Angel's Poem

A man checks in for what should be an unremarkable operation, then deteriorates sharply, sending the surgical staff into a scramble to keep him breathing. Forced to probe the patient's stored memories midway through the procedure, the lead physician recognizes him as the infamous terrorist known as Angel's Feathers. Caught between medical confidentiality and public duty, the doctor eventually chooses to alert the authorities. His tip sets off a coordinated counter-terrorism push drawing elite units from several nations, and Japan answers by sending Batou and the Major of Section 9.

At a briefing convened in Berlin, the assembled forces learn how the bomber works. He plants powerful charges to topple high-rise structures and eliminate his marks, earning his nickname from the countless glass fragments that rain down afterward like feathers. Intelligence suggests he will pause in the city before pressing on to his next target. During a bitterly cold surveillance shift, Batou notices a sightless young woman, Theresia, wandering as she searches for her father. That father turns out to be Angel's Feathers, who slips into Berlin on regular visits to see her, and Batou and Kusanagi are compelled to seize him directly in front of the girl.

The story leans heavily on Wim Wenders' film Wings of Desire, released in Germany under the title Der Himmel über Berlin. Carrying the subtitle TRANS PARENT, it stands as the eighteenth installment of the 2nd GIG season and was directed by Toshiyuki Kawano from a script by Kenji Kamiyama. The Japanese broadcast landed on September 4, 2004, with the English airing following on April 1, 2006.