The latest entry in the Appleseed franchise, Appleseed Alpha, is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on July 22, and follows the early days of female soldier Deunan and her cyborg partner, Briareos, as they embark on a whirlwind journey in search of the legendary city of Olympus. To promote the all-new CG-animated movie, Appleseed’s original author Masamune Shirow (who also created Ghost in the Shell) gave IGN an exclusive opportunity to talk with him about the beloved property.

It’s been nearly 30 years since the Appleseed manga came out in 1985, and it has been made into films and series all the way up to this new movie, directed by world-renowned anime filmmaker Shinji Aramaki (Starship Troopers: Invasion). Both fans of the manga and the films have changed a lot over the years, but how has Shirow’s perception changed toward Appleseed?

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