A cabinet meeting on the swelling refugee crisis exposes a plot against the Prime Minister, while Ishikawa's report from the Korean Peninsula finally sketches Kuze's wartime past and the day he traded his rifle for a camera.
Summary
The Prime Minister gathers her ministers to weigh the refugee emergency. Several rush to wash their hands of it, while senior officers and local police air alarm over the crowds pouring onto Dejima. During a recess she confers with Aramaki and Kusanagi, who warn her about the existence of cyberbrain hubs. She also admits that her weak standing is being exploited by figures in her own cabinet who want her gone, and she asks Section 9 to dig into the scheme.
Key Events
Ishikawa comes back from the Korean Peninsula carrying the first real portrait of Kuze's history. He served in the Ground Self Defense Army and was posted to Korea once the peninsula unified, tasked with holding the northern territories against the withdrawing People's Army. His mechanized battalion fought in defense of a refugee settlement near the Chinese border.
Because Article 9 barred any official overseas deployment, a media blackout hid the operation, which backfired when whispers spread that the unit had taken part in a massacre. At some point Kuze set down his weapon, picked up a camera, and walked into the nearby camp, gradually earning a place among its people. When the order to return home came, he vanished instead, apparently slipping west across the border.
Notes
Ishikawa pegs Kuze's last confirmed sighting to Taiwan, where the briefing ends. The episode is the sixteenth of 2nd GIG, subtitled ANOTHER CHANCE, positioned between Afternoon of the Machines and Mother and Child.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Fact of Being There about?
The Fact of Being There is the 16th episode of 2nd GIG. It follows a cabinet meeting on the refugee crisis that exposes a plot against Prime Minister Kayabuki, alongside Ishikawa's return from the Korean Peninsula with the first real account of Kuze's wartime past.
What does Ishikawa learn about Kuze's military history?
Ishikawa learns that Kuze served in the Ground Self Defense Army and was posted to Korea after the peninsula's unification, where his mechanized battalion defended a refugee settlement near the Chinese border against the withdrawing People's Army.
How did Kuze come to give up his life as a soldier?
After his unit's operation was covered up under a media blackout amid rumors of a massacre, Kuze set down his weapon, picked up a camera, and walked into a nearby refugee camp, eventually earning a place among its people rather than returning home.
Why does Prime Minister Kayabuki ask Section 9 to investigate her own cabinet?
During a recess in the cabinet meeting, Kayabuki admits to Aramaki and Kusanagi that her weak political standing is being exploited by figures within her own cabinet who want her removed, so she asks Section 9 to look into the scheme.
Where does Ishikawa's trail on Kuze end in this episode?
Ishikawa's briefing ends with Kuze's last confirmed sighting placed in Taiwan, after he apparently slipped west across the border when his unit was recalled.
Sources & Information
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View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Anime based on the Ghost in the Shell anime series, manga, and official materials. Ghost in the Shell was created by Masamune Shirow, published by Kodansha, and animated by Production I.G. All rights to Ghost in the Shell and its characters belong to their respective owners. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
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- Published byKodansha
- Animated byProduction I.G
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