes by the same person, as science fiction is predictory by nature, in other words, it posits how humans would behave in certain circumstances.

During the last twenty years there have been numerous sci-fi tales in one form or another, many of which came about because of the end of the millenium. Some of them were simply terrible, whilst some were only average. Of the good ones, only a few had a lasting influence on the stories that came after. One of those is Ghost in the Shell.

Following the phenomenal success of the original movie and the TV series Stand Alone Complex, director and chief writer Kamiyama Kenji, together with the staff of Production I.G., formulated the direction in which the story would progress. What they needed, according to Kamiyama, was a completely different direction to the first series, with new goals, a new focus, and a chance to explore the world of GitS. After discussions with Oshii Mamoru it was decided that, in light of the events of 9/11, the issue of war could no longer be avoided.

This decision ultimately paved the way for a sequel that is not only superior to the original, but one that is also far more relevant to modern society.

Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig is set several months after the end of Stand Alone Complex. At this point in time Section 9 is training, however the changes to the Special Forces bill mean that they are still not a legal force, and their status is akin to that of a terrorist organistion. The chief, Aramaki Daisuke, is attempting to resolve this but, like any modern society, the paperwork needs to be in order (gotta love bureaucracy).

During this time, a new Prime Minister hascome to power, and she has promised to fix the problems caused by crippling taxes and the waves of Asian refugees who are coming to Japan because of the Fourth World War (or, the Second Vietnamese War).

One of the areas where 2nd Gig deviates from SAC is that the story is based far more on world events and history than before. SAC is essentially the platform from upon which this series stands, and it's advisable to watch that series first before watching this one as the viewer is then familiar with the characters and the work of Section 9. Unlike SAC, the focus in 2nd Gig isn't on the work of Section 9, but rather on the society itself. I mentioned in my review of the first series that the phenomenon of Cyber Brain Sclerosis was also a metaphor for the gradual deterioration of society, and while SAC alluded to this, here it is made all too clear.

2nd Gig is nothing if not brutal in a certain sense. The series has a more defined sense of plausibility than anything before, and also a sense of inevitability. The power plays, politics, machinations, plots and plans are as complex and devious as they were in SAC, however here they have more of an edge to them because of the parallels with real world events. There is a lot of action in 2nd Gig, however like SAC, the action is not the important part of the show. The focus is on political and social movement, so when the action happens it's usually the result of a series of circumstances or plans. Here, taking action is an effect for the most part, not a cause, and this is one of the key plot elements in the story as the "reactionary" mentality of society is tested by the Individual 11.

As with SAC, and any other GitS project for that matter, the pacing and flow of the story is excellent. Each aspect of the plot is very clearly covered, used and acted upon. Each element of the story is involved and well thought out, especially in relation to other elements. In this respect the series shares a few things with SAC's Laughing Man Arc, however this aspect is carried here for 26 episodes with almost no let up.

One interesting point to note is that the history given in 2nd Gig is the same as that given in the Appleseed Databook. This suggests that both stories take place at different times in Earth's history and, when one considers the technology used and applied in Appleseed, it gives the entire GitS story a slightly different perspective.

In terms of visuals, 2nd Gig is nothing short of excellent. The animation is ever so subtly better than SAC, especially the blending of 2d and 3d, with movements and actions flowing as freely as they did before, but without any of the clashes that occured from time to time. The colour scheme is extremely well suited, and reflects the grim reality of the story, while the level of detail in the back and foregounds pushes the bar even higher than it was before. The visual effects are also excellent, and way above those used in other sci-fi series.

In addition to this, the art direction is superb throughout the series, especially in the smaller moments before action is taken. In one episode the team from Section 9 is seen gearing up to respond to a hostage taking. The animation and detail in this one sequence in particular, highlights the level of detail and quality, as well as the sense of realism that Kamiyama was aiming for.

Sound is, once again, way above par. The effects are extremely well used and, whilst some people may be a little overwhelmed by some of the explosions, most will find them quite satisfying. One thing I do like about the effects in both series is that of the bullets fired from different guns, as they do sound different to the naked ear (because they are).

As I've already talked about the voice acting in my review of SAC, I'll skip that part as the acting in 2nd Gig is at least equal to the first series, and the main roles are essentially the same. I will, however, mention Koyama Rikiya (who plays Hideo Kuze), as he gives the character a kind of reserved charm that is very much in keeping with the story.

