Angel’s Egg by Mamoru Oshii (1985)
Despite making some of the biggest and most influential anime titles of all time (e.g., Ghost in the Shell), Mamoru Oshii has always been one to follow his own muse. Case in point: Angel’s Egg, an experimental 1985 OVA that saw Oshii collaborating with legendary illustrator Yoshitaka Amano (the Final Fantasy games). Ostensibly about a young girl intent on protecting a large egg and a young soldier who accompanies her on her journey, the 71-minute film eschews a conventional narrative. Instead, Oshii blends post-apocalyptic imagery with the biblical Flood account to create a very surreal and dream-like experience. As such, it’s definitely a head-scratcher that many will find unsatisfying. Indeed, Hayao Miyazaki himself had this to say of Oshii’s effort: “he goes on a one-way journey without thinking of how to get back.” From a purely visual standpoint, however, Angel’s Egg might be confusing, but it’s never not interesting, and I was frequently captivated by its detailed hand animation, an experience further heightened by Yoshihiro Kanno’s otherworldly soundtrack.
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