The TV anime Ghost in the Shell: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, based on Shirow Masamune‘s original manga, has unveiled its 4th key visual and 6th promotional video (PV). The series began broadcasting and streaming on July 7.

New Key Visual and PV

The 4th key visual was drawn by Shuhei Handa, the series’ character designer and chief animation director. It assembles the members of Section 9 alongside the Puppet Master, the mysterious figure at the heart of the story. The 6th PV features dialogue from the main characters, building anticipation for the drama ahead.

Episode Visual Project Launches

A new Episode Visual initiative has also been announced, producing a unique concept poster for each episode. The visual for Episode 1, “PROLOGUE + SUPER SPARTAN i,” was created by Charles Chung (maxilla). The end card for Episode 1 was illustrated by Yoji Shinkawa, the art director known for the DEATH STRANDING game series.

Story

Ghost in the Shell: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL is the latest entry in the Ghost in the Shell franchise. As Section 9, led by Motoko Kusanagi, confronts a wave of cybercrime, their investigation leads them to an enigmatic hacker known only as the Puppet Master.

Cast Comments

Maaya Sakamoto (Motoko Kusanagi)

Sakamoto described being cast as Motoko as entirely unexpected. She initially struggled to accept the role, given how deeply it was associated with Atsuko Tanaka, the beloved voice actress who passed away in 2024 and whom Sakamoto had long admired. After meeting the director and producer and sensing the genuine passion of a creative team that grew up inspired by the franchise, she decided to take on the challenge. Recording for all episodes is now complete. She wrote: “Working on this project became an important time for me to quietly hold both my gratitude and my grief for Atsuko-san.” She also noted that this version of Motoko is expressive, energetic, and has many comedic moments — a fresh portrayal she found both surprising and demanding to perform.

Kazuhiro Yamaji (Daisuke Aramaki)

Yamaji recalled that the original Ghost in the Shell theatrical film was his first involvement in a theatrical anime, and that he still vividly remembers working alongside Atsuko Tanaka and the late Iemasa Kayumi. He expressed pride in returning to the franchise and described an indescribable happiness upon hearing Maaya Sakamoto’s calm voice during recording.

Hiroki Yasumoto (Batou)

Yasumoto expressed that being part of a franchise he has loved since childhood feels surreal. He also jokingly admitted he had attended a Ghost in the Shell exhibition but couldn’t talk about it at the time for fear of “dropping hints” before the announcement — calling that the hardest part of keeping the secret.

Yuichi Nakamura (Togusa)

Nakamura said being invited to join yet another adaptation of this storied series came as a complete shock. He has spent most of his preparation focused on Togusa, who in this version is still somewhat green when it comes to Section 9’s work — making him more emotionally expressive and different from past portrayals. Nakamura hopes both newcomers and longtime fans will enjoy the series.

Kosuke Goto (Ishikawa)

Goto first encountered Ghost in the Shell as a student and didn’t fully grasp it at the time, but grew to love it as an adult. He compared Ishikawa to a sofa, and said he approached the role with both care and an offensive creative spirit.

Toru Nara (Saito)

Nara said he feels both excited and nervous about the series. He had previously appeared in a Ghost in the Shell production in a minor role and never imagined that, in the Reiwa era, he would return as a main cast member.

Tomoko Kaneda (Fuchikoma)

Kaneda enthusiastically shared that she voiced every single Fuchikoma in the series, which she found enormously rewarding. She joked that her voice has been compared to the ultrasonic calls of a white-handed gibbon in distress, and playfully warned viewers that having so many Fuchikoma voiced by her might cause mysterious headaches — advising them to see an ENT doctor if that happens.

Marie Ooi (Operator)

Ooi expressed how honoured she is to be part of the legendary franchise. She noted that the Operator is an android without a Ghost, and that the character design documents came with the instruction to make her “cute above all else” — with the word “cute” written on every expression sheet, which she found deeply endearing.

Chafurin (Minister of Home Affairs)

Chafurin described it as a dream come true to join the Ghost in the Shell cast. He portrayed the Minister of Home Affairs as a large, bulldog-like figure — arrogant in manner but not incompetent in his work — and said it was a deeply fulfilling role to play.

Broadcast and Streaming

• TV: Kansai TV / Fuji TV national network, every Tuesday at 23:00 (programme: Ka-Anival!!)
• Prime Video: Every Tuesday at 23:30 (earliest streaming)
• Other streaming services: Every Wednesday at 23:30 onwards

Staff

• Original work: Shirow Masamune, Ghost in the Shell (Kodansha, KC Deluxe)
• Director: Moko-chan
• Series Composition / Screenplay: To Enjoe
• Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Shuhei Handa
• Art Director: Emi Katanozaka
• Art Supervisor: Osamu Masuyama
• Color Design: Ken Hashimoto
• Photography Director: Hikari Ito
• Editor: Kiyoshi Hirose
• Sound Director: Yuji Tange
• Sound Effects: Shota Yaso
• Recording: Yasuaki Ota
• Music Director / Music: Taisei Iwasaki
• Music: Ryo Konishi, YUKI KANESAKA
• Music Production: Flying Dog
• Animation Studio: Science SARU
• Production: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL COMMITTEE

Main Cast

• Motoko Kusanagi — Maaya Sakamoto
• Daisuke Aramaki — Kazuhiro Yamaji
• Batou — Hiroki Yasumoto
• Togusa — Yuichi Nakamura
• Ishikawa — Kosuke Goto
• Saito — Toru Nara
• Operator — Marie Ooi
• Fuchikoma — Tomoko Kaneda