The summer 2026 anime Ghost in the Shell THE GHOST IN THE SHELL aired its fifth episode, “PHANTOM FUND,” on August 4, 2026, sending fans into a frenzy — particularly with the surprise appearance of characters from Shirow Masamune’s earlier work Dominion, voiced by the same actresses who played them in the 1993 OVA.

About the Series

Based on Shirow Masamune’s landmark 1989 manga published by Kodansha, Ghost in the Shell is a cyberpunk sci-fi set in a near future where cybernetics and brain-network connectivity are commonplace. The story follows Motoko Kusanagi, a full-body cyborg leading a special unit that combats cybercrime. The franchise has spawned numerous adaptations since Mamoru Oshii’s acclaimed 1995 theatrical film, influencing creators worldwide.

This all-new series is produced by Science SARU, directed by Motochan, with series composition and scripts by SF novelist Toh EnJoe. The main cast features Maaya Sakamoto as Motoko Kusanagi, Kazuhiro Yamaji as Aramaki Daisuke, Hiroki Yasumoto as Batou, and Yuichi Nakamura as Togusa.

Episode 5: PHANTOM FUND — Story Recap

The episode centers on Coil Krasnov, a combat cyborg traveling by Tohoku Linear toward Hokkaido, being tailed by Yano, a rookie operative sent by Batou from the training academy. Motoko and her team fly to Kitahashi — an old-model cyber city — to surveil Krasnov and expose corruption hidden within the underground factory expansion of Sagawa Electronics. Motoko heads to Sagawa’s headquarters while Batou and his team infiltrate the underground facility.

Along the way, Fuchikoma, accompanying Motoko, spots vintage units at what appears to be a junk shop and erupts with excitement.

Anna Puma & Uni Puma: A Beloved Surprise

The episode’s biggest talking point was the appearance of Anna Puma and Uni Puma, the android twins from Shirow Masamune’s earlier manga Dominion — a series about a police tank squad that was adapted into OVA three times. Crucially, the production brought back the original voice actresses from the second OVA series, Dominion Tank Police (1993): Aya Hisakawa as Anna Puma and Nina Kumagai as Uni Puma.

When their names appeared in the end credits, veteran fans erupted online:

• “Same voice actresses as the Dominion OVA!”
• “I can’t believe they got the original pair from the ’93 OVA — I’m stunned!!”
• “After all these decades, both of them must have been deeply moved…”
• “What a classy casting choice — same lineup as the second OVA.”

Aya Hisakawa is widely beloved for roles including Ami Mizuno (Sailor Mercury) in Sailor Moon, Kero-chan (Cerberus) in Cardcaptor Sakura, and Yuri Tsukikage (Cure Moonlight) in HeartCatch PreCure! Many fans were surprised to hear her voice in what amounts to a brief shopkeeper cameo.

Tension, Loss, and a Weary Batou

Yano, who was tailing Krasnov alone, is killed. Batou arrives at the scene and explodes in anger: “If he’d worked in a two-man cell, Yano wouldn’t have died!” Meanwhile, Motoko visits hacker informant Chlorden to obtain a security map of Sagawa Electronics. She notes dryly that living with a doll more expensive than a supercar is “not exactly healthy” — a line that in the original manga referenced a Ferrari, prompting fans to chuckle at the adaptation’s workaround.

In the underground factory, Batou and veteran operative Ishikawa discover long-missing gold bars. Motoko infiltrates Sagawa’s president’s office disguised as a catalog photographer, only to be detected by a security robot and face off against Kagasaki Sohei, former special division chief of Kitahashi, voiced by Toshihiko Seki — known for Muzan Kibutsuji in Demon Slayer and Kitaro’s father in Kitaro Was Born: Gegege’s Mystery. Fans immediately recognized his voice and flooded social media with reactions.

By the episode’s end, the recovered gold is returned, with one bar deposited into the late Yano’s account. Batou visits Yano’s family in person, and when Motoko picks him up afterward, he says quietly: “No matter how many times this happens… you never get used to it.”

Fan Reactions

Post-broadcast responses were a mix of praise and concern:

• “The dialogue, the atmosphere — it’s exactly like the original manga. So good.”
• “The chaotic visual energy of the source material came through brilliantly.”
• “Great episode! But… I had no idea what any of the technical jargon meant.”
• “The story moves so fast my brain can’t keep up (every single week).”
• “This week’s Ghost in the Shell was even more incomprehensible than usual.”
• “It feels like it’s made for people who love dense, difficult stories — but it might be too dense for most viewers to follow.”

Long-time fans offered reassurance: “People saying the manga-faithful version is confusing — don’t worry, it was even more confusing when it was serialized.” And: “I feel like I’m slowly starting to understand this world and what cybernetic enhancement means for humanity. Probably.”

Staff Comment

Science SARU released a comment from Gan Haotian, who served as storyboard artist, episode director, and chief animation director for Episode 5:

“In this episode, Section 9 travels to Hokkaido to pursue their investigation. Based on Chapter 7 of the original manga, we approached the visuals with a ‘spy action film’ sensibility throughout. I hope viewers can experience the unique world of the source material — at once lighthearted and humorous, yet simultaneously weighty and serious.”

Broadcast Information

Ghost in the Shell THE GHOST IN THE SHELL airs every Tuesday at 23:00 JST on Kansai TV and Fuji TV’s nationwide “火アニバル!!” block. It is also broadcast on KRY Yamaguchi Broadcasting from July 14 and on Animax from July 25. Streaming is available on Prime Video every Tuesday at 23:30 JST (Japan’s earliest stream), with other platforms following on Wednesdays at 23:30 JST.