Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is a Japanese anime television series produced by Production I.G and based on Masamune Shirow‘s manga Ghost in the Shell. It was written and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, with original character design by Hajime Shimomura and a soundtrack by Yoko Kanno. 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 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 “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 titled The Laughing Man, which was released in 2005. The series also received video game spin-offs for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and mobile phones. 2nd GIG was also later adapted into a feature-length OVA entitled Individual Eleven, which was released in 2006. Solid State Society, a TV-film sequel to the Stand Alone Complex series, was also released in that year. A new ONA anime series installment titled Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 was formally announced in December 2018 and the first season was released on Netflix on 23 April 2020. The second season was released on May 23, 2022. Both seasons will consist of 12 episodes each, with Kenji Kamiyama directing one season, and Shinji Aramaki directing the other season.

Plot

The series takes place in the year 2030, where many people have become cyborgs with prosthetic bodies. Primarily set in the fictional Japanese city of Niihama, Niihama Prefecture (新浜県新浜市, Niihama-ken Niihama-shi), the series follows the members of Public Security Section 9, 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.

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex complete collection cover
攻殻機動隊 STAND ALONE COMPLEX (Kōkaku Kidōtai Sutando Arōn Konpurekkusu)
Genre	Cyberpunk, spy, thriller
Anime television series
Directed by	Kenji Kamiyama
Produced by	Yuuichirou Matsuya Atsushi Sugita (season 1) Hisanori Kunisaki (season 2)
Written by	Kenji Kamiyama
Music by	Yoko Kanno
Studio	Production I.G
Licensed by	AUS Madman Entertainment NA Bandai Entertainment UK Manga Entertainment
Original network	Nippon TV
English network	AU SBS One, Sci Fi Channel (Animax) AUS Adult Swim CA YTV (Bionix) IN Animax SEA Animax UK AnimeCentral, Scuzz, Showcase TV US Adult Swim (Toonami),[a] Starz ZA Animax, SABC
Original run	1 October 2002 – 8 January 2005
Episodes	52 (List of episodes)
Novel series
Written by	Junichi Fujisaku
Illustrated by	Kazuto Nakazawa
Published by	Tokuma Shoten
English publisher	US Dark Horse Comics
Imprint	Tokuma Dual Bunko
Original run	21 January 2004 – 4 February 2005
Volumes	3
Original video animation
The Laughing Man Individual Eleven
Directed by	Kenji Kamiyama
Music by	Yoko Kanno
Studio	Production I.G
Licensed by	AUS Madman Entertainment NA Bandai Entertainment NA/UK Manga Entertainment
Released	23 September 2005 – 27 January 2006
Runtime	160 minutes each
Episodes	2
Anime film
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – Solid State Society (2006)
Manga
Written by	Yu Kinutani
Published by	Kodansha
English publisher	US Kodansha Comics
Magazine	Weekly Young Magazine (2009–2010) Monthly Young Magazine (2010–2012)
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	14 December 2009 – 17 December 2012
Volumes	5
Manga
Tachikomatic Days
Written by	Yoshiki Sakurai Mayasuki Yamamoto
Published by	Kodansha (2009–2013) DeNA (2013–2015)
Magazine	Monthly Young Magazine (2009–2013) Manga Box (2013–2015)
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	2009 – 2015
Volumes	8
Manga
The Laughing Man
Written by	Yu Kinutani
Published by	DeNA
Magazine	Manga Box
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	4 December 2013 – 2016
Volumes	4
Original net animation
Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 (2020–present)
Video games
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (PlayStation 2 game) Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (PlayStation Portable game) First Assault Online