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Ghost in the Shell Arise 2nd Episode's New Promo Video Posted

Sony began streaming a new promotional video on Friday for the second installment of the Ghost in the Shell Arise anime project. The second episode, titled "border:2 Ghost Whispers," opened in theaters in Japan on November 30, and is currently available on the Japanese PlayStation Store. Those who rent the HD version of the second episode on PSN between November 30 and December 31 will receive an original custom theme for the PS3.

The story of "border:2 Ghost Whispers" takes place after Motoko gains her freedom by separating herself from the military's 501st Secret Unit. Even without Aramaki's suggestion to make her own unit, Motoko begins assembling members. As this is going on, someone has hacked into the Logicoma. As she transports the machines in order to check them for abnormalities, she is suddenly attacked by an armed unit. Not long after, she meets up with Batou, the man with the "eye that never sleeps," Ishikawa, a former member of the army who is good at finding information through the Internet, and Borma, an electronic warfare expert.

The new installment will bring back most the cast from the first installment, with Ishikawa (played by the late Tomoyuki Dan), Saito, and Borma making their first appearance:

Maaya Sakamoto as Motoko Kusanagi
Ikkyū Juku as Daisuke Aramaki
Kenichirō Matsuda as Batou
Tomoyuki Dan as Ishikawa
Takurō Nakakuni as Saito
Youji Ueda as Paz
Kazuya Nakai as Borma
Miyuki Sawashiro as Logicoma

The Blu-ray Disc and DVD for the episode will go on sale at theaters on November 30, and then ship from regular retailers on December 25.

The first of four 50-minute parts from the anime series premiered in Japanese theaters in June, and shipped on Blu-ray Disc and DVD at retail on July 26. The Blu-ray for the first episode was sold in advance at Japanese theaters when the Ghost Pain installment debuted in June. Kazuchika Kise (chief animation director for Otogi Zoshi, Blood-C: The Last Dark) is directing the series and designing the characters, and Tow Ubukata (Le Chevalier D'Eon, Mardock Scramble) is supervising and writing the scripts. Production I.G is producing the series, and Cornelius (Appleseed: Ex Machina) is composing the music.

Funimation licensed the anime and released the first episode in a special imported edition in August. The company plans to screen the first two episodes in a limited theatrical run later this year. The company is also offering the special-edition release prior to its typical English-language home video release.

The third episode in the project, "border:3 Ghost Tears," is slated to open in theaters on June 28, 2014.