''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' is a Japanese
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series produced by
Production I.G
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise, founded on December 15, 1987, by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. The letters I and G derive from the names of the company founders: producer Mitsuhisa Ish ...
and based on
Masamune Shirow
, better known by his pen name , is a Japanese manga artist. Shirow is best known for the manga ''Ghost in the Shell'', which has since been turned into three theatrical anime films, two anime television series, an anime television movie, an an ...
's
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
''
Ghost in the Shell
''Ghost in the Shell'' is a Japanese cyberpunk media franchise based on the seinen manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga, first serialized in 1989 under the subtitle of ''The Ghost in the Shell'' ...
''. It was written and directed by
Kenji Kamiyama
is a Japanese anime director.
Career
Kamiyama has worked regularly with the anime studio and production enterprise Production I.G, such as his work on '' Jin-Roh'', ''Patlabor'', '' Blood: The Last Vampire'', and for whom he has directed the '' ...
, with original character design by Hajime Shimomura and a soundtrack by
Yoko Kanno
is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer best known for her work on the soundtracks of anime series, television series, live-action films, video games, and advertisements. She was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. She has wri ...
. The first season aired from October 2002 to October 2003 and was positively received by critics. A second season, titled ''Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG'', aired from January 2004 to January 2005.
The series centers on the members of an elite law enforcement unit known as
Public Security Section 9
is a fictional gendarmerie-style information security and intelligence department from Masamune Shirow's ''Ghost in the Shell'' manga and anime series. In the franchise, its jurisdiction exists under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Commun ...
as they investigate cybercrime and terrorism cases; the cases in the first season often are connected to their pursuit of an elite "Super Class A" hacker and corporate terrorist known only as "The Laughing Man", whose actions end up creating the series' titular "Stand Alone Complex". A series of associated short comic animations, titled ''
Tachikomatic Days'', aired after each episode. These shorts star the
Tachikoma
are fictional walker robots endowed with artificial intelligence ( AI) that are featured in the ''Ghost in the Shell'' universe. They appear in the manga created by Masamune Shirow (as Fuchikoma) and in the '' Stand Alone Complex'' sub-universe. ...
"think-tanks" from the main series, and they typically relate directly to the story of the preceding ''Stand Alone Complex'' episode.
The first season was adapted into a feature-length
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
titled ''The Laughing Man'', which was released in 2005. The series also received video game spin-offs for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
,
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
, and
mobile phone
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...
s. ''2nd GIG'' was also later adapted into a feature-length OVA entitled ''Individual Eleven'', which was released in 2006.
''
Solid State Society
is a 2006 science fiction anime film and part of the '' Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' series based on Masamune Shirow's manga ''Ghost in the Shell''. It was produced by Production I.G and directed by Kenji Kamiyama.
The film is se ...
'', a TV-film sequel to the ''Stand Alone Complex'' series, was also released in that year.
A new
ONA
Ona or ONA may refer to:
Anthropology
* Ona people, an indigenous people of southern Argentina and Chile
** Ona language, a language once spoken in Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego
* Ona, a pre-Aksumite culture in Sembel, Eritrea
Geography
* On ...
anime series installment titled ''
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045'' was formally announced in December 2018 and the first season was released on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
on 23 April 2020. The second season was released on 23 May 2022.
Both seasons consist of 12 episodes each, with Kenji Kamiyama directing one season, and
Shinji Aramaki
is a Japanese anime director and mechanical designer from Fukuoka Prefecture. He graduated from Fukuoka Prefectural Fukuoka High School and Okayama University. He was a member of Artmic and is currently the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at SOLA ...
directing the other season.
Plot
Premise
The series takes place in the year 2030, where many people have become
cyborgs
A cyborg ()—a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism''—is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline. with
prosthetic
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
bodies. Primarily set in the fictional Japanese city of , the series follows the members of
Public Security Section 9
is a fictional gendarmerie-style information security and intelligence department from Masamune Shirow's ''Ghost in the Shell'' manga and anime series. In the franchise, its jurisdiction exists under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Commun ...
