Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig Part 1 Episodes 1-4

It’s a whole new game for Major Motoko Kusinagi and Section 9.  Now back in full force following their clash with the Laughing Man that ended with a full on governmental upheaval, it’s back to doing what they do best.  From taking down terrorists to petty thieves with exceptional hacking skills, if it involves the web, Section 9 is on it.  However, as Japan begins to take in refugees from the last World War, unrest begins to show itself in the region.  A powder keg is about to be lit and if Section 9 cant solve this case soon, the explosion could be one Japan never recovers from.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex returns for a whole new season of twists, turns and techno babble.  But from the looks of the first couple of episodes, it looks like the political arena is set to be a direct spot of focus as well.  If you’re a fan of political dramas or a good Tom Clancy style tale, then this season looks to be one for you.

Firstly, gotta say how gorgeous these episodes look.  Some look more polished than others but episode one definitely stands out.  The character designs have been tweeked all across the board…especially when it comes to Motoko hehe.  The quality of animation can vary between episodes but they still carry that small bit of what looks like OVA or movie style animation.  If Stand Alone Complex was given a bigger budget then it shows here for sure.  And if you thought the animation was good, wait til you hear more of Yoko Kanno’s techno fueled futuristic beats.  From the rocking and heart pumping theme song “Rise” to a beautifully deadly theme for Motoko in “I Cant be Cool”, the Queen of Anime Soundtracks continues her reign of cool.

All of Section 9 is back, which is still a good and bad thing for me.  On the good side, the team gels better than ever and seems a lot more relaxed being back in the game they play so well.  However, it still seems like all of the dialogue gets delivered between Motoko, Batou, Togusa, Ishikawa and Aramaki.  Saito, Pazu and Borma still feel like they’re in the background to make the team feel more crowded.  Even in scenes of heavy action, Pazu and Borma still feel relegated to just being in one shot then vanishing.  At least Saito’s skill set got put to use during the excellent helicopter vs Tachikoma battle in Episode 4.  I will say one thing about the entire team, seeing their reactions to Motoko’s drop dead gorgeous dress during Episode Three was as great as you’d expect.  Sure she may dress in all manner of inappropriate most times but it’s hard to forget Motoko is a woman and can look pretty (er than usual) from time to time.  Having the happy go lucky Tachikoma’s back is a huge plus as I doubt anyone was really happy with their sad fates at the end of Season 1.  Seeing Motoko happy to have them back is noteworthy as well.  Maybe she’ll lighten up on them this time around.

We got a couple of new season players this year.  First is the new Prime Minister Yoko Kayabuki.  Quite the pretty lady, though I cant help but get a feeling of uneasiness about her.  She definitely seems more likely to play things safe and by the book…unless Aramaki presents her with a better way to handle things like during the season opening hostage situation.  Her sly smile at the end of that episode had me agreeing with Motoko’s “Short leash on her pet pooch” comment.  I don’t think she’ll be an easy boss above the boss for Section 9.  One character you don’t have to find an excuse to feel uneasy about is the other big newcomer, Kazundo Goda.  I know it’s wrong to judge people based on appearances but man do his scars match his creepy nature.  It’s no real mystery he and his Cabinet Intelligence Service (CIS) have their own way of doing things that wont make them chummy with Section 9. 

The opening set of episodes, like Season One, give Section 9 a nice range of cases to show off their skills.  The action heavy ones bookend the set with the Chinese Embassy takeover and the Jigabachi Copter showdown standing equally in terms of fun and intensity.  Batou smashing a terrorist through a wall before the eyes of a stunned rescue team was epic.  Not one to be outdone though, Motoko got the two big scene stealing action moments.  The first is towards the end of the hostage situation with a direct nod to the original Ghost in the Shell movie where she takes out a terrorist in mid decent before activating her cammo.  The second just has her squaring off against an attack helicopter with nothing but a pistol…yeah my money’s on the sexy lady any day.

The other two episodes are a bit of interesting choices.  The first reminded me heavily of a short story from the existential collection, “Notes from the Underground,” and could have easily been inspired by it.  A helicopter pilot who was a war veteran feels an intense lack of satisfaction with the world and seeks to change it in a very violent matter.  Day after day he plans, day dreams and continues to  lose his mind slowly.  The twist comes at the end when we find out that Motoko has been posing as a high roller prostitute to spy on this guy, who could be connected to a case.  But in the end she deduces he wont do anything except dream and nothing more, he’ll never carry out his plan.  It’s an intense character study and perfect for any existential school course.  The other episode is one that is kind of…well a fun one for Section 9, investigating a robbery which involves Motoko attending a risqué party with Aramaki dressed in a sexy outfit.  Considering how this season is set to blow up with a heavy plotline, it’s nice to see Section 9 smile and have some fun with a case, a rarity for this crew. 

I will say that if you have been trying to piece together the history of the world that Stand Alone Complex inhabits, then this season could be chock full of expositional dialogue that you’ll have to run with.  Allusions are made to both World War III and IV and play heavily into the Asian refugee policy issue that is at the heart of this season.  So for any history afficionado’s this season is going to be yours for the loving.

Action, suspense, a fun little departure from the usual dire circumstances while planting seeds for a larger conflict to come…that and the return of everyones favorite sexy cyborg cop, yep it’s good to be back in the Stand Alone Complex.

 

Special Note:
For anyone interested, once the classic Cowboy Bebop reviews are wrapped up, I will be posting the original reviews of Season One of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex so keep an eye out.