Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 - Episode 3 - 10 Second Anime

Agent Smith conscripts Motoko’s team for a difficult mission. Togusa retraces their movements to an unexpected reunion.

ep 03 – “MAVERICK – MIA”

Hmm.

SAC_2045 is in familiar territory with an unnamed government entity in America’s alphabet soup of intelligence operations making an offer Motoko’s GHOST team can’t refuse. There’s a mystery that will play itself out about what the mission is, who the target is, how is GHOST going to get out of America alive, and what is Agent Smith’s real purpose. Plausible deniability is a thin cover for how many resources they used to “recruit” Motoko and her forces.

The best part of the SAC_2045 episode was how Togusa’s new and old detective skills led to his reunion with the Tachikoma. I was so giddy. It’s too bad it happened right at the end because I got impatient for all the nostalgic feelings their scene is going to have. Togusa, in the prior seasons, couldn’t take part in most of the funny scenes with the Tachikoma because he didn’t have cybernetic implants for rapid communications. Now he does, and I can’t wait to see how the Tachikoma react. I suspect the Togusa and Tachikoma team is going to be the solution for getting GHOST out of Agent Smith’s clutches after they finish his peculiar job.

Heh.

Delta Force Cyborg Squad. Agent Smith came prepared. Tachikoma needs to hide. These American government types don’t know about them. Motoko decides to take the peaceful route.

Togusa has an office. Well, a cubicle. And more like a WeWork one. Aw. He has a framed picture of his family. How real is this divorce? This is cool. Office computer interfaces in 2045 use VR. And they don’t look ridiculous either. Fun. The Dark Web still exists in the SAC_2045 world.

Is Togusa entering a chat room here? And his avatar smacking that other guy is supposed to stand for hijacking his credentials? That was hard to figure out the first time I watched this. Okay. Togusa heard a solid lead. GHOST, what Motoko called the independent team of Section 9, contracted with a private military company called Obsidian. That’s a reference to Blackwater who now call themselves Xe.

Ho. His partner in the office was in the chat room with him. And those South American cartels fried their servers. Well, that’s one way for Togusa to officially start working for Section 9 again. Togusa is still Every Man. Yes, he needs to expense his trip to California. Keep your receipts!

Should Motoko and Batou be talking like this in Smith’s van? How sure are they about the security of their communications? Everyone should be skeptical of Smith’s explanations here. His attempt at forming a bond by claiming that someone is watching him too is blatant. What matters here is that he’s a spook doing spook things. Because kidnapping a mercenary group in the middle of a firefight is just like walking into a bakery and picking up a pie. The same thing! Ooh. Look at Motoko glare. Hurt me, Gorilla Woman!

Let’s see how those Tachikomas are doing. One isn’t doing so hot. Aw. It looks like they need to hide from Smith’s agency. The Tachikomas are the real strength of GHOST. They still think like children, calling the Delta Force soldiers “greedy grownups.”

Those ugly LAX letters are still around 2045 too. I like how SAC_2045 continues the tradition of Ghost in the Shell imagining future interfaces for mundane things like picking up a rental car. Togusa gets the manual Shelby striped 2018 Camaro, of course. This feels like the old Stand Alone Complex. Togusa does his detective work and talks to pretty receptionists. No appointment, but the president will be happy to talk to you about GHOST, with a shotgun! Hello there, fat Burt Reynolds. Please, these are homages, not insulting American stereotypes, because Los Angeles types always wear the latest rodeo fashion to the office.

Har. Togusa proves his GHOST credentials calling Motoko “Gorilla Woman.” Not to her face! Haha! I’m sure the Major knows about this anyway. Alright, the Obsidian dude is a good guy. Professional courtesy and all that. He wasn’t part of Smith’s plans.

GHOST is on the mission already? And Stan got a bullet to the forehead. This target or rescue is hacking their bodies. Ah. Of course. It was a training simulation. Those VR goggles are everywhere in SAC_2045. And they’re tough. Can you imagine slamming a HoloLens to the floor like that? Let’s get these things as cheap and durable as passive 3D glasses for movies, okay? Is that target supposed to look like Togusa? The CGI is poor here. What is GHOST’s objective anyway? All their simulations have been different scenarios requiring different strategies and equipment. Well, they would have beat every single one with the Tachikomas.

The Men in Black don’t seem to be randomly testing their abilities. They appear genuinely concerned they’ll possibly face these issues on the real mission. The Big Bad Guy we saw last episode has secrets and abilities! Is it a reluctant extraction mission? Motoko seems excited. Smith’s agency is confident it can eliminate GHOST once the mission is over. Togusa and the Tachikomas might have a different opinion.

Togusa’s Camaro is a good clue for when SAC_2045 built all their 3D models. The 2019 Camaro went through a midcycle refresh and its grill and taillights don’t look like that. Togusa is still a good police detective. He found that lady that sold Batou the expensive sandwiches. Sadly, parking fees haven’t changed that much for the downtown LA… A fence and a guard, where the fence has holes and the guard doesn’t get out of his box. Sounds legit! The sign is subliminal for No Good. Eh? We’re not going to get the cyber hookers flirting with Togusa? Boo.

Look at Togusa go. He could pick locks in the old SAC, but in SAC_2045, he’s hacking cameras and still having trouble with intrusive popup ads. Organ donation is a whole new derivatives market. This is the fun stuff of SAC_2045 world building. Togusa notices that lady should use an ad blocker.

I can feel it. Togusa is going to reunite with the Tachikomas. I am squealing silently like a little girl right now. Here it comes! I’m dying! The nostalgia is too strong! I’m so happy to see this.