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It is the near future and the line between man and machine has been blurred beyond recognition. Nearly all people are now cybernetically enhanced in some way, and dealing with crime has become a job for a special elite task force called Public Peace Section 9. Charged with preventing technology-related terrorism, the group of ex-military and police investigate everything from cyber-crimes to murder. In this follow-up to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Section 9 is called back to action, but this time on a much shorter leash. An assassin has been killing government officials, and the new prime minister wants the squad to eliminate the perpetrator before he sets his sites on her. Things are not what they seem, however, and soon the team is piecing together a large-scale conspiracy involving the disturbing "Individual Eleven." Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig takes place in the same universe and follows the same characters as the film Ghost in the Shell, depicting the same gritty, realistic view of Earth's grim urban future. The story takes place after the events of the film, however, and after the conclusion of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The name "Stand Alone Complex" derives from the two distinct kids of episodes that the series includes. Some episodes, clearly marked "Stand Alone" at the beginning, are conclusive of their own plotlines and can be watched independently of each other. Other episodes marked "Complex" are serial in nature and all follow a single story arc revolving around the Individual Eleven.