Review of "Angel's Egg": A moving film that transcends the boundaries between fantasy and reality

"Angel's Egg": Mamoru Oshii's fantastical otherworld and its profound message

■Overview of the work

"Angel's Egg" is a work directed by Mamoru Oshii that was released as an OVA in 1985 and is known for its fantastical worldview and profound themes. This work is the first original work that Mamoru Oshii worked on from the original concept, and was created in collaboration with world-famous illustrator Yoshitaka Amano. The released media was OVA, the original media was anime original, released on December 22, 1985, and consists of one 75-minute episode. It was produced by Studio Deen, and the copyright is handled by Mamoru Oshii & Yoshitaka Amano Office, Tokuma Shoten, and Tokuma Japan.

■ Story

In a legendary submerged city, there was a girl holding an egg. She walked alone through the city, spending her days collecting glass bottles that hold water. One day, a strange line of tanks passes through the city, and a boy holding a huge gun lands in front of the girl. The boy follows her for some reason, and the girl repeatedly asks, "Who are you?" Although she never gets an answer to her question, she gradually begins to open up to the boy. Then, she leads the boy to her home and shows him the enormous number of glass bottles and giant "bird" fossils she has collected. The girl believed that the egg she is holding belongs to the fossilized "bird," and that if she keeps warming it, the "bird" will hatch someday. That night, when the girl falls asleep alone, the boy takes her egg and swings his gun down on her...

■Explanation

"Angel's Egg" is the work of Mamoru Oshii, a genius director known for works such as "Urusei Yatsura" and "Ghost in the Shell," and is highly regarded for its unique worldview and deep themes. This is the first original work that Mamoru Oshii has worked on from the original concept, and was created in collaboration with world-renowned illustrator Yoshitaka Amano. The film combines Yoshitaka Amano's fantastical art with Mamoru Oshii's profound storytelling, and has received extremely high praise both visually and narratively.

■Cast

・Boy: Jinpachi Nezu ・Girl: Mako Hyodo

■ Main staff

・Original Story: Mamoru Oshii ・Director: Mamoru Oshii ・Script: Mamoru Oshii ・Art Director, Layout Supervision: Shichiro Kobayashi ・Chief Animation Director: Yasuhiro Nagura ・Art Direction: Yoshitaka Amano ・Music Director: Yoshihiro Kanno

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

"Angel's Egg" has captivated many fans with its fantastical visuals and profound themes. The setting of a submerged city blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy, enhancing the visual beauty and depth of the story. The girl's actions of holding the egg and collecting glass bottles symbolize hope and despair, life and death, and the meaning of human existence. The story also takes a new turn with the appearance of the boy, and as the girl's loneliness and the boy's presence intersect, the complexity and fragility of human relationships are depicted.

Although this is one of Mamoru Oshii's early directorial works, the themes and visual style seen in his later works can already be seen in this work. In particular, Oshii's specialty of depicting "other worlds" is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. Yoshitaka Amano also made a major contribution as art director, and his fantastical visuals enhance the atmosphere of the entire work.

Music is also an important element in enhancing the appeal of the work. Yoshihiro Kanno's skills as music director further deepen the fantastical worldview, and the harmony between visual beauty and music enhances the atmosphere of the work as a whole. In particular, the music in the scene where the girl holds the egg and the scene where the boy appears plays an important role in enhancing the visual beauty and depth of the story.

■ Background and influence of the work

"Angel's Egg" was born during the OVA boom of the 1980s, and its fantastical visuals and profound themes captivated many fans. By utilizing the new media format of OVA, which allowed for freedom of expression different from works screened in theaters, Mamoru Oshii was able to fully express his own vision. In addition, his collaboration with Yoshitaka Amano allowed him to create a unique worldview that combined visual beauty with narrative depth.

This work occupies an important position in Mamoru Oshii's career, and the themes and visual style seen in his later works can already be seen in this work. In particular, Oshii's depiction of "other worlds," which he is good at, is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. Amano Yoshitaka's contribution as art director was also significant, and his fantastical visuals enhance the atmosphere of the entire work.

