Anime: Koukaku Kidoutai S.A.C. 2nd GIG

I decided to skip writing a review for the first season of Stand Alone Complex as the second season is basically an improved version of 1st Gig.

Safe to say, if you are a fan of the first season, you willl find that 2nd Gig improves upon it in every way.

Instead of a mysterious villain that only reveals himself towards the end of 1st Gig, 2nd Gig exposes its villain early on, leading to a more cohesive and ultimately more satisfying experience. Even the stand alone episodes in 2nd Gig tie in to the main plot unlike those in 1st Gig.

As always there are no lolis,harems,teenage angst or other typical anime tropes. GITS is unequivocally mature, remaining to this day one of the very few anime which adult viewers can enjoy.

The characters do not drive the plot forward, instead we have a compelling main storyline involving themes such as immigration, racism and political intrigue.

The stakes are higher than in 1st Gig as war threatens to ravage Japan. The military and government get involved, making the situation even more complex.

The action is more frenetic, characters reveal more of their past and motivations, new themes are explored and our heroine even gets some closure (won't spoil it :D).

The last two episodes were the best of the series imo, leaving GITS ending on a high note.

After GITS 1st Gig ended I wondered how it would ever be topped. 2nd Gig showed me how.

If you crave mature and complex anime, you owe it to yourself to watch GITS SAC. It is truly one of a kind and has never been emulated since.

It is just a shame this type of anime has all but died out in recent years.

i finally finished ghost in the shell SAC 1 and 2. and i have to say that sometimes i astonish my self. having had it on my hdd for OVER A YEAR. when i was about to delete it i decided i’d force myself to watch 3 eps because i knew that i should like a show as intelligent as it but the lack of overarching stories was ruining it for me and making me sleep. suffice to say after watching ep 21 i figured i should just catch the ending and i was blown away. to the point where i was asking myself what was wrong with me. ep 21 was especially phenomenal and it was a great show.

however 2nd gig is about a 10000 times better than the 1st gig and is at its heart a love story and an overarching story. a mudafucking love story in ghost in the shell. and it will break your heart many times over. yes ghost in the shell has a love story, and it will break you. i couldnt believe it myself. until i found myself dl the soundtrack (yoko kanno is not human by the way, she is a heavenly siren entity) and i listened and listened to the point where it just hurt to think about the story. and not hurt in a bad way, but in the way that u know spike dies when u listen to the bebop ost or when u listen to the wolfs rain ost. u know they die and its sad but it isnt at the same time…. not sure if it makes sense.

this is why i watch anime. to feeeeeel. lol. check out gits if anything just watch 2nd gig. it took me 2 yrs to watch 8 eps of 1st gig lol. however i powered thru 2nd gig in a day. i guess it shows how much ive grown?? just watch 2nd gig u wont regret it.

ive been listening to the ghost in the shell ost for a whole day now even in my car, doing laundry and washing dishes… and do u ever notice that people who dont even watch anime like yoko kanno’s music w/out knowing it?? i was with my boys and all in my car going to the mall and they were like yo this jazz shit is tight… and i was like yea… i know… lol… i told u she wasnt human…

Unlike most sequels, "Ghost in the Shell: 2nd GIG" is a worthy addition to the "Ghost in the Shell" series. I don't know why I was surprised: the entire "Ghost in the Shell" series is extremely well directed and is able to uphold its' own high standard of quality with every rendition.

The animation, as to be expected of a "Ghost in the Shell" title, is spectacular. Lighting effects, fluid action scenes, stunning character models and military technology, coupled with realistic backgrounds makes this anime the best looking anime of all time. In my opinion, "Ghost in the Shell" is the pinacle of animation today.

The sound is terrific; the opening song "Rise" has become a favorite of mine. Also, the action sound effects (especially in the final episodes with the missles, attack helicopters, stinger missles, etc) were extremely realistic sounding and amazingly done. Also, the voice actors were terrific as usual; flawless acting really makes the series feel more "real".

The story is a step down from the mystery of the "Laughing Man" plot in the first season; this "2nd GIG" discards the subtelty of the first season (which had the Laughing Man cleverly and subtetly injected in the first 20 or so episodes, after which the true plot emerges) and pushes forward with a straightforward plot where we know who the "arch vilian" is in the first few episodes. While I do not think this is bad, per se, and the "2nd GIG" does have a fair few plot twists and surprises, I cannot help but compare this second edition to the first.

