DO NOT discuss the source material beyond this episode. If you want to discuss future events or theories, please use separate threads.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
Zanzie said: Sad that it had to end. Rewatching all of Ghost in the shell lately; and I can say all the emotions that go through watching it all come back, like if it were the first time. 2nd Gig; gives us a background of every character, gives us sympathy for some characters. God damn it.. Tachikoma!I'll miss those little guys; they were like innocent kids who were just trying to learn life. loved all of Ghost in the shell. You CANNOT skip a thing while watching this or it'll make no sense/little sense. Amazing audio was put into the episode too. The "I do" song as perfectly placed into it. Music in the Ghost in the Shell series were amazing all throughout. It was an amazing series, the ending was amazing. It sucked that the Tachikoma's were destroyed but.. somehow it made the series more meaningful in a way. I don't like how in most anime people die; come back/mysteriously survive. It's like "Kay; enemies lost, good guys won" This way it's a loss on both sides and you can actually feel better when Ghouda is shot to death. As much as I love this series, commending it for committing to offing characters on both sides is one praise I cannot give it. Mod edit: spoilered the spoilers |
koleareMar 4, 2013 1:46 PM
 |
| That was a great ending buy why do the Tachikomas have to always kill themselves at the end? God dammit! D= |
 "I like to expose what people hide. I'm an intellectual rapist." - Furudo Erika |
| Watching GitS requires your full, undivided attention. That being said, this is one of the best endings I've ever seen. Ishikawa knocking out that guy was hilarious. Plus in my opinion, the Tachikomas might have been the most developed characters in the show and that's saying something. So for them to sacrifice themselves (again) kinda got to me. |
| Awesome show.. really worth watching! Too bad though that the Tachikomas have to sacrifice theirselves again. And their songs are really cute. That was a very emotional scene.. |
| Thank you Tachikomas, now I'm crying. |
 |
| Great ending to a great season. It was so enjoyable to see Goudas head blown off. |
 |
TheBlackTG said: I have a question! Although I'm really late to the show I just finished I've been searching for this forever But at the beginning of the episode where Major is telling the tachikoma's to gather up all the pre-area they can in cyberspace so they can upload and save the ghost and memories of 3 million people From 1:30-2:50 What song/Ost is that playing?? That's the episode down there if you want to see what I'm talking about again to refresh any memories http://www.watchcartoononline.com/ghost-in-the-shell-s-a-c-2nd-gig-episode-26-english-dubbed Not sure if you're still looking for it but the song is Torukia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0ow4tGgZWk |
|
| Well, both Kuze and the Major are there underground in this finale. I'm not surprised by that tbh. It definitely was not something though as Kuze seems to realize that Major was the young girl from his past. I'm glad that both of them got recused as well. A satisfying series for me overall, 8/10 |
 |
| Noes Tachikoma!!! WHY fuck they where the only good thing in this show! You'll sure be missed once again! Those new robots look rather silly... Either way was a meh ending, the first season had a better ending, this just ends to openly and to good... The whole season was more or less boring to watch apart from a couple of episodes containing good backstory or a good side story. But in general the buildup was rather decent and the plot was there so that's good for what the story is. For this season a 7/10 |
 |
| Finished, so sad. :( |
 |
| What an awesome ending. I feel sad though that the Tachikoma's are once again gone! The green versions will never live up to the originals! Disappointed to see that Kuze died but I was happy that Gouda got his face blown to shreds. Highlight was Ishikawa knocking that agent out, it had me laughing! One of my favourite animes along with the original movie and the first season. |
