Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Part 2 Episodes 5-8

Motoko and her team find themselves in the employ of a shady NSA Agent for what should be a simple mission, the extraction of a high value asset.  But many unknown variables plague the mission, including the sneaking suspicion Motoko and the others aren’t meant to survive.  As Aramaki and Togusa race to save the lives of their former teammates, Motoko and the others come face to face with a terrifying new foe, one whose capabilities surpass even those of the most advanced of cyborgs…and maybe even the skills of Motoko herself.

Ghost in the Shell is a saga centered on exploring the deepest depths of the ever blurring futuristic line of Man and Machine.  Just how much of ones Human soul is left after they convert nearly their entire bodys into cyborgs?  Beyond that, the first two seasons explored the impacts on society beyond this debate with Season One focusing on a Healthcare Conpsiracy and 2^nd Gig centering on a growing influx of immigrants following a global conflict.  Both of these topics proved fascinating watches for their respective stories and it was fun to see how Section 9 fit into it all.  That said, I just watched a segment of SAC_2045 where Motoko and Batou fought a black stared man in a bathrobe who moonwalked his way around bullets before ditching the robe and doing backflips up a stairwell, completely nude…is this really the same Stand Alone Complex I remember?  Cause now I’m worried.
 
Much like the opening set of episodes, this sophomore outing was split into two different halves.  The first half saw Motoko, Batou, Ishikawa, Saito and that waste of space Stan dispatched on their black ops mission for smarmy NSA Agent Smith (Yes that is his name), which led to the aforementioned Naked Time.  Up until they actually faced off with their nude foe, there was a nice sense of build up.  Based on what training programs Smith had the crew run through, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a simple assignment and we knew full well he didn’t expect the team to survive and even if they did, the usual loose ends were to be tied up.  Hey, I’m all for a more advanced kind of foe being able to go toe to toe with The Major and Batou and even give Motoko herself a difficult time.  But you cant expect me to take any villain seriously when he looks way too goofy and wacky doing naked backflips.  And you know you’re series has hit a serious roadblock when I’ve mentioned that particular elephant in the room three times in two paragraphs of one review.
 
As for what the heck was up with the Nudist Moonwalker, we had a new faction introduced which seem to be both the central mystery and big bads for the season: Post Humans.  These guys have suddenly appeared out of nowhere and seem to have abilities that can only be described as Super Human.  And that includes even the most advanced cybernetic enhancements.  The sight of a Post Human hacking dozens of armed soldiers and having them kill each other while he walks down a hallway is nothing to sneeze at.  At one point, the same Post Human who was held captive even managed to work his way around his confines and hack the guard robot compliment of a secure facility and throw them all at Motoko and Company.  I’ll admit, the setup is pretty terrifying and I’m wondering how Kamiyama will explain this new sub species that’s come out of nowhere.  He’s done a good job with The Laughing Man and Hideo Kuze in the past and concepts like a Hub Cyberbrain are still some of the best ideas introduced in Ghost in the Shell.  One thing is certain, if you can get close enough the best way to deal with a Post Human is a juicy decapitation.  Seriously, both Saito and Batou take out two Post Humans with a rather grizzly beheadings that are gory as heck. 
 
Despite the fact that it doesn’t look like SAC_2045 is differentiating it’s episodes like past seasons (Season 1 had “Stand Alone” and “Complex” Episodes while 2^nd Gig had “Individual”, “Dividual” and “Dual” episodes) we got a pretty fun Stand Alone episode that felt the closest to classic Stand Alone Complex so far in this season.  The premise involved Batou being caught up in a hostage situation by a group of elderly who have come on hard times following the Global Deficit.  We get to see all of the best sides of Batou in this episode from a bad ass who’s cool under pressure to a softy with a big heart as he learns why the heist is going down and even finds a way to help out these down on their lucky old folks.  Btw who knew Batou knew how to play the stock market, I wouldn’t have ever guessed.  The episode also does a good job at examining how bad the deficit has hit members of society with diminished conversion rates nearly leaving some near bankruptcy.  With all the focus gearing towards the Post Humans, it’s nice to see the Global Default hasn’t been completely left out of things.
 
