Written by Sky
Bandai Namco Filmworks hosted their Industry Panel at Anime Expo 2026 this past July. Their mission involves “Planning, producing and marketing of film & video content and related services as well as managing and licensing of the copyrights and literary properties”. The panel focused on promoting their current and upcoming titles.
The audience was shown a trailer for the new THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, featuring action-packed cyberpunk fiction with cyborgs based on the 1989 manga. It is currently streaming on Prime Video. A few team members who worked on the series were brought in to do a Q&A. This included the director, Mokochan, the animation producer, Shuhei Shindo, the producer, Kengo Abe, and the character designer/executive animation director, Shuhei Handa.
Mokochan: We know that there are so many fans of the original manga and I was surprised to get a chance to work on this project, but I will try my best.
Shuhei Handa: I had so much fun during the whole process.
Shuhei Shindo: Because the original work is so famous, I am honored to get a chance to work on this project. It was not easy, but we had a whole team and we were able to complete the project. It was so fun.
Kengo Abe: I am a fan of Ghost in the Shell and I got a chance to work with Science SARU (an award-winning animation studio). I was happy to be the producer and I want to deliver the project to everyone as soon as possible.
Q: What would you like to tell overseas fans?
Mokochan: For this work, it’s more based on the original manga. There are so many different franchises that you can watch and compare all of the differences in them.
Handa: We tried very hard to follow the character design and the design style based on the manga. We hope that you can enjoy that while watching the work.
Shindo: While we were making this anime, we tried hard to deliver a charming world. We think the vibes are important, so the lighting, composition, character design, facial emotions, and acting make all of the characters seem as if they are living in the real world. We hope you can catch these points during the show.
Abe: There is a lot of deep thinking included from the original manga. I hope you can see all of the different franchises so you can have different ways to enjoy all of the projects.
Q: What is your final message to the fans?
Abe: Please come to the premiere tomorrow! (at Anime Expo)
Shindo: I hope all of the attendees here can enjoy all of the series, franchises, and projects because we have a big team working hard and it’s an amazing work. Whether you are a fan of other franchises or a new fan, please enjoy this show.
Handa: Please watch it. I was a fan of Ghost in the Shell like everyone here today, and now I am working on the character design. Hopefully one day one of you can work on the character design of another adaptation as well.
Mokochan: All of our staff were big fans of Ghost in the Shell and during the production process, we were full of passion. I have confidence to say that it’s a great work.
Next, guests who were involved with the show MARRIAGETOXIN were invited on stage. A trailer for season one was shown, featuring colorful scenes where animation studio Bones adapted a battle action manga with a focus on love into an anime. The trailer also stated that season two would be released in 2027. The director, Motonobu Hori, the voice of the protagonist, Haruki Ishiya, and the voice of the supporting lead, Shion Wakayama answered some questions about the production.
Q: What were your first impressions when you first got involved with this work?
Motonobu Hori: In the beginning, I watched some of the draft of the story. I thought that it was kind of a weird story. But then I thought if I could translate it in a different way, it will be an interesting show.
Haruki Ishiya: I think the design in the original work is really pretty. I think Gero (the protagonist) is really awkward when he is around girls. In the first episode, you will think his smile is really awkward, I can also smile like that. He is really cool and shows more charm later. I also think Kinosaki (the supporting lead) is super adorable.
Shion Wakayama: When I learned the story of this show I thought it would be hard to put the marriage hunting and the battles together. It didn’t match in my head. Gero is working in a dark line of work and I wasn’t sure if that could work, but I fell for his charm.
Q: Since Season 2 is confirmed, we would like to hear your thoughts without any spoilers.
Ishiya: The majority of people haven’t read the manga, so I can’t spoil anything, but we have lots of strong characters coming. Maybe people even stronger than Gero. We need everyone to cheer, so he can win the next battle! Without everyone’s support, he would probably lose. Please support him!
Wakayama: We have so many new characters on the way with special personalities. We hope that when you watch the second season, you can enjoy the new relationship between Gero, Kinosaki, and the new characters.
Hori: In the second season, we will also have a lot of new characters who will be involved with the marriage hunting. During that process, you can also see the new charm of the character in Gero and Kinosaki. I worked harder to show those charms to everyone, so I hope you can notice that.
Q: What is your final message to the fans?
Hori: There is more fun in Season 2. Thank you.
Ishiya: Thank you everyone for coming here. We think that since you already enjoyed Season 1, there are a lot of upgrades in Season 2, so we think you will like it too. If you notice in the designs,our team includes a lot of staff staff working on the project who live outside of Japan, so the design is unique. People think it’s a work from Japan, but it’s popular everywhere. Please support Gero until the end through the marriage hunting and all of his battles.
Wakayama: I hope everybody can see Season 2. I am glad that so many people like Kinosaki. I can feel it. It was not just me behind the work, but we have the whole team. We hope everyone can love and support Kinosaki and MARRIAGETOXIN.
Motonobu Hori also showed off a cardboard cut-out of a hamster he had created himself, a nod to one of the characters in the franchise.
The remaining time was filled with trailers for current and upcoming works from Bandai Namco Filmworks, such as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, MAO, Magical Sisters LuluttoLilly, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash, New Sgt. Frog the Movie: The Earth is in Mortal Peril as Soon as We Come Back!, the upcoming Sgt. Frog animated series, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You, Yoroi-Shinden Samurai Troopers, Battle Spirits [Re] ZEKKAI NO KU, Armored Trooper VOTOMS: Die Graue Hexe, ghost – end of night, and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom Zero.
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