Section 9's sixth Stand Alone Complex chapter turns a public safety detail into chaos when unconnected citizens start attacking a top police official, pushing Aramaki to open the unit's own inquiry into the Laughing Man.
Summary
Motoko Kusanagi becomes convinced that the Laughing Man has slipped malicious code into the cyberbrains of the officers assigned to protect the police Superintendent-General. While her colleagues hurry to pull the official out of harm's way, specialists back at headquarters work against the clock to engineer a defense against the infection.
The situation curdles further when people with no link to any hack and no visible motive begin joining the effort to kill the same man, turning a targeted threat into a baffling public frenzy.
Key Events
The Superintendent-General is delivered to safety and every would-be killer is taken into custody. Investigators are left grasping at why so many strangers, sharing nothing in common, converged on one target. With the immediate danger past, Aramaki instructs the team to begin its own dedicated pursuit of the Laughing Man affair.
Notes
The installment carries the English subtitle MEME, a nod to how the murderous impulse seems to leap from mind to mind like a contagious idea. It sits sixth in the first Stand Alone Complex season, following The Inviting Bird will Chant and leading into Idolatry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Motoko Kusanagi suspect in The Copycat will Dance?
In The Copycat will Dance, Motoko Kusanagi becomes convinced that the Laughing Man has planted malicious code in the cyberbrains of the officers protecting the police Superintendent General, prompting Section 9 to race against the threat.
What is The Copycat will Dance about?
The Copycat will Dance is the sixth episode of Stand Alone Complex season one. Section 9 tries to stop what looks like a cyberbrain hack turning police officers against the Superintendent General, only to find ordinary citizens joining the attack for no clear reason.
What happens to the Superintendent General in The Copycat will Dance?
The Superintendent General is delivered to safety and every person who tried to attack him is taken into custody, though investigators are left puzzled about why so many unconnected people converged on the same target.
What does the subtitle MEME mean in The Copycat will Dance?
The English subtitle MEME nods to how the murderous impulse against the Superintendent General seemed to spread from person to person like a contagious idea rather than through a single coordinated plot.
Where does The Copycat will Dance fall in the Stand Alone Complex episode order?
The Copycat will Dance is the sixth episode of the first Stand Alone Complex season, following The Inviting Bird will Chant and leading into Idolatry.
Sources & Information
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View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Anime based on the Ghost in the Shell anime series, manga, and official materials. Ghost in the Shell was created by Masamune Shirow, published by Kodansha, and animated by Production I.G. All rights to Ghost in the Shell and its characters belong to their respective owners. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
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- Created byMasamune Shirow
- Published byKodansha
- Animated byProduction I.G
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