Ghost in the Shell 2nd GIG was first aired on Japanese TV in January 2004 it was later released in the States in November 2007. There are 26 episodes in this series and unlike the first series there are types of episodes these are: individual, dividual, and dual. The individual episodes fallow the Individual Eleven story line, the dividual episodes are stand alone, and the dual episodes fallow the Gouda storyline. In 2nd GIG we get a lot more of the back story about some of the members of Section 9's lives before they were in Section 9. We also get some history about the wars that happened in the past as well. The two major wars were the WWIII which was a nuclear war and non-nuclear WWIV both of these wars changed the world and its politics.
The 2nd GIG story lines starts in 2032 six months after the SAC story line ended. At the start we see a new Prime Minster in office, a woman named Kayabuki, she is willing to reform Section 9 and give them everything they want in order to rebuild Section 9. But at a price this being that Section 9 go into the Chinese embassy secretly and take care of the hostage situation; without any of the hostages getting killed. Section 9 is able to take care of the situation and they are back in full swing from this point on.
Section 9 faces two antagonists in 2nd GIG the first are the Individual Eleven who appear to be a terrorist group. They want the refugees, that were invited into Japan after the third and forth world wars as cheap labour to help rebuild, to leave Japan. The other is Gouda, the head of the Cabinet Intelligence Service, and he appears to be a puppet master for the events that are going on through out this story line.
2nd GIG has a lot more action in it and we also get more history about the major and cretin aspects of her past. I liked 2nd GIG and I think that it not only holds up to the the high standard that SAC set but it also raises the bar for any future series and I would give 2nd GIG a 4 out of 5. you can watch 2nd GIG without watching SAC and you wont get lost but I would say that if your going to watch the GITS TV series that you start with SAC. Also please note that like the SAC there are two types of DVD packs you can buy the full 26 eps or the Individual Eleven pack where you only get the Individual Eleven story line.