The Ghost in the Shell (Japanese: 攻殻機動隊 THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, Hepburn: Kōkaku Kidōtai) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Science Saru, based on the 1989–91 manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow and part of its media franchise. It aired from July to September 2026.
Contents
Plot
Set in Japan in 2029, Motoko Kusanagi is a cyborg who leads an elite combat unit that includes fellow cyborg Batou. In a world connected by vast information networks, where cybernetic enhancement has increasingly blurred the distinction between humans and machines, Kusanagi seeks to establish a specialized force capable of responding proactively to emerging technological and security threats.
At the same time, Daisuke Aramaki of the Ministry of Home Affairs is planning a similar organization and recruits Kusanagi and her team. Together, they form Public Security Section 9, an aggressive tactical unit that investigates cybercrime and terrorism. Their operations eventually draw them toward a mysterious unidentified hacker known as the Puppet Master, who can infiltrate cybernetic minds and manipulate people as unwitting agents.
Production
With the anime's production committee comprising Science Saru with Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha and Production I.G, the series is directed by Moko-chan, with series composition and scripts by Toh EnJoe, with character designs and chief animation direction by Shuhei Handa, with Taisei Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi, and Yuki Kanesaka composing the music. The opening theme song is "Go Ghost", performed by King Gnu, while the ending theme song is "Blue", performed by Millennium Parade featuring Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar.
On January 30, 2026, the key visual and preview video were released along with the launch of the series website and social media accounts.
Release
The anime premiered at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 22, 2026, with a 90-minute special event "Dive into Ghost in the Shell. Moko-chan, Daichi Sasa, Kengo Abe, and Kohei Sakita appeared as special guests.
The UK and Ireland had screenings for the first two episodes in English on June 26, 2026. On July 5 of the same year, the episodes were screened at Anime Expo in Los Angeles.
The series aired from July 7 to September 8, 2026, on the Ka-Anival!! programming block on all FNS affiliates, including Kansai TV and Fuji TV. Amazon Prime Video streams the series worldwide and holds an exclusive early release window in Japan, with the exception of China, Russia and Vietnam.
