Talk:List of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex episodes

message: The English title translations on my DVD set don't match what is listed in the article. Is there an explanation for this? DVD titles listed below, titles that differ have been bolded. Some are IMHO superior to those currently listed (16, 17, 19, 20, 23):
#Public Security Section 9 
#Runaway Evidence 
#A Modest Rebellion 
#The Visual Elements Will Laugh 
#The Copycats Chant 
#The Copycats Dance 
#Idolatry
#The Privileged 
#The Man Who Dwells in the Shadows of the Net 
#A Perfect Day for a Jungle Cruise 
#In the Forest of Pupae 
#Tachikoma Runs Away, The Movie Director's Dream 
#Does Not Equal Terrorist 
#Full-Auto Capitalism 
#The Time of the Machines 
#The Heart's Blind Spot 
#The Truth Behind the Unfinished Romance 
#Assassination Duet 
#Wrapped in a Web of Deceit 
#Deleted Medicine 
#Deserted Tracks 
#Scandal
#Beyond Good and Evil 
#Stand Alone
#Smoke of Powder, Hail of Bullets
#Public Security Section 9 Redux
- Eyeresist 03:51, 19 October 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Near as I can tell, the DVDs contain localized titles, whereas the Wiki shows the direct translation titles for the episodes and are what is displayed on the title cards in each episode.--Eldritch2k4 07:08, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: The phrase "direct translation" is questionable, because the translator has to make choices in the process of translation. It's a question of whose translation is preferable. For "The other side of good and evil", "Beyond good and evil" is a better choice because it's very likely the writers were referring to Nietzsche's book. Also, for "Embraced by a disguised net", "Wrapped in a web of deceit" expresses the exact same concept at sentence and phrase level, but in graceful English rather than crude word-for-word replacement.  Are the titles in the article taken from fansubs? - Eyeresist 01:59, 4 December 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: What I meant by "direct translation" is that they hadn't been localized. Meaning the words hadn't been changed so as to fit into an English grammatical structure. So I suppose I should have used the phrase "word-for-word translation" as opposed to direct. I apologize for any confusion. And to answer your question, no they aren't from the fansubs and kinda. The single word titles are what Manga Entertainment used in the DVD release in the US. The full titles are, I assume (since I have no access to the Japanese DVDs), the proper Japanese titles, so, I suppose, the fansubs would contain these titles.--Eldritch2k4 05:31, 8 December 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Translated titles for the English language release (1st Gig)

message: Could we create a separate page for each season's episodes and a page for each episode?  This would allow for better separation between seasons and allow in-depth discussion on topics for raised by individual episodes.
:Not unless there is enough material to justify a new page... which at this point, there is not enough material to do. --Kunzite 21:01, 8 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Individual Episode Pages 

message: Does anyone know if the Compilation DVD's are available in the US?--Salvax T - C--19:48, 1 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Not available outside Japan/with any form of english translation, IIRC.  A shame, I'd be curious to see how these relate to the series. YourMessageHere 03:47, 10 November 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Compilation DVD 

message: I don't understand why the episodes of SAC 2nd Gig are numbered 27 to 52.  While they are not clearly numbered 1-26 onscreen, this is a seperate series, not a continuation of Stand Alone Complex, which is why it has a different name.  Additionally, the DVDs, at least the editions released here in the UK, list episodes as 1-26. YourMessageHere 04:09, 10 November 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: While it is true that 2nd Gig isn't a direct continuation of the story line of Stand Alone Complex, it still carries the S.A.C. name and is generally considered the second season. As such, it is much simpler to use a 1-52 designation, as opposed to the technical episode designations like S01E12 (Ep12) or S02E10 (Ep36). So, yeah, it's pretty much just for ease of use for the layman.--Eldritch2k4 07:04, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

text: Referring to UK versions, the disc menus and the packaging carry the 1-26 numbering, but the end of show credits for the English adaptations refer to 27, ..., 52.  Jez crow 01:41, 26 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Where did 27-52 come from? 