The music is, once again, composed by the one and only Kanno Yoko, and her style and flair is such that the series just wouldn't be the same without her compositions. The OP, "Rise" (sung by Origa once again), has actually split opinion as to which of the two is the better song - "Rise" or "Inner Universe" (personally I love them both). The ED, "Living Inside the Shell" (sung by Steve Conte), is also a great track, but I have to admit that I prefer "Lithium Flowers" from SAC.

One thing to note about the OP and ED for 2nd Gig is that it actually has three of each. The original broadcast featured the two tracks mentioned above, however the second, terrestrial, broadcast featured two different tracks. The second OP, "Christmas in the Silent Forest" (sung by Illiara Graziano), is a more haunting track than the martial "Rise", and has a very Bjork-esque quality about it. The ED, "Snyper" (sung by Iliara Graziano and Steve Conte), has much the same feel as the OP.

The third OP and ED, "Torukia" (sung by Gabriella Robin), and "I Do" (sung by Iliara Graziano), only appear in the final episode.

As far as the characters go (and it's pretty damn far to be honest), they are simply astonishing. Because of the groundwork laid by the movie and SAC, the each member of Section 9 is an almost complete persona from the start of the show. Now, hardcore fans of character development probably won't like what I'm about to say next, but the truth is the truth. Sometimes character development gets in the way of the story proper, something which we have all seen happen in other anime. The fact that almost every character is not only an adult, but also an almost fully realised characterisation, means that there is nothing to hold back the story. Granted there are times when the characters come into sharp focus, but the series deals with these times with aplomb, grace, and sometimes violence.

I have seen, on occasion, people remark that the episodes that focus on a particular character are often slow and boring. I disagree with this view as, in any story, there are occasions when a character becomes more "audience friendly" and accessible. These "slow" episodes also help modify the pace of the story as a whole, and invite new routes down which it could progress.

I will freely admit that I actually prefer 2nd Gig to SAC. This isn't because I found SAC inferior though, it's simply because I related more to the events, action, social and politcal movements and impact, and overall sense of realism in the second series. Where SAC focused on both society and individuality, this also did the same, but from a slightly different angle. One of the things that I have been impressed by in both series is how, in the main story arcs, the "bad guy" isn't quite as evil and bloodthisrty as we initially believe him to be, something which calls the definition of "evil" into question.

This is, like every other part of the GitS franchise, a superb anime. The blend of action, drama (both political and otherwise), intrigue and mystery is on a completely different level to most other anime.

As with SAC, 2nd Gig continues to be an intelligent series for intelligent people. In addition to that it is also a scathing criticism of how wealthy nations have coped with the global refugee crisis, as well as a visionof how bad things can get if society is not more aware of it's own failings.

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It’s hard for me not to lavish praise upon the altar that is Ghost in the Shell, as I’ve always found the entire franchise to be among the pillars of great anime science fiction. Each movie and show has delved deep into psychology, spirituality and even to some degree religion. The question is how would Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG stand up to the incredible first season and movies. The answer is: it continued to raise that bar of excellence in this franchise.

Story: I don’t want to go into too much detail about the story of 2nd GIG, since it’s a key factor in why this is such a great show. The basic premise is the same as the first season really. The key group of Public Security Section 9 is re-established after the events of the first season and is immediately thrown into a new series of crimes dubbed the “Individual Eleven.” The story for this season includes a lot of politics and shady organizations. You also get a greater idea of the state of world affairs in this Ghost in the Shell universe, and I think the show is better off for it. This is a mature, tense and entertaining story from beginning to end, and I found myself enjoying this season more than the first. There are only a few real stand-alone episodes throughout the series, and even those while somewhat divergent from the main plot, often reveal a bit of background on our favorite group of anti-terrorists. There is one rather mediocre romantic type sub-plot that I won’t go into great detail about, but I had a hard time buying into it with great enthusiasm. I think it added to the character, but it felt contrived, and seemed somewhat out of place. Not enough for me to hate it though, just to think it was somewhat awkward. Other than that, the rest of the story is simply superb.

