Masamune Shirow is a titan of the manga industry thanks to his pioneering sci-fi works. Recently, the Ghost in the Shell creator detailed his work on a new manga series that will surely delight fans, that is if it gets released soon.
It’s rare for Shirow to be interviewed, but recently, Kodansha’s Young Magazine released an interview with the artist. This interview was also released online via the official Ghost in the Shell website.
There, Shirow not only talked about his unreleased manga but also shared some interesting details about his series. Specifically, he detailed the manga that inspired his works.
Masamune Shirow Reveals the Iconic Manga That Inspired His Works
The original Ghost in the Shell manga began serialization in the late 80s. This was soon adapted into an anime film directed by Mamoru Oshii.
Since then, the Ghost in the Shell franchise has become a hugely influential work, especially in the sci-fi and cyberpunk genres. The manga and the anime inspired films like The Matrix and Avatar.
While it has influenced lots of sci-fi films and manga, Shirow revealed that he took inspiration from another manga artist while creating his iconic series.
In the interview, Shirow revealed that Leiji Matsumoto is an inspiration for him, especially when it came to the drawings for his series.
Shirow noted that Matsumoto’s works such as Galaxy Express 999 had a major influence on the artwork of Ghost in the Shell.
Even though he might not be well-known among younger anime and manga fans, Matsumoto is a legend in the industry, enough that his reach can be felt even outside of Japan.
For instance, Matsumoto supervised the Interstella 5555 anime film, which was a collaboration with the popular electronic music duo, Daft Punk.
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Ghost in the Shell Creator Shirow Is Working on a New Manga
Shirow also talked about some of his plans in his recent interview. There, he mentioned that he’s working on a new manga titled Glitch Witch.
Calling it a new manga may not be entirely accurate. He mentioned that he’s been working on it for a long time now, though it has suffered some setbacks.
He mentioned that Glitch Witch was almost made into a movie on two separate occasions, but plans fell through.
There’s no word on when the Glitch Witch manga will be released as Shirow did not delve deep into his progress. This means fans will likely have to wait a while, that is if it actually gets released.
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Source: Ghost in the Shell Official Website
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