Ghost in the Shell - Standalone Complex - 2nd Gig Review - Extended

Overall Rating - 6.1 out of 10 - Enjoyable only for fans of Section 9 and more flawed than 1st season 

I recommend watching once

I cannot say I enjoyed watching the 2nd Gig, but I managed to get some answers for a few questions that left unanswered from the original. For example, why I did not like Section 9 or its members. By the end of first season, I could not really pin down, what it is about them that did not sit well with me. In second it became clear what is wrong with them. 

I generally do not like self-righteous people who put some sort of moral or ethics above all else, willing to both die or kill for that. Religious zealots, fanatical ideologists are few examples of such people. Section 9 is also like that. At first glance people like that are all nice and willing to help. However, all that flies out of the window if they start seeing you as someone who does not meet their ethical standards. Suddenly they become ruthless enforcers of moral standards, a moral police.

Signs that Section 9 was like that were already showing in the first season, but it really became apparent only in the second one. From small incidents like Togusa shooting some rapist many more times than needed to the very main plot storyline. Gohda is not the nicest guy out there and his plans are more of a danger than anything else. However, Section 9 opposes him not because of that, but simply because they do not like him. They will smuggle a nuke into a rebel area, fight fellow security personnel from different units and put country and a lot of people in danger just to beat Gohda. Interservice rivalry gone rampart. 

In 22nd something episode Batou wasted nearly entire episode picking at Gohda alleged moral and character flaws. That is ad hominem - a logical fallacy. I hate people picking at morals, being immoral is not a crime and it must not be treated as such.

If after first season I thought Section 9 guys might be suitable for security work, now I seriously doubt that. I would not want to be shot by emotionally triggered people who will decide to shoot me because they do not like my outfit or facial expression or such.

Other characters are like that too; they are all deeply emotional willing to die for their believes or for someone they admire. Togusa went hard on rapist because of his emotions, Makoto helped some crooky kid because she kind of sympathised with him. I might have been more positive if I liked the kid, but I just did not. Kuze sided with refugees because he sympathised with them and they are all willing to die for him and the cause because they are at ave of him for some reason. Even Rangers from Section 4 just dropped their mission the moment they saw that Batou was once one of them. People here seriously lack common sense. They all function on woman's logic or something. 

Plot also took a turn to the worse. Compare to first part it overengineered (or overwritten) to the point of pointlessness. If original managed to pull reasonable enough plot twists that more or less managed to make sense, then 2nd fails in sense department. Why would Kuze need to blow up refugees in order to upload their ghosts to net and turn them into fully bodyless beings. He could just find enough volunteers among general population. That will make Laughing Man stop laughing. 

Overall 2nd gig smells of rather thick anti-American, anti-liberal ideology, something first managed to avoid somehow. I already wrote why Kuze and his refugees are not compelling rebels compare to say Lelouch. Lelouch fought against real oppression, Kuze's refugees are all about struggle for struggle's sake, Bookchinistas. Alas Section 9 is sympathetic to them, or to that ugly Prime Minister woman who is Aramaki's type. 

After all, it's not wrong to live well, it's wrong to not share this wealth with me.

Also, the whole, mental virus thing that infects brains and turns people into revolutionaries. That is so left wing to think one can simply reprogram humans to act like one desire. This abnegation of human will is jarring. People are not robots and have free will, they do as they see fit, not as you tell them to.

Other than that, there is not enough action and exploding helicopters to keep you entertained, they ration helicopters like bread in blockaded Leningrad. 

Overall, there is probably certain value in watching this at least once. One can get ideas about using interservice rivalry to destroy countries from within and maybe even to use emotions against people. Not that you need this show to tell you these things, you can figure them on their own. That said, its rather unpleasant show.

Rebels in Ghost in the Shell Compared to Code Geass

 

I am currently close to completing GitS SAC 2nd Gig. In that show a major antagonist is a sort of "charismatic" revolutionary who wants to liberate refugees. A first I thought they were simply opposed to their government accommodating any refugees at all and want them all forcefully expelled, but later it turned out they wanted to "liberate" refugees by destroying things that support them and starving them all, I guess. 

Somehow GitS fails when it comes to writing compelling rebels. Both rebel plans and actions seem contradictory to me. Rebels in GitS fully ideological and emotional while at the same time completely illogical and irrational: all wiling to die for a cause, even killing themselves on camera to make a statement. 

