by A special promotional video for the latest Ghost in the Shell anime, “THE GHOST IN THE SHELL,” has been released, featuring the newly unveiled image song “po-ai feat. Mirai Moriyama.” The promotional video was directed by series director MOKOCHAN, while the song was written, composed, and arranged by music director Taisei Iwasaki and features vocals by actor and dancer Mirai Moriyama.
The release comes as the new Ghost in the Shell anime approaches a major stage in its broadcast. The series is currently airing on the Kansai TV/Fuji TV nationwide network in the Tuesday-night anime programming block. The new promotional video combines the anime’s futuristic atmosphere with an unusual musical concept inspired by artificial intelligence, language,e and the relationship between the human body and technology.
New ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Promotional Video Highlights “po-ai feat. Mirai Moriyama”
The newly released special PV is directed by MOKOCHAN, who also serves as the director of THE GHOST IN THE SHELL. Rather than functioning as a conventional character-focused trailer, the video uses music and imagery to capture the distinctive atmosphere of the latest anime series.
The featured track, “po-ai feat. Mirai Moriyama,” was created specifically as an image song for THE GHOST IN THE SHELL. Taisei Iwasaki, who serves as the anime’s music director and composer, handled the lyrics, composition, and arrangement.
Mirai Moriyama, an actor and dancer from Kobe, provides the vocals. His background in physical performance was an important reason Iwasaki approached him for the project, particularly because “physicality” is one of the themes explored by the new Ghost in the Shell project.
The song had already been used as the ending theme for early overseas screenings of the anime, including its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. It has now been officially released as a digital single alongside the promotional video.
A Song Created Through Conversations With AI
One of the most unusual aspects of “po-ai” is the way its lyrics were created.
According to Taisei Iwasaki, the concept began with questions about language and technology. Instead of simply writing lyrics in an existing human language, Iwasaki repeatedly interacted with various AI systems and developed a fictional language that does not exist in the real world.
He then reconstructed the lyrics he had originally written into this newly created language.
The experiment went beyond ordinary spoken words. Iwasaki explained that some of the AI responses treated physical movements and gestures—including actions such as tapping the left side of the chest—as a form of language.
That idea closely connects with the central themes of Ghost in the Shell, a franchise that has long explored questions about consciousness, identity, technology and the relationship between the human body and machines.
Iwasaki ultimately wanted the finished song to be performed by someone with a strong connection to physical expression. That led him to offer the vocal role to Moriyama.
The result is a track designed to sound unfamiliar while still carrying an emotional quality that listeners can connect with.
Why Mirai Moriyama Was Chosen as the Vocalist
Moriyama’s participation is particularly meaningful because of his background as both an actor and dancer.
In his comment about the project, Moriyama explained that he received an unexpected message from Iwasaki, with whom he has both a professional and personal relationship. Iwasaki told him that he wanted to create music connected to the new Ghost in the Shell anime and mentioned that the setting was inspired by Port Island in Kobe.
Moriyama admitted that he initially had very little personal connection with the Ghost in the Shell franchise, despite its worldwide popularity.
However, the Kobe connection immediately caught his attention.
Moriyama was born in Kobe, while Ghost in the Shell creator Masamune Shirow is also associated with the city. The project’s fictional setting of Newport City has long been discussed in relation to Port Island, giving the collaboration an additional local connection.
That made the project especially meaningful for Moriyama.
He ultimately found himself singing “po-ai,” a song that evolved from the original concept into something much larger than a conventional anime tie-in track.
Moriyama jokingly described the experience as somewhat embarrassing because the song eventually took on the feeling of a theme song, but he also expressed excitement about the possibility of hearing “po-ai” played loudly in Kobe someday.
Taisei Iwasaki Wanted to Explore the Border Between Humans and Technology
For Iwasaki, “po-ai” was more than simply an image song.
The composer said that while working on the lyrics, he began thinking about the possibility of manipulating language itself. That question led him to explore what might happen if human language were reconstructed through interaction with artificial intelligence.
Through conversations with multiple AI systems, he developed a fictional linguistic system and transformed the entire set of lyrics into that language.
The process also raised questions about what can actually be considered “language.”
If an AI can interpret a physical gesture as communication, where does language begin and end? And if technology can help humans create new forms of communication, how might that affect the way people understand themselves?
These questions fit naturally into the world of Ghost in the Shell, where the boundaries between human consciousness, cybernetic bodies and information networks have always been central to the story.
Iwasaki said he wanted to explore the point at which humans and technology begin to merge, making the song an extension of the themes explored in the anime itself.
The Song Is Now Available Digitally
“po-ai feat. Mirai Moriyama” was released digitally on August 20, 2026, coinciding with the launch of the special promotional video.
The song will also be included on the upcoming “THE GHOST IN THE SHELL” original soundtrack, scheduled for release on September 9, 2026. The soundtrack is credited to Taisei Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi and YUKI KANESAKA.
The soundtrack will be released as a two-CD album and will include a large collection of music from the series. The announced physical edition is priced at 3,960 yen including tax, with a special package planned for the first production run.
The soundtrack is also scheduled to receive a vinyl release later in September, giving fans another way to collect the music from the new anime.
‘THE GHOST IN THE SHELL’ Continues to Attract Worldwide Attention
The latest anime is the newest television adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s influential Ghost in the Shell franchise.
Produced by Science SARU, the series presents a new interpretation of the world while drawing directly from the original manga’s ideas and visual identity. The series follows Motoko Kusanagi and Public Security Section 9 as they confront cybercrime and mysteries involving advanced technology.
The franchise has influenced anime, science fiction, and creators around the world for decades, making every new adaptation a major event for longtime fans.
The current series has also continued to generate international attention. The official website recently announced a special panel for Anime NYC 2026, further demonstrating the franchise’s international reach.
The anime’s latest episodes have also continued to introduce new characters and cast members. Episode 7, “BYE BYE CLAY,” featured Kikuko Inoue as the Puppeteer and Shigeru Chiba as Department Head Nakamura, with additional cast information released alongside the episode.
Music Becomes Another Way to Experience the New Anime
The “po-ai” promotional project highlights how the new Ghost in the Shell anime is expanding beyond its television episodes.
Rather than using music simply as background entertainment, the production team has connected the song’s creation process directly to the themes of the series.
The fictional language, AI-assistedexperimentation,n and emphasis on physical expression all reflect questions that Ghost in the Shell has explored for years: What makes someone human? What happens when technology becomes part of the body? Can consciousness exist independently from the physical body? And how might communication change as technology evolves?
For viewers who enjoy the philosophical side of science-fiction anime, “po-ai” offers another way to approach those ideas.
At the same time, Moriyama’s distinctive voice gives the song an emotional and human quality, creating an interesting contrast with its technologically inspired concept.
Final Thoughts
The new “THE GHOST IN THE SHELL” special promotional video gives fans a fresh look at the anime through “po-ai feat. Mirai Moriyama,” an unconventional image song created by music director Taisei Iwasaki.
The track’s fictional language, AI-inspired creative process and focus on physical expression make it more than a standard promotional song. Its connection to the themes of humanity, technology and communication makes it particularly fitting for the Ghost in the Shell universe.
With the digital single already available and the original soundtrack arriving on September 9, 2026, fans will have another opportunity to experience the musical world of the latest Ghost in the Shell anime.
For longtime fans and newcomers alike, the collaboration between MOKOCHAN, Taisei Iwasaki and Mirai Moriyama provides an intriguing musical extension of one of anime’s most influential cyberpunk franchises.