However, compared to most anime, this "2nd GIG", with its vast political conspiracies and variety of "villians" each working for their own goals, is a terrific plot which I enjoyed emensely. I also loved the background episodes where we get to know more about the members of Section 9, such as Saito. Also, because the main plotline began in the early episodes, the story in "2nd GIG" was much more fast-paced and easily enjoyable then "1st GIG".

I also enjoyed the veins of conversation in which the "Stand Alone Complex" was discussed in relation to the actions of characters in this series compared with the actions of the Laughing Man in the first series.

The characters in "2nd GIG" were even better than "1st GIG", as we learn more about their backgrounds, motivations, and see them develop over the course of the series. We learn some of the enigmatic Major's background, and find out how Saito met the Major. Even the Tachikomas, who I was fairly indifferent to in the "1st GIG" become much more interesting and play more of a role in this series, and the growth within them is fairly evident by the final episode.

Fans of "Ghost in the Shell" should consider this series to be a must-see. For others, if you thought the "1st GIG" was a bit slow-paced, you will find "2nd GIG" much faster-paced and more enjoyable. Also, for those wishing to get more background on the members of Section 9, this is a must-see. I will probably re-watch this series many a time, in order to grasp the intricacies of the plot and to rewatch the thrilling action scenes.

GITS 2nd GIG sequelled two very good movies and one superb anime series. The creators had a hard task; to come up with a sequel that can be with the same standards. To my surprise, the 2nd GIG was better than all those succeeded it. Improving the good fields, working on previous defects, supplying a fine story line that can result in a powerful characters development; this what the creators did and another masterpiece was born.

Though not heavily as in Ghost in the shell: Innocence; The 2nd GIG did a very good job integrating CG in its animation. The animation was smooth all the time, with a lot of attention to details. As in the 1st GIG, the overall "mood" of the anime is dark although most of the scenes were set in daylight. A lot of attention was given also to characters design and movement. Throughout the season I couldn't locate a single defect in regards of character movement. Overall,I think that GITS 2nd GIG was the best series animation-wise I have seen thus far.


A lot of the OST was taken from the 1st GIG but I did not mind that at all since it was very good. At the same time there are many new tracks within the new OST. I like everything about GITS OST; whether its an OP or an ED, even the BGM. The OP "Rise" is very good and there is no more fitting track for this anime. The whole OST is made by Yoko Kano (Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne and GITS). Rise "the OP theme" is performed by Origa, who has also performed the Op of the First season "Inner Universe". More than one track were performed by the Italian siren Ilaria Graziano "I cant be cool, Christmas in the silent forest" and were introduced in the anime. The ED "Living inside the shell" performed by Steve Conte is one of the 1st GIG Ost. In short, there could not be more fitting themes and BGM to this anime.


Story wise, I found it much simpler than the 1st GIG. Still, there were a lot of explanations required and that took the majority of the episodes. The pacing is also slower in the 2nd GIG but never too slow. I can say there were two storylines in general. the first was regarding events associated with the main plot, the second was regarding the secondary characters. This second storyline really enhanced the anime and filled it with emotions. To avoid spoilers, the story in the 2nd GiG, though simpler than the 1st GIG but was more compelling. I found myself compelled to watch the whole anime in 2 days. yeah, the story was good.


Animation, sound and story-plot were either as good as or better than the 1st GIG. But it was the characters field that was much enhanced. Reserving multiple episodes for secondary characters was one of the smartest ideas. It really enriched GITS with one of its powerful elements: Emotions. That does not mean by any way that the main characters were neglected. It took them only few touches here and there to remove the dust of the characters and to deepen the relationship between the viewers and the characters. The characters' development in the 2nd GIG really deserves attention. Again they had Batou to scream for the major but it never felt as it did in the 1st season "It was much more better". To keep this spoiler free, they enriched the story line by strengthening the relationships between the characters.

As for value and Enjoyment, I think enough is said. It is of the type that compels the viewer to keep watching. I never got bored and had to finish the whole season in 2 days. Very well done action scenes, and in the same time a heart warming drama supported by superb OST and BGM.

I Quite liked it :) Had a well enough structured storyline. animation was top notch as expected & as I have watch all of the Ghost in the shell seies's & movies & It might be a spoiler but I cant help but shed a tear when the Tachikoma's use the satillite their AI's are stored on to prevent a nuke attack :( thus sacrificing them selves in the process :( It hurts watching them die for a second time & this time they wont be coming back :( those of u who watched 1st gig will understand. if you havent then watch it!!!

