Masamune Shirow, famous for creating Ghost in the Shell, published the original Appleseed manga, beginning the franchise.
The original Appleseed anime OVA was released, bringing the manga's story to the screen for the first time.
A full-length computer-animated Appleseed movie directed by Shinji Aramaki was released, modernizing the story and animation techniques.
The sequel to the 2004 Appleseed movie, Appleseed Ex Machina, was released, continuing the story with improved animation.