Characters: Going into any Ghost in the Shell, you always assume that for the most part, the characters are established and you’re not going to get the kind of character development that you might in other shows, and this is true for 2nd GIG. These people are already bad ass, they’re incredibly good at what they do from the start, so you don’t get that progression that you might in other series where the characters start weaker and then progress to become stronger. Here, they start and finish strong. There’s development, and that’s a welcome change, but on a whole, Section 9 isn’t going to be radically different at the end of the show than it is at the beginning. That’s not a bad thing, because I’ve always felt that the main character, Motoko, is easily one of the strongest female leads in all of anime. She’s incredibly sexy, but beyond that, she’ brilliant and strong. It’s interesting to watch a character that’s as blatantly sexualized as the Major use that to her advantage when she has to. In the end, she’s easily one of the smartest and strongest heroines around, and you have to respect her for that. Her immediate cast is also very likable. Batou is a strong enough character that he could likely carry a show on his own, as was seen in the second Ghost in the Shell movie. Togusa, being the only real human character in Section 9 continues to give the viewers that gateway into the lives of this cyborg team, allowing us to step into his shoes. The rest of Section 9, while relatively minor characters, continue to add a lot to the show, even as side characters they’re each strong in their own regards, and a few get their own episodes to flush them out more, particularly Saito and Paz. Even new characters add a great deal to the show, with the new Prime Minister being a great addition to the cast for this season. I don’t think she had to be a particularly strong character, but the decision to make her one was well done and it added a lot to the show. Overall, the characters in this show are truly top notch, and they move the already great plot along even better. Plus, there may not be a group of more likable characters in all of anime than the Tachikoma’s, you simply have to love them.

Animation: It’s hard not to rave about the quality of the animation for any of the Ghost in the Shell, and 2nd GIG is no different. Clean and crisp character animation is quality throughout the show. There are the occasional times that the quality takes a slight dip, but given the level that it’s at most of the time, the budget had to be incredible and thus the occasional dip is to be expected. Inside of cyber space is incredibly imaginative and colorful, which brings a lot of vivid color to what is otherwise a very dreary palette. If there’s a complaint to be had about the art style, it’s the strange outfits that Motoko sometimes wears. She has this strange bodysuit/shoulder shirt/really low-cut jeans outfit that just comes across as a blatant excuse to try and dress her even sexier than usual, and borders on blatant fan-service. I’m not overly against fan-service, but it just seems out of place for her. But that’s a personal gripe, and not a major one. I’m sure there are arguments for why she’d wear such clothing, so I don’t hold it against the show. In the end, I think everything visually about the show is really top notch, even if occasionally it tends to border on the very dreary, that’s simply the vision of this future.

Music: Once again, I feel that Yoko Kanno really steps up and provides a score that helps accentuate what is already a fantastic show. The opening song “Rise,” makes the intro one of my favorites in a very, very long time. It’s not often that I’ll watch the intro to a show more than once or twice during a season, but I almost never skipped the intro to this season because I just enjoyed it that much. Other wonderful songs include the return of Monochrome from the first one, plus Cyberbird and Torukia. This is a score that’s beautiful in every aspect, but there’s already been heaps of praise given to Kanno-san for her work on Ghost in the Shell, so all I can say is that it lives up to the hype.

Overall: This has probably been the best show I’ve watched in the past 6 months at least. It’s mature and deep, between the political plots and the introspection on the meaning of individuality and once again reflecting on the meaning of having a soul. At the same time, it’s also very exciting, with a number of great action sequences that really keep the tension high. From beginning to end, there isn’t much about Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG that I didn’t love, and I easily give it a 10 and recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi, cyber punk or anime in general. read more

I love the complex story telling. Even though there are a lot of twists in the plot, in the ends it easily merges and effortlessly tells the story.

The sound perfectly conveys the mood of a particular moment whether it is poignant, action filled, suspense. I gave the highest points to both story and sound because much effort has been put into it as evidenced by watching 2nd Gig.

I love the animation, I just hope they kept it more realistic like in the movie or the series' first season. Sometimes Motoko's eyes are too big, she often looks like an anime (well?) character because of the exaggerated features.

Overall it is a brilliant piece of cyber punk anime, one you could categorize as the thinking man's anime! Loved it very much and I recommend it to everyone. read more

Overall: This is actually one of my favorite anime series, when you watch it right after GitS:SAC, it flows pretty well. If you like a pretty deep sci-fi psychological action thriller, then GitS:SAC 2nd G will do well in pleasing you.

Story: I thought the story was quite good, though it does not top the original SAC story, it did make quite an impression however. There were plenty of twists in the story to keep you guessing all the way till the end. One thing to look out for is the explaining, they usually spend a decent amount of time explaining situations, so be prepared for lots of dialog.