| The 2nd GIG really took the series to another level for me. After this last episode, I can certainly say that it's one of my favorites. I enjoyed it from start to finish and now I can't stop thinking about it, especially the Major's relationship with Kuze. It seemed heartbreaking. Based on the memory of the two children who survived the plane crash, I'd like to imagine that the Major found the boy she first loved. Likewise, I believe Kuze finally found her, the little prosthetic girl he'd been searching for and the first person he opened up to (in the hospital). And imo, as they were stuck under the rubble, I think they both realized it couldn't develop any further. But I really wanted to know why the little girl didn't visit the hospital anymore! Why didn't she tell the boy she was the girl who he thought died? :( Damn, life's a (bleep). |
CrazyJordan said: I just watched the last episode but it was marked as episode 25 for me for some reason? I am watching the THORA sub release, what's with the missing ep? Overall this was a great anime and the Tachikomas were great. 8/10. Apparently Thora's release is missing the second episode. |
|
| I saw it last year, but as I remember 1. their satellite was the only one in the area 2. I think it was Batou. Either that or she means Kuze himself. 3. my guess would be it didn't detonate because it wasn't the set impact. Or maybe it's the future and there isn't a lot of radiation and such. |
 |
| I don't think the explosion was nuclear, one of the American Empire Submariners comments to that effect. Designing a nuclear warhead to detonate whether it reaches its target or not wouldn't be a smart idea, though it's probably possible for it to still happen by chance. The explosion would in effect be a dirty bomb though, fortunately they have the Japanese miracle fallout scrubbing micro-machines to take care of that. |
TopgunUKMay 10, 2013 9:32 AM
|
| omg those CIA Bitches!!!111111111111111 how dare they kill him :[, and tachikoma's song Q_Q 9/10 |
 |
| So. Fucking. Epic. That's how you end a series. So many anime out there have terrible or non-satisfying endings. GitS never fails to impress me with how everything is tied up at the end. Not ashamed of giving this 10/10. |
| Powerful eyebrows. |
| Yes the ending was indeed epic. I'm glad to see Gouda in pieces and i'm sad that Tachikoma's sacrifice themselves. The little things had a Ghost in them after all T_T Overall i enjoyed watching this series 10/10. migohunter said: So. Fucking. Epic. That's how you end a series. So many anime out there have terrible or non-satisfying endings. GitS never fails to impress me with how everything is tied up at the end. Not ashamed of giving this 10/10. ^ :) |
 |
| Wow my mind is blown that Kuze was the little boy from Motoko's flashback. I should've pieced the two together earlier that the boy who grew up eventually being shipped off to war and Kuze's flashback episode were connected I thought Season 2 was going to have a hard time maintaining the status quo but I was wrong. In some aspects, 2nd GiG raised the bar higher than I could have imagined |
HybridMBLJul 24, 2013 11:40 PM
| huh.....I just recently completed the 2nd gig and I have to say honestly it was kinda...'meh' for me compared to the 1st gig.....I'd choose the 1st gig over this one any day...however all is not lost people, since we MAY have a chance to get a 3rd GIG..... |
| Still very good, but I prefer the first gig. 8/10 |
 |
| This series has been incredibly enjoyable, but I preferred the first season. I just didn't really care about Kuze, he was more fleshed out than The Laughing Man but I don't really think it was for the better. TLM was more of an enigma, Kuze got a lot of screen time and didn't really do it for me. Gohda was a terrific manipulative smug bastard though and there are some really brilliant episodes in this season. Poker Face and Trans Parent immediately come to mind in that regard. The plot also sometimes felt like they were trying to do too much at once and got a bit overwhelming. Fantastic on a technical level, believable world and characters, just missing the extra bit for me to give it the same score as 1st season. 8/10 for me, will rewatch in the future to nab those finer details I might have missed. Times like these I wish I could give out an 8.5. Onto Solid State Society next I suppose. |
  |
| guess no one else noticed that she went in a different way from them as if she was leaving the group and the sequel proved it |
After I Crush Your Dreams...... Your Bones Will Follow...... |
