Summary
For over three decades, Shirow Masamune’sGhost in the Shellhas blown people’s minds with its stylish yet grounded political commentary on the blurring line between human and machine. Putting aside its influence on works across the pop culture zeitgeist, it has received several anime adaptations, each one distinct, yet rarely capturing the same tone as the manga, until - just maybe - now.
On Saturday, May 25, Bandai Namco Filmworks revealed that a new adaptation ofGhost in the Shellwas in the works and slated to air on TV in 2026, referred to simply asThe Ghost in the Shell. With the project undoubtedly early in production, no details were given about the production staff, but it was confirmed that the studio behind it would beScience Saru (Devilman Crybaby,Dandadan).
Why Science Saru’s Involvement Is Huge
For those who have followed this franchise for a while and are familiar with more than one of its iterations, just the announcement of the studio working on it was a surprise. This is a franchise that has historically always been helmed by Production I.G, the studio behind such iconic science fiction works asPatlabor,Psycho-Pass,or even last year’sHeavenly Delusion. No matter howGhost in the Shellhas been reimagined over the years, it’s always been their name slapped on the tin.
It’s not as if Production I.G is completely absent, mind you. They, along with Bandai, Kodansha, and - naturally - Science Saru are on the production committee for this new series. Still, this marks the first time that a different studio has put its name on a new installment in the franchise, discounting collaborations like Ghibli onInnocenceor Sola Digital Arts onSAC_2045. Of all the studios that could have taken over, however, Science Saru is a very exciting choice.
Science Saru Is Certainly Up to the Task
Science Saru was founded in 2013by famed director Masaaki Yuasaand animator Eunyoung Choi. From this studio came many of Yuasa’s directorial works, likePing Pong,Devilman Crybaby,Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken,Night is Short, Walk On Girl,Ride Your Wave, andInu-Oh. Yuasa stepped down as president of Science Saru in 2020, but in his absence, the artists who worked alongside him have taken the studio into an exciting new phase.
Famed Kyoto Animation director Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice,K-On), left KyoAni to direct 2021’sThe Heike Storyat Science Saru. Her next two films, like June 2024’sThe Colors WithinandGarden of Remembrance, are also Science Saru productions. Additionally, Abel Gongora, the animator behindEizouken’s viral OP,directed 2023’sScott Pilgrim Takes Off, and Fūga Yamashiro, an assistant director to Yuasa, will helm the long-awaited adaptation ofDandadan.
But Why the Change, Exactly?
Essentially, the series is in good hands, from a studio with impressive beginnings and the early signs of a strong future thanks to a nuanced production philosophy and great creative minds. Still, one might wonder what prompted the change in studios to begin with and, as of the time of writing, there’s very little beyond conjecture to answer that question. Regardless of the official reason, though, it might be for the best thatGhost in the Shellis in fresh hands.
Ghost in the Shell Needs A System Reboot
As groundbreaking as this franchise is, and as recognizable as the brand has remained all these years on,Ghost in the Shell’s recent iterations are not without flaws.Ghost in the Shell: Arise, the OVA series that began in 2013, was praised for its slick action and excellent score, but is often looked at less favorably for its narrative.This isn’t to say Arise was bad- just that it wasn’t as captivating asStand Alone Complexnor as thought-provoking as Mamoru Oshii’s films.
Even when Production I.G and Sola Digital Arts revived theStand Alone Complexcontinuity forSAC_2045, many fans were reluctant on account of the CGI. Even with original director/writer Kenji Kamiyama returning, there were qualms to be had with the storytelling, and fans weren’t as keen to give this new iteration the attention they had to the original. There’s much to be said about how valid certain complaints were, but the overarching problem generally seems to be a sense of fatigue.
In a series famous forits eerily accurate predictions of the futureinherent to its conception at a time when the internet was new, it’s not justdifficultto imagine a fresh take - it seemsfoolishto even attempt. One runs the risk of creating a pastiche of what Oshii or Kamiyama already did so well, or, trying to explore a new idea, but lacking the storytelling prowess of past directors (likeArise). Thankfully, there’s one creator the anime adaptations have yet to tap fully: Shirow Masamune.
The Creator of the Series Himself Is Right There
Some time ago, we wrote about how - amusingly -the most accurate animated takeonGhost in the Shellmanga came from the cutscenes from the PS1 video game. These were also animated by Production I.G and featured the cast of the 1995 film, but were so different in tone that, in retrospect, fans who grew up with the films and TV show might be shocked. It’s still political, still philosophical, and still loaded with action, but with a silliness to it that is lost in a lot of adaptations.
And this is what makes Science Saru’s announcement so tantalizing. Rather than announce the new series with a piece of key art witha bold new design for the Major, the promotional poster and teaser opted for manga art exclusively. It suggests that this new TV anime might finally give fans a manga-accurate take that could very well adapt the original work in its entirety, rather than just reimagine it the way past successes have.
To reiterate, this isn’t exactly confirmed. There is only the promotional video and poster as of the time of writing, but ifThe Ghost in the Shelltruly is to be a worthwhile entry in this legendary franchise, it might need to look to where it all began. It would certainly be different, and it wouldn’t be a shock if some anime-only fans mistook the tone change for a betrayal, as opposed to a faithful adaptation. Regardless of what comes to be, 2026 can’t come soon enough.