By the end of this set, the Gang was back together and that includes Paz and Borma.  I love how we didn’t even get a proper reintroduction of the pair.  They only just showed up with Motoko at the airport where Batou met up with them.  And yet, I’ll take these two back in the mix more than Standard.  Oh dear God what the heck was Motoko thinking letting this useless dimwit onto the team overseas?  During the battle with Huge (the Nude Post Human…let the jokes run wild with the name), Stan was immobilized instantly and spent the whole fight locked down and whining as everything crumbled around him.  Just what did he contribute to the mix?  The answer is absolutely nothing.  So it’s fitting that Motoko lets the dofus go with fake memories and keeping his real memories and pay in a locked file should she need him again.  Fun joke but…why the heck would she ever need him again besides the groups need for a joker?  There was a moment where Stan nearly botched the mission because he couldn’t stealthfully climb down a rope.  Saito’s sigh says it all, “I could just shoot him and the Major would give me a pass”.
 
Once again, like the Premiere, Togusa and Aramaki got some of the best moments.  It’s good to see Togusa back together with his old team, complete with compliments over his improved detective skills and some good old ribbing for old times sake.  His heart to heart with Motoko revealed he did want to go with her and the others when they left Section 9 but he hesitated.  I’d hate to think that part of the reason Togusa broke off his marriage was guilt over this decision.  I’ll admit, I low key ship Motoko and Togusa but I can also see that Motoko was both disappointed but ok with the decision if only to keep Togusa safe and happy.  She even reminds Togusa that it’s not up to her to decide his future or what he does with Section 9.  This led to a nice little test where Togusa had to weed out a mole in the new PM’s office.  It was tough seeing Togusa get riddled with bullets by the perps, even if it was an illusion he generated for them.  But this left little doubt to the viewers and to an observing Motoko that Togusa is ready to join the fold once more.  As for Aramaki, the Best Boss got to show up to rescue the Major and his team in style…in a freaking fighter jet, what a hell of an entrance.  Also, Aramaki was upfront with PM Tate and Agent Smith that while he knows Motoko’s interest in the Post Humans is piqued, if she and the others want to back out for their own reasons, he wont stop them.  He knows full well how effective a team they are together but also recognizes their indiviauality and supports his team no matter what.  This is why Aramaki is Best Boss.  Also it’s cute to see him and Motoko haven’t lost their bond in the apparent six years its been since she left Section 9.  He’s still the parental figure and she’s still the luckiest would be daughter (or Granddaughter) ever.
 
One last thing before I wrap up, we got a new tech girl added to the mix for the Season, Purin.  She’s got a really cute design, almost as cute as Motokos (and that’s not easy to pull off).  But her intro’s a bit of a mixed bag.  The haughty and uptight stickler for the rules schtick made her less endearing and more annoying.  And then there’s her being a Batou fangirl.  Purin’s freakouts and arm flailing are another example of why CG Anime cant really replicate those kinds of exaggerations you see in hand drawn Anime.  Now that I think about it and correct me if I’m wrong, we haven’t had a character like that in Stand Alone Complex yet.  This is a show populated by always serious individuals with the occasional snark and smart ass comments from Batou.  Purin seems more like actual comic relief.  Is that gonna work for Stand Alone Complex?
 
Yikes this one went on longer than I thought but I guess I had more to say than I thought.  We’ve got our Season long mystery, a cute new addition to the team and said team is now back in Japan and rechristened Section 9.  While I doubt I’m gonna get this wish, I hope the Season gives us a few more stand alone outings like the one they gave Batou because it really is the best episode of SAC_2045 so far.  At least, it’s way more in line with the show I know and love more than wide eyed not human/not cyborgs who do gymnastics in the nude.  Monday, we close out the first half of Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045…hopefully with a little less silly nudity, right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.