Overview
Masanori Ota , better known by his pen name Masamune Shirow , is a Japanese manga artist. Shirow is best known for his award-winning debut work, Appleseed, and his best-known manga, Ghost in the Shell. Both series have been adapted into theatrical or television anime films, anime television series, OVA or ONA productions, and several video games. Ghost in the Shell was additionally adapted into a Hollywood live-action film. He is a key figure in the development of cyberpunk aesthetics and themes in Japan during the 1980s and 1990s.