message: I feel like the Laughing Man incident needs a complete explanation for newbs. This isn't done yet, but I wanted to post it where I could get comments, feedback, corrections etc.
THE LAUGHING MAN
================
1) Background
In the early 21st century, the "cyberbrain" technology was developed. Cyberization is a 
fictional process whereby a normal brain is physically integrated with electronic 
components to produce an augmented organ referred to as a cyberbrain. Cyberbrain 
implants, in conjunction with micromachines, allow the brain to initiate and maintain a 
connection to computer networks or other individuals who also possess a cyberbrain.
Cyberbrain sclerosis is a fictional disease introduced in Ghost in the Shell: Stand 
Alone Complex. The disease is characterized by hardening of the brain tissues 
precipitated by the cyberization process. As, officially, no cure exists, cyberbrain 
sclerosis is always fatal. Although the odds of symptoms manifesting are exceedingly 
low, anyone that has a cyberbrain(which in the fictional world of Ghost in the Shell 
are as ubiquitous as cellular phones are in reality) is potentially at risk.
In 2024, Cyberbrain Sclerosis was viewed as the "new AIDS" of the 21st century. Several 
technology corporations were investigating and patenting possible cures for the disease 
based around the concept of "micromachines" - nanotech protein granules which 
supposedly held great promise for the future. 
Hisashi Imakurusu, a former JSDF medic and a board-member for Micro-Machine Industries, 
was head of the Medical Evaluation Board. While heading the board, a man named Dr. 
Chitose Murai discovered a vaccine for CS. However, while the drug was effective, Murai 
could not explain the mechanism by which it worked. Additionally, the head of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Welfare (a man named Yakushima) pressured Imakurusu to reject the 
drug, promising him riches from the corporate tills. Using Murai's inability to explain 
the drug's mechanism and the promise of the infant micromachine technology as a pretext, 
Imakurusu indulged his jealousy and greed to reject the drug, going so far as to have a 
custom rubber stamp engraved "Approval Denied" crafted specifically for Murai's application.
Micromachines held great promise as a highly versatile technology. The development of 
micromachine technology in search of a cure for cyberbrain sclerosis eventually led to 
the development of many highly important (not to mention highly profitable) 
technologies- the Japanese Miracle (a micromachine that can remove radioactive fallout 
from an area affected by nuclear weapons) and Interceptors (symbiotic micromachines 
that turn their unwitting hosts into living surveillance devices), just to name two. 
However, despite all of its other capabilities, micromachine technology was entirely 
ineffective as a treatment for cyberbrain sclerosis.
3 months after the rejection of the Murai vaccine, Serano Genomics was granted approval 
for it's micromachine CS treatement design. Shortly thereafter, Micro-Machine 
Industries also recieved approval for a patent. These treatments, despite being 
basically useless, were sold nationally to CS patients, at great profit to the 
corporations behind them. In secret, the Murai Vaccine was set up as a highly-screened 
clinical trial, with approval reserved for the rich, powerful, and political elite.
2) Origin of the Laughing Man
At some point in 2024, a student named Aoi discovered a piece of data in the 'Net. This 
data was a report comparing the effectiveness of the Murai Vaccine with the 
ineffectiveness of micromachine therapy. Aoi was somewhat a naive young man with a 
Salinger fetish - specifically he despised "phonies" as did his hero, Holden Caulfield 
(from Catcher in the Rye). Aoi was also a super class-A hacker. Peeking into and 
playing with data came naturally to him. He decided to use his abilities to expose the 
fraud being perpetrated on the Japanese people by the micro-machine industries, and set 
out to kidnap Ernest Serano, the CEO of Serano Genomics, in an attempt to persuade him 
to tell the truth.
Aoi took his S&W chief, a large, puffy blue hooded jacket and a hat, and set out for 
Serano's home. Arriving there, he hacked the surveillance AI's and the eyes of everyone 
in the building, brain-dived Serano and walked him out of the building. They spent two 
days arguing and debating, at the end of which time Aoi decided to let Serano go in 
