The second volume of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig hits the ground running with an assassination threat against the Japanese Prime Minister and it doesn't stop to look back. Along with a good amount of action, the story gets more complex and textured in this volume too.  Various sub-plots crop up many of which seem to be related, but then again, maybe they aren't.  With the excellent animation and stellar sound that fans have come to expect from this show, this is a not-to-be-missed series.

Series Synopsis:

In the not too distant future, most humans are augmented by cybernetic implants.  These implants make people faster, stronger, and more powerful.  No longer do you have to spend excruciating hours in the gym to get the perfect body, you can just order one.  Crime is still prevalent in this future society, and the criminals are now much more powerful.  In order to combat these criminals, a special division of the police, Section 9 has been created.  Manned with state of the art cybernetically enhanced officers Section 9 handles the cases that no one else is equipped to.

In this season the political background is much more important.  The are a lot of racial tension in Japan at this time.  Hoards of refugees and immigrants from Asia flooding into the country due to the 2nd Viet Nam War.  At first Japan welcomed the cheap labor to help rebuild after the conflict, but now the middle class sees their tax dollars going to help the new comers at the same time that they are taking up jobs.  Segregated into refugee camps that are nothing more than slums, many fear that these immigrants with little hope will soon turn violent.

This volume:
 
The plot starts getting thicker with this volume and more complex.   It starts out with Section 9 learning that several recent terrorist activities, seemingly unrelated, can all be traced back to a group that calls themselves the Individual Eleven.  They get their name from the group that assassinated Japanese Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi in 1932.  Angry with the way the refugees have been treated, this group has taken the law into their own hands and tried to change the governments policies through terror.

The Individual Eleven's latest threat is to kill the new PM.  Section 9 has been assigned to protect her, much to the rank and file's chagrin.  They're an offensive police unit, and guard duty isn't in their job description.  This job turns out to be a bit more difficult than they thought it would be though.

Mr. Gohda, the horribly scarred head of Cabinet Information Security (CIS), makes an appearance in this volume too.  When some Plutonium is discovered in a section of the city that was destroyed during the war, the government wants to transport it to a secure facility.  According to the CIS, terrorists have learned of the discovery and plan to hijack the shipment.  Gohda requests that Section 9, once again, plays watchdog and helps him get the valuable and dangerous cargo through the refugee camp where it was found.  However, nothing that Gohda's involved with is what it seems.

This was another excellent volume.  The Ghost in the Shell TV series is one of the best shows to ever come out of Japan.  With intelligent writing and complex convoluted plots, it's easy to see why this series has received such critical praise.  The amazing thing is that this doesn't come at the sacrifice of action and fast pacing.  There's a lot going on, and this program can be enjoyed on several levels.

This is the volume where things get interesting.  Gohda appears to be pulling the strings of several government agencies, and possibly Section 9 as well.  How much he's involved, and more importantly, what his goals are still remains to be seen.  There's also the a government cover-up of a nuclear power plant buried below the refugee camp, and the mysterious Individual Eleven to add to the mix.  With so many tendrils floating through the show, just about anything could happen.

This DVD comes in two versions:  A regular version, reviewed here, and a deluxe version.  The deluxe version has an extra disc with the same episodes repeated but with a DTS sound track, along with some bonus items.

Audio:

The viewer has the choice of viewing this program with either an English dub (5.1 and 2.0) or in the original Japanese (also 5.1 and 2.0.)  There is good use of the full sound stage on the 5.1 tracks, giving the show a very encompassing feeling.  Music and incidental effects come from all angles surrounding the viewer, but these never become overpowering.  There isn't a trace of hiss or distortion, and everything is very clear and crisp.  I viewed the show in both English and Japanese, and I had a preference for the original language, but the English dub sounded great as well, with the voice talent doing a good job.  There are optional full English subtitles or just subtitles for the signs and song lyrics.

Video:

Like the previous season, the video on this show is absolutely stellar.  The anamorphic widescreen video was encoded from a high definition master and is just about flawless.  The colors were excellent, blending gracefully from shade to shade without any signs of banding.  The picture was sharp and the definition was first-rate.  This is a great looking show.

Extras:

In addition to a series of trailers, this DVD includes a 20-minute interview with character designers Takayuki Goto and Tetsuya Nishio.

Final Thoughts:

Like the other volumes in this and the previous series, this is an excellent disc.  With a tightly plotted script and three dimensional characters its easy to like this show.  I'd enjoy it even if it didn't have such great animation and wonderful sound.  When you take those into account though, this becomes a top ten series.  Highly Recommended.