It has been announced that the new TV anime series "Ghost in the Shell," based on Masamune Shirow's popular manga "Ghost in the Shell," will begin airing in July on the Kansai TV/Fuji TV network's Tuesday 11 PM anime slot, "Kaanibal!!." The music staff has also been announced, with Taisei Iwasaki, winner of the Japan Academy Award for Best Original Score for the animated feature film "The Dragon and the Freckled Princess," serving as music director. In addition to Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi, who served as music director for the opening ceremony of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, and Yuki Kanesaka, known for "Dr. Stone," will also be in charge of the music.
The first promotional video was released on YouTube, showcasing footage from the anime. It features the main character, Kusanagi Motoko, a cyborg with a full prosthetic body, and members of Public Security Section 9. The first key visual featuring Kusanagi Motoko was also released. The original illustration was created by character designer and animation director Handa Shuhei, and pays homage to Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell" illustrations while also expressing the worldview of cyberpunk sci-fi.
Iwasaki commented, "When I was in junior high school, I happened to open a magazine and saw a color cover illustration of Kusanagi Motoko. That was the moment I first encountered 'Ghost in the Shell.' The touch and color were clearly different from other works. The author's name, 'Masamune Shirow', was intriguing. I was shocked. Since then, I have come into contact with 'Ghost in the Shell' in various forms, but now I feel truly honored to be able to take part in this long history as a supporter of the work. The concept I came up with to color 'Ghost in the Shell', its origin and source, with music is 'Sound Public Security Section 9.' I will scout talented friends and work hard to make this work, which I have been looking forward to, even better. I hope that everyone will enjoy 'En'."
Konishi said, "I first saw 'Innocence' in the theater when I was in junior high school. I was captivated by its intense charm and have continued to follow everything about Ghost in the Shell ever since. The influence of Ghost in the Shell is deeply engraved in my current creative work and thoughts. At first, I couldn't believe that I would be responsible for the music of such a work, but I wanted to carefully take on this important world - so I put my heart and soul into it. I followed the whispers of my ghost!"
YUKI KANESAKA said, "After tweeting, 'I haven't seen Ghost in the Shell at all!' I immediately downloaded all the original English and Japanese versions on Amazon and began composing in my private studio on the outskirts of Boston. There, countless song motifs had already begun preparing for their journey. Additional recording took place in Nashville, where my allies were waiting. Tailoring took place in a hotel in Shanghai. Then, while I was visiting Tokyo, the motifs underwent their long journey, transforming from a phenomenon known as a passage into the message of a suite. It was a journey that was unwavering, unstaining, and never rewritten. These songs, filled with my thoughts and impulses, are like a map with that trajectory engraved on it."
The new work will be directed by Moko-chan, who served as assistant director on "Dandadan" and has worked on "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" and "The Tale of the Heike." This will be Moko-chan's first time as a director. Akutagawa Prize-winning author Enjo Toh will be in charge of series composition and scriptwriting, while Handa Shuhei will be in charge of character design and chief animation director. The work will be produced by Science SARU.
"Ghost in the Shell" is a science fiction manga that began serialization in 1989 in the "Young Magazine Pirate Edition," a supplement to the manga magazine "Young Magazine" (Kodansha). The story depicts the Ghost in the Shell, led by Kusanagi Motoko, a cyborg with exceptional abilities in cyber warfare and combat, as they confront increasingly sophisticated and violent crimes.