, a special-operations task-force made up of former military officers and police detectives. While the group investigates various crimes, both seasons feature ongoing investigations into two incidents that embroil the group in corruption within other branches of the Japanese government.
Season 1
The first season of ''Stand Alone Complex'' focuses on the
Laughing Man incident, wherein a
hacktivist
In Internet activism, hacktivism, or hactivism (a portmanteau of '' hack'' and '' activism''), is the use of computer-based techniques such as hacking as a form of civil disobedience to promote a political agenda or social change. With roots in h ...
ultimately reveals to the Major that he had discovered that several
micromachine
Micromachines are mechanical objects that are fabricated in the same general manner as integrated circuits. They are generally considered to be between 100 nanometres to 100 micrometres in size, though that is debatable. The applications of ...
manufacturing corporations,
in association with the Japanese government,
suppressed information on an inexpensive cure to a debilitating cyberization disease
in order to profit from the more expensive micromachine treatment. Following this, he abducted one of the owners of the company and attempted to force him to reveal the truth on live television, resulting in the hacker live-hacking everyone's vision and cameras at the event to cover his face with the stylized laughing face logo that became synonymous with his image.
His popularity spawned several genuine imitators, resulting in the series' titular Stand Alone Complex. After an investigation by the authorities causes him to resurface in the present, Section 9 discovers these companies and several Japanese politicians later used the Laughing Man's image to garner public support and profit, and they begin a campaign, spearheaded by Togusa and the Major, to disseminate the truth. This ultimately leads to the Cabinet labeling them as domestic terrorists and forcibly disbanding them, resulting in the capture of several members and the apparent death of Motoko Kusanagi. However, it is all a ruse to deceive the government, and the very alive and well members of Section 9 regroup to bring the micromachine corporations and corrupt politicians to justice, resulting in the dissolution of the current Japanese government.
Film
In the film ''
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society'', set two years following the resolution of the Individual Eleven incident, the Major has left Section 9, and Togusa is now field commander, leading an investigation into several deaths of refugees from the Siak Republic, which results in the discovery of a government computer system coordinating the kidnappings of 20 thousand abused children who have had their cyberbrains replaced and placing them under the care of several senior citizens made comatose by another government program that takes care of all of their bodily needs.
Their investigation, which brings the Major out of hiding, reveals an entity known as the Puppeteer behind the kidnappings. The Puppeteer is a
rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
formed by the collective will of the senior citizens, and the Siak Republic's intent to use the kidnapped children in their plans leads to their downfall. However, the investigation further reveals that a member of the House of Representatives is also using the children for his nationalistic purposes. Section 9 and the Major infiltrate a welfare center where the MP brainwashes the children, resulting in the Puppeteer revealing that the senior citizens wished to give the children free will in their future, with the politician interfering in that new plan.
Production
![Kenji Kamiyama](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Kenji_Kamiyama.jpg)
''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' was animated by
Production I.G
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise, founded on December 15, 1987, by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa and headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan. The letters I and G derive from the names of the company founders: producer Mitsuhisa Ish ...
, and produced by
Bandai Visual
was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America.
Most of the anime and ...
,
Bandai Entertainment
was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America.
Most of the anime and f ...
,
Dentsu
Dentsu Inc. ( ja, 株式会社電通 ''Kabushiki-gaisha Dentsū'' or 電通 ''Dentsū'' for short) is a Japanese international advertising and public relations joint stock company headquartered in Tokyo. Dentsu is currently the largest adverti ...
,
Nippon Television Network
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...
,
Tokuma Shoten
is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, m ...
,
Victor Entertainment
, also known as in Japan, is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Ent ...
, and
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1987, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyro ...
.
The series was directed and written by
Kenji Kamiyama
is a Japanese anime director.