Art: well its GitS, the art is very good and fluid, considering that it gets about 30million yen/ episode budget. The backgrounds and scenes are colorful and rich, they almost always fit the mood as well.

Sound: there are no complaints on part of the sound, the opening and closing are pretty catchy. The BGM is usually right on the spot.

Characters: All the characters all get some time in the limelight, so you learn even more about them. you wont really find any shallow characters in GitS, all of them have unique personalities and pasts.

Enjoyment: I really loved this series, and it fulfilled pretty much all my expectations that I had from the first season. I recommend this to pretty much anyone that likes action and thinking as well. read more

The Laughing Man arc of the first GITS:SAC was one of the best plots I've ever seen in all of anime. Sure show itself had problems with needless filler (a good half of the show could have been cut without affecting the story much), but the incredible plot, superb action, and clear cut distinction between filler and plot (complete with handy label).

It would be pointless to say that I began watching 2nd GIG with high expectations. I was expecting another incredible plot with fantastic action and either less filler or filler that was much, much better. I have to say that the filler was much, much better. But the real letdown was that the fantastic, fast-paced plot that made GITS:SAC a great anime was simply not there. In its place was a convoluted mess, filled with pointless episodes and altogether incredibly bland.

Story 4/10:
The issue with the plot was this: there wasn't one for most of the story. Most episodes served to only minimally enhance the plot, and even when they did they only introduced plot points that became exceptionally handy later on. I do have to say that the quality of the filler got better compared to the first season, but the sheer amount of filler is simply inexcusable.
When the plot finally did appear it was complicated without being particularly engaging or complex, plagued with pacing issues, and just generally mediocre. Not to mention that the ending was absolutely terrible. A tacked on ending that offers no closure that drives all of the emotional intensity that the writers managed to gather right into the ground.

Art 8/10:
Excellent artwork. Top notch animation with a bit of original flair. The character designs are acceptable, and the Tachikomas are awesome looking. Artwise, 2nd GIG meets every expectation of a high budget anime and then a little bit more.

Sound 8/10:
Great sound. The music is excellent, the sound is good, and the voice acting was well done. Oh, and the Tachikomas are awesome.

Character 6/10:
The people were well developed, with good backstories, and decently realistic actions. For the most part, the characters are nothing special. They're well done, as expected, but it's hard to care too much about any particular character. The standout(s), though, are the Tachikomas, who are funny, lovable, and awesome. While I do want to say that far to much time was devoted to "Tachikomas doing cute things", I still have to say that they are the best characters in 2nd GIG.

Enjoyment 4/10:
Too much filler, too little plot. That's the key problem with 2nd GIG. The entire show could have been shortened to 13 episodes without losing much of the plot or tension. The show drags itself from episode to episode desperately trying to keep you watching with mediocre teasers about where the plot's going. That being said, there are still some genuinely good filler episodes and when the plot finally does get moving it's still watchable. Combined with the Tachikomas contemplating the meaning of the universe, being lovable, and being awesome the experience is passable. At the very least, there are superpowered cyborgs shooting at each other.

Overall 5/10 (barely):
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex lacks a few key things. It lacks a solid plot, it lacks ways to tell what is filler and what isn't, and it lacks philosophy, mystery, or action strong enough to carry a plotless, poorly paced series. And without anything like that, all it is is simply a mediocre anime that fails to accomplish everything that it needs too. In closing, I'd recommend 2nd GIG to someone who has nothing better to watch or to someone who is desperately looking for cyberpunk anime. It's also worth watching if you've seen the first season, if only to complete the Stand Alone Complex continuity.

Also, Tachikomas are awesome. read more

After watching the fantastic first series of SAC I could not wait to get sunk into the 2nd Gig, however I was only met with disappointment. What made the first series so compelling and original was totally missing in 2nd Gig.

Let me explain; what made SAC different from other anime was the way in which it retold classic crimes with that twist of GITS universe. The plots were always interwoven with tales of morality based on technology and crimes were often solved with the application of complex technology based approaches.

Secondly the very strong characters help to put it all together, whilst they are well defined and linkable they are never take themselves too seriously.

