Customer Reviews

Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. - 2nd Gig (Complete Collection)

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Solid State Society is hopefully a sign of what is to come in the world of Ghost in the Shell. After Stand Alone Complex's 2nd GIG, I was definitely left with a slightly bitter aftertaste. The pacing of the 2nd GIG felt uneven and the story felt more convoluted than tastefully complex, creating an adequate but not perfect addition to the GitS series. However, Solid State Society takes the best from the Stand Alone Complex series and in little under two hours presents a story as rich in detail and as lovingly complex as the series preceding it.

A huge plus of the movie is that instead of feeling like an overstretched episode, it feels more like a long arc of quality episodes stringed together while still feeling cinematic in its presentation. Solid State Society gives us everything we expect in a GitS story: a sci-fi universe that draws you in but never overwhelms, continuity in character development, rich and intelligent dialogue and plot that almost seems plausible down the road, and of course, some light philosophy and shades of grey. Even if you aren't an anime or a strict sci-fi fan, you might just enjoy this one.

This film is one of the best things that I have seen come out of the GITS franchise. I have watched the movie several times, each time enjoying even more. I would give a description of the plot, but I will not ruin it for you. My only complaint about Solid State Society is that it borrows ideas from both of the feature-length movies. If you liked GITS: SAC, and most specially 2nd GIG, you will enjoy this movie.

Note: It is dubbed in English, unlike Innocence. Amazon just has that fact incorrect

I saw this movie for the first time on Sci-Fi Channel's Ani-Monday. I was getting ready to call it a night when this was advertised as being next and had to stay up and watch it. It's a very well done movie with a lot of feeling of the first movie that was brought to the series. Alot of things have changed, alot of feelings are different, but it's all very good. I think I saw an edited version but for the most part it was very well done. All the original cast has returned to do the voices so there's no problem with the english subtitles or with dubbing. Overall it was a good movie.

I don't know if any of you have a similar issue but at the start of chapter 15 there is a 2 second layer pause on mine. My player has memory buffers to greatly reduce the time for a transition and I don't have this long of one on any other DVDs I own. Any way the movie itself is terrific with a great job by the dub team at Bandai. Thats why I give the movie itself a 5 and the DVD a 2 cause of the annoying pause in chapter 15. For a an average 3 stars.

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.

This film is one of the best things that I have seen come out of the GITS franchise. I have watched the movie several times, each time enjoying even more. I would give a description of the plot, but I will not ruin it for you. My only complaint about Solid State Society is that it borrows ideas from both of the feature-length movies. If you liked GITS: SAC, and most specially 2nd GIG, you will enjoy this movie.

Note: It is dubbed in English, unlike Innocence. Amazon just has that fact incorrect.

When I first saw the "Ghost in the Shell" film back in the nineties, I was not impressed. I simply did not get why the film was so lauded, as I found it boring and the characters unappealing. What a change 10 years and a different format can make (not to say that Stand Alone Complex is a mere rehash of the movie). I am now a "Ghost in the Shell" fanatic, and the 2nd Gig is the best thing to come out of the franchise.

After the success of the first season of the GitS TV series, a second season was commissioned, and this stellar series is the result. The first season laid all of the groundwork (beautiful animation, a complex plot, a fascinating near-future world, and characters you really felt for), and the 2nd Gig takes everything to the next level. The already solid production values have been improved upon, and the slick animation and detailed designs give the impression of a feature film. This is especially noticable in the wide shots and the action sequences (which are thankfully more frequent and more visceral).

All of the members of Section 9 are back (including the Tachikomas!), and despite their gruff exteriors they really grow on you. You can feel the comraderrie between Major Matoko Kusanagi, Batou, Togusa, and the rest, and you find yourself really investing in these people's lives. This time around, the story begins with a group calling itself the Individual Eleven taking over the Chinese embassy in Japan. Yet there's something bigger afoot, and by the end of the series the political intrigue and terrorist actions have convincingly and seemlessly escalated to a point where war in emminent. The 2nd Gig also introduces two fascinating advesaries for Section 9, a governmental information specialist named Ghoda (who has an awesome character design) and an intriguing rebel name Kuze who may not be all bad.

As before, the main story episodes are broken up by a series of stand-alone episodes that help to expand and explain the world of Ghost in the Shell while providing plenty of solid character moments. The thing I love most about 2nd Gig is how at their heart, most of the stand alone stories are simple police procedurals that can be enjoyed as just that. However, every single one of these standalone episodes raises ethical and moral questions that will really get you thinking about the world we live in today and what it means to be human. And sci-fi geeks will have lots of fun deciphering what all of the technobabble refers to, as it is never explained to the audience (but its meaning is readily apparent to anyone who really pays attention).

"Ghost in the Shell SAC - the 2nd Gig" is a rollercoaster of a ride that provides plenty of thrills and political intrigue. But what elevates it to a must-see is the way it challenges you to think about life and the direction our world is headed (the show raises so many fascinating questions about technology's increasing role in our society) while still providing first-rate entertainment. It is also populated with characters you truly to get attached to without realizing it. In fact, I almost cried at not one but two episodes, which I never do. Not too shabby for a sci-fi cartoon, huh?

If you have any interest in science fiction or anime, this set is a must-purchase. It's a great deal, and the DVDs have a good amount of extras in the form of cast and crew interviews.

Those who have been following the "Ghost in the Shell" film and TV adaptations know that "Ghost in the Shell - Solid State Society" follows the "Stand Alone Complex" narrative arc. Unlike the two previous films (which belonged to an arc of their own), "Solid State Society", like the aforementioned television series, is extremely fast-paced, heavy in dialogue, and complex in plot.

For the average viewer, "Solid State Society" might pose far too much of a puzzle to be enjoyable: who is this character? why does he matter? what in the world is going on here? who is this Puppeteer everyone keeps talking about?

But for the GiTS fan, especially a "Stand Alone Complex" fan, this film is extraordinary. Picture, if you will, taking 4 full episodes of GiTS:SAC, giving them one solid plot with a beginning, middle, and end, and increasing the production value tenfold. That's what this film is, essentially: like the "Star Trek" movies, it's not really much different than the series, but it looks, feels, and sounds far better than any individual episode.

LIMITED EDITION NOTES:

The Limited edition comes with a DTS audio track as well as the usual 5.1 track. Definitely excellent sound if you have the audio equipment. The second DVD includes a ridiculous number of extras, most of which I haven't bothered to watch. But the great thing about the Limited Edition is the included Soundtrack CD. It's very J-Pop/Techno/Fusion/Whatever, but it has certainly grown on me (and has a reserved spot in my car's CD set).

FINAL WORD:

If you like the "Stand Alone Complex" series, and have watched a majority of it, you ought to see this film. And if you're a fan of the show's music, this particular edition of the movie is by far worth the extra cost.

This is an excellent series. It gets more to the point faster than the first season, though the first season is by no means bad. 2nd GIG kept me engaged and wondering what was going to happen next. Its by no means a thriller Anime, but its in depth story plot and the many twist and turns are what kept me engaged. For an Anime its storyline was superb. I am an ardent 'hater' of Anime, but Ghost in The Shell Anime series is an exception. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves good story plot lines and good plot twists.

In GitS SAC, there are two episodes which I thought to be the best (of both seasons); these were Affection and Poker Face. Both of the episodes give a (rare) peek into the past of Motoko.