Career
Kamiyama has worked regularly with the anime studio and production enterprise Production I.G, such as his work on '' Jin-Roh'', ''Patlabor'', '' Blood: The Last Vampire'', and for whom he has directed the '' ...
, with additional screenwriters including Junichi Fujisaku,
Yoshiki Sakurai
is a Japanese screenwriter and producer.
Career
Sakurai was born in Tochigi, Japan. He returned there when he was 13, and graduated from University of Tokyo majoring in economics. His theses on Japanese animation and subculture won several a ...
,
Shōtarō Suga
(December 31, 1972March 19, 2015) was a Japanese writer. He was famous for writing multiple anime series, most notably ''Darker than Black''.
Biography
Suga was born in Tokyo, Japan. He worked in multiple series from Production I.G, including '' ...
,
Dai Satō
is a Japanese screenwriter and musician.
Having begun scriptwriting at a young age and writing scripts for various companies, Satō later focused his attention on writing for anime series. The first major series he worked on was the groundbrea ...
, Nobutoshi Terado, Yutaka Ōmatsu, and Yūichirō Matsuka. Masamune Shirow, author of the original ''Ghost in the Shell'' manga, provided plot for several episodes, sketches of characters and mechanical designs (including the
Tachikoma
are fictional walker robots endowed with artificial intelligence ( AI) that are featured in the ''Ghost in the Shell'' universe. They appear in the manga created by Masamune Shirow (as Fuchikoma) and in the '' Stand Alone Complex'' sub-universe. ...
), and gave his approval to the scripts before production.
The series was produced with an 800 million yen investment. Kenji Kamiyama decided to make the anime television series as a "relative" to the manga and film, serving as a separate parallel world from both.
Music
![Yoko Kanno](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Yoko_Kanno.jpg)
The soundtrack for the series was composed by
Yoko Kanno
is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer best known for her work on the soundtracks of anime series, television series, live-action films, video games, and advertisements. She was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. She has wri ...
and produced by
Victor Entertainment
, also known as in Japan, is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Ent ...
. The first season's opening theme is "Inner Universe" performed by
Origa
Olga Vitalevna Yakovleva (russian: link=no, Ольга Витальевна Яковлева, October 12, 1970 – January 17, 2015), better known as Origa, was a Russian singer who rose to prominence for her musical collaborations in Japan, e ...
(written by Origa and
Shanti Snyder
Shanti Snyder (born 4 June 1981), better known as Shanti, is a Japanese lyricist, singer, songwriter, and music TV host of mixed descent, based in Japan and hailing from Kanagawa Prefecture. She performs with a few different formations at clubs i ...
). The lyrics are in Russian, English, and Latin. The first season's ending theme is "Lithium Flower" performed by
Scott Matthew
Scott William Matthew is a singer-songwriter born in Queensland, Australia. He was a member of alternative pop band Elva Snow (2001–2006), which he co-founded with Spencer Cobrin. On 7 March 2008 he issued his solo debut eponymous album. His ...
(written by Tim Jensen). When the series was later re-broadcast on terrestrial television in Japan, "Inner Universe" was replaced with "GET9", performed by jillmax (written by Tim Jensen), while "Lithium Flower" was replaced with "I Do", written and performed by
Ilaria Graziano
Ilaria Graziano (also known as ILA or Nanà; born in Naples, Italy) is an Italian singer. She gained popularity with the release of '' Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' and the subsequent original soundtracks, composed by Yoko Kanno.
G ...
.
Broadcast
The
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
distribution of ''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' started on
SKY PerfecTV!
is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service that provides satellite television, audio programming and interactive television services to households in Japan, owned by parent company SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation
The SKY Perfect JSAT Group is ...
's
Animax
, stylized as ANIMAX, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. The channel also dubbed other cartoons in Japanese language. A subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, it is headq ...
channel on 1 October 2002.
It ran for 26 episodes until 1 October 2003. The series was later aired on the
terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...