exchange for a promise to tell the truth after he'd had a chance to make preparations. 
However this promise was a last-ditch desperation move from Serano, who was exhausted 
from being controlled for 2 days. After Aoi let him go in a crowded pavillion, Serano 
turned around and told him he might not be able to keep his promise.
Enraged, Aoi pulled his gun and walked Serano over to a camera crew shooting a puff 
piece live on national television. He demanded that Serano tell the truth; however 
Serano demured, counting on Aoi's youth and inexperience to keep him from pulling the 
trigger. Aoi hacked the camera and the eyes of everyone on the spot in seconds, 
overwriting the image of his face with a custom logo of a laughing man with a quote 
from Catcher in the Rye rotating around it. (The quote was "I thought what I'd do was, 
I'd pretend to be one of those deaf-mutes.")
This incident transformed Japanese society. The Laughing Man, as he came to be called, 
became a memetic pop-culture icon virtually overnight. Grafiti and performance art, 
copy-cat incidents and other events spawned from the kidnapping event for years.
3) Corporate Blackmail
Unknown to Serano and Aoi, the kidnapping of a major micromachine CEO had become a 
national news incident during the 2 days Serano was missing. Shortly after the 
kidnapping, a huge ransom demand was delivered. Somebody was using the Laughing Man 
incident to extort money from Serano. Later, he speculates that this was a cabal of 
comptetitor micromachine corporations, who wanted to ruin latecomer Serano in 
retaliation for stealing the CS patent out from under them.
IT IS UNCLEAR TO ME AT THIS POINT WHETHER OR NOT THIS RANSOM WAS EVER PAID.
Shortly thereafter, a killer virus was introduced into Serano's manufacturing plants. 
Billions of dollars' worth of micromachines were contaminated, and Serano's stock price 
plummeted. In order to save his company, Serano himself began blackmailing other 
micromachine corporations, also using the identity of the Laughing Man as a cover. He 
extorted funds by threatening to expose the worthlessness of micromachines as a CS 
treatment, and the coverup of the secret Murai Vaccine trial.
After several companies had been blackmailed, the government stepped in to keep the 
industry afloat with public funds. Shortly thereafter a representative of "a certain 
Assemblyman" visited Serano and told him that the virus and the blackmail could be 
stopped, if Serano could make a donation to the politician's political fund. The figure 
named was the exact amount of all the money Serano had blackmailed from the other 
micromachine companies, and all of the public funds Serano has recieved. Ernest Serano 
took this to mean that the Assemblyman in question knew everything, including his own 
actions in blackmailing the other corporations, and as such he had no choice. The 
assemblyman in question was then Minister of Health and Safety, Yakushima. Yakushima 
used these funds and his secret Naval power-base to rise to the powerful position of 
Secretary-General. 
4) Deaf-Mute
Disgusted with the corruption of the Japanese government, Aoi gives up his current 
approach and turns away from the world, pretending to be a deaf-mute and ignoring the 
darkness. At some point in the next six years he infiltrates an MHLW institution for 
children with Closed Shell Syndrome and begins to hack MHLW looking for physical proof 
of the secret Murai Vaccine program.
5) Public Security's Laughing Man SIU
Public security launches an immediate investigation into the Laughing Man incident. 6 
years later it is still in progress, and now Secretary-General Yakushima has had 
Interceptors  planted in the brains of the SIU detectives, so that he may monitor their progress and ensure they do not approach the truth.
Togusa is an ex-cop working at Section 9. Although he has a low prosthesis index, he was hired to add a new dynamic to the group (specifically that of detective). Togusa's old friend Yamaguchi contacts him to ask him to look at some sensitive data relating to the LMSIU. Hours later he dies in a car accident, the Interceptors in his brain having been triggered to blind him while driving. His superiors had realized that he was suspicious, and the higher-ups ordered his death.
