FUNimation has made a surprising announcement today with the pickup of Ghost in the Shell: Arise, the new four part OVA series that kicks off this month in Japan. This is the first new license of the property since Bandai Entertainment, which pretty much had a lock on it, closed up shop awhile back. FUNimation is taking a very, very unusual approach to this in that while we will get a full bilingual release down the road, they’re doing something small and near-immediate for the fans. They plan to release a special edition subtitle-only Blu-ray containing the imported Japanese O-card, Blu-ray discs, and film strip along with an English translated art booklet. This special edition will be a limited single run printing of 2,500 units and will be on sale prior to FUNimation’s typical English language home video release. FUNimation will also be screening parts 1 & 2 of the OVA series in a limited theatrical run later this year.
Plot Concept: In this prequel set one year after the fourth World War, cyborg and hacker extraordinaire Motoko Kusanagi from the military’s 501st Secret Unit finds herself wrapped up in the investigation of a devastating bombing.