Science SARU's reboot of The Ghost in the Shell started airing July 7, 2026, and the studio locked its Japanese cast the same week. Maaya Sakamoto voices Major Motoko Kusanagi, with Kazuhiro Yamaji as Daisuke Aramaki and Hiroki Yasumoto as Batou. If you've been waiting for a place to actually watch it, the answer is simpler than usual: it's global from day one.
Quick answer
The Ghost in the Shell (2026) is a new TV anime from Science SARU, directed by Mokochan in their directorial debut, based on Shirow Masamune's manga. It premiered July 7, 2026 on Kansai TV/Fuji TV (11:00 PM JST) and streams globally on Amazon Prime Video across 240+ countries. Maaya Sakamoto returns as Motoko Kusanagi, with King Gnu's "Go Ghost" as the opening. According to SenpaiRanks, the series is tracked on the live 2026 board — rate it yourself to see where your take lands versus the crowd.
Where to watch
This is the rare tentpole where the streaming story is clean. Prime Video Japan carries the broadcast simulcast at 11:30 PM JST, and Amazon runs it worldwide on Prime Video the same night (excluding mainland China, Russia, and Vietnam). No platform scavenger hunt, no region-lock roulette — one subscription, everywhere. That's the kind of question we answer without a platform's thumb on the scale: where it actually is, not where a service wishes you'd look.
The team
Science SARU is a pointed choice. This is the studio behind Devilman Crybaby and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off — expressive, elastic, not the cold procedural gloss of Production I.G's 1995 film or Stand Alone Complex. Toh Enjoe oversees the script, Shūhei Handa handles character design and chief animation direction, and the sound is stacked: King Gnu on the opening "Go Ghost," MILLENNIUM PARADE (feat. Saya Gray and Daniel Caesar) on the ending "Blue."
How to read it
Ghost in the Shell is one of anime's most adapted properties, so the real question isn't what is it — it's does this version hold up. That's exactly the split SenpaiRanks is built to answer: our Consensus axis tracks how broadly a show is liked, and our Quality axis tracks whether it holds up on its craft. A cyberpunk reboot with a divisive studio pick is the textbook case where a single MyAnimeList number flattens the story and two axes don't.
Watch the trailer:
If you're mapping the rest of the 2026 slate, our best anime to watch in 2026 hub ranks the season on both axes, and our dual-axis vs MyAnimeList breakdown explains why one score was never enough. Sci-fi film fans should also see the new Sword Art Online: Integral Domain film. Full catalog page: The Ghost in the Shell on SenpaiRanks.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where can I watch The Ghost in the Shell (2026)?
A: Globally on Amazon Prime Video, streaming in 240+ countries the same night as the Japanese broadcast (excluding mainland China, Russia, and Vietnam).
Q: Who voices Motoko Kusanagi in the 2026 anime?
A: Maaya Sakamoto voices Major Motoko Kusanagi, with Hiroki Yasumoto as Batou and Kazuhiro Yamaji as Aramaki.
Q: What studio is making the new Ghost in the Shell?
A: Science SARU, with Mokochan directing their first series and Toh Enjoe overseeing the script.
Q: When did The Ghost in the Shell (2026) premiere?
A: July 7, 2026, on Kansai TV/Fuji TV at 11:00 PM JST, with a simultaneous global Prime Video launch.
Q: Is the new Ghost in the Shell good?
A: It's tracked live on SenpaiRanks' 2026 board on both Consensus and Quality axes — rate it after you watch to see where your take sits versus the crowd.