Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, a cyberpunk media franchise (and also an anime TV series)
攻殻機動隊 (Kōkaku Kidōtai) Sutando Arōn Conpurekkusu, Mobile Armored Riot Police: Stand Alone Complex
In August of last year, we learned that Atsuko Tanaka, the Japanese seiyuu behind Bayonetta’s titular character, the Japanese dub voice of Lara Croft from Tomb Raider (from the second game until around 2003), and this character (details below) from this anime series, is dead. Tanaka was 61 years old at the time of her death. Today we’re looking at the cyberpunk Japanese anime TV series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, based on Masamune Shirow’s manga of the same name. A second season, titled Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig1, aired from January 2004 to January 2005. Critical response to the series was generally positive.
The anime series was subsequently licensed by Bandai Visual (now closed) and Manga Entertainment in North America. It was broadcast in the United States on Cartoon Network’s still-active adult-oriented Adult Swim programming block and in Canada by YTV. The anime series takes place in the year 20302, where many people have become cyborgs with prosthetic bodies. Primarily set in New Port City (新浜市, Niihama-shi), in the fictional Japanese prefecture of Niihama (新浜県, Niihama-ken), 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, and also follow Major Motoko Kusanagi (Atsuko Tanaka — anime series, deceased; Hiromi Tsuru — 1997 video game, deceased / Mary Elizabeth McGlynn — anime series), a cyborg counter-cyberterrorist field commander in the employ of Public Security Section 9, a fictional division of the real Japanese National Public Safety Commission, as the squad leader and lead investigator.
The soundtrack for the series was composed by Yoko Kanno and produced by Victor Entertainment. The first season's opening theme is “Inner Universe” performed by Olga “Origa” Yakovleva (deceased 2015; written by Origa herself and Shanti Snyder). The lyrics are in Russian, English, and Latin. The first season’s ending theme is “Lithium Flower” performed by Scott Matthew (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.
The opening theme for S.A.C. 2nd Gig is “Rise” performed once again by Origa (written by Tim Jensen), while the ending theme is “Living Inside the Shell” performed by Steve Conte (written by Shanti Snyder). 2nd Gig also used alternate opening and closing themes when it was re-broadcast on terrestrial television, with “Rise” was replaced by “CHRisTmas in the SiLenT ForeSt” performed by Ilaria Graziano (written by Shanti Snyder), and “Living Inside the Shell” was replaced by “Snyper”, once again performed by Ilaria Graziano (once again written by Tim Jensen).
There is also a 1997 third-person shooter video game developed by Exact (now closed) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (now-closed THQ for the North American release) for the PlayStation, a PlayStation 2 game developed by Cavia (now closed) and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (Bandai, today Bandai Namco for the North American release) for the PlayStation 2, which was released from March 2004 to May 2005, with the game having its own original soundtrack album released 1 day before its Japanese release.
Since Cartoon Network has gone downhill due to Adult Swim airing 12.5 hours a day as they have moved on to streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, and Paramount+ (though SAC_2045 is available to stream on Netflix), the anime series’ official website (in Japanese, requires Ruffle Chrome extension since Flash Player is dead) is still up.
Before I take off, be sure you’re subscribed to this newsletter (posts originally posted on Medium will not be emailed to you).
Known in Japan as Mobile Armored Riot Police: S.A.C. 2nd Gig (攻殻機動隊 S.A.C. 2nd Gig, Kōkaku Kidōtai Esu Ē Shī Sekando Gigu)
The same year that Godzilla Singular Point is set, and also in the upcoming webcomic series Shibuya Brawlers, which I’m working on, but without cyborgs with prosthetic bodies.