The story follows Kumomaru, a Japanese samurai who travels to Europe in during the 1930s and becomes embroiled in a plot to steal the legendary Japanese sword Kusanagi.
But late in production, his name was changed to Kyo Kusanagi in order to relate him with the Yamata no Orochi legend, which was used as the idea to the first arc.
According to Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (the current voice of Kusanagi in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series), Woods had moved away from Los Angeles.
The rank insignia predate World War II, but the symbolism at that time included each of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, with the left and right petals of the fleur-de-lis symbolizing the sacred jewel Yasakani no Magatama, and the central petal symbolizing the sacred sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.
Detective Kaoru Utsumi (Kō Shibasaki) and her superior Detective Shunpei Kusanagi seeks the help of Professor Manabu Yukawa (Masaharu Fukuyama), who seeing the case has nothing to do with physics, initially refuses to help.
He was named Kyo Kusanagi in order to relate him with the Yamata no Orochi legend.