The new Ghost in the Shell TV anime has added an unexpected musical centerpiece to its late-series run. “po-ai feat. Mirai Moriyama,” an image song created by music director Taisei Iwasaki and performed by actor-dancer Mirai Moriyama, was released digitally on August 20 alongside a special promotional video directed by MOKOCHAN.
The track arrives as the anime moves into its final stretch in Japan, where THE GHOST IN THE SHELL began airing on July 7 in the “Ka-Anival!!” programming block on the Kansai TV and Fuji TV networks. The series is also streaming internationally through Prime Video, making the song’s arrival a timely spotlight moment for the newest chapter in the long-running cyberpunk franchise.
A Ghost in the Shell song built from an invented language
“po-ai” is more than a conventional character or theme song. According to Iwasaki, the lyrics were developed through repeated conversations with multiple AIs as he constructed a language that does not exist on Earth. He then transformed the lyrics he had originally written into that new linguistic system.
The creative process also incorporated physical movement as part of the song’s language. That approach connects directly with one of the anime’s central ideas: the relationship between human identity, technology, and the body. Rather than treating the voice as a simple vehicle for words, the production explored the boundary between sound, gesture, and machine-assisted communication.
That focus on physical expression led Iwasaki to Mirai Moriyama, whose career spans dance, theater, film, and interdisciplinary performance. The performer’s unusual vocal presence gives the track an otherworldly quality, especially as he sings lyrics created in a language designed to sound familiar and alien at the same time.
Why the song is called “po-ai”
The title has a personal connection to both Moriyama and the new series. Moriyama was born in Hyogo Prefecture, while Iwasaki reached out to him with the initial idea of using his voice for an anime set in a world inspired by Kobe’s Port Island.
Port Island is locally nicknamed “Po-ai,” and the name immediately resonated with Moriyama. The announcement also points to a long-standing theory that the fictional island of Newport City in Masamune Shirow’s original manga may have been inspired by Kobe’s Port Island. That connection helped turn a working concept into the song’s final title.
Moriyama has described the collaboration as especially meaningful because of the shared Kobe connection. He also admitted that he had little previous exposure to the Ghost in the Shell franchise before agreeing to participate, making the project an unusual entry point into one of anime and manga’s most influential worlds.
The song already has an international Ghost in the Shell connection
Although “po-ai” is being promoted with the television anime’s new special video, international audiences may have already encountered it. The song was used over the ending footage of advance screenings held overseas, including the series’ world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France.
The newly released promotional video was directed by MOKOCHAN, who also serves as the anime’s series director. Its timing places the song alongside the show’s latest developments, including the release of new character visuals and cast announcements connected to the anime’s ongoing story.
For context, the new series is set in 2029 and follows Motoko Kusanagi, a full-body cyborg who leads an elite unit while working toward the establishment of Public Security Section 9, also known as Shell Squad. The official story introduces the mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master, continuing the franchise’s long-running interest in consciousness, cybercrime, and the meaning of being human in a networked society.
What comes next for the soundtrack
“po-ai feat. Mirai Moriyama” is expected to appear on the original soundtrack for THE GHOST IN THE SHELL. The two-disc album features music by Taisei Iwasaki, Ryo Konishi, and Yuki Kanesaka, with the official music page listing a September 30, 2026 release for the CD and vinyl editions through FlyingDog.
The first-press CD package will include a deluxe sleeve styled after a 7-inch record, while both physical formats feature a new illustration by Science Saru illustrator tarou2. The soundtrack will also include a lengthy conversation among the three music producers about their work on the series.
For longtime Ghost in the Shell fans, “po-ai” offers a striking example of how the new anime is extending the franchise’s ideas beyond its visuals and story. The digital single is available now, while the full soundtrack and the anime’s remaining episodes are worth keeping an eye on as this latest cyberpunk chapter approaches its climax.
Sources
theghostintheshell-anime.jp
