Kenji Kawai is composing the score for the two-part theatrical film series Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe, whose first part opens November 20, 2026. His 1995 Ghost in the Shell score is cited as the origin of the franchise's ethnic sound.
The 2026 Ghost in the Shell TV anime, airing about 30 years after the original manga, opens with King Gnu's "GO GHOST." The piece traces the opening's ethnic chorus from Kenji Kawai's 1995 score for the franchise to Yoko Kanno's work on STAND ALONE COMPLEX. Kawai's 1995 score is cited as the origin point of the franchise's signature sound.
Kawai is also composing the score for Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe, a two-part theatrical film series announced by Bandai Namco Filmworks. The first part opens November 20, 2026. Original creator Ryosuke Takahashi returns as supervising director. Kawai is known for his work on Mobile Suit Gundam 00.
The two stories place Kawai as a composer whose past work anchors franchise identity while he takes on new projects.
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The TV anime 'Ghost in the Shell: THE GHOST IN THE SHELL' is airing about 30 years after the original manga's release. King Gnu's opening theme 'GO GHOST' opens with an ethnic chorus that signals the franchise's signature sound. The piece traces that sound from Kenji Kawai's 1995 score to Yoko Kanno's work on 'STAND ALONE COMPLEX.'
Bandai Namco Filmworks announced that Armored Trooper Votoms: Die Graue Hexe will reach Japanese theaters as a two-part film series. The first part opens on November 20, 2026. The date arrived with a new trailer and key visuals. Original Votoms creator Ryōsuke Takahashi returns as supervising director. Kenji Kawai, known for his work on Mobile Suit Gundam 00, is composing the score. Mechanical design duties go to Yoshihiro Sono, who worked on Votoms: AT Stories, and Shinobu Tsuneki, whose credits include Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These. The project was first revealed in January 2026. The second film does not yet have a date. Bandai Spirits and Megahouse, two Bandai Namco subsidiaries, will produce merchandise tied to the films. Bandai Spirits plans a High Grade model kit and a Hi-Metal R figure of the Scopedog in a desert color scheme. Megahouse will release 8cm model kits in its VA-KIT Platoon line. More merchandise details are expected at the 64th Shizuoka Hobby Show, which runs May 16 and 17 at Twin Messe Shizuoka.