Science SARU just dropped the trailer for The Ghost in the Shell’s reboot. It looks refreshing, power-packed, and most importantly, promising. But here are some details you may have missed, so let’s unpack this!
5. 90s style animation
The Ghost in the Shell made its debut in 1995, and it stands as one of the most iconic 90s anime. The reboot pays homage to the 90s aesthetic by recreating the intricate style. Be it Motoko Kusanagi’s character design or the hues, the trailer itself is reminiscent of an era gone by!
4. Motoko Kusanagi’s whimsical self
Unlike most popular renditions of GITC, this Motoko is rather true and lore-accurate. She retains her goofy and whimsical personality while at the same time being true to her purpose and her duty as a cyborg fighting against individuals threatening public safety. The trailer also shows her as a drinks connoisseur, which is her unique trait throughout the manga, but that’s not all.
3. Fanservice
The trailer concludes with a rear view of Motoko and her coy expression. It also showed a glimpse of a steamy scene of her sharing a moment with another woman, which is often shown throughout the manga. The manga is also laden with R-rated moments that were chucked out in most adaptations for the fear of censorship, and also to make it palatable for the audience. It is, by far, a more authentic representation of the manga, where it shows Motoko and other characters being their real selves, compared to a rather stoic portrayal, which brings us to some of the core elements of the anime: comedy.
2. Crass, Comedy, and all that jazz
The Ghost in the Shell isn’t your usual serious and brooding Cyberpunk, as one might think. The manga has some of the most goofy, hilarious, whimsical moments that some adaptations don’t really touch upon. The trailer gives away this detail through the characters’ goofy faces and caricatured expressions, especially in Batou’s case, and it’s spot-on!
1. Original Manga Art
Yes! You read that right! It’s not often that one comes across an anime beautifully done and authentic to the manga’s original art. There are exceptions, though, and the 2026 version seems to be one such example.
The series pays its unique tribute to Masamune Shirow’s craftsmanship through its detailing. Motoko’s blue hair and red eyes are exactly how Shirow drew the character, and most adaptations fail to make the cut.
Science SARU nailed it to the T with their character designs and color scheme, and also imbued the true essence of the manga and its whimsy through their trailer.
To make it even better, Taisei Iwasaki is composing the music for the series alongside Ryo Konishi and Yuki Kanesaka. While Iwasaki is known for composing the score for Belle, Konishi is a multifaceted instrumentalist.
As for Kanesaka, he worked extensively on the score and background music for the Dr. Stone series.
The Ghost in the Shell is slated for release on July 7, 2026.
