Masahiko Inami read Ghost in the Shell as lab homework and helped build optical camouflage from reflectors and a projector. The world called it an invisibility cloak. He says that name would never have sparked the idea.
A new Ghost in the Shell manga launched on Yanmaga Web on September 9, and Kodansha credits Masamune Shirow with the script and character design, not just the concept. No English version has been announced.
Japanese fans split within hours over Mobile Suit Gundam RG XARX-ZERO, due in 2027: hope for real SF from Kamiyama and EnJoe, resistance to an alien enemy.
The Summer 2026 anime lineup looks identical in Japan and abroad, but expectations split hard. Ghost in the Shell goes global-first on Prime Video, Code Geass: Rozé already finished overseas two years ago, and Tai Ari lands with the fighting-game crowd thanks to a Street Fighter 6 tie-in.
Mamoru Oshii's new Armored Trooper VOTOMS film Die Graue Hexe will be a two-part theatrical release, with Part 1 opening November 20, 2026. Original creator Ryosuke Takahashi serves as supervisor, with music by longtime Oshii collaborator Kenji Kawai, and a powerhouse Sunrise x Production I.G production team behind it.
At its first global showcase, Amazon Prime Video announced worldwide exclusives on three Japanese anime titles: a 40th-anniversary Fist of the North Star reboot, a new Ghost in the Shell TV series, and a fantasy sequel. What the deals say about Japanese IP in the streaming era.