Togusa convinces Aramaki, the Section 9 chief, to give him 3 days to investigate the suspicious death. When he attends Yamaguchi's funeral, his widow gives him a packet which Yamaguchi had mailed her (with instructions) shortly before his death. The package contains images of SIU detectives, their families and friends, in everyday situations. However, in none of the pictures is a camera present. Togusa realizes the SIU detectives have been implanted with the 3-month old Interceptor technology. Digging deeper, he finds that the appropriate paperwork was never filed, and the detectives were implanted without their knowlege or permission.
Motoko leaks the information about the illegal implants to the press, who trick a police chief (Nibu) into snatching a camera while a second photographer snapped a picture of him doing so. Details of the situation and speculation about how high the conspiracy goes are splashed across the next mornings papers. Secretary-General Daido, head of the metropolitan police, calls a press conference to announce that Nibu has been fired. At the press conference, the same reporter points out that Daido is about to retire to Holland, where Serano Genomics (who created and must have provided the Interceptor technology) is headquartered. Daido refuses to discuss the implications, at which point another member of the police cadre is hacked by Aoi. The hacked individual stands and is masked by the Laughing Man logo, and then begins to chastise Daido for the farce he is playing out for the media. Aoi knows that Daido ordered the implants on Secretary-General Yakushima's orders, and is throwing Nibu to the wolve to try to continue the coverup of Yakushima's rise to power. He demands that Daido tell the truth within 3 days, or he will execute him.
6) Death Threat & Copycats
The sudden reappearance of the Laughing Man after 6 years of silence causes heated debate to errupt throughout Japanese society. Almost 60 people independently decide to "become" the laughing man and attempt to assasinate Superintendent-General Daido.
7) MLHW Hack
Aoi hacks a janitor to steal the Murai Vaccine Recipient List.
8) Imakurusu
Imakurusu aquires the Murai Vaccine Recipient List from the Laughing Man. He sends a copy to the Sunflower Society and promises to testify about the truth. MLHW Chief Niimi discovers this and orders the execution of the Sunflower Society via the DEA's Narcotics Squad, a violent organization specializing in death. Togusa happens to be there investigating a lead and gets shot in the crossfire, although he survives. Section 9 mobilizes to discover what happened. Imakurusu calls Yakushima and begs him to intercede with Niimi (Imakurusu and Yakushima are golfing buddies). Yakushima betrays his friend and orders Niimi to execute Yakushima immediately. Section 9, the Narc Squad (with powered armor) and Aoi converge on Imakurusu. Section 9 secures him, but he leaves custody to speak to Aoi, and is then shot in a drive-by. Aoi gives the Murai Vaccine Recipient List to Batou, then hacks his eyes and ears and walks away.
9) Motoko's New Body
Motoko goes to get a new body, where she is ambushed by the doctor (who happens to be part of the Narc Squad.) As she is about to die, Aoi shows up. He brain-dives her to show her the whole truth behind the Laughing Man incident, then disappears, leaving the new Motoko to carry on his quest. Along the way he helps her take control of her new prosthesis to smack down the bitch doctor. 
10) Pushing Serano
Motoko poses as the Laughing Man and rekidnaps Serano, hoping to light a fire under him and extract information. Later, Aramaki confronts the prime minister with evidence about Yakushima. The PM decides to destroy Section 9 in order to keep Yaku's support during the next election cycle, after which he will arrest him. Aramaki is furious, but goes along for now. He gets word to Motoko, and arranges for Togusa to be taken into custody (making him difficult to summarily execute).
11) Narcs vs Section 9
12) Mop-up
Having saved Section 9 and exposed the truth about the Murai Vaccine and Secretary-General Yakushima, Aramaki and Motoko approach Aoi to offer him a job. He politely declines, and takes a job at the National Library, where he spends his time reading print media.
:Very good and detailed explanation, thank you! A few minor corrections:
:* Daido was first ranked "Secretary-General"; he really is Superintendent-General;
:* Yakushima orders Niimi to execute Imakurusu, not Yakushima.
:phd (talk) 21:08, 6 November 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Laughing Man incident - separate article? 

