Ghost in the Shell (2026) Ep.01,02 - Motoko is so much more lively here!

Ghost in the Shell (2026) was definitely not something I was expecting on my bingo list for new anime series, but it turns out there are enough fans of this old series to warrant a complete new adaptation. I know I am still here, so that's one fan already. This was only made better by the fact that I rewatched the original Ghost in the Shell S.A.C. series just last year and I still have it fresh in my mind.

My first impression was surprise, then shock, then appreciation. This series is original; it's not a remake, per se, but a completely new reimagining, and I honestly like it. The original was a serious science fiction series filled with philosophical themes and conspiracies.

Who could've ever imagined Motoko making such a face. She was so serious back then, always thinking one step ahead...

They didn't change her body design though, she was hot, she still is hot and she'll probably always be hot. I approve

This feels lighter and less stoic while still retaining the original setting. We can see it immediately in how Motoko behaves around the others; she was the most serious and controlled person in the original series. Here, we've seen her laugh, blush, get frustrated, and openly have fun in bed with other women.

The number of different expressions that she showed in these two episodes was downright incredible. The art style is reminiscent of the 90s, but with the improvements we've become accustomed to in the modern era. It's similar to what they did with the Urusei Yatsura remake a while ago.

The other characters are quite different, too. Aramaki is younger and less of a politician, more 'hands-on,' even appearing on the front lines sometimes. Togusa feels like a joke character so far; as the 'newbie' of the group, he's almost always the one ending up unconscious or involved in an incident during missions.

The first two episodes seem focused on setting up the special organization and introducing the various characters, but there are no high stakes so far. We revisited the initial scene with Motoko falling from the building while using her invisibility, and I believe the garbage can event was also in the original, even if the developments were quite different.

This situation is so comedic and whoa I like the design of the other two girls. Hopefully we see them in 'action' again soon.

They even kept the usual robot ladies without a ghost that end up dying left and right because they're the easiest way to show damage without killing a real character.

I'm honestly excited to see more of it and I'll definitely cover this series regularly on this blog. What kind of bigger story will they face this time around? It'll be hard to top the Laughing Man, which literally became a meme before memes were a thing back then; it was so socially popular.