Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell is being adapted again, with Science SARU's 10-episode TV anime having aired from July through September 2026 and a new anime now in production at the same studio. Shirow is credited as the original creator on the new project and on the GLITCH WITCH manga set in the same world.
Shirow's Ghost in the Shell returned to television in 2026 with Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell, a 10-episode Science SARU production directed by Moko-chan with scripts by Tow Ubukata. The adaptation drew on the original manga rather than the earlier film lineage, and the stories describe it as returning to the tone and visual style of Shirow's source material. Maaya Sakamoto voiced Motoko Kusanagi, with Hiroki Yasumoto as Batou and Yuichi Nakamura as Togusa, and the series aired on Kantele and Fuji TV's Hi Anime slot on Tuesdays at 11:00 PM, streaming on Prime Video and other services.
The run ended in September 2026, and within weeks Bandai Namco Filmworks announced that a new anime based on Shirow's manga had started production, again at Science SARU, under the working title Ghost in the Shell (tentative). Format, director, cast and release timing were not announced. The announcement came through flyers at a press preview for the OPEN HOUSE event at DOVER STREET MARKET GINZA in Tokyo, with a teaser visual of the logo and a circuit-line hand.
Around the same time, Naoki Azuma launched GLITCH WITCH on Kodansha's YanMaga Web, set in the Ghost in the Shell world with Shirow credited for the original concept. The manga updates every other Wednesday. Separately, Shirow's own catalog was discounted at the Kindle Store in July 2026, with Appleseed, Dominion F, ORION and his debut Black Magic among the titles, and the M.A.P.P. mouse revival added a red color tuned under his supervision after the blue variant sold out.
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BS12 TwellV airs GHOST IN THE SHELL / Ghost in the Shell 4K Remaster on November 8 at 19:00 as part of Sunday Anime Theater. The film adapts Masamune Shirow's 1989 manga, with Mamoru Oshii as director and storyboard artist. Production I.G handled animation, and the cast includes Atsuko Tanaka as Motoko Kusanagi and Akio Ōtsuka as Batou.
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on October 23, 2026 that production has begun on a new anime based on Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell. The working title is Ghost in the Shell (tentative). Animation production is handled by Science SARU, the studio behind the TV anime Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell, which aired from July through September 2026 with all 10 episodes directed by Moko-chan and written by Tow Ubukata. The announcement came as a surprise: flyers were handed out at a press preview for the public event OPEN HOUSE, held October 24 at DOVER STREET MARKET GINZA in Tokyo. A teaser visual with the work's logo and a hand drawn in circuit-diagram lines was released at the same time. Format, director, cast and release timing for the new project were not announced. Bandai Namco Filmworks said further details will come through its official social media channels.
Naoki Azuma, the creator of Keishicho Zoshi and Dragon & Ape, launched GLITCH WITCH on Kodansha's YanMaga Web website this week. The manga is set in the world of Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell, with Shirow credited for the original concept. New chapters update every other Wednesday. The launch follows the Science SARU television anime, which ended its 10-episode run on Tuesday.
Elecom will open reservations on September 7 at noon for a limited red color of the M.A.P.P. mouse, the revival of the 2002 design project with Masamune Shirow and Hajime Katoki. The red is the first new color in the series, tuned under Shirow's supervision, and sells for 12,800 yen. Blue, one of the three colors released in spring 2026, has already sold out. General sale is planned for late September.
Scene photos and episode visuals for episode 7 of the TV anime Ghost in the Shell: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL have been released. The episode reveals the Puppeteer inside a robot, demanding political asylum before being seized. The episode's alternative design poster is by Kano Kameda.
The TV anime Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell has released preview stills, a synopsis, and an episode visual for its fifth episode, titled PHANTOM FUND. The episode is scheduled to air on August 4 at 23:00 in the Hi Anime Bar!! slot on Kansai TV and Fuji TV's national network, with a same-day streaming release on Prime Video at 23:30. In PHANTOM FUND, Motoko and her team head north to monitor the combat cyborg Coil Krasnov. To expose Coil's objectives and the corruption hidden behind Sagawa Electronics' underground factory expansion, Motoko goes to Sagawa Electronics headquarters while Batou and the others head to the underground factory. The episode visual is part of a special initiative that produces alternative-design posters for each episode, with the fifth episode's design by Daiya Tanabe of maxilla. The anime, based on Masamune Shirow's original manga, is directed by Moko-chan, with series composition and scripts by SF novelist Tow Ubukata, character design by Shuhei Handa, and animation production by Science SARU.
The latest TV anime adaptation of Masamune Shirow's manga, Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell, has released cast details and an end card for its third episode. Akio Otsuka voices Colonel Mares in Episode 3, titled JUNK JUNGLE ii + MEGATECH MACHINE i + ii, which began airing and streaming on July 21. Otsuka commented that the series was created under the concept of keeping the original flavor intact, and he expressed his love for the Ghost in the Shell franchise. The episode also features an end card illustrated by Kunio Okawara. The series is produced by Science SARU, with direction by Mocochin and series composition and script by Tow Ubukata. Maaya Sakamoto stars as Motoko Kusanagi, with Hiroki Yasumoto as Batou and Yuichi Nakamura as Togusa. The anime airs on Kantele and Fuji TV's Hi Anime!! slot on Tuesdays at 11:00 PM, and streams on Prime Video and other services. The story is set in 2029 and follows Public Security Section 9 as they confront cyber crimes and the mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master.
An op-ed on Anime News Network examines Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell and its technological predictions, particularly the cyberbrain, comparing them to current brain-computer interface developments like Neuralink. The piece argues that Shirow's cyberpunk vision remains prescient in 2026 as society faces AI and digital interconnectivity.
Masamune Shirow's manga are on sale at the Kindle Store with a 44% discount plus a 50% point reward, making the effective discount 75%. The lineup includes Appleseed, its guidebook, Dominion F, ORION, and his debut work Black Magic. The sale coincides with the start of the new Ghost in the Shell anime.
Apparel brand GEEKS RULE will release two T-shirt designs for the new anime Ghost in the Shell: The Ghost in the Shell, launching early at Kodansha House in Los Angeles from July 2. The shirts use the first and second key visuals, with the first evoking Masamune Shirow's illustration style and the second featuring Motoko Kusanagi on a Fuchikoma with an icon by Hajime Sorayama. Each costs 13,200 yen.