The only place that resembles it IRL is Palestine, there too rebels fight for a cause that is completely against their best interests. Hamas cannot provide them with anything other than misery and death, yet they still support it, human stupidity is infinite, I guess.

Also in Palestine, just like in GitS, government insiders are the real puppet masters behind the regime. Hamas is a puppet of Iranian regime, who, along with Russia and China are puppets of American neo-Puritans who fight American neo-Chevaliers who support Israel instead. To quote Blood Omen, Legacy of Kain: "With so many puppets, can you find the true player?" 

In fact, the entire world is a but a battleground of a fight between the abovementioned American fractions. 

Neo-Puritans originate from American New England; they hate America and want to re-create puritan like living conditions of early Massachusetts Bay Colony. They created Ayatollah's regime in Iran, they took over early Soviet government from within and turned it into puritan dictatorship under Stalin, purging all diverging Bolsheviks like Bukharin and Trotsky. They also control China, Cuba and most other communist states. Since puritanism is unappealing, they became apt at disguising their ideology and true objectives as something more palatable to fool people into supporting it. They are being Woke movement as well as modern Bookchin Socialism that combines disadvantages of Socialism and Capitalism in one godawful ugly ideology. I once wrote a separate article about them, and some more.

Neo-Chevaliers originate from early American southern colonies and descend from second sons of British nobility. They control the US military and oppose Neo-Puritans for reasons of Neo-Puritans being complete nutcases. Being rather brash, selfish and unlikable, they create themselves more enemies than they need to. Something sly Neo-Puritans use to create themselves unwitting allies, who do not fully understand just who they are siding with?

World is caught in a secret struggle between these two, like in a fight between assassins and templars in late Assassin's Creed games, with only European Union could possibly hold them both at certain distance from itself.

Back to the original topic: why Black Knights and Zero are compelling rebels that make sense and Kuzo and his refugees are not.

To begin with Code Geass. HBE functions as a sort of 3 class society. On top of the pecking order are native Britannians, followed by Honoured Britannian and the then the Numbers. Britannians are the privileged class for whom state cares. Honoured Britannians are these to serve the native Britannians and are clearly treated as second class citizens by the latter, like during that incident with hod dog vendor or with camera students in ghetto. Finally, Numbers are seen as completely worthless and undeserving. That is the official policy of the empire, not a sort of private discrimination. Unless you are born native Britannian, your life is a complete shit.

One can see an example of that in Japan itself, Zero points to that in conversation with Oghi and his crew on a train, but more scenes here and there show the same picture. After HBE conquered it, they build there 22 century futuristic cities, but these cities were for native Britannians who came from the mainland only. Locals were left behind in crumbling and dilapidated remnants of what was built under native Japanese government, as HBE does not want to spend a single penny on the Numbers. Nunnally once tried to do that as Viceroy, but the rest of the government was against it. Vae Victus - Woe to the vanquished.

If that sounds somewhat far-fetched and removed from reality, then here is video of a Korean guy who explains how that functions in very real contemporary North Korea. The difference is that they are doing it to their own people and no to the conquered foreigners. I can pretty much say it's the same in modern Russia, as someone who was purged from Russian upper class after Putin took over from Yeltsin, I know what I am talking about. The only difference is that in Russia the classes are disguised better so lower classes do not envy the upper class. One cannot envy them if one does not know what they really have. The privileged elites have everything, while common Russians are told country is poor because Americans steal all the money. As much as Western developed countries like to present themselves as different, it increasingly becomes the same here as well. Hell even on Titanic there were the same three classes. Indians like to spice it up more with 4 castes plus an outcast, a 5 in total.

Thus, rebels who fight against HBE rule fight not because they believe in some lofty cause or ideal and willing to die for it, or even because they are war-like people. They just do not like being in the underclass and want to change the system, that keeps them down or change their class. Tamaki even honestly put it that he wants to be a government official: essentially someone with a good status, fat paycheck, job perks and cozy not too hard work. It's the fact that the system will not give such an upper-class work for someone from a lower class like Tamaki is the reason for him to fight against the system. Others do not say it, but they likely have similar enough aspirations. Of all Black Knights, only Kallen was there purely for ideological identity reason and could easily have an upper class Britannian lifestyle if she so wished.

One can say that Lelouch could just go back to being prince, but that is not that simple. Lelouch was effectively purged from royal family due to court intrigue. Sure, he might say something that might have looked like it was his choice, but it was more of a shutting the door loudly when you were told to get out. There was no guarantee that Charles would not have sent him in exile if he said something else instead. Without his mother there was no one to protect him from other royals who see him as potentially dangerous rival and would rather eliminate him. Emperor's unwillingness to do anything about her death only further indicated that Lelouch was effectively marked for death, just like the court was whispered while he was walking towards the emperor. 

