The Ghost in the Shell director Toma Kimura, professionally known as Mokochan, says he prayed to an imaginary version of original manga creator Masamune Shirow while developing the new adaptation.
"I would pray to this imaginary version of Shirow that emerged from my reading of the manga," Mokochan told WIRED Japan. "Then, after about three days, the answer would just quietly appear. At that point, it no longer mattered whether the answer came from my own inner thoughts or from my interpretation of the source material. That’s what I mean by spiritual communion."
Masamune penned the Ghost in the Shell manga, which debuted in 1989. The 1995 anime movie adaptation, directed by Mamoru Oshii, is widely considered one of the best anime movies of all time... so I absolutely understand praying to an imaginary Masamune for guidance. The Western live-action adaptation starring Scarlett Johansson, however, wasn't the most well-received (but we don't need to talk about that).
Per the official synopsis from Prime Video, the new Ghost in the Shell is set in a near-future "where information networks envelop the world and advanced cyborg technology has enabled the creation of a cyberbrain" and tells "the story of the full-body cyborg Motoko Kusanagi and the combat unit she leads in the fight against cybercrime."
Ghost in the Shell is airing now on Prime Video. Keep up to date with our Ghost in the Shell release schedule. For more on what to watch, check out our guide to the best anime to watch this year and keep up with new anime.
