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‘Ghost in the Shell,’ ‘Attack on Titan’ and ‘Blue Lock’ IP Lands at Dentsu in New Kodansha Partnership for the Americas (EXCLUSIVE)
Confirmed
In Short: Dentsu and Kodansha have partnered to bring Ghost in the Shell, Attack on Titan, and Blue Lock to a wider audience in the Americas.
Dentsu, a global advertising and public relations company, has partnered with Kodansha, a major Japanese publishing house, to expand the reach of their anime intellectual property (IP) in the Americas.
The partnership includes the popular series 'Ghost in the Shell,' which follows Major Motoko Kusanagi as she investigates a dangerous 'ghost' hacker known as the Puppeteer.
In the new series, 'Glitch Witch,' the FBI encounters the Puppeteer, setting the story in an American context.
The manga 'Ghost in the Shell' was first published in 1989 and has since received two sequels.
The new series 'Glitch Witch' is set at the same time as 'Ghost in the Shell' but focuses on events happening on the other side of the world.
The first chapter of 'Glitch Witch' was posted on Kodansha’s YanMaga Web website, with new chapters expected every other Wednesday.
Dentsu’s proprietary Japanese IP research is being integrated into its Dentsu.Connect data and identity platform, positioning Kodansha’s catalog as an early beneficiary.
According to Dentsu, 36% of U.S. consumers watch anime at least weekly, indicating a growing mainstream cultural phenomenon.
Caroline Hughes, global integrated client partner at Dentsu, noted, 'Anime has evolved from a niche to a mainstream cultural phenomenon.
The partnership aims to provide clients with a streamlined route into Kodansha-owned IP for use in campaigns and experiential marketing.
Dentsu’s characters and stories resonate with fans globally, enabling new experiences and commercial pathways.
Dentsu was founded in 1901 in Tokyo and now has a footprint spanning 120 countries and territories.
What this adds
The new series 'Glitch Witch' offers an American perspective on the 'Ghost in the Shell' universe.
The partnership is expected to leverage the growing popularity of anime among U.S. consumers.
Background
Ghost in the Shell is a Japanese cyberpunk military science fiction media franchise that began with the eponymous manga series, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. The manga, first serialized from 1989 to 1991, is set in the mid-21st-century and follows the fictional counter-cyberterrorist organization Public Security Section 9, led by protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi.
Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.
Blue Lock is a Japanese manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura. It has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine since August 2018, with its chapters collected in 40 tankōbon volumes as of August 2026.
What's confirmed
- The Ghost in the Shell is based on the manga series by Masamune Shirow.
What's still developing
- Cybernetic implants are nothing uncommon, and robots roam as plentifully as humans, all connected through their 'ghosts' to the electronic datastreams of the net.
- But things take a turn when Motoko gets involved in a case involving an extremely dangerous 'ghost' hacker nicknamed the Puppeteer, as she dives deeper and deeper into the limitless reality of the net to reach her own startling conclusions.
- I admit it: I've never really been a Ghost in the Shell person.
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- Two powerful AIs fight for the future of humanity in this manga set alongside the original Ghost in the Shell manga.
- “As the FBI, AI researchers, and the military investigate, they witness an extraordinary battle between Project 2501, also known as ‘the Puppeteer,' which merges with protagonist Kusanagi at the end of The Ghost in the Shell, and a Solomon-class AI entrusted with the fate of humanity,” is the description given in the official announcement.
- When a mononoke attacks to hunt Rago, his cat, Jiro is fatally wounded defending him.