Sadly a lot of these factors were missing in 2nd Gig;

Firstly there are a lot of character development episodes, at least 1 for every member of the team. Character development can be good, but I was just overwhelmed and bored by 5 or so contiguous episodes which were all character development. The second problem with the character development episodes is that they did not really use many of the plot devices available to them through the GITS universe, making the character development shallow.

The plot for the second series really slows the story down, SAC was never a fast paced anime but 2nd Gig takes it to a new level, most of the time was spent listening to people having conversations about the "individual 11" without actually taking the plot anywhere, I lost interest in a lot of the episodes because got the feeling that the writers had forgot they were writing an anime and were writing a dissertation on human relation. If you've watched the first series you might think I'm being picky, because uninterrupted dialogue was part of SAC but 2nd Gig takes it way beyond too far.

Other than the character development episodes there are few stand alone episodes in 2nd Gig, which again slowed it down a whole lot, I thought the Laughing Man story arc from the first series was brilliantly paced, with most of the episodes being stand alone investigations with a sprinkling of Laughing man culminating in an all laughing man finish. But 2nd Gig did not grasp this at all and just ploughed deep into the main shallow plot, and here is my main problem with 2nd Gig:

The plot that takes up most of the episodes is extremely shallow, the theme was very basic and did not hinge on anything that was unique to the GITS universe. There was nothing GITS about it, it is a very matter of fact telling of goverment Vs terrorist. The first few episodes and the last few episodes I think were the best, they had some substance to them and they made me connect with the GITS universe. However, most of the episodes just seemed like they could have been in any drama series or anime with a light smattering of GITS.

Good points about the show continue to be the art and music, thumping tunes come up in briefings and during missions adding to the atmosphere and all of the characters are well drawn and animated.

Most of the characters remain well defined and unique, with the exception of the Major's story arc becoming a little too predictable during the second half of the series. I also couldn't help feeling that they made the Major a little too overbearing in 2nd Gig, in the first series she was elite, but it just seemed like in 2nd Gig they had to make her out to be too good and she lost some of the rapport she had with the other characters as a result.

In summary, 2nd Gig looks and sounds as good as the first series, but it lacks uniqueness and quality. I would recommend the first few and last few episodes as they were the best and whilst I would recommend watching this series before the Solid State Society film it is not particularly necessary. read more

The 2nd gig is a real disappointment compared to the first season of Ghost in the Shell. There are two interconnected storylines (Gouda and the Cabinet of Intelligence; The Particularist Eleven) that run side by side and eventually are tied together. It's an interesting storytelling approach but wasn't executed particularly well. They should have taken a more conventional approach by having the storylines run more in parallel within each episode, and not have episodes dedicated mainly to one or the other. I can't help but feel some coherence was sacrificed for this interesting innovation.

As far as stories go, there was nothing all that original. We have the scarred, evil antagonist (Gouda) on the one hand and the revolutionary with a heart of gold (Kuze) on the other. These are very transparently obvious archetypes and it becomes a bit underwhelming. The story gets worse over time. I'm not going to spoil anything (you can't spoil anything which is already rotten, after all), but let's just say the ending reveals that Gouda was involved with a certain country that was going to secretly use nuclear weapons on Japan. Sigh. A weak plot with stereotypical characters, leading up to a predictable, weak finale.

Oh, for sure, there were some decent parts. Saito and Pazu finally get some reasonable character development (sorely and very conspicuously missed from the first season), with episodes (13&14) dedicated specifically to the backstory of those two characters, how they joined Section 9 for example. We also get some interesting history on the Major and the other characters. Still, as before, only the Major, Aramaki, Batou, and Togusa get any real action. The rest of the Section 9 team doesn't really do or say much of interest.

We are treated to some well done computer-assisted art, although it pales when compared to the first season here as well.

There were some annoying, noticeable gaffes. Like in the first season, we still have to put up with the nonsense about "offensive" firewalls (there's no such thing, firewalls are software that intercept and block or filter traffic, you can't use them to damage any software, just lock nosy people out or keep spies within from sending stuff out.) Also, encryption only prevents people from understanding your communication, it does not prevent people from realizing that a connection is being established (the series makes this error in Episode 10). There are more annoying mistakes but I will not bore the reader with them.

Unlike the first season, the second season does not make any clever references to Western literature, which was disappointing, as I was quite impressed by how the first season worked the J.D. Salinger angle into the Laughing Man incident.

All in all, a disappointing follow up to a terrific first season.

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