For the first time since the franchise became an anime in 1995, a studio other than Production I.G. is animating Ghost in the Shell. That studio is Science Saru — the house behind Dandadan, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and Tatami Time Machine Blues — and THE GHOST IN THE SHELL premieres on Amazon Prime Video in over 240 countries this Tuesday, 7 July 2026, Singapore included.
Science Saru Takes Over — and Why That Is a Big Deal
Production I.G. has been synonymous with Ghost in the Shell animation since Mamoru Oshii’s landmark 1995 film. The studio went on to direct Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, both seasons of Stand Alone Complex, and the theatrical Arise series. Production I.G. remains in the production committee for this 2026 series — alongside Bandai Namco Filmworks and Kodansha — but the animation itself now belongs to Science Saru.
Science Saru was co-founded by Masaaki Yuasa and has built its reputation on visually expressive, high-fluidity work that stands apart from conventional TV-anime house styles. Directing the new series is Mokochan, making his feature directorial debut after working as assistant director on Dandadan. Character design and chief animation direction is handled by Shuhei Handa, whose credits include Dandadan, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and Spriggan. Series composition comes from sci-fi novelist EnJoe Toh, known for the metafictional Self-Reference ENGINE — a choice that hints at a grittier, more literary approach.
A Straight Line Back to Masamune Shirow’s Manga
Rather than continuing any existing anime continuity, the 2026 series returns to Masamune Shirow’s original Ghost in the Shell manga, first serialised in Young Magazine from 1989 to 1991. The story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi leading Public Security Section 9 through cybercrimes and a conspiracy surrounding a spectral hacker known as the Puppet Master — the same premise as Oshii’s 1995 film, but adapted from the source material rather than from the film’s more abstract interpretation.
The creative team describe the aim as being closer to the manga’s own tonal blend of hard sci-fi, dry humour, and political thriller, rather than the heavy philosophical weight of Oshii’s take. Given EnJoe Toh’s background in literary science fiction, that ambition seems credible.
English Dub Cast and Global Availability
Amazon Prime Video is rolling out the series with a full English dub across its global release. Suzie Yeung (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Overtake!) voices Major Kusanagi; Bill Butts plays Batou; SungWon Cho voices Chief Aramaki; and Nick Apostolides takes on Togusa. The English dub cast was confirmed by Anime News Network. In total the series launches in eight dubbed languages alongside the Japanese original.
When and Where to Watch in Singapore
THE GHOST IN THE SHELL is available on Amazon Prime Video in Singapore from 7 July 2026. An active Prime or Prime Video subscription is all you need. New episodes drop weekly — in Japan they broadcast on Fuji TV and Kansai TV every Tuesday at 23:00 JST (midnight SGT on Wednesday), with the Prime Video stream expected around the same time. The July 7 premiere date was confirmed via Anime News Network in June.
If you want to revisit the original mythology ahead of Tuesday, Oshii’s 1995 film and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex are available across multiple platforms. Find more anime season previews and news on GameTrader as the summer 2026 lineup gets into gear.
The Ending Theme: MILLENNIUM PARADE, Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar
The ending theme, titled “Blue”, is performed by MILLENNIUM PARADE featuring Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar. MILLENNIUM PARADE is the avant-pop project led by Daiki Tsuneta, the frontman of King Gnu — whose music has previously appeared across anime soundtracks. Saya Gray is a Japanese-American indie singer-songwriter; Daniel Caesar is a Grammy-winning Canadian R&B artist. The pairing feels deliberately trans-Pacific, which suits a franchise that has always occupied the intersection of Japanese cyberpunk and Western science-fiction imagination.