"Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex" (2002) TV series 2002-2005

Director:

Kenji Kamiyama

Writers:

Mary Claypool (american version)
Yutaka Omatsu (writer)
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

19 November 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Crime | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

A New Beginning, A New Threat...

Plot:

New government, new office, and a new aggressor... the continuing story of Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex takes a turn towards today's headlines as Section 9 faces a new terrorist cell called the Individual Eleven.

Plot Keywords:

Japan | Terrorist | Cyborg | Major | Counter Intelligence

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 22	3:30 AM	TOON	Android and I	#1.3
Sun. Nov. 29	3:30 AM	TOON	Intercepter	#1.4

Cast

Dino Andrade	...	Children / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Kevin Brief	...	Kanzaki / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Loy Edge	...	SWAT / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Barbara Goodson	...	Maruta / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Michael Gregory	...	Reiko / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Kate Higgins	...	Children / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Paddy Lee	...	Fom / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Michael McConnohie	...	Commander / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Liam O'Brien	...	Fake Laughing Man / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Peggy O'Neal	...	Girl / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Douglas Rye	...	Litton / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Barry Stigler	...	Foreign Minister / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Doug Stone	...	Matsuoka / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Julie Ann Taylor	...	Miyahara / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Kari Wahlgren	...	Sales Person / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Tom Wyner	...	Interior Minister / ... (51 episodes, 2002-2005)
Bob Papenbrook	...	Doorman / ... (50 episodes, 2002-2005)

Series Directed by
Masaki Tachibana		(8 episodes, 2002-2004)
Itsurô Kawasaki		(4 episodes, 2005)
Kenji Kamiyama		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Masamune Shirow		(52 episodes, 2002-2005)
Kenji Kamiyama		(2 episodes, 2003)
Mary Claypool		(unknown episodes)
Yutaka Omatsu		(unknown episodes)
Yoshiki Sakurai		(unknown episodes)
Dai Sato		(unknown episodes)
Shotaro Suga		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Marvin Gleicher	....	senior producer (unknown episodes)
Mitsuhisa Ishikawa	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
Ken Iyadomi	....	senior producer (unknown episodes)
Yuichiro Matsuka	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Charles McCarter	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Kaoru Mfaume	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Tsutomu Sugita	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Shigeru Watanabe	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Yôko Kanno		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Kôji Tanaka		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Junichi Uematsu		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Yusuke Takeda		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Masaki Tachibana	....	storyboard artist (8 episodes, 2002-2005)
Paul Nicholson	....	logo designer: The Laughing Man (5 episodes, 2002-2003)

Series Sound Department
Preston Martin	....	adr recordist (3 episodes, 2004-2005)
Collin McQueen	....	adr engineer (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Shinichi Rembutsu	....	animator (1 episode, 2003)

Series Animation Department
Makiko Kojima	....	animation paint and scanner: Studio Road (8 episodes, 2002-2003)
Makoto Shimomura	....	character designer (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
David W. Barr	....	digital adr tracking (unknown episodes)
Ken Ohara	....	on-line supervisor (unknown episodes)
Kevin Seymour	....	voice director (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Bandai Visual Company
• DENTSU Music And Entertainment
• Kodansha
• Kôkaku Kidôtai Seisaku Iinkai
• Production I.G.

Distributors

• AXN (2009) (Hungary) (TV) (re-release) (on AXN Sci-Fi)
• Animax Broadcast Japan (2002) (Japan) (TV) (pay tv)
• Animax (2006) (Japan) (TV)
• Bandai Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Bandai Visual Company
• Cartoon Network (2005) (USA) (TV)
• Cuatro (2005) (Spain) (TV)
• Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV) (2004) (Japan) (TV)
• Perfect Choice (2002-2003) (Japan) (TV)
• YTV (2005) (Canada) (TV)

Other Companies

• Animaze  English adaptation production associate
• Bandai Entertainment  English adaptation production
• Bee Train  in-between animation
• Magnitude 8 Post  English adaptation recording facility
• ZRO Limit Productions  English adaptation production associate (as ZRO Limit)

Also Known As:

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (USA) (literal English title)
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig (USA) (second season title)
Kôkaku kidôtai: S.A.C. 2nd Gig (Japan) (second season title)

Runtime:

USA:25 min (52 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14 | Australia:MA | USA:TV-MA | New Zealand:M | Canada:14+ (Quebec) | Canada:16+ (TV rating) | South Korea:15 | UK:15 (most episodes) | UK:18 (one episode) | South Korea:18 (some episodes) | Japan:R-15 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:TV-14 (some episodes)

Company:

Bandai Visual Company

Trivia:

In the first episode, "Section 9," during the scene where the foreign minister tries unsuccessfully to read the stolen report, the camera zooms in on one of his cybernetic eyes. Amongst all of the usual symbols and jargon you'd expect on a camera lens, the words "Directed by K.K." can be seen. This is a reference to Kenji Kamiyama, the director of the series.

Quotes:

Major Motoko Kusanagi: [Section 9 is disbanding after being attacked by Government forces] Public Security Section 9 is hereby disbanded. That is all.

Movie Connections:

Spin off from Kôkaku kidôtai (1995)

Soundtrack:

GET9

CSI meets the Matrix!

One of the best new series around (not just anime), Stand Alone Complex follows the investigations of Section 9 as they attempt to stop futuristic terrorism. Helping Section 9 Chief Aramaki are the child-like Tachikoma robots and a team with expertise in hacking the virtual world called the 'Internet' to locate criminals, led by Major Motoko Kusanagi.

Though all the characters from the Ghost in the Shell movie are here, this film has absolutely nothing to do with the feature, instead establishing itself as a well-written and directed anime in its own right. There are also some creative decisions that seem to be aimed at making Stand Alone Complex more mainstream (for example, Motoko no longer has to be undressed to become invisible). The addition of the Tachikoma (from the original manga) may annoy some Ghost in the Shell purists at first, but despite their 'cute' sounding nature, the Tachikoma are ultimately the most emotional and touching characters of the series.

Roughly half the episodes are 'Stand Alone', in that they basically follow the 'case-of-the-week' format, and the other half deal with the 'Laughing Man', a mysterious vigilante-type hacker who seems determined to rid the world of corruption.

Since the glory days of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Trigun and Cowboy Bebop, all slowly aging extremely gracefully, most of the good anime has come from movies, with TV series being left by the wayside. It's therefore refreshing to see a well-budgeted TV series that mixes the best of CSI and the Matrix, and actually being fun to watch, with the occasional cliff-hanger ending that leaves you wanting more!

10/10