message: 1) Background
In the early 21st century, the "cyberbrain" technology was developed. Cyberization is a 
fictional process whereby a normal brain is physically integrated with electronic 
components to produce an augmented organ referred to as a cyberbrain. Cyberbrain 
implants, in conjunction with micromachines, allow the brain to initiate and maintain a 
connection to computer networks or other individuals who also possess a cyberbrain.
Cyberbrain sclerosis is a fictional disease introduced in Ghost in the Shell: Stand 
Alone Complex. The disease is characterized by hardening of the brain tissues 
precipitated by the cyberization process. As, officially, no cure exists, cyberbrain 
sclerosis is always fatal. Although the odds of symptoms manifesting are exceedingly 
low, anyone that has a cyberbrain(which in the fictional world of Ghost in the Shell 
are as ubiquitous as cellular phones are in reality) is potentially at risk.
In 2024, Cyberbrain Sclerosis was viewed as the "new AIDS" of the 21st century. Several 
technology corporations were investigating and patenting possible cures for the disease 
based around the concept of "micromachines" - nanotech protein granules which 
supposedly held great promise for the future. 
Hisashi Imakurusu, a former JSDF medic and a board-member for Micro-Machine Industries, 
was head of the Medical Evaluation Board. While heading the board, a man named Dr. 
Chitose Murai discovered a vaccine for CS. However, while the drug was effective, Murai 
could not explain the mechanism by which it worked. Additionally, the head of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Welfare (a man named Yakushima) pressured Imakurusu to reject the 
drug, promising him riches from the corporate tills. Using Murai's inability to explain 
the drug's mechanism and the promise of the infant micromachine technology as a pretext, 
Imakurusu indulged his jealousy and greed to reject the drug, going so far as to have a 
custom rubber stamp engraved "Approval Denied" crafted specifically for Murai's application.
Micromachines held great promise as a highly versatile technology. The development of 
micromachine technology in search of a cure for cyberbrain sclerosis eventually led to 
the development of many highly important (not to mention highly profitable) 
technologies- the Japanese Miracle (a micromachine that can remove radioactive fallout 
from an area affected by nuclear weapons) and Interceptors (symbiotic micromachines 
that turn their unwitting hosts into living surveillance devices), just to name two. 
However, despite all of its other capabilities, micromachine technology was entirely 
ineffective as a treatment for cyberbrain sclerosis.
3 months after the rejection of the Murai vaccine, Serano Genomics was granted approval 
for it's micromachine CS treatement design. Shortly thereafter, Micro-Machine 
Industries also recieved approval for a patent. These treatments, despite being 
basically useless, were sold nationally to CS patients, at great profit to the 
corporations behind them. In secret, the Murai Vaccine was set up as a highly-screened 
clinical trial, with approval reserved for the rich, powerful, and political elite.
2) Origin of the Laughing Man
At some point in 2024, a student named Aoi discovered a piece of data in the 'Net. This 
data was a report comparing the effectiveness of the Murai Vaccine with the 
ineffectiveness of micromachine therapy. Aoi was somewhat a naive young man with a 
Salinger fetish - specifically he despised "phonies" as did his hero, Holden Caulfield 
(from Catcher in the Rye). Aoi was also a super class-A hacker. Peeking into and 
playing with data came naturally to him. He decided to use his abilities to expose the 
fraud being perpetrated on the Japanese people by the micro-machine industries, and set 
out to kidnap Ernest Serano, the CEO of Serano Genomics, in an attempt to persuade him 
to tell the truth.
Aoi took his S&W chief, a large, puffy blue hooded jacket and a hat, and set out for 
Serano's home. Arriving there, he hacked the surveillance AI's and the eyes of everyone 
in the building, brain-dived Serano and walked him out of the building. They spent two 
days arguing and debating, at the end of which time Aoi decided to let Serano go in 
exchange for a promise to tell the truth after he'd had a chance to make preparations. 
However this promise was a last-ditch desperation move from Serano, who was exhausted 
from being controlled for 2 days. After Aoi let him go in a crowded pavillion, Serano 
turned around and told him he might not be able to keep his promise.
Enraged, Aoi pulled his gun and walked Serano over to a camera crew shooting a puff 
piece live on national television. He demanded that Serano tell the truth; however 
Serano demured, counting on Aoi's youth and inexperience to keep him from pulling the 
trigger. Aoi hacked the camera and the eyes of everyone on the spot in seconds, 
overwriting the image of his face with a custom logo of a laughing man with a quote 
from Catcher in the Rye rotating around it. (The quote was "I thought what I'd do was, 
I'd pretend to be one of those deaf-mutes.")
This incident transformed Japanese society. The Laughing Man, as he came to be called, 
became a memetic pop-culture icon virtually overnight. Grafiti and performance art, 
copy-cat incidents and other events spawned from the kidnapping event for years.
3) Corporate Blackmail
Unknown to Serano and Aoi, the kidnapping of a major micromachine CEO had become a 
national news incident during the 2 days Serano was missing. Shortly after the 
kidnapping, a huge ransom demand was delivered. Somebody was using the Laughing Man 
incident to extort money from Serano. Later, he speculates that this was a cabal of 
comptetitor micromachine corporations, who wanted to ruin latecomer Serano in 
retaliation for stealing the CS patent out from under them.
IT IS UNCLEAR TO ME AT THIS POINT WHETHER OR NOT THIS RANSOM WAS EVER PAID.
Shortly thereafter, a killer virus was introduced into Serano's manufacturing plants. 
Billions of dollars' worth of micromachines were contaminated, and Serano's stock price 
plummeted. In order to save his company, Serano himself began blackmailing other 
micromachine corporations, also using the identity of the Laughing Man as a cover. He 
extorted funds by threatening to expose the worthlessness of micromachines as a CS 
treatment, and the coverup of the secret Murai Vaccine trial.
After several companies had been blackmailed, the government stepped in to keep the 