| "A man can be destroyed but not defeated." Ernest Hemingway The American dogs may kill Kuze's physical body, but he will always exist on the net, ready to execute his revolution (this reminds me alot on Lain) Anyways, great sequel to the Stand Alone Complex. Contrary to popular belief, many think that sequels will not do as well as their prequels, but THIS proved me wrong. IMO, I still feel that the 1st season was better, as the 2nd GIG lacked hype and focus towards Section 9 and it was more like a faceoff between the corrupted nationalistic "old" government which tried to control Japan within the scene and the revolutionarist; as compared to a very great usage of the society's status and situation as observed in the first season. The Laughing Man incident was but a mass hysteria and a series of copycats caused by the civilians due to a misconception that there was a "Laughing Man", and it turned out to be a decisive "Stand Alone Complex where every perpetrator believed that a leader exists. This gives us viewers an opportunity to go in deeper understanding of the social situation of the GITS world, which is in the end, proving to be effective. The sequel instead focuses on a political standoff between two sides, thus downplaying Section 9's role and involvement within the series of scandals and "revolutionary" bombings and assassinations. It is true that Section 9 was the one that prevented the whole incident from escalating into a civil war, however, the fact that they used a group of self-interested individuals who have no connection or ties to each other but who unconsciously and collectively act towards the common purpose of "revolution", or should I say, liberation thus caused a blur, but indecisive Stand Alone Complex, unlike the 1st season. Additionally, Kuze's true motive of linking each and every human on the net wasn't thoroughly developed, as the Stand Alone Complex in 2nd GIG was throughout the whole show thought to be in the form of liberation of the refugees. The sacrifice of the Tachikomas were meant to be. As observed, they have gained a form of self-realisation and independence despite sharing the same unconsciousness (see Jung's collective unconsciousness), and it was through their selfish, yet noble decision that the world was saved (their actions effectively stalled a cold war of attrition). 5/5 for this episode, and a solid 9 for the show. The weakness that could be exploited was the hype for this sequel, as it was not enough for a thriller action named Ghost In The Shell. Remember, Section 9's good at both intelligence and knocking heads! |
| "If you reject me, I'll blast a hole in you!" Kanzaki H. Aria Just kidding.  |
| I'm the only one that don't think this is so good? well, it's very cool and smart indeed. but I think it has too many boring scenes. not even serial experiments lain, made me feel so distracted. and in my opinion lain is more complicated than this show. but well, the art is amazing, motoko is badass, still I didn't liked this ending. it was too sad. |
| EL PSY KONGROO!!! |
| The tachikoma sacrifice was funny and sad at the same time. The song will they were going to their inevitable ''death'' was touching. When Proto said ''it impossible, they must have a ghost...'', I think it represented very well the will of the tachikoma. The CIA was implicated from the very beginning. The Major couldn't save Kuze in time... Maybe he uploaded himself on the net? I thought that he had forgotten about her and the crane, but it doesn't look like it. I don't know why he didn't tell her though. I was so excited when Makoto just exploded Goda head :D |
| «Time is passing so quickly. Right now, I feel like complaining to Einstein. Whether time is slow or fast depends on perception. Relativity theory is so romantic. And so sad.» - Kurisu Makise a.k.a. The Zombie |
| I don't understand why many ppl said 2nd season is the best. I think 1st much better than the 2nd 7/10 for the second. 8/10 for the first. |
| Fantastic finale, although very very sad. A few things of highlight I loved. - I think it was fairly obvious that the Major knew who Kuze was long before Kuze did. They both realized it once they embraced with the apples in hand. It's terrible he was killed before she could get to him. - Seeing Gouda's head get meat mashed was possibly the most satisfying visual other than... - "Don't screw with us, punk. Section 9 practically invented dirty tricks in information warfare." Ishikawa's 10 seconds of fame = A+ - Nice callback to Batou's "Motoko!" - The Tachikawa sacrifice was heartbreaking. :( I think the team could palpably feel that as well. I loved this so much better than the first season. More emotional and thought-provoking, imo. 10/10 |
     |