I cant believe the Tachikoma's died again!!! :'o(

Am looking 4ward to the next gig :) Good series!

SIMILAR TO: Ghost In The Shell 1stGIG

This is the 2nd series of GITS. Obviously, I'm going to make heavy comparisons with the first series, so I would personally advise watching 1stGIG before reading this review or watching this series. (At least, read my review on 1stGIG.)

Visuals: 9 (1stGIG = 10)
The visuals are almost up to par with the first series, but just not quite. Yes the lighting is still splendid and the tone of the scenes with the mood they create are excellent. And since the GITS world hasn't changed, I have no reason to fault the design and intelligence in the environment and the gadgets and gizmos that the series consists of either. The artwork is great and the 3D work is superb. So why not the perfect score? - well, it's to do with the nature of the series. I felt that 1stGIG simply had scenes of more grandeur that showcased the visuals more than 2ndGIG did. For example the action. Apart from the last three episodes, there was not as much action in 2ndGIG as there was in the first series, and I never really found myself blown away by something spectacular like I was in 1stGIG.

Sound: 10 (1stGIG = 10)
The sound has been recreated on top form. The sound effects are once again of the highest calibre and sound suitably futuristic yet familiar. The ambiance is kept excellent and is still probably the most impressive aspect of the sound (the subtle things like the humming of machinery or vehicle traffic sounds in the background, add an infinite degree of intricacy to the audio). The character voices - largely unchanged from 1stGIG - are of course excellent - being suitably different when the characters are communicating verbally or neurologically. The music for the series is the most different aspect of 2ndGIG to 1stGIG - it's not the same musical score! And yet, it's still wonderful! I've once again gone out and picked up the cd for my collection, and I think it compliments the general tone of the anime incredibly well.

Story: 5 (1stGIG = 7)
Okay, so now we have a significant change of an aspect from the first to the second series. Unlike 1stGIG, I thought that the story of 2ndGIG was decidedly AVERAGE (the midpoint of the scale being 'average', and 5/10 being the midpoint in this case). It didn't have too many horrendous flaws, but never did I feel it had stand out moments or exceptionally good qualities either. To start with the positives, it was an effortless continuation of the 1st series. It picked up where the first series left off, but still instantly had its own subject matters to deal with, not relying on the closed chapter (1stGIG) before it. The series showed some range in its sub-plots, and for the first time had episodes concerning back-story and more detail on some of the neglected characters. The base plot of 2ndGIG - the "Particularist Eleven" and the Refugee case, were also an interesting premise.

However, there were flaws to the story. The main and overshadowing flaw is that overall, it simply was NOT a very interesting story. It failed to hold my attention, and at one point, I was even considering to quit the series. I felt that 1stGIG had been thought out much more carefully and had more devotion shown to it from the creators. 2ndGIG felt more forced and less passionate. I was not impressed with any plot twists or revelations, and the episodes did not show as great a range in sub-plot as they did in 1stGIG. Most of the episodes were quiet, and/or political - some to the point of boredom - and even when something truly action packed could have well been shown, it was cut away to something mundane very quickly.

Characters: 7 (1stGIG = 7)
Once again, GITS is not really a focus piece on individual characters, but at least this time there was a noticeable effort made to showcase some of the neglected characters. The main squad are still very much the same as they were in the 1st series, except this time there is a bit of back-story given to 1 or 2 of the more neglected characters, and even a bit more to the popular ones. However, it ultimately doesn't change my opinion of the characters, and doesn't change the way the story of the series is handled. There is very little reference to back-story once it's over, making me wonder if it had any deeper significance than just filling up time. But still, I never had any complaints with the characters and this series didn't incite them in me either.

Value: 3 (1stGIG = 7)
First of all, I would only watch this series again after watching 1stGIG. And even then, I may think twice. 2ndGIG is overall just a bit too political for me and not as action-oriented as I would have preferred. It's hard to recall any moments in it that really make me want to come back to it, though I know one day I probably will.

Enjoyment: 5 (1stGIG = 8 )
2ndGIG turned out to be a very average series for me, that unfortunately had a higher standard to live up to with reference to 1stGIG. I enjoyed it a moderate amount - some episodes were better than others - and whilst I loved watching the GITS world, I often found myself bored and losing interest too often. I don't doubt that some people will find 2ndGIG better than 1stGIG depending on their taste in story etc., but I personally felt that 2ndGIG didn't have that passion which was abundant in its predecessor, or its creativity.