Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
Based on the manga by Masamune Shirow and directed by Kenji Kamiyama GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX takes viewers to a futuristic society where technology has saturated citizens' daily lives. Along with the new technology comes new types of crime that exploit it but female cyborg Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team of police Section 9 devote their lives to chasing criminals both on land and in cyberspace. In this complete collection of episodes from the epic show's second season (also known as 2nd Gig) Major Motoko Husanagi and Section 9 continue to battle terrorists in the actual world and in cyberspace. This season gives a new spin to Masamune Shirow's popular concept by combining the talents of directors Mamoru Oshii and Kenji Kamiyama and the animators at Japanese studio Production I.G.System Requirements:Length: 360 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ANIME Rating: PG-13 UPC: 669198252679 Manufacturer No: 25267

Amazon.com:
Major Kusanagi and the rest of Public Security Section 9 hit the ground running as the second season of Stand Alone Complex (2004) begins: Their new adventure centers on a complex mystery even more dangerous than the case of the Laughing Man. Terrorist incidents linked to the mistreatment of Asian refugees after World War IV threaten to ignite a powder keg in Japan. Kusanagi, Batou, and even Chief Aramaki chafe when they're drafted to protect Prime Minister Kayabuki from would-be assassins. But the threats to the government are linked to the Individual Eleven, a cell that recalls the May 15th Incident. (On May 15, 1932, a group of junior naval officers and army cadets assassinated Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi, ensuring that power would remain in the hands of the militarists.) The members of the Individual Eleven--except for Hideo Kuze, their charismatic leader--commit mass suicide in a bloody spectacle that recalls the theatrical death in 1970 of Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Kuze's campaign to win political freedom for the refugees grows increasingly violent, involving suicide bombers, Russian mobsters selling stolen plutonium, and strained relations between Japan and an Imperial America that is trying to reassert its military dominance in the face of economic weakness. And what role does the devious, hideously scarred intelligence officer Kazundo Gohda play in these actions? The Tachikoma robots speculate that as they are abandoning collective consciousness and developing individuality, a dependence on the Net is leading humans in the opposite direction. That trend makes people more vulnerable to cyber-viruses involved in the plot--unless Section 9 acts in time. Most of the adventures take place in bleak, gray and brown settings, which contrast effectively with the bright, colorful cyberworld the Major and the Tachikomas visit. S.A.C.--2nd Gig continues the tight plotting, dynamic action sequences, and interesting character relationships that made the series a hit. (Rated 13 and older: violence, violence against women, brief nudity, alcohol, drug, and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Rating : - Stands Alone as a Great
Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig is a great anime series and a great television show period.

Although I personally enjoyed the first season's classic detective yarn slightly more, the monologues were heavy and the action sparse. SAC 2nd Gig ups the action this time around as it is more of an espionage and political intrigue story, although the elements of mystery litter throughout. This should please fans who were iffy about the films and the talkiness of the first season.

The Box is a heavy duty casing with magnetic latching flap. Whereas the first season box set was wrapped in a flimsy disposable wraparound, 2nd Gig gets it right for the truly serious collectors.

Rarely does a television show captivate me as much as this one. With the exception of the new Battle Star Galactica, I can't think of any other series which has blown my mind and entertained me at the same time as much as this one. If you like cop drama with a hint of sophistication and a bit of action, then this series is for you.