Nippon TV
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed su ...
from January to June 2004. A series of associated short comic animations, titled , aired immediately after each episode of the series. These shorts star the
Tachikoma
are fictional walker robots endowed with artificial intelligence ( AI) that are featured in the ''Ghost in the Shell'' universe. They appear in the manga created by Masamune Shirow (as Fuchikoma) and in the '' Stand Alone Complex'' sub-universe. ...
"think-tanks" from the main series, and typically relate directly to the story of the preceding ''Stand Alone Complex'' episode.
The production of a second season was immediately decided after the first season's TV airing.
The second season was initially hinted when Bandai has extended the episode list to 52 episodes at Otakon of 2003. In October 2003, Production I.G officially announced a second season of 26 for the series, which would air at a rate of 2 episodes per month. The second season of ''Stand Alone Complex'', titled ''Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG'', aired on Animax from 1 January 2004 to 8 January 2005.
It later aired on Nippon TV from April to September 2005.
''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' was subsequently licensed by
Bandai Visual
was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America.
Most of the anime and ...
and Manga Entertainment in North America, and
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatri ...
in Australia.
It was broadcast in the United States on
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
's
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
programming block,
in Canada by
YTV and in the United Kingdom by
AnimeCentral
Anime Central was a British television channel owned by CSC Media Group. The channel launched on 13 September 2007. It was first announced on 5 August 2007, though its license first appeared on the Ofcom website in January (initially named "Toon ...
.
On 18 March 2015 it was announced that ''Stand Alone Complex'' would receive a full weekly rebroadcasting in Japan on
BS11, starting on 1 April 2015. On 25 April 2017,
Starz
Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...
announced that they would be offering episodes of the series for their Video on Demand service starting 1 May 2017.
Related media
OVA
A feature-length
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
titled ''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man'' was released in Japan on 23 September 2005, and in North America on 2 October 2007. The OVA retells the first season of the anime television series with minor alterations to the storyline to accommodate an abbreviated take on the Laughing Man affair. Some additional animation and voice work was also added. Although the Japanese-language version retained the voice cast from the anime series, the English version has a new cast of voice actors. The dialogue recording for the English version was produced by
Ocean Productions
Ocean Productions, Inc., is a Canadian media production and voice acting company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that is part of the Ocean Group of businesses. Ocean Group is involved in intellectual property acquisition and development, ...
.
A Blu-ray version was released on 22 December 2010.
''Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG – Individual Eleven'' is a feature-length OVA which retells the events of ''S.A.C. 2nd GIG'', altered to focus on both the Individual Eleven investigation and the relationship between Hideo Kuze and Motoko Kusanagi. Newly animated scenes and a remixed soundtrack are also included.
[''Individual Eleven'' features the same voice cast as ''The Laughing Man'' and was released in Japan on 27 January 2006./5w6ucvbNQ, archivedate=29 January 2011]
A TV-film sequel titled ''
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society'' was released in 2006.
Video games
''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' has received two console game spinoffs. The first is ''
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' for the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, and was developed by Cavia. It was released on 4 March 2004 in Japan and 8 November 2004 in North America.
The second—a sequel to the first—is a
PSP title, developed by G-Artist, and is also titled ''
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex''.
[In Japan, the game is known as ] It was released in Japan on 15 September 2005 and in North America on 25 October 2005.
Several mobile phone games have been released exclusively to Japan. The first is titled and was developed by
GREE
GREE (derived from an abbreviation of the "Six degrees of separation" concept) is a Japanese social networking service founded by Yoshikazu Tanaka and operated by GREE, Inc.
GREE focuses primarily on mobile games and over ninety percent of its ...
and released on 14 February 2011. The second shares the name of the anime and PlayStation 2 video game, was developed by
Mobage
is a portal and social network for games, owned by DeNA. The service had 30 million users, who largely play on feature phones.
