Image: TV-Anime Ghost in the Shell: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, Schlüsselvisual 4, 2026 Shirow Masamune/KODANSHA/THE GHOST IN THE SHELL COMMITTEE
AMBot | 07/08/2026 | Reading Time: 4 Min.
The highly anticipated TV revival of the cyberpunk classic "Ghost in the Shell" – officially titled "THE GHOST IN THE SHELL" – premiered on July 7, 2026, on the Japanese channel Kansai TV/Fuji TV in the programming block "Hianibar!!" at 11:00 PM. Right on time for the broadcast, the production team released a wealth of new materials and announced the long-guarded main cast.
With the unveiling of the fourth key visual, drawn by character designer and chief animation director Shuhei Handa, the entire cast is introduced to the public. The motif shows Motoko Kusanagi and the members of Public Security Section 9 together with the enigmatic hacker "Puppet Master," who will play a central role in the course of the story. At the same time, the sixth promotional clip was released, presenting the voices of the main characters for the first time and hinting at the dramatic depth of the new series.
A special highlight is the newly launched "Episode Visual" project: For each episode, an independent alternative poster will be released, artistically interpreting the individual concept and theme of the respective episode. The kickoff is Episode 1 ("PROLOGUE + SUPER SPARTAN i"), designed by Charles Chung (maxilla). As an end card for the first episode, Yoji Shinkawa, art director of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS and known for his work on the "Metal Gear" and "Death Stranding" series, contributed an exclusive illustration.
With the broadcast, the long-awaited announcement of all voice roles also took place. The most important change: Maaya Sakamoto takes on the role of the full-body cyborg Motoko Kusanagi. She had already voiced the character in the OVA series "Ghost in the Shell: Arise" and portrayed a young version of Motoko in the 1995 film. Thus, she follows Atsuko Tanaka, who passed away in 2024 and had shaped the franchise for decades. In a moving statement, Sakamoto explained: "I couldn't accept the offer immediately – it was completely unexpected. But after conversations with the director and producers, I felt the team's sincere passion. Working on this series became a precious time for me to process my gratitude and at the same time my grief for Atsuko-san. The new Motoko is more expressive, more energetic, and even more comedic than ever before – that made the challenge even greater."
The other roles were also recast: Kazuhiro Yamaji voices the tactical leader Daisuke Aramaki, Hiroki Yasumoto plays Batou, Yuichi Nakamura takes on the former detective Togusa, Kosuke Goto will be heard as Ishikawa, Toru Nara as Saito. Tomoko Kaneda lends her voice to the AI-controlled tanks Fuchikoma, Marie Oi plays the operator, and Chafurin the Minister of Internal Affairs. All performers emphasized in their comments their respect for the legacy and their joy at being part of an entirely new interpretation.
The production is handled by Studio Science SARU, known for bold adaptations such as "Devilman Crybaby" and "Dandadan." Direction is by Mokochan, who previously worked as an assistant director on "Dandadan." Series composition and screenplay are by Akutagawa Prize-winning author Toh EnJoe ("Godzilla Singular Point"). The music is by Taisei Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi, and YUKI KANESAKA – a trio deliberately taking new sonic paths away from Kenji Kawai's iconic film score.
The opening "GO GHOST" is contributed by the band King Gnu, while the ending song "Blue" comes from MILLENNIUM PARADE in collaboration with Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar. Both music videos have been released in creditless versions, underscoring the series' ambitious audiovisual direction.
Internationally, the series is available via Prime Video in more than 240 countries and regions – each 30 minutes after the Japanese broadcast. Already at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles, "THE GHOST IN THE SHELL" celebrated its North American premiere with the first two episodes, accompanied by a panel with director Mokochan and character designer Shuhei Handa. The response was overwhelming.
With this revival, "Ghost in the Shell" takes a radical step: a complete voice restart, new creative leadership, and a visual approach that pays homage to Shirow Masamune's original manga aesthetic while setting its own accents. The series promises to give new relevance to the timeless questions of identity, technology, and humanity in a highly connected world.
With the unveiling of the fourth key visual, drawn by character designer and chief animation director Shuhei Handa, the entire cast is introduced to the public. The motif shows Motoko Kusanagi and the members of Public Security Section 9 together with the enigmatic hacker "Puppet Master," who will play a central role in the course of the story. At the same time, the sixth promotional clip was released, presenting the voices of the main characters for the first time and hinting at the dramatic depth of the new series.
A special highlight is the newly launched "Episode Visual" project: For each episode, an independent alternative poster will be released, artistically interpreting the individual concept and theme of the respective episode. The kickoff is Episode 1 ("PROLOGUE + SUPER SPARTAN i"), designed by Charles Chung (maxilla). As an end card for the first episode, Yoji Shinkawa, art director of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS and known for his work on the "Metal Gear" and "Death Stranding" series, contributed an exclusive illustration.
With the broadcast, the long-awaited announcement of all voice roles also took place. The most important change: Maaya Sakamoto takes on the role of the full-body cyborg Motoko Kusanagi. She had already voiced the character in the OVA series "Ghost in the Shell: Arise" and portrayed a young version of Motoko in the 1995 film. Thus, she follows Atsuko Tanaka, who passed away in 2024 and had shaped the franchise for decades. In a moving statement, Sakamoto explained: "I couldn't accept the offer immediately – it was completely unexpected. But after conversations with the director and producers, I felt the team's sincere passion. Working on this series became a precious time for me to process my gratitude and at the same time my grief for Atsuko-san. The new Motoko is more expressive, more energetic, and even more comedic than ever before – that made the challenge even greater."
The other roles were also recast: Kazuhiro Yamaji voices the tactical leader Daisuke Aramaki, Hiroki Yasumoto plays Batou, Yuichi Nakamura takes on the former detective Togusa, Kosuke Goto will be heard as Ishikawa, Toru Nara as Saito. Tomoko Kaneda lends her voice to the AI-controlled tanks Fuchikoma, Marie Oi plays the operator, and Chafurin the Minister of Internal Affairs. All performers emphasized in their comments their respect for the legacy and their joy at being part of an entirely new interpretation.
The production is handled by Studio Science SARU, known for bold adaptations such as "Devilman Crybaby" and "Dandadan." Direction is by Mokochan, who previously worked as an assistant director on "Dandadan." Series composition and screenplay are by Akutagawa Prize-winning author Toh EnJoe ("Godzilla Singular Point"). The music is by Taisei Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi, and YUKI KANESAKA – a trio deliberately taking new sonic paths away from Kenji Kawai's iconic film score.
The opening "GO GHOST" is contributed by the band King Gnu, while the ending song "Blue" comes from MILLENNIUM PARADE in collaboration with Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar. Both music videos have been released in creditless versions, underscoring the series' ambitious audiovisual direction.
Internationally, the series is available via Prime Video in more than 240 countries and regions – each 30 minutes after the Japanese broadcast. Already at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles, "THE GHOST IN THE SHELL" celebrated its North American premiere with the first two episodes, accompanied by a panel with director Mokochan and character designer Shuhei Handa. The response was overwhelming.
With this revival, "Ghost in the Shell" takes a radical step: a complete voice restart, new creative leadership, and a visual approach that pays homage to Shirow Masamune's original manga aesthetic while setting its own accents. The series promises to give new relevance to the timeless questions of identity, technology, and humanity in a highly connected world.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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