Masamune Shirow (士郎 正宗, Shirō Masamune?) is an internationally renowned manga artist, born Masanori Ota (太田 まさのり Ōta Masanori) on November 23, 1961. Masamune Shirow is a pen name, based on a famous swordsmith, Masamune. He is best known for the manga Ghost in the Shell, which has since been turned into three anime movies, two anime TV series and several video games. Shirow is also popular for creating erotic art.