During a career spanning over four decades, Mamoru Oshii became a pioneering anime director and filmmaker, best known for his work in the Ghost in the Shell franchise. While he has been a part of the industry since the 1980s, he got his global breakthrough thanks to the Ghost in the Shell film in 1995, which became a massive hit not only in Japan but also in the United States and Europe. The award-winning director is famous for his distinctive, philosophy-oriented storytelling, along with artistic style, sometimes even prioritizing visuals over the plot. Before the film, he made his directorial debut in 1983 with the Urusei Yatsura: Only You film, and then released another film of the franchise in the following year.
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However, among his many memorable works during his early career years, Angel’s Egg left the deepest impression, and it’s still considered a masterpiece even to this day. Released in 1985, this original film is praised for its stunning and surreal visuals with a unique blend of artistic vision and philosophical depth. However, as the anime industry has evolved over the decades, the director knows that the visuals in Angel’s Egg can’t be recreated anymore.
Mamoru Oshii Explains Why Modern Animators Can’t Create Something Similar to Angel’s Egg
In an interview with The Film Stage, Oshii talked about his most iconic film. When asked if Angel’s Egg could be recreated today, he replied, “I believe it would be impossible today. The detailed drawing tasks in this film would be tedious for most modern animators. They prefer engaging in creative, original work rather than refining craftsman-like techniques.”
Oshii also added, “Moreover, the current anime production environment no longer allows for a project like this to be made. The beauty of this film lies in the fact that every detail was created by human hands—something fundamentally different from the precision produced by today’s digital technologies.”
With the advancement in technology, modern anime has changed significantly over the years. Unlike before, it now relies on a blend of traditional hand-drawn animation with digital techniques, primarily using CGI for lighting, coloring, backgrounds, and motion. This allows the animators to include more details in each frame, creating a unique sense of depth. However, while modern animation has its perks, Oshii knows that modern technology can’t create such intricate details as seen in the older films, which primarily focused on hand-drawn animation without any use of CGI.
The concept of Angel’s Egg was derived from an unrealized Lupin III film into something much more different and unique. During the interview, Oshii also mentioned how it’s common for a project that’s been put on hold to be reworked into something entirely different. This is why, despite the unusual plot, he didn’t have to put any effort into convincing the producers. While Angel’s Egg may not have been famous globally when it was released, it has slowly gained recognition among anime enthusiasts over the decades. The 4K restoration of the film is currently running in U.S. theaters to commemorate the anime’s 40th anniversary.
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