Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Tachikoma Days (2004)

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – Tachikoma Days is a collection of short animated episodes that aired in 2004. It was produced by Production I.G and is based on Masamune Shirow’s manga Ghost in the Shell. The series was written and directed by Kenji Kamiyama, with original character designs by Hajime Shimomura and a soundtrack composed by Yoko Kanno. The main Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series follows the elite law‑enforcement unit Public Security Section 9 as it investigates cybercrime and terrorism. In the first season, the team pursues the elite hacker and corporate terrorist known as The Laughing Man, whose actions give rise to the series’ titular “Stand Alone Complex.” The second season, titled Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig, aired from January 2004 to January 2005. Tachikoma Days features the Tachikoma “think‑tanks” from the main series in brief, humorous shorts that aired immediately after each episode. These shorts often reference the preceding Stand Alone Complex episode, adding a light‑hearted layer to the overarching narrative. The first season was adapted into a feature‑length OVA, The Laughing Man, released in 2005. The series also spawned video‑game spin‑offs for PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and mobile phones. The 2nd Gig season was later adapted into the OVA Individual Eleven, released in 2006. In the same year, a TV‑film sequel, Solid State Society, was released. An original net animation (ONA) series, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, was announced in December 2018. Its first season premiered in 2020 and the second season followed in 2022. Each season consists of 12 episodes; Kenji Kamiyama directed one season, while Shinji Aramaki directed the other.