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37 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the main course! Gutsy. Spine chilling. Brutally intelligent- it can only be 2nd Gig!, 15 Mar 2007
This review is from: Ghost In The Shell - Stand Alone Complex - SAC 2nd GIG - Complete Collection [2005] [DVD] (DVD)
To begin, I must say buy the 1st Gig (Boxset) of Stand Alone Complex first.(you can read my review on 1st Gig if you are unsure.) It will orientate you better and prepare you for the shift in mindset, style and overal feel in SAC 2nd Gig.
SAC 2nd Gig is sleek, dark, gloomy, morbid and spine chillingly- beautiful.
the praise that I gave to 1st gig is warranted but this ....this boxset....is a work of art.And not abstract art like Picasso- this is craved to let you see and understand exactly what it wants to say to you. And that's what I find most interesting about it- it is saying something to you.Let me elaborate further:
SAC 2nd Gig continues where 1st Gig left off. Section Nine are still half operational and under the scrutiny of the government. Don't expect to find another Laughing Man case. Laughing Man was fantastic, mind blowing but in my personal opinion 2nd Gig is by far better, brutally better than 1st Gig. It makes 1st Gig seem....mediocre,like a light starter of soup and garlic bread. 2ND GIG IS THE MAIN COURSE.
2ND GIG talks about serious issues and not issues to deal with some futuristic world where human beings are losing their humanity due to cyberisation, that's a tertiary issue- if you want to hear thatside of things: watch the GITS and GITS Innocence (movies)and maybe 1st Gig.
2nd Gig talks about WAR.
It talks about information manipulation by the powers that be. It talks about terrorism, LIKE WE TODAY KNOW IT. It talks about suicide bombers. It talks about revolutions, with Che Guevara-like characters. It talks about how one person can cause a war that will affect millions- for his own gain! It talks about coup de'tats and Nuclear warfare.
This story is gut-wrenchingly good. It's a bit like 'The Manchurian Candidate' or 'Wag the Dog' but much much much better. It references films like Full Metal Jacket, Vanilla Sky and Wings of Desire. But that isn't what chills your blood- it's the fact that it references things like operation: Shock and Awe- yes, remember that, the bombings by America on Baghdad that officially started the war in Iraq. It's never said- it's shown alongside the kick ass plot.
"Ghoda" the one of the villains in 2nd Gig makes my skin crawl because he probably embodies some hypothetical congressman in America who could have pulled a few strings because he knew a few people and somehow managed to get America into Iraq. Of course there is no such evidence to prove such a man exists but it is still a spine chilling hypothesis made real by good writing.
"Kuze" another villain is the people's hero- and the ultimate terrorist. Throw away the concept of him brandishing an Ak47 with a base in some desert locale and sending video tapes to the news saying "death to the invaders"- for the most part he is a passivist, a LIKABLE but uncharismatic character, a bit of a "nostalgic" type, introspective and sentimental. Yet all the previous AK47 brandishing tactics I mentioned are present in one way or another.
The best part about 2nd Gig is that although it is an Anti-War story, it is NOT preachy. This is Ghost in The Shell and they are telling a story about Section Nine and their adventures (maybe 'misadventures' would be a better term) Section Nine, yes thee awesome section nine, has it's back against the wall for almost all 26 episodes- and it's absolutely believable. The villains are THAT powerful.
I would buy this boxset twice!( I live in an african country so the exchange rate doesn't favour me at all. )
If you are a ghost in the shell fan- you should have already pre-ordered this without even blinking (or reading this review)but BUY... IT... NOW!
If you are new to Ghost in the Shell BUY 1st GIG and BUY this too. There should be some amazon special price for the two boxsets. You won't regret it- Amazon is asking for chump-change for these boxsets.
This is what storytelling is and should always be. As much as I have written in this review- I have barely even touched on what makes this story so great.
Art imitates life- and Ghost in the Shell SAC 2nd Gig is art at its finest.
This boxset is a 7 star General in my books, a star for each disc.(Attention!...At ease soldier!)
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing anime series!, 20 Aug 2008
This review is from: Ghost In The Shell - Stand Alone Complex - SAC 2nd GIG - Complete Collection [2005] [DVD] (DVD)
I bought this in a hurry thinking it was about the Laughing Man case, and was disappointed when I found out I had the wrong series. I put in my DVD player, a little sceptical, but found I was not disappointed!
If you are new to anime, this may not be the best place to start out. At one end of the scale, there is a lot of fighting and violence, but in between the action scenes there is a lot of things to think about, such as the Tachikoma (futurist AI machines) talking about what makes cyborg humans, and AIs, such as themselves, different. Even after the series is ended, it will leave you thinking!
There is one main story, following the Section-9 team trying to protect Japan from the rioting refugees, which comes to a big, exciting finale. There are also many short stories moving away from the main plot, to keep you interested.
Other things about this DVD are great. Both the English and Japanese dubs are very good, as are the subtitles. The menu of the DVD looks awesome and really adds to the feel of this cyberpunk anime! The animation is very good too, I believe CGI is used in parts.
If you're looking for action, or looking for something that makes you think, you'll probably enjoy this great anime even if you haven't seen the films!
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant work of genius, 8 May 2007
This review is from: Ghost In The Shell - Stand Alone Complex - SAC 2nd GIG - Complete Collection [2005] [DVD] (DVD)
I was worried when I came to watch this second series of the Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex series that it wouldn't live up to it's predecessor but fortunately it surpasses the original series in every way. The animation is far superior to the first gig and the storyline, although somewhat convoluted in places, seems far more mature than its previous run. This second gig also includes some interesting background to a couple of the less seen members of Section 9 as well as some of the history of the world in which it is set. One of the things I like about this series is that it is not afraid to drop the action and have entire episodes dedicated to advancing the plot arc or philosophical musings. Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 2nd Gig is a brilliant series and has jumped to the top of my list of best TV series ever.
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