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Shirow Masamune

Writer · Born November 23, 1961 (64) · Higashinada, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan

Masamune Shirow is an internationally renowned manga artist, born as Masanori Ota on November 23, 1961. He is best known for the manga Ghost in the Shell, which has since been turned into two theatrical anime movies, two anime TV series, an anime TV movie, and several video games.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 23, 1961 (64)
From
Higashinada, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
Works as
Writer
Titles
23 on MovieCove · 42 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 7% in 30 days

What are Shirow Masamune's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Ideas.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
35%
Ideas
22%
Power
18%
Bonds
9%
Morality
7%
Survival
7%
Society
2%
Identity16 titles, browse their movies with this themeTechnology10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 19 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 5 · Dark 14

Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 10

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 5 · Intense 14

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 17 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 6

Full focus: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their full focus movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 10

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 2 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 4

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 4 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 8

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
19
Contemplative
11
Thrilling
7
Melancholic
6
Dread
4
Other
6

How their films linger

Thought-provoking16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 9 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous10

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Shirow Masamune's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 23 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Shirow Masamune's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

42 credits, 23 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Ghost in the Shell(2026)

    Show 10 episodes · Original Story

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • The Ghost in the Shell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Other

  • Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 the Last Human(2023)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 - Sustainable War(2021)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045(2020)

    Show 24 episodes · Creator · Original Story

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Ghost in the Shell(2017)

    Comic Book

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • G2.5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Original Story

  • Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 12 episodes · Original Concept

  • Pandora in the Crimson Shell: Ghost Urn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Creator · Original Story

  • Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 5: Pyrophoric Cult (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Comic Book

  • Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie(2015)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell Arise: Alternative Architecture(2015)

    Show 10 episodes · Comic Book · Original Story

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Ghost in the Shell Arise - Border 4: Ghost Stands Alone(2014)

    Comic Book

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 3: Ghost Tears(2014)

    Comic Book

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Appleseed Alpha(2014)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 2: Ghost Whispers(2013)

    Comic Book

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 1: Ghost Pain(2013)

    Comic Book · Original Story

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Appleseed XIII: Ouranos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Original Story

  • Appleseed XIII (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 13 episodes · Original Series Creator · Original Series Design

  • Appleseed XIII: Tartaros (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Original Story

  • Ghost in the Shell 2.0(2008)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Real Drive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 26 episodes · Original Story

  • Appleseed: Ex Machina(2007)

    Author

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Ghost Hound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 22 episodes · Original Concept · Original Story

  • Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society(2006)

    Comic Book · Original Series Creator

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • TANK S.W.A.T. 01(2006)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG - Individual Eleven(2006)

    Comic Book

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man(2005)

    Comic Book

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Appleseed(2004)

    Comic Book

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence(2004)

    Comic Book

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex(2002)

    Show 52 episodes · Original Concept

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Tachikoma na hibi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 52 episodes · Writer · Actor

  • Gundress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Character Designer · Mechanical Designer · Settings

  • Landlock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Art Department Manager

  • Landlock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · Original Series Design

  • Ghost in the Shell(1995)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Bounty Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Character Designer

  • Bounty Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 2 episodes · Character Designer · Mechanical Designer · Storyboard Assistant

  • Dominion Tank Police (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 10 episodes · Comic Book

  • Appleseed(1988)

    Original Story

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Appleseed Special Prologue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Comic Book

  • Black Magic M-66 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Comic Book · Storyboard · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 42 titles from 1987 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

$170M worldwide

Highest rated

Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG - Individual Eleven (2006)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 42: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting1 of 42: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting37 of 42: 32 only writing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thOther crew8 of 42: 5 only other crew, 3 with another role

42 titles, 5 with more than one role — writing and other crew overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1980s4 · crew1990s6 · crew2000s12 · 1 acting · 12 crew2010s15 · crew2020s5 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Shirow Masamune's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 81st percentile, the median of all 19; across their 19 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Approval · how many liked their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Reach · how many have seen their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 19

Midcredits score across 23 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 23 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · writer

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 the Last Human (2023)

88th percentile spread · 37% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG - Individual Eleven (2006)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 45/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Shirow Masamune's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 43 · moderateMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Shirow Masamune work with?

People who share at least 2 of Shirow Masamune's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mitsuhisa Ishikawa shares the most, 12.

Directors

Writers

  • Tow Ubukata6 titles    See all 6 shared titles with Tow Ubukata
  • Dai Satô4 titles    See all 4 shared titles with Dai Satô
  • Jun'ichi Fujisaku3 titles    See all 3 shared titles with Jun'ichi Fujisaku
  • Yoshiki Sakurai3 titles    See all 3 shared titles with Yoshiki Sakurai

Actors

  • Kôichi Yamadera9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Kôichi Yamadera
  • Akio Ôtsuka8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Akio Ôtsuka
  • Atsuko Tanaka8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Atsuko Tanaka
  • Maaya Sakamoto7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with Maaya Sakamoto

Composers, cinematographers and editors

  • Jun'ichi Uematsu8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with Jun'ichi Uematsu
  • Keigo Oyamada7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with Keigo Oyamada
  • Kôji Tanaka7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with Kôji Tanaka
  • Kenji Kawai3 titles    See all 3 shared titles with Kenji Kawai

Producers

  • Mitsuhisa Ishikawa12 titles    See all 12 shared titles with Mitsuhisa Ishikawa
  • Kengo Abe6 titles    See all 6 shared titles with Kengo Abe
  • Shinjirô Yokoyama6 titles    See all 6 shared titles with Shinjirô Yokoyama
  • Takuya Matsushita6 titles    See all 6 shared titles with Takuya Matsushita

Mixed roles