This week on the podcast, 2nd Gig has started to try to bring in more of the case-of-the-week format, but some of the skill and magic of the first season is gone. We dig into the incongruence of the few case-of-the-week episodes; 2nd Gig’s growing fascination with creating backstories for characters; the geopolitical allegory of 2nd Gig and specifically Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution and its connection to Japanese nationalism and fascism; the show finally developing the Tachikoma some more; podcasting is synchronizing your consciousnesses; the quality of the animation in 2nd Gig; more backstory on Kuze and how it relates to Noh theater and themes around death; Koestler’s theories in The Ghost in the Machine; the difficulties and problems of even the good-faith reading of what happens between the Major and the boy Chai; Niamh’s apparently inexplicable love of 2nd Gig’s Wings of Desire episode; themes around the failures of heroism and leadership, and the beginning of the end… Write into our Question Bucket at ghostdiverspod@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter! The Show: @ghostdiverspod Niamh: @FoxmomNia Connor: @rabbleais Niamh’s mediamh pile: @mediamh_pile (Oh I did kill GarfReadAloud shortly after this, sowwy) Export Audio Network: exportaud.io Ghost Divers: exportaud.io/ghostdivers Ornate Stairwells: exportaud.io/ornatestairwells Check out our official schedule at exportaud.io/divingschedule! Works Cited in this Discussion The Ghost in the Machine by Arthur Koestler “The Major’s Body (10): Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: 2nd Gig” by Claire Napier (full series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) Content Warnings for this Discussion Sexual harassment, abuse, and rape Pedophilia and child sexual abuse Sex, sexuality, and sexism Body hacking & possession Food & alcohol Find out more at https://ghost-divers.pinecast.co