Sunday, April 05, 2009

Ghost in the Shell 2nd GIG

Public Safety Section 9 Pictures, Images and Photos
Ghost in the Shell 2nd GIG was first aired on Japanese TV in January 2004 it was later released in the States in November 2007. There are 26 episodes in this series and unlike the first series there are types of episodes these are: individual, dividual, and dual. The individual episodes fallow the Individual Eleven story line, the dividual episodes are stand alone, and the dual episodes fallow the Gouda storyline. In 2nd GIG we get a lot more of the back story about some of the members of Section 9's lives before they were in Section 9. We also get some history about the wars that happened in the past as well. The two major wars were the WWIII which was a nuclear war and non-nuclear WWIV both of these wars changed the world and its politics.

The 2nd GIG story lines starts in 2032 six months after the SAC story line ended. At the start we see a new Prime Minster in office, a woman named Kayabuki, she is willing to reform Section 9 and give them everything they want in order to rebuild Section 9. But at a price this being that Section 9 go into the Chinese embassy secretly and take care of the hostage situation; without any of the hostages getting killed. Section 9 is able to take care of the situation and they are back in full swing from this point on.
Section 9 faces two antagonists in 2nd GIG the first are the Individual Eleven who appear to be a terrorist group. They want the refugees, that were invited into Japan after the third and forth world wars as cheap labour to help rebuild, to leave Japan. The other is Gouda, the head of the Cabinet Intelligence Service, and he appears to be a puppet master for the events that are going on through out this story line.

2nd GIG has a lot more action in it and we also get more history about the major and cretin aspects of her past. I liked 2nd GIG and I think that it not only holds up to the the high standard that SAC set but it also raises the bar for any future series and I would give 2nd GIG a 4 out of 5. you can watch 2nd GIG without watching SAC and you wont get lost but I would say that if your going to watch the GITS TV series that you start with SAC. Also please note that like the SAC there are two types of DVD packs you can buy the full 26 eps or the Individual Eleven pack where you only get the Individual Eleven story line.

2 comments:

Mikhail Silverwood said...

I love GITS 2nd GIG. I've got in on DVD, and I've watched it several times.

Unlike the first season, there is a clear defined flow with the plot.

With the Laughing Man case, the viewer was plonked right in the middle of the entire affair, which made it very difficult to get into it.

Both for series, the refugees and LM, there was no effort made to build an emotional empathy.
Time should have been spent to make the viewer care about the victims of 'cyber sclerosis' (sorry about spelling and name) and the suffering refugees.

On a person note, I was torn about the Major's romantic interest. There's Bauto and Kuze; but I've always loved her as a single independent woman - and I don't want that to change.

I really enjoyed the series.

PS: The series discussed complex political ideological matters, such as: individuality v collectivity; heroes v masses; terrorism v reformism; anarchism v ; the role the Special Security plays with the state.
You'd assume that some GITS super-hard-core fans, people who are obsessed over the show, would have websites dedicated to the debates the show arises.
I've been searching the web trying to find content on GITS - I cannot find anything even remotely like what I was looking for.

jjpeebody said...

HI Mikhail,
Love the comments. I have been meaning to finish the gits reviews for some time but with a little baby I can never find the time. Any who as for the first gits if I remember correctly the makers wanted to throw you into the middle of the story. It’s been so long since I review but I think that I told everyone that the time lines on the series and the movies are different.
For a long time I thought that the series fallowed the first movie. But in fact they don't the movies are sort of a stand alone thing. Now I think the reason the major has more romantic tones then first gig was due to the fact that you got a hint of the complex relationship between bauto and the major in the 2 movies and first gig. And the makers wanted to give 2nd gig a more in-depth feel. We also got so know a little more about the majors past in 2nd gig and the fact that Kaze was the majors first love. So 2nd gig was always going to draw you in more than first gig.
Saying that the last movie solid state could have been better. (I will do a review of that over the half term this April just for you). As for the in-depth forums you really have to look but they are out there. I think I tossed my note on gits when I was cleaning but I will try and find some sites for you. You may find this interesting but some university in the states are teaching classes on gits.
And lastly I should also point out that Hollywood has/is making a live action version of gits. I know there was a nasty rumour going round a few years ago but now it is true.

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