"Angel's Egg" has captivated many fans with its fantastical visuals and profound themes, and is a work that occupies an important position in Mamoru Oshii's career. The unique world view that combines visual beauty and narrative depth has had a major influence on Mamoru Oshii's later works. In addition, collaboration with Yoshitaka Amano allowed us to create a unique world view that combines visual beauty and narrative depth.

■ Recommendation points

"Angel's Egg" is a work that attracts many fans with its fantastical visuals and profound themes. Its unique worldview, which combines visual beauty with narrative depth, has had a major influence on Mamoru Oshii's later works. In addition, the collaboration with Yoshitaka Amano allowed for the creation of a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. In particular, Mamoru Oshii's depiction of "another world," which he excels at, is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. Furthermore, Yoshihiro Kanno's skill as music director further deepens the fantastical worldview, and the harmony between visual beauty and music enhances the atmosphere of the entire work.

This work occupies an important position in Mamoru Oshii's career, and the themes and visual style seen in his later works can already be seen in this work. In particular, Oshii's depiction of "other worlds," which he is good at, is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. Amano Yoshitaka's contribution as art director was also significant, and his fantastical visuals enhance the atmosphere of the entire work.

"Angel's Egg" has captivated many fans with its fantastical visuals and profound themes, and is a work that occupies an important position in Mamoru Oshii's career. Its unique worldview, which combines visual beauty with narrative depth, has had a major influence on Mamoru Oshii's later works. In addition, his collaboration with Yoshitaka Amano helped to create a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. In particular, Mamoru Oshii's depiction of "another world," which he is good at, is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. In addition, Yoshihiro Kanno's skill as music director further deepens the fantastical worldview, and the harmony between visual beauty and music enhances the atmosphere of the entire work.

This work occupies an important position in Mamoru Oshii's career, and the themes and visual style seen in his later works can already be seen in this work. In particular, Oshii's depiction of "other worlds," which he is good at, is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. Amano Yoshitaka's contribution as art director was also significant, and his fantastical visuals enhance the atmosphere of the entire work.

"Angel's Egg" has captivated many fans with its fantastical visuals and profound themes, and is a work that occupies an important position in Mamoru Oshii's career. Its unique worldview, which combines visual beauty with narrative depth, has had a major influence on Mamoru Oshii's later works. In addition, his collaboration with Yoshitaka Amano helped to create a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. In particular, Mamoru Oshii's depiction of "another world," which he is good at, is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. In addition, Yoshihiro Kanno's skill as music director further deepens the fantastical worldview, and the harmony between visual beauty and music enhances the atmosphere of the entire work.

This work occupies an important position in Mamoru Oshii's career, and the themes and visual style seen in his later works can already be seen in this work. In particular, Oshii's depiction of "other worlds," which he is good at, is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. Amano Yoshitaka's contribution as art director was also significant, and his fantastical visuals enhance the atmosphere of the entire work.

"Angel's Egg" has captivated many fans with its fantastical visuals and profound themes, and is a work that occupies an important position in Mamoru Oshii's career. Its unique worldview, which combines visual beauty with narrative depth, has had a major influence on Mamoru Oshii's later works. In addition, his collaboration with Yoshitaka Amano helped to create a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. In particular, Mamoru Oshii's depiction of "another world," which he is good at, is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. In addition, Yoshihiro Kanno's skill as music director further deepens the fantastical worldview, and the harmony between visual beauty and music enhances the atmosphere of the entire work.

This work occupies an important position in Mamoru Oshii's career, and the themes and visual style seen in his later works can already be seen in this work. In particular, Oshii's depiction of "other worlds," which he is good at, is prominent in this work, forming a unique worldview that combines visual beauty with narrative depth. Amano Yoshitaka's contribution as art director was also significant, and his fantastical visuals enhance the atmosphere of the entire work.