industry afloat with public funds. Shortly thereafter a representative of "a certain 
Assemblyman" visited Serano and told him that the virus and the blackmail could be 
stopped, if Serano could make a donation to the politician's political fund. The figure 
named was the exact amount of all the money Serano had blackmailed from the other 
micromachine companies, and all of the public funds Serano has recieved. Ernest Serano 
took this to mean that the Assemblyman in question knew everything, including his own 
actions in blackmailing the other corporations, and as such he had no choice. The 
assemblyman in question was then Minister of Health and Safety, Yakushima. Yakushima 
used these funds and his secret Naval power-base to rise to the powerful position of 
Secretary-General. 
4) Deaf-Mute
Disgusted with the corruption of the Japanese government, Aoi gives up his current 
approach and turns away from the world, pretending to be a deaf-mute and ignoring the 
darkness. At some point in the next six years he infiltrates an MHLW institution for 
children with Closed Shell Syndrome and begins to hack MHLW looking for physical proof 
of the secret Murai Vaccine program.
5) Public Security's Laughing Man SIU
Public security launches an immediate investigation into the Laughing Man incident. 6 
years later it is still in progress, and now Secretary-General Yakushima has had 
Interceptors  planted in the brains of the SIU detectives, so that he may monitor their progress and ensure they do not approach the truth.
Togusa is an ex-cop working at Section 9. Although he has a low prosthesis index, he was hired to add a new dynamic to the group (specifically that of detective). Togusa's old friend Yamaguchi contacts him to ask him to look at some sensitive data relating to the LMSIU. Hours later he dies in a car accident, the Interceptors in his brain having been triggered to blind him while driving. His superiors had realized that he was suspicious, and the higher-ups ordered his death.
Togusa convinces Aramaki, the Section 9 chief, to give him 3 days to investigate the suspicious death. When he attends Yamaguchi's funeral, his widow gives him a packet which Yamaguchi had mailed her (with instructions) shortly before his death. The package contains images of SIU detectives, their families and friends, in everyday situations. However, in none of the pictures is a camera present. Togusa realizes the SIU detectives have been implanted with the 3-month old Interceptor technology. Digging deeper, he finds that the appropriate paperwork was never filed, and the detectives were implanted without their knowlege or permission.
Motoko leaks the information about the illegal implants to the press, who trick a police chief (Nibu) into snatching a camera while a second photographer snapped a picture of him doing so. Details of the situation and speculation about how high the conspiracy goes are splashed across the next mornings papers. Secretary-General Daido, head of the metropolitan police, calls a press conference to announce that Nibu has been fired. At the press conference, the same reporter points out that Daido is about to retire to Holland, where Serano Genomics (who created and must have provided the Interceptor technology) is headquartered. Daido refuses to discuss the implications, at which point another member of the police cadre is hacked by Aoi. The hacked individual stands and is masked by the Laughing Man logo, and then begins to chastise Daido for the farce he is playing out for the media. Aoi knows that Daido ordered the implants on Secretary-General Yakushima's orders, and is throwing Nibu to the wolve to try to continue the coverup of Yakushima's rise to power. He demands that Daido tell the truth within 3 days, or he will execute him.
6) Death Threat & Copycats
The sudden reappearance of the Laughing Man after 6 years of silence causes heated debate to errupt throughout Japanese society. Almost 60 people independently decide to "become" the laughing man and attempt to assasinate Superintendent-General Daido.
7) MLHW Hack
Aoi hacks a janitor to steal the Murai Vaccine Recipient List.
8) Imakurusu
Imakurusu aquires the Murai Vaccine Recipient List from the Laughing Man. He sends a copy to the Sunflower Society and promises to testify about the truth. MLHW Chief Niimi discovers this and orders the execution of the Sunflower Society via the DEA's Narcotics Squad, a violent organization specializing in death. Togusa happens to be there investigating a lead and gets shot in the crossfire, although he survives. Section 9 mobilizes to discover what happened. Imakurusu calls Yakushima and begs him to intercede with Niimi (Imakurusu and Yakushima are golfing buddies). Yakushima betrays his friend and orders Niimi to execute Yakushima immediately. Section 9, the Narc Squad (with powered armor) and Aoi converge on Imakurusu. Section 9 secures him, but he leaves custody to speak to Aoi, and is then shot in a drive-by. Aoi gives the Murai Vaccine Recipient List to Batou, then hacks his eyes and ears and walks away.
9) Motoko's New Body
Motoko goes to get a new body, where she is ambushed by the doctor (who happens to be part of the Narc Squad.) As she is about to die, Aoi shows up. He brain-dives her to show her the whole truth behind the Laughing Man incident, then disappears, leaving the new Motoko to carry on his quest. Along the way he helps her take control of her new prosthesis to smack down the bitch doctor. 
10) Pushing Serano
Motoko poses as the Laughing Man and rekidnaps Serano, hoping to light a fire under him and extract information. Later, Aramaki confronts the prime minister with evidence about Yakushima. The PM decides to destroy Section 9 in order to keep Yaku's support during the next election cycle, after which he will arrest him. Aramaki is furious, but goes along for now. He gets word to Motoko, and arranges for Togusa to be taken into custody (making him difficult to summarily execute).
11) Narcs vs Section 9
12) Mop-up
Having saved Section 9 and exposed the truth about the Murai Vaccine and Secretary-General Yakushima, Aramaki and Motoko approach Aoi to offer him a job. He politely declines, and takes a job at the National Library, where he spends his time reading print media.
:Very good and detailed explanation, thank you! A few minor corrections:
:* Daido was first ranked "Secretary-General"; he really is Superintendent-General;
:* Yakushima orders Niimi to execute Imakurusu, not Yakushima.
:phd (talk) 21:08, 6 November 2014 (UTC)
thread_title: ====

