[Categories: Anime Reviews]
GitS SAC: 2nd Gig episodes 5-8
The Second Gig continues in great style with some tantalising new details concerning the identity and nature of the Individual Eleven, Togusa gets some time in the spotlight for a change, the Tachikomas blast the hell out of some bad guys and Gohda causes all manner of mischief. Good stuff all round.
It would appear that the question Section Nine should be asking about the Individual Eleven is not ‘who?’ but ‘what?’ - looking at the roll-call of enemies they’ve faced in the past the new pieces of evidence hint that Section Nine’s new adversary/adversaries is/are very different. What continues to be a pleasant surprise to me is how it still hasn’t become stale or repetitive: we are in the second season of a TV spin-off that is itself an adaptation and the ideas still keep on coming! Of course, we’re still a long way off finding out too much about the Individual Eleven but enough details are dropped in to keep my interest throughout. Yep, I’m addicted to this show.
Gohda (pictured above) is, as predicted, proving to be a very interesting character and an altogether different type of threat to Section Nine and the way they work. The way in which he strings them along is strangely compelling: this manipulative bastard is using them for his own, as yet unknown, ends yet the sight of our heroes being treated this way doesn’t spoil my enjoyment. As explained in one of the interview featurettes, the writers were keen to introduce an element that prevents things going in Section Nine’s favour every time; I have to say it’s an approach that I approve of.
What is especially interesting from a characterisation point of view (the SAC does more with the characters than the movies did, but so far still hasn’t done as much as it could in my opinion) is how Gohda’s interference affects the group. Aramaki is content to play along, biding his time; Motoko is also reluctant to retaliate, hiding her suspicions; it is the straightforward, no-nonsense Batou who takes the bait every time. It is clear that Gohda knows which buttons to push in order to get a rise out of Batou and his position in the intelligence service gives him leverage over Aramaki, but I don’t think he has found a chink in Motoko’s psychological armour yet: right now he still can’t figure her out. Quite franky, her past is so shrouded in mystery it’s no surprise; in contrast Batou is the down-to-earth ex-soldier type whose behaviour is a little easier to predict.
As mentioned earlier the mullet-wearing and eternally likeable (possibly because of his more obvious humanity) Togusa gets his chance to play the hero as he branches out on his own when investigating a disappearance which ties into a corporate cover-up. As well as being another interesting aside into his character, it sets up the subsequent episode in which Section Nine are led down the garden path in a big way. What else is there to say? Not much without giving away some serious spoilers, so here is another pic of a Tachikoma instead.
Posted on July 28th, 2008 @ 4:23 am
Gouda seems to me a very interesting character. He is sly and a very intelligent person, he effortlessly manipulates people to further his own objectives. Despite his ghastly appearance, he makes no effort to conceal it but rather uses it to his advantage by intimidating people.
This puts him in the league of Heath Ledger’s Joker character in The Dark Knight, another villain who I really admire very much.