Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig: Ghost in the Shell - Volume 1 (Episodes 1-4)
Major Kusanagi and the other agents of Public Security Section 9 hit the ground running as the second season of theGhost in the Shellbroadcast series begins. The new storylines have a more overtly political tone than the previous sci-fi adventures about the Laughing Man and the scandals surrounding cures for "cyberbrain sclerosis." Chief Aramaki gets his funding restored when he resolves a hostage situation for the new Prime Minister. This terrorist incident is linked to the poor treatment of Asian refugees and their role in the economy of the world following World War IV. When military helicopters go  haywire above a refugee compound, the government faces a potential uprising, while evidence suggests that an even bigger plot may be unfolding. In the unusually sardonic episode 3, Aramaki, Kusanagi, Batou et al. set up a hi-tech sting operation to trap a corrupt industrial mogul. The newly cognizant Tachikoma robots join the crew as "recruits." (Rated 13 and older: violence,  violence against women, sexual situations, alcohol and tobacco use)--Charles Solomon