message: I noticed a major flaw in episodes 22-23, it stated that the laughing man had re-abducted Serano, but in reality it was The Major in disguise as the Laughing Man, using the Laughing Man's memories, to discover the connection with the secretary general Yakushima and Serano.
:While this is true, I prefer the prior version since it avoids being a direct spoiler, and it reflects the impression that the episode viewer is under.  Myasuda 15:39, 20 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Episodes 22-23 

message: It is obvious if you watch both ( same intro , same plan with the statue, ...) 
* French DVD5 Bonus : they explain how and why they travel to taiwan for ep 17 and Berlin ep 18 + interview
» Bonus  2 interviews croisées entre le réalisateur et les doubleurs / bande-annonce exclusive pour l'épisode TRANS PARENT / Anecdotes à propos des épisodes /
* The french distributor made a reference on his website  ( you could  watch the trailer and compare with movie' intro  btw ) 
L’équipe de production a décidé de se faire plaisir en déplaçant l’histoire dans deux pays différents, deux épisodes de suite (les deux premiers). Avec cet épisode, on commence avec Taiwan que les membres de Production I.G ont voulu dépeindre avec images et clichés sortis tout droit de films d’arts martiaux asiatiques. Tandis que le deuxième épisode se déroule à Berlin. C'est un hommage au film de Wim Wenders LES AILES DU DESIR ( french title of Wenders's Movie Wings of Desire aka Der Himmel über Berlin )
* The german title of the episode is Himmel über Berlin see 
If it is not enough ask Production I.G it was on their ( dead ) website too !
--Neuromancien 00:09, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I know that we now have references for the list, but we need to find references for all the little things not included in the episodes themselves. Its frustrating to have tags like this on otherwise cited articles, but they are there for a reason, and we should endeour to meet the higher standards imposed upon the article rather than play catchup later. TomStar81 (Talk) 21:51, 25 May 2007 (UTC)
replies: text:  I agree--Neuromancien 09:47, 19 June 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  References for Episode 18 as an homage to Wim Wenders & Der Himmel über Berlin 