On February 14, 2011, DeNA announced renaming Mobage Town service name to Mobage, which also merged the Plus+
Plus+ ...
and released on 16 November 2011. The game focuses on an unnamed new detective who works for Section 9. The third is a social game also developed by Mobage, titled , and released on 29 March 2012.
On 13 December 2012, Nexon stated it had obtained the rights of ''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' for the purpose of the creation of a
massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game (MMOG or more commonly MMO) is an online video game with a large number of players, often hundreds or thousands, on the same server. MMOs usually feature a huge, persistent world, persistent open world, alt ...
.
The game was formally announced on 17 September 2015, under the title of ''
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - First Assault Online''. The game was a squad-based
first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
for Microsoft Windows, developed by Neople and featuring voice performances by the original anime cast. ''First Assault Online'' entered
early access
Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alph ...
on
Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
on 14 December 2015,
but was discontinued in all territories by the end of 2017, due to low player uptake, poor reception, lack of differentation from other games in the genre, and the developers' own dissatisfaction with the quality of the game.
Novels
A three-volume novel series based on the anime television series and collecting self-contained stories was written by staff writer Junichi Fujisaku and illustrated by
Kazuto Nakazawa
is a Japanese character designer and director of numerous anime series and video games who also goes by the pseudonym . His directorial work includes ''Parasite Dolls'', the anime sequence in '' Kill Bill: Volume 1'', and the Moondrive segment ...
. The novels were published by
Tokuma Shoten
is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, m ...
and distributed by
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...
in the United States. The first volume, titled ''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Lost Memory'',
[In Japan, this novel is titled ] was released on 21 January 2004 in Japan and on 24 May 2006 in the US. The second volume, ''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Revenge of the Cold Machines'',
[ in Japan.] was released on 8 July 2004 in Japan and on 26 September 2006 in the US. The third volume, ''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - White Maze''
[ in Japan.] was released on 4 February 2005 in Japan and on 2 January 2007 in the US.
Short Stories
Two short prose stories were released in the Ghost in the Shell: Five New Short Stories prose anthology released in 2017. The first was called Shadow.Net written by Toh Enjoe which references the Puppeteer's actions from the Solid State Society film but could also conceivably be referring to the events in the manga. The second story (which appears as the third story in the collection) was called Soft and White by Kafka Asagiri which revolves around the Laughing Man's actions in the time period between Standalone Complex and 2nd GIG.
Manga
Two manga series based on ''Stand Alone Complex'' have been published by
Kodansha
is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...
. The first series, , is based on the associated ''
Tachikomatic Days'' shorts. The manga was drawn by Mayasuki Yamamoto and was launched on 9 December 2009 in ''Monthly Young Magazine''.
Eight
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
volumes were released.
The second manga series, sharing its name with the television series, was illustrated by Yu Kinutani and launched on 14 December 2009 in ''
Weekly Young Magazine
is a Japanese weekly anthology magazine published in Tokyo each Monday by Kodansha. The magazine was started on June 23, 1980 and is targeted at the adult male ( ''seinen'') demographic. It was published bimonthly (under the title ), on the seco ...
'',
and later transferred to ''Monthly Young Magazine'' on 14 April 2010. The manga is an adaptation of the first season of the anime series. Five tankōbon volumes were released. The first volume subtitled "Episode 1: Section9" was released on 6 April 2010 in Japan and on 24 May 2011 in North America.
The second volume subtitiled "Episode 2: Testation" was released on 5 November 2010 in Japan and on 29 November 2011 in North America.
The third volume subtitled "Episode 3: Idolater" was released on 5 August 2011 in Japan.
The fourth volume subtitled "Episode 4: ¥€$" was released on 6 March 2012 in Japan.
The fifth volume subtitled "Episode 5: Not Equal" was released on 6 March 2013 in Japan.
