According to The Hollywood Reporter, Geneon Entertainment thinks anime is a perfect fit with Sony's PlayStation Portable entertainment device and is starting to release titles on the UMD format. Appleseed, based on the popular comic by Ghost in the Shell creator Shirow Masamune, will lead the initiative. The sci-fi adventure blends motion capture with 3-D computer animation and 2-D character animation, and features a soundtrack that includes such noted musicians as Academy Award-winner Ryuichi Sakamoto and DJ Paul Oakenfold.

Also in the first releases is the hip-hop samurai action series Samurai Champloo, the latest project from Cowboy Bebop director Shinichiro Watanabe. Kazuto Nakazawa, who directed the animated portion of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, is the series' character designer and animation director. The genre's core demographic matches the PSP's in age and lifestyle, said Jim Yardley, Geneon Entertainment vp sales. Besides the UMDs, Geneon Entertainment also announced numerous new acquisitions including Hellsing Ultimate OVA Series, the live-action horror Shibuya Kaidan and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, a sci-fi adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic tale featuring costume design from designer Anna Sui.

Ghost In The Shell was released March 29th, 1996 and stars Atsuko Tanaka, Richard Epcar, Akio Ôtsuka, Tamio Ôki, Iemasa Kayumi, Kôichi Yamadera, Tesshô Genda, Richard Barnes. The film is directed by Mamoru Oshii.