Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG  Highly recommended
Publisher
Manga Entertainment
Director
Kenji Kamiyama
Production
Production IG
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
26 episodes / 25 minutes
Year
2004
Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG Volume 2
By otaku_kei
27th Mar 06  The first volume of 2nd GIG demonstrated the very best of what the first season of GITS: SAC was capable of. The episodes were exciting and thought provoking in equal measure, and yet they did not seem to push the boundaries of anything the show had previously achieved. Can this second volume take this show beyond the constraints of the first season, and will we see an end to the recycling of previous plotlines? Well it turns out that it does, as these four episodes of 2nd GIG moves the show in the right direction, and seems to validate the widely held opinion of this being the better season of GITS: SAC. Episode 5: Inductance When the Prime Minister receives a threat on her life, Aramaki and Section 9 are called in to run her protection. With this threat linking to previous terrorist activities all claimed by the elusive Individual 11 it looks like Section 9 may just have another stand alone complex on their hands. Denied the right to investigate the threat, Section 9 have to content themselves with stopping any attempt upon the Prime Minister's life. A responsibility that falls to the Major when the PM's annual visit to a Buddhist temple is interrupted by a high spec cyborg assassin named Kuze... Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex has always excelled at balancing intrigues and action seamlessly, and this episode is no different. Suffering under the constraints to investigate just who is plotting what, the Section resort to a lot of verbal sniping at departments and authorities that have hamstrung one of the teams most important resources - information. This reaction from the team sits well with the maverick attitudes that most of the team possess, and how any outside influence rankles with most of them. Of course when it comes to a one on one fight between the Major and the enigmatic Kuze, this show really demonstrates just how good fight scenes can look! Episode 6 : Excavation When a man who was threatening to whistleblow on some dirty little secret of the Energy Ministry suddenly turns up dead, Aramaki feels that everything is not quite right. With most of Section 9 still assigned to security for the Prime Minister the Chief assigns Togusa and one of the Tachikoma units to investigate. But not everything is as it seems in the old city of Tokyo, and the perpetrators of the crime may have something that they will kill even Section 9 members to maintain their secrets... For the Togusa fans amongst you this is sure to be an episode that you will enjoy. Much like the first season episode where Togusa investigates the Sunshine society, this episode follows Togusa as he does much of the legwork associated with a regular police investigation. After the previous episode where it became apparent that many of the Section got frustrated when they found their own limitations exposed, it is clear that Togusa who is often cast as the team outsider does not suffer as much from those same limitations. Of course we still get our fair share of action in this episode, as Togusa needs to escape and evade the government forces that are looking to eliminate him once he gets evidence of just what is happening down in the mines underneath Tokyo. With these events we get more little pieces of a puzzle that may just be pointing to a government conspiracy. Clearly there are elements in power with their own agenda's, but Section 9 are getting caught in the crossfire and used against their will, just how this will play out across the series is yet to be seen... Episode 7: PU239 In exposing the government's secret nuclear power plant under the streets of Tokyo, Togusa and Section 9 may have brought too much attention to the excavation. When intelligence is received that the Individual 11 are planning to heist some of the plutonium fuel rods, Section 9 get drafted in to protect the shipment of radioactive materiel. But with Gohda from Cabinet Intelligence Service involved, not everything is clear-cut and Section 9 may just be walking into another political minefield. Once again chafing under the orders of an authority they hold no respect for, Section 9 get led into a situation they cannot control. When one of the Ground Self Defense Force soldiers opens fire upon an unarmed crowd, events start to get very messy... This episode really gets to the meat of how the team react when handed down orders from a command structure that they have little respect for, namely Agent Gohda! With a team as specialised as Section 9 Gohda manages to exploit the weaknesses that are bred into anything that overspecialises. The manner in which he exploits these weaknesses can be called into question though, and questions as just why the Major does not keep Gohda on a shorter leash when in the combat zone allows for this manipulation. Some of this seems like a convenient way for the creative team to hammer home that Gohda is not 100% on the level. But this episode also manages to forge on with further details about the Individual 11, and whilst we cannot piece together the clues just yet it is good to see that more and more pieces of the main story arc are being pieced together. Episode 8: Fake Food With all the recent interference from other agencies Aramaki and Section 9 start their own unsanctioned investigation into both the Individual 11 and the people responsible for feeding the Section bad intel on several of their jobs. These investigations lead to more questions than answers about the enigmatic Gohda, but also lead the team into open competition with Section 1 when it looks like they may have a lead with the Individual 11 case. This is the episode that the whole volume has been leading to, as the team fed up with being restricted and made to operate without all the facts start to take matters into their own hands. This episode in many ways can be seen as the end of the first act of the show as the main threat in the series, the Individual 11 have been established, and the new characters, namely Gohda, have been introduced fully and already are having a prominent impact on the working of the team. But with so many questions about what the Individual 11 are after, Gohda's true intentions and the myriad political machinations that are constantly mentioned GITS: SAC 2nd GIG still has a lot to offer! Well if the first volume of 2nd GIG mainly demonstrated just what was so good about the first season of the show, this second volume was all about just showing ho far this show has come, and just what we can expect in the future. The action is up to the very high standard that we have come to expect from the team at Production I.G., but this time around seems to make a much bigger impact. Perhaps this is due to all the trials that we have watched Section 9 go through already, or the fact that many of these encounters have the team being led into situations that they would ordinarily not be involved in - but the on screen action is edge of the seat stuff all the way. The action is of course perfectly complimented by the onward momentum of the main story dealing with the Individual 11. As more details of this group comes to light, as well the constantly shifting political alliances and double-dealing in the background you find your brain exercised just as much as your adrenal gland! All inn all I found this a much better volume that the previous effort, and really is moving this show forward. For anyone out there who considers themselves an anime fan, then I really do recommend this show as it stands head and shoulders above just about everything being released on the market now.
R2 DVD Notes
Features: Disc 1: English Language 5.1; English Language 2.0; English Language Subtitles; Japanese Language 5.1; Japanese Language 2.0; Interviews with Takayuki Goto & Tetsuya Nishio (Character Designs)
Disc 2: English Language DTS; English Language 2.0; English Language Subtitles; Japanese Language DTS; Manga Trailers
Release information: OUT NOW
Notes: 2nd GIG is getting the star treatment from Manga Ent. Fully aware that this is the label's flagship product we get a disc release where every care and attention is lavished upon it. Quite thankfully when we recall some of the quality control issues that blighted the first season's release.
With a wide choice of audio tracks so that you can choose the set-up best for your equipment, and top quality visuals are to be expected from such a release. I haven't taken a look at the extras yet so I cannot comment on those.
-- otaku_kei 27th Mar 06
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