| 5/5 The plot leaves me mildly, leaves a great void difficult to fill for one person, there is much to reflect a real challenge. Narrative full of twists, to revise souls too deep in the story of the exploits of the S9 and the characters that have alternated in the two series. How I wish a third season. The technical part is good, the graphics, a little less because of the designs with ups and downs. OST really beautiful, a mix of emotions. I will miss all the characters in this series. Final rating for now 8/10! Wow, the prime minister was really badass in the end, who knows if it has remained at the helm of the country, too many things were left unresolved at the end of the episode. |
 |
Nitre said: God, Ishikawa punching that guy straight in the face made me piss myself. Badass mofo right there, folks. Also, awesome moment seeing Goda burst like that, pretty damn satisfying considering how much of a sneaky bastard that guy was. |
Leibstandarte said: rapi321 said: the tachikoma's are the true heroes. I'm a little confused, what's with the apple? In my humble opinion, 2nd Gig used a lot of religious references. I answered a post last year, see the last post, number 6 for my answer to your question. http://www.concretebadger.net/blog/2007/04/19/gits-sac-2nd-gig-episodes-24-26-and-final-thoughts/ ! The apple also simply acts as a final dead giveaway to Batou, that something is going on between Motoko and Kuze: Kuze us holding the apple, with a bite taken out of it. Yet, Kuze can't move his mouth, so Batou knows he couldn't have taken the bite. Iszumi said: Does anyone know the song that the Tachikomas sang before they (sob!) died? Very sweet and so fitting, I'm gonna miss those guys...gals? OK, sentient beings. Anyway the Machikomas sound really dull in comparison. Really, did no one notice how the Tachikoma's uploaded themselves in some of the space they had reserved for those 3 mil. refugees? terrablu2003 said: Wow, the prime minister was really badass in the end, who knows if it has remained at the helm of the country, too many things were left unresolved at the end of the episode. Yeah, who exactly did she call, the airforce that wasn't supposed to exist? |
| "I'm a middle schooler bartender!" - Mishima Hitomi |
| god damn, tachikoma, why do you sacrifice yourselves again?! always doing it from the nowhere and so dramatic. i hate you for it, but i love you! |
 |
| sasuga tachikoma, you da real mvp |
| Sword in hand, a warrior clutches stone to breast. In sword etched he his fading memories In stone, his tempered skill By sword attested, by stone revealed. Their tale can now be told |
| A nice finale, the political plot it started as eventually developed into a much more personal story between Motoko and Kuze and what it is to live as a 'Ghost in a shell'. I loved it though, really brought some extra development to Motoko's character. The relationship Motoko and Batou have is awesome, this episode pretty much cemented that. Gouda getting shredded to bits by that high caliber rifle was quite satisfying. ^^ Overall an extremely solid and well produced tv anime. I really can't find much to criticize, every episode was just full of awesome in its own way, no matter was it a small sidestory or a bigger plot featuring the Individual Eleven case. Animation, soundtrack and voice acting were superb, its crazy how good this show still looks, being over 10 years old now. Now I'm sad there isn't a third Gig. :( 9/10 |
 |
| I liked it, I liked it a lot. There seemed to be a different color palette between SAC and SAC 2nd Gig. In the first one, we had a brighter tones, while in the second, the tones were a bit darker, grimmer. I also had more depressing vibes from the second than the first one, although, I like them both. It is sad to see that the Tachikomas died, again. Tried not to cry, but, shed a manly tear. There were lots of metaphors, but, I wonder, if the apple scene meant that they would carry on the knowledge on the net, as well as implying that they'll immortality, since their ghosts will be uploaded on the net. It is really ambiguous, because, it can also mean the bringing of life, according to the New Testament, while in the Old Testament it is the fall of man. Edited;if the scene with the metaphor applied that they are Adam and Eve, should they upload/transcend on the net, so they'll guide the refugees? Great show for me, too bad it ended, but, all good things must come to an end. (I have a hole in my heart now.) :( I hope the upcoming GitS is good and doesn't use the clothing style Motoko had in the first SAC. :) |
ourielMar 1, 2015 4:34 PM
 |
| what a fantastic anime really enjoyed it Tachikomas <3 |
 |
