Ghost in the Shell Anime Debuts

"Ghost in the Shell" has finally started on July 7, 2026, as a TV anime based on the comic "Ghost in the Shell" series published in 1989 by Masamune Shirow. This is a science fiction work set in a cyberpunk world that depicts the activities of the special forces unit "Public Security Section 9," centered on the main character, Motoko Kusanagi.

The first animated film was "GHOST IN THE SHELL" released in 1995, directed by Mamoru Oshii, which became popular worldwide. However, this work completely changed the taste of the original work, and the character design and tone of the work were brought closer to a realistic hard-boiled style, making the content almost like "Oshii World".

◆"I got what I wanted!"

The first episode begins with an encounter between Daisuke Aramaki, who later becomes the head of Public Security Section 9, and Motoko Kusanagi, a female cyborg whose entire body has been transformed into a prosthetic body. Public Security Division 9 was established after Motoko Kusanagi proposed to the Minister of the Interior to establish a special forces unit, and the film depicts its first mission.

With a style that carefully complements the exchanges in the comic and almost faithfully traces its flow, viewers can't help but wonder from the beginning, "It's totally based on the original!?" "Wow! This is the original version of Aramaki!!" "It's the same as the original, and even the coloring is perfect!" It also says that it includes supplementary explanations that are unique to comics, and people were captivated by its reproducibility, with comments such as "What if there was an explanation outside the frame...!?" and "It reproduces the annotation outside the frame."

Speaking of the "Ghost in the Shell" series, the "jumping off a building" scene that was impressively depicted in director Oshii's version is of course not missed. "This is also where the Major jumps from a high place, right?" The scene where "Sakura's 24-hour surveillance has been canceled," which has become a meme among fans of the original work, has also been made into a video. "I cried once just hearing this line," "Ghost in the Shell is on the move again. It feels so nostalgic," he said, pinching his cheeks as he dreamed of an animated version based on the original.

The Cast and Characters

The announced main cast is as follows. Motoko Kusanagi: Maaya Sakamoto, Daisuke Aramaki: Kazuhiro Yamaji, Batou: Hiroki Yasumoto, Togusa: Yuichi Nakamura, Ishikawa: Mitsusuke Goto, Saito: Toru Nara, Operator: Marina Oi, Fuchikoma: Tomoko Kaneda.

Maaya Sakamoto, who plays Motoko Kusanagi, also played the girl (Motoko Kusanagi) in Oshii's version, and she played Motoko Kusanagi in 2013's Ghost in the Shell: ARISE. As a result, viewers were happy to say, "It's Maaya-san!" while also praising her performance, saying, "Her voice quality is very similar to Atsuko's, but it's Maaya-san", "Maaya Sakamoto and Atsuko Tanaka really matched her voice", "Maaya's voice is completely different from the one in ARISE, as expected of Maaya Sakamoto", and "She's more mature than Maaya from ARISE".

General comments include, "It's been a long time since I've seen such an exciting anime adaptation! I'm glad to be alive..." "This is a must-have for fans of the original work!!" "The action has been amazing from the beginning...! I don't have time to complain about my thoughts." The first episode felt like 30 minutes passed in seconds. Some people were confused by the gap, with some posting, "This isn't the Ghost in the Shell I know (lol)", but it seemed like it was greeted with enthusiasm.

Other comments include, "Of course the art is good, but the design of the robot, which doesn't seem to exist anymore, is good. The song is also great." "They were able to animate the world of the original so well. It's amazing." "Wow. It's been a long time since I've seen Ghost in the Shell. I love the original work so much." Even after the episode aired, the wave of comments continued, with people saying, "It's so good!" The main character is played by Maaya Sakamoto.