I wrote a few articles back then, analysing Lelouch so I will not go further here. Suffice to say here is that Lelouch does it not out of idealism or sympathy for Japanese but out of personal grunge and revenge for how he was treated by Charles and the royals.

One can say that Suzaku is prospering within the system despite his Japanese background, but his situation is more of luck than clearly defined path, open for everyone and he has to put up with a lot of discrimination and hate, as people around him do not see him as equal.

None of these things are present in GitS. Refugees there are all enamoured with Kuze and many are inclined towards crime and gang live. They are not fighting to make their lives better, but to saw chaos and destruction driven purely by their emotions.

Because of that, unlike Black Knights in Code Geass. one can hardly support Kuze or his cause. At least I would not support Kuze even though I support Lelouch and Black Knights.

Asobi ni Iku yo! Review

Overall Rating 7.2 out of 10 - Solid anime that, does not fail like many others and gets things done

I recommend watching

Among the large number of disappointing shows that I am dealing with recently, it's good that at least one show gets things right. Cat Cuties is not the most original show out there, it does things mostly by the book, but it gets them done right. Thus, it is enjoyable to watch. Asobi ni Iku yo! proves that if you just put all the working ingredients together and stir them a little bit, it will make for a decent show.

To begin with, girls with cat or rabbit ears were always go to solution to make women more appealing to male audience. Here we have cat girls in tight body suits that wonderfully highlight their body curves. They have cute bells on their neck bands too and generally rather moe.

One guy and three main heroines: the usual selection of Tsundere, Dandere and Deredere. I do not like tsunderes but the other two make up for that, its two good girls and only one not. Futaba and Eris against only Manami. 

Then there are fights, they are somewhat too chaotic so it's sometimes hard to follow what is going on. It's not tactical like in Code Geass or Naruto, but still enjoyable to watch.

Finally, the setting is a win, the summer resort-like vibe of Okinawa is certainly a place where I want my shows to be set.

And there is also space technology, customisable assistroids and more.

A few minor flaws are somewhat flawed design of certain Catian crew members, that could have been curvier and girly rather than somewhat boy like.

Overall, I do recommend it. It's fun and worth your time.

OVA had a promising premise, but they missed the opportunity to make girls act all insecure in a cute way about being exposed in front of Kio.

School Rumble Ni Gakki Review

Overall Rating 5.7 out of 10 - Overall worse than predecessor, with only few good episodes.

I recommend watching few select episodes, like episode 20 and 25.

Me complaining that sequels fail to live to the original is nothing new, here again a second season of Sucuran is not as good as the original.

One difference however is that unlike many other shows that I condemned with the same conclusion, Sukuran did not abruptly got worse from second season on, so I cannot easily blame it on staff changes and such. It's of course possible that staff changed mid-season, but what are the chances. Sukuran was already declining in first season. Gradually it introduced more and more unlikable characters like Lala, Tougou, Imadori or Jirou, that gradually stole the show away from the core cast. 

Second season was not a sudden break with the trend; it just exacerbated what was bad in the first one. More screentime for characters I do not like, less for those I like. Even those characters I generally do like, get to play less appealing role. There is less of Tenma fawning over Karasuma and more of her being nasty to Harima (episode 15 something, not episode 25, she is nice to him there). That orange haired nurse that was so nice to Harima in first season, became lesbian with his relative in the second and no longer treats Harima nicely. Not an abrupt break, but some kind of planned gradual decay.

Despite that occasionally Sukuran gets back to its core roots and pulls a few good episodes here and there. However, by now they are clear minority. A drop of honey in a barrel of tar. Unlike the first season, second did not get a good final episode that would leave me at least hopeful for the future of the show. I might watch the brief second season sometime in future, but for now Sukuran is shelved.

I have to look back to remember every good episode that was worth watching, so I cannot list them now. Will come back to it sometime.

Overall, with exception of few good episodes, this season is a failure. Something killed yet another show that was initially promising. Or maybe it was never meant to be good in the first place, I was always bad, I just could not see it early on. 

Regardless it's no longer a show about Tenma doing silly but cute things driven by her unrequited love for Karasuma, this show no longer makes fun of women and instead mocks and abuses men. Poor treatment of men is not something I am willing to tolerate in my shows, only poor treatment of females.