Other
An official guidebook and DVD to the first 19 episodes of the TV series titled ''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Official Log 1'' was released by Bandai and Manga Entertainment on 25 October 2005. The guidebook and DVD contains several interviews from several staff members, reports on several animation techniques and other reports on several concepts of the series. A second guidebook/DVD titled '' Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Official Log 2'' was released on 24 January 2006 featuring background, commentary and examination of the remaining 7 episodes. Another guidebook titled was published by Tokuma Shoten and released on 31 March 2007. Another guidebook titled ''Tachikoma's All Memory''.
Numerous figurines have been released for ''Stand Alone Complex'' versions of the characters with Motoko and Tachikoma being a central focus. Various figures have been produced from CM Corporation,
and Kaitendo.
Tachikoma figures have been produced by various companies, including one by the Good Smile Company in cooperation with Nendoron.
A 1/24-scale
plastic model
:''In art and architecture, plastic model may also be any three-dimensional physical model, regardless of material.''
:''In mechanical engineering, a plastic model is a mathematical model of a material which incorporates plasticity.''
image:South-G ...
kit of the Tachikoma was produced by Wave in December 2005.
Other merchandise includes clothing, key chains, notebooks, patches, bags, posters and body pillows.
Reception
''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the series' high quality of animation and the musical score by
Yoko Kanno
is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer best known for her work on the soundtracks of anime series, television series, live-action films, video games, and advertisements. She was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. She has wri ...
.
In particular, reviewers reacted positively to the world of high-technology that ''Stand Alone Complex'' presents,
described as "believably futuristic".
Lawrence Person from ''Locus Online'' wrote that "the world of
tand Alone Complexis recognizably our own, or rather, one recognizably extrapolated from modern Japan. While parts of the technology seem unlikely in the time-frame allotted, none seems impossible."
In addition, several reviews mentioned what they perceived to be overarching themes explored in the series as a result of the setting; specifically, the meaning of humanity in a world where the lines between man and machine were becoming increasingly blurred,
as well as various societal issues that might emerge as a result of advances in technology.
Reviewers agreed that the main "Laughing Man" storyline was satisfying, characterizing it variously as "interesting",
"complex",
and "engaging".
Reaction to the series' "Stand Alone" episodes, however, was mixed: some reviewers considered these episodes to be boring and, in some cases, the worst episodes of the series,
while others contended that they allowed further development of the characters and the futuristic setting.
Certain commentators specifically focused on the series' success or failure in achieving the high standards set by the critically acclaimed 1995 film ''
Ghost in the Shell
''Ghost in the Shell'' is a Japanese cyberpunk media franchise based on the seinen manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga, first serialized in 1989 under the subtitle of ''The Ghost in the Shell'' ...
''. Opinion in this regard was divided: although these reviewers took an overall favorable view,
some reviews criticized the quality of animation,
while others felt that the series' story lacked the depth of the original film.
This "lack of depth", however, was attributed to the fact that ''Stand Alone Complex'' is an action-oriented series with a limited episode length in which to explore deeper themes.
Bolstering the generally positive reviews of the series, ''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' won an Excellence Prize (Animation Division) at the 2002
Japan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held since 1997 by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. The festival begins with an open competition and culminates with the awarding of several prizes and an exhibition.
Based on judging by ...
,
a
Notable Entry Award at the 2003
Tokyo International Anime Fair
The Tokyo International Anime Fair also known as was one of the largest anime trade fairs in the world, held annually in Tokyo, Japan. The first event was held in 2002 as "Tokyo International Anime Fair 21". The event was held at Tokyo Big Sigh ...
,
and was featured in June 2004 by
Newtype USA
is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime (and to a lesser extent, tokusatsu, manga, Japanese science fiction, seiyuu, and video games). It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985, with i ...
, with a "double scoop" cover story.
The Japan Media Arts Festival provided a brief summary of ''Stand Alone Complex'', calling it a "completely original television series...entertaining and easy to understand".
Notes
References
Further reading
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External links
''Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'' official website*Manga Entertainment page
SACSAC 2nd GigThe Laughing ManIndividual ElevenOfficial Adult Swim website*
*
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