Mamoru Oshii has been one of the most prolific directors in the world of anime, having brought to life the likes of Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor 2, and Angel’s Egg to name a few, but in a recent interview, the creative mind behind these properties didn’t mince words when it came to his thoughts on other anime directors. From Hideaki Anno to Evangelion fame to Mamoru Hosoda of Digimon The Movie to Makoto Shinkai of Your Name and Weathering With You, Oshii apparently had some thoughts when it came to some of his most famous peers in the anime game.
In a recent interview with the outlet Pia, Oshii stated that Hideaki Anno is “more of a producer than a director” and that his overall works “lack a theme”, which the creator didn’t necessarily mean as a slight against him. As Oshii explains, he believes that Anno focuses more on the visual themes of his works rather than the substance itself. As fans know, Anno recently helped in creating the final entry of the Rebuild of Evangelion franchise and is currently working on two new entries in the world of “Shin Godzilla” with the upcoming Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider.
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Oshii also compared himself to the legendary director of Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli fame, believing that the two directors are from a “by-gone era” that is attempting to “pick a fight with society” through their works, which he explains in further detail:
“Expression and themes are different things. Avant-garde presentation or giving birth to a new presentation style isn’t the same thing as a theme.”
On top of this statement, Oshii roped in directors Makoto Shinkai and Mamoru Hosoda specifically, stating that they suffered from the same problems as Anno in that their works lacked a theme. As he explained:
“To put it a different way, I can’t feel the fundamental motivation they have for creating films.”
This isn’t the first time that Oshii has laid out his feelings within the world of pop culture entertainment, also stating his disdain for Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker movie, proving that the director of Ghost In The Shell isn’t scared to share his true thoughts.
What do you think of Mamoru Oshii’s thoughts on other big-name directors within the world of anime? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Ghost In The Shell.
