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Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex's Laughing Man Incident Happens Next Week

In 2002, the anime world was graced with the presence of the Ghost in the Shell franchise on the small screen with Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (popularly known as S.A.C.). The series took viewers on a thriller crime drama as the members of Public Security Section 9 solved a case revolving around the Laughing Man. And when was the first incident involving the Laughing Man publicly revealed in S.A.C.? February 3, 2024 at 7:21 a.m. JST.

The event will be marked with a special screening of the 2005 OVA Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man and a talk show at the Human Trust Cinema Shibuya. The talk show will feature the director of the OVA Kenji Kamiyama and author of the book Kokaku Kidotai-ron (roughly translated as Ghost in the Shell Treatises) Noyama Fujita. The screening will be held on February 3 at 4:00 p.m. JST and all seats will be reserved. It's kind of a shame the screening is not starting so the incident in the OVA happens at the same time in real life, but this is understandable as it would have to start relatively early.

Outside of the special screening of The Laughing Man OVA, fans of S.A.C. have posted on Twitter how their eyes will be glued to the TV to see if it actually happens. This is fun to say the least, in the same way Kyoto University students recreated the iconic "Cancel the Olympics" sign from the 1987 film Akira. However, unlike the sign, the first Laughing Man incident is a little more violent.

In the fifth episode of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, we see a recording of a live morning broadcast on February 3, 2024, where a man is holding another person at gunpoint (the kidnapping of the man who was held at gunpoint happened two days beforehand, hence this Twitter user's note that the incident will occur on February 1). Thus, it's safe to say the Japanese police will likely not take kindly to people recreating the scene from S.A.C.

Interestingly, the official Twitter account for the franchise also posted a cryptic post on Friday, with the text "Coming Soon" and a picture featuring the phrase "List of Those Who Have Taken the Murai Vaccine."

In the show, the Murai Vaccine was the only known effective treatment of Cyberbrain Sclerosis, a disease that can affect anyone who uses cyberbrain technology. The vaccine, and the Japanese government's denial of the approval of the vaccine, is tied to the Laughing Man. As of press time, it's currently unclear if this Tweet is in regard to the upcoming screening or something else.

The first Laughing Man incident is certainly something fun to look forward to seeing as it's an iconic moment in anime history. And while it would be fun to see a recreation of the scene from the fifth episode of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex on February 3 at 7:21 a.m. JST, that would likely cause more trouble than most people would like to deal with. So instead, fire up a copy of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and enjoy seeing it in the fictional world. Or, if you're in Shibuya, get your tickets to the special screening of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man at the Human Trust Cinema Shibuya.

Sources: Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. 2045 anime's Twitter account, Human Trust Cinema Shibuya, Kyoto Shimbun, Comic Natalie via Hachima Kikō