Summer 2026 brings more than 70 new TV anime titles, and few carry as much anticipation as 攻殻機動隊 THE GHOST IN THE SHELL (Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell), a brand-new TV anime adaptation of Shirow Masamune‘s original manga published by Kodansha under the KCデラックス label.
Story: Cyberpunk Japan, 2029
The series is set in the year 2029 — a near-future Japan where corporate networks blanket the globe and data flows at the speed of light, yet nation-states and ethnic identities have not dissolved. Full-body cyborg Kusanagi Motoko commands an elite squad that includes Batou, and harbors ambitions to establish a proactive special unit dedicated to preventing crime before it happens.
Her vision aligns with that of Aramaki Daisuke of the Ministry of Home Affairs, who recruits Kusanagi and her team to form the offensive organization known as Public Security Section 9 — the “Ghost in the Shell” unit. As they confront cyber-crimes entangled in international intrigue, the trail of one particular investigation leads to a mysterious hacker known only as the Puppet Master. What fate awaits Kusanagi — and what does the Puppet Master truly want?
A Second-Generation Ghost in the Shell
The series is deliberately separated from the lineage of previous TV anime entries — Stand Alone Complex, ARISE, and SAC_2045 — and instead returns to the spirit of Shirow’s source manga. It has been described as the start of a second generation of Ghost in the Shell.
Like Mamoru Oshii’s landmark 1995 theatrical film, the new series centers on the “Puppet Master” arc, but the story is reconstructed through the distinctive visual language of Science SARU — the studio acclaimed internationally for Inu-Oh, The Colors Within, and Dandadan. Debuting director Moko-chan helms the project as their first feature-length directorial work.
Staff
- Original Work: Shirow Masamune, Ghost in the Shell (Kodansha, KCデラックス)
- Director: Moko-chan
- Series Composition / Screenplay: Enjo To — SF novelist (Self-Reference ENGINE) and writer of Godzilla Singular Point
- Character Design / Chief Animation Director: Handa Shuhei — known for Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and Spriggan
- Art Director: Katanozaka Emi / Art Supervisor: Masuyama Osamu
- Color Design: Hashimoto Ken / Photography Director: Ito Hikari
- Editor: Hirose Kiyoshi / Sound Director: Tange Yuji
- Sound Effects: Yasoji Shota / Recording: Ota Yasuaki
- Music Director / Composer: Iwasaki Tasei / Music: Konishi Ryo, YUKI KANESAKA
- Music Production: Flying Dog
- Animation Production: Science SARU
- Production: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL COMMITTEE
Music: MILLENNIUM PARADE feat. Saya Gray & Daniel Caesar
The ending theme is “Blue”, a collaboration between MILLENNIUM PARADE — the project led by King Gnu’s Tsuneta Daiki — alongside Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar. The opening theme and voice cast have yet to be announced.
World Premieres
The series received its world premiere screening at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026 and its US premiere at Anime Expo 2026, underscoring the global scale of its launch.
Broadcast Information
攻殻機動隊 THE GHOST IN THE SHELL begins airing on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, on Kansai TV (Kantele) and the Fuji TV network nationwide, every Tuesday at 23:00 JST in the “火アニバル!!” programming block.
© 2026 Shirow Masamune/KODANSHA/THE GHOST IN THE SHELL COMMITTEE
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