| Great series. I admittedly struggled a tad on Gouda's introduction and his heavy on-screen meddling that occurred up until around episode 10. I wish they didn't make him so overly villainous, dressing him up in some kinda exorcist outfit and giving him that face. Could have toned him down a tad and made it a bit less obvious as to how positive or negative his intentions were. Doesn't top stand alone complex for me, as section 9 felt like a bottle in an ocean in 2nd gig, the refugee issues took the focus and it felt kinda sad watching section 9 continuously getting played over and over, dancing to everyone else's tunes. But even still, astonishing series, once I got past episode 10 the series changed for me and I was hooked right til the end. Fantastic OST, the cast is handled superbly, though provoking dialogue, gripping plot. This franchise has to much to offer, its quite incredible. Tachikoma sacrifice and Ishikawa's almighty clout were the cherry on the cake :D Ishikawa kinda reminds me of a big old grizzly bear. |
| the official MAL hall of fame/cursed comments is now open for business - you are welcome to PM me any potential quotes to include |
| 10/5 to this grand finale. On par with the first season. This got me on the edge of my bed and made me shed some tears of manliness with the tachikoma's sacrifice. But the music... 11 years since it first aired, the music still is one of the best around. Yoko Kanno's level of goodness. Specially on this episode, the soundtrack is fantastic. |
 |
| This was good, but I liked the laughing man case more. And poor Tachikomas, there singing was so beautiful and cute <3 and wait... did Kusanagi take her own path at the end? SAC is without a doubt intellectual storytelling at its best |
 |
| I just finished 2nd GIG. The last episode blew me away in how nuanced it is, both with the literal tying together of threads from both seasons as well as with its poetic, religious symbolism. I just read through this whole comment thread and enjoyed it so much I joined the site. So here are my various questions and observations about the finale: 1. "That didn't look like a nuclear explosion" - I'm not sure what to make of this one. The attempts in this thread to explain it literally don't hold water for me, so I might be inclined to take it as a metaphorical thing...like somehow the Tachikoma's sacrifice changed the explosion. I'm not 100% though. 2. Motoko telling Kuze she does have someone she can open up to - Some folks above were wondering about this, as to whether she meant Batou or Kuze himself. It's very clear to me that she means Batou, because of the way the image cuts away from her quiet statement to the shot of Batou, literally bearing a cross and trying to rescue her at all costs - then cuts right back mid-sound. This reply from her causes Kuze to pull away, too. 3. Right after that, we see the long-haired guy who looks like Aramaki, the one who met Kuze, among the refugees. That must mean it was Aramaki's brother! Maybe this was obvious to everyone else, but when this character met Kuze, I thought it was Aramaki going deep undercover. In retrospect, that doesn't really make sense. 4. Religious symbolism - I'm fascinated by all the religious imagery and Christ metaphors. Batou's big metal cross is obvious, but there's also the possible religious metaphor of the Apple, and in the apple scene I realized that the bulletholes in Kuze's hand (which have been around for a couple episodes I think) are very much like Stigmata. At first it seems like Kuze is the metaphorical Christ here, but you also see elements of it in Batou's determination to rescue Motoko and of course in the Tachikomas' sacrifice. And the way we actually see the satellite collide with the nuke is over Batou's shoulder as he's holding up the cross. 5. Biting the apple - a. Someone way above linked to a blog post about the scene where they embrace with apples in hand, but sadly the link doesn't work anymore. I was confused by the apple until I read that person's comment, so I'd love more perspective on this. The way Motoko hands Kuze the apple, and the dramatic way she's about to bite in until she hears the Tachikomas' song, seems very significant...that commenter made it sound like it was metaphorically depicting Motoko and Kuze's decision to link up, accept their physical death, and upload to the net with the refugees. b. When they're up in the chopper, why does Motoko sound shocked and say "You are...?" upon seeing the apple with a bite taken out? We saw in the close-up in the rubble that Motoko didn't bite it, which would seem to mean Kuze must have. But how does this make her suddenly realize who he was? And didn't she already realize who he was for quite some time? She sure seemed to. But is it even possible for Kuze to have bitten it? We've seen him drink tea but I don't know if we've seen him eat. Or is there another meaning to this shot, and Motoko's line, that I'm missing completely? 