message: I believe the ending scene of 2nd Gig Episode 9 (the suicide bomber girl and Togusa's hesitant reaction) to be a reference to the opening scene of Jin-Roh.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.169.94.247 (talk) 19:50, 2 September 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  2nd Gig Episode 9 reference 

message: Episode 4 "C: The Visual Device will Laugh – INTERCEPTER" Togusa browses through photographs and the way he scrolls through them and zooms on parts of the photographs is a direct homage to Deckard in Blade Runner.  71.85.150.20 (talk) 03:39, 28 May 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pop Culture References 

message: I added the following passage, but it got reverted as original research:
"This (3rd) episode heavily references Jean-Luc Godard's movie titled À bout de souffle - Jeris modelled after Jean Seberg, ending dialogue, cars, movie tapes in the room of the embassador's son, etc"
But I think it is near obvius if you watch carefully this episode and watch out this page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053472/
* compare the pictures of Jean Seberg and the Jeris(/Jerrys)
* there's a scene where Batou (and Togusa) arrives to the embassador's son's room, and looks at some (35mm) tapes labeled "A bout de souffle" (= Breathless in french) and "Alphaville"
* there's a dialogue when they catch the Jeri and its owner. This dialogue is a rewrite of the movie's closing sentences (with one bonus sentence, probably "said" by Motoko)
* importance of the themes of cars, sunglasses, etc.
* the closing scene where Togusa arrives home, his wife says something like: "20th century videos are the best." And watches the last scene of Breathless. (Togusa says: "This was the origin.")
And I found these links (stating this connection):
If you consider these sources and evidences sufficient, please mention this movie-connection in the article and/or cite the sources.
Rubasov (talk) 23:04, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Source #3 is not reliable, but source #4 is if you want to add this to the article. Make sure you do so using ref tabs (ask me if you need help with this). TomStar81 (Talk) 08:51, 6 June 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  References for Episode 3 (Android and I) as an homage to Jean-Luc Godard & Breathless 

message: Shiroutoushirou added in new airdates to the episode list. Does anyone know if these airdates are a rerun, either on a Japanese television network or on the US Adult Swim program? If so, I don't think they should be included in the episode list; only the original airdates should be included. I'm going to go ahead and remove these... if there is a good reason for their inclusion, please state your case here. -BloodDoll (talk) 23:19, 6 February 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Only the original Japanese airdates and English airdates should be included in the table. the OriginalAirDate field is for the Japanese airdate while the FirstEngAirDate is for the English airdate. Rerun dates aren't included. Unfortunately, the list is missing the English airdates. --Farix (Talk) 00:06, 7 February 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Shiroutoushirou's airdates were for late 2008 and early 2009, which don't jive with the airdates given for North America (Nov 7 2004 to May 5 2005 on Adult Swim; Sept 10 2005 to March 18 2006 for Canada). I'll try to hunt down individual episode airdates for North America. -BloodDoll (talk) 00:52, 7 February 2009 (UTC)

text: I found airdates for the US Adult Swim showing, but I'm not sure if they're accurate or not: http://sharetv.org/shows/ghost_in_the_shell_stand_alone_complex/guide Seems to be every week (7 days in between) and the start and end dates accord with Anime News Network's airdates. I'm going to put them in, as I am unable to find any other sources (checked Adult Swim, but they don't have a record of the individual airings.) -BloodDoll (talk) 01:09, 7 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  New airdates added? 

message: Does anyone suppose it's worth mentioning the striking similarities in appearance in this episode between the hospital's administrator and the character Nurse Ratched, as played by Louise Fletcher in the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Robdumas (talk • contribs) 02:03, 17 February 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: No, it would be original research unless you can find it referenced by a reliable source. --Farix (Talk) 12:21, 17 February 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Episode "Portraitz" and ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'' 

message: I just deleted a line about the OVA tieing into the first movie.  Just to clarify this, I'll expand on it here.  As noted elsewhere, the TV series and the two films are separate entities and hence are not related story-wise, therefore they can't tie into each other, being entirely separate continuities or 'universes'.  I think the claim that I deleted comes from a line in the cited article as follows:
"With some judicious editing, cutting, and a few newly animated scenes, The Laughing Man successfully bridges the gap between TV series and feature film, and reminds us why Ghost in the Shell is still some of the best sci-fi that anime has to offer."
It appears that the phrase 'bridges the gap' has been misinterpreted to mean that it fills in the actual story, whereas what the article is actually talking about is the difference in form between a TV series and a movie.92.24.67.137 (talk) 17:53, 22 February 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  OVA and the first movie 

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thread_title:  External links modified