The first two episodes of the highly anticipated new adaptation of The Ghost in the Shell world premiered in Annecy on 22 June, generating an “event in the event” effect. The TV series, produced by Science Saru and based on the 1989–91 Masamune Shirow’s manga has a strong fanbase. The opening two episodes will also be screened in UK’s cinemas on June 26. The anime series will start its streaming life on July 7 on Prime Video Japan, while on July 5 it will be shown during the Anime Expo 2026 convention. We spoke to director Mokochan and producer Daichi Sasa (Kodansha) from The Ghost in the Shell committee.
The series has explored the relationship between humanity and technology since its start, in the late ‘90s. Being now in 2026, where everyone is talking about AI, has this influenced your interpretation?
Mokochan: The rise of AI has indeed really influenced the way we see this story. When you read the manga, it’s really astonishing how advanced the AI shown there was for the time, and how accurate it seems to be to how AI is actually used today. Because of that, reading it in this day and age actually makes the core themes of the work much easier to understand. That’s exactly why I think that it’s important that people see it now, more than ever.
What do you think longtime fans will be most excited about in this new rendition of the series?
Mokochan: There are so many different fans, because this series has been going for so long that there will be some fans who have just read the manga, there will be some who have just seen maybe one of the previous animations. Given that, it’s hard to answer on behalf of all of them, however, I can say without a doubt that this new anime will offer a fresh experience for any kind of fan.
Surely this time you are also aiming for a new demographic alongside the existing fans, but what kind of people would be your ideal new audience? Maybe new generations that are not familiar with the franchise?
Mokochan: It’s hard to define my ideal audience. I just want everyone to see it!
What does it mean for The Ghost in the Shell to be presented in front of the global animation community here in Annecy?
Daichi Sasa: This is the very first time we are formally submitting a major work that truly represents Kodansha to a festival like Annecy. In that sense, while it’s certainly meaningful to showcase our work and hold panels at events like Anime Expo, that allow us to bring our product in the West, we really wanted the people in the European region to get to know it. On top of that, submitting to a festival that is so highly renowned as an international animation film festival is, in itself, a crucial element for us, as we genuinely want to expand this work on a global scale.
In this sense, what fears did you have in the adaptation, such as disappointing the long-time fans?
Mokochan: There was a huge amount of pressure and nerves before the screening yesterday, showing it to everyone for the first time here in Annecy. Right up until that moment, I was pretty worried and scared, but I was confident that we had done all we could in creating this anime. More than anything, I know that everyone involved in the production loves the manga to bits, which is why we made the series in the first place. When we screened it yesterday, it was amazing just to feel all the warmth of the reaction. Seeing everyone accept it so warmly at yesterday’s screening was a huge relief.
Daichi Sasa: I totally understand the pressure that Mokochan was under. I completely felt the director’s pressure and the heavy burden the production team felt while facing and working on this project. From a producer’s perspective, we’ve spent a lot of time watching the footage as we were working on it. So as I’ve seen the show being made, I was confident that it would do well. However, at the same time I experienced that pressure myself, and I also was really happy to see the response that I was expecting become a reality yesterday.