6. All that said, it's so frustrating yet artful the way they dance around Motoko and Kuze admitting their past together out loud. To the point where we can't even say for sure that Kuze realizes who she is, though it seems very clear that Motoko knows who he is. 7. I also just love how the killing of Goda has so many little homages to the opening sequence of the original movie. The particular way his head explodes, the way she drops out the window...and both of these qualities are also echoed in the first episode of 2nd GIG, when she kills the first Individual Eleven guy. 8. I still don't get who Kayabuki called. Some people here say it was the secret air force (?) who come scare off the Americans, but idk. I guess it is kinda confirmed by the way she has a monologue during the flyover. There's just something ominous for me about how Aramaki's second question about the call gets no response from her and then cuts away to Goda getting a phone call, even though the content of Goda's call obviously can't be the same call. 9. I love how toward the end, Batou has damage on his face that seems to reveal grey metal(?) underneath. I could be wrong, but this is the first time in the whole show that I remember seeing any of the cyborgs with damage that actually reveals their artificial nature. Okay, that's enough for now. Sorry for the long post! This finale was really great...I was starting to get a little bored of 2nd GIG around the middle, when the politics and exposition were getting super heavy, but once the plot shifted away from the Eleven and toward Kuze as an individual (hah), it came back strong. And this finale is one of the most impressive ways I've ever seen a series end. A perfect balance of resolving puzzles, tying together threads, paying off a lot of small moments as a reward for very attentive fans, and leaving a few things open and poetic enough to leave each person with their own takeaway from the experience. S. |
S. |
| I enjoyed this season better since it took me the whole first season before I really got into this anime. Pretty heavy on the dialogue but that certainly doesn't take away from the anime. 8/10 |
StefanoBlack said: 1. "That didn't look like a nuclear explosion" - I'm not sure what to make of this one. The attempts in this thread to explain it literally don't hold water for me, so I might be inclined to take it as a metaphorical thing...like somehow the Tachikoma's sacrifice changed the explosion. I'm not 100% though. You're reading into that way too much. It was not a nuclear explosion because the nuclear warhead wasn't detonated, the missile was intercepted by the satellite debris and exploded but a nuclear detonation is a little more complicated than a conventional one, no nuclear missile would have a triggering mechanism that means that a jolt or accidental explosion would result in detonation, that'd be incredibly foolish. The explosion was a dirty bomb which would have scattered radioactive material everywhere, though the japanese miracle radiation scrubbers will fix that. StefanoBlack said: 9. I love how toward the end, Batou has damage on his face that seems to reveal grey metal(?) underneath. I could be wrong, but this is the first time in the whole show that I remember seeing any of the cyborgs with damage that actually reveals their artificial nature. S. Batou sustained similar damage towards the end of the first season, Motoko too. |
|
| Vaaaaastly superior to the first season. It's phenomenal, I can almost call this perfect. First season didn't feel as climactic or special, but this season was just hooking throughout and managed to trigger such an emotional response which doesn't happen that often for me. I almost teared up when Tachikomas sacrificed themselves ;_; Ahh, damn it ;_; Such a spectacular series. 10/10 |
 |
More topics from this board
Poll: » Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 )NabeShogun - May 12, 2008 |
62 |
by Creepyy
»»
Dec 18, 6:20 AM |
|
Poll: » Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )aero - Sep 19, 2008 |
121 |
by Creepyy
»»
Dec 17, 9:55 PM |
|
Poll: » Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG Episode 25 Discussionaero - Oct 9, 2008 |
34 |
by Magicmist
»»
Nov 28, 4:34 AM |
|
Poll: » Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG Episode 24 Discussionaero - Oct 9, 2008 |
40 |
by Magicmist
»»
Nov 28, 3:11 AM |
|
Poll: » Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG Episode 23 Discussionaero - Oct 9, 2008 |
43 |
by Magicmist
»»
Nov 28, 2:59 AM |