On April 12, 2025, The Ghost in the Shell anime from Science SARU launched a new promotional teaser video, unveiling the core production team behind the upcoming series. This group includes notable talent who have previously contributed to acclaimed projects such as Dandadan, Little Witch Academia, and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
The teaser not only showcased the new series but also presented an array of concept art, depicting various elements such as weapons, locations, characters, and futuristic technology. Along with this, viewers got a glimpse of a key visual and an insightful comment from Masamune Shirow, the original creator of the Ghost in the Shell manga, regarding this next adaptation of his work.
Unveiling Motoko Kusanagi’s Design in the New Key Visual
The series marks the directorial debut of Moko-chan, who is taking the helm for this adaptation. Toh Enjoe has been tasked with writing and overseeing the scripts, while Shuhei Handa has taken on character design and is also serving as the chief animation director. Handa created the second key visual for the anime, showcasing Motoko Kusanagi adorned in what appears to be a new battle outfit.
This redesign closely resembles Kusanagi’s original portrayal in Shirow’s manga, which fans may find noteworthy compared to more recent adaptations. The overall art style is a tribute to the classic aesthetics seen in anime from the late 20th century, aptly reflecting the essence of Shirow’s artwork. In his comments regarding this adaptation, Shirow stated:
“Anime adaptation-wise, this new THE GHOST IN THE SHELL marks the fourth version following those by [Mamoru Oshii], [Kenji Kamiyama], and [Kazuchika Kise]. Alternatively, if we separate GHOST IN THE SHELL and Innocence, categorize the S.A.C. series into Seasons 1, 2, and Solid State Society, divide ARISE into its own series along with The New Movie, and split SAC_2045 into Seasons 1 and 2, this would be the tenth adaptation overall. Considering the shift in production staff, one could even consider this the first installment of a second generation. The original manga is quite old, so I ask for your understanding on that point (sorry!). That said, I sincerely hope this will once again be an enjoyable visual experience in some form.”
Shirow, whose real name is Masanori Ota, first published the Ghost in the Shell manga in several installments from 1989 to 1997 in the Weekly Young Magazine under Kodansha. The series consists of 21 chapters compiled across three volumes, all of which are currently available in English, making it accessible to a new audience eager to explore the depth of this iconic story.
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