Mamoru Oshii discusses the reasons why Angel’s Egg would not be able to be produced in today's environment.

      For more than forty years, Mamoru Oshii has been a trailblazer in Japanese anime and science fiction cinema, recognized for his thought-provoking, meditative approach and carefully crafted, philosophically deep worldbuilding. His work is linked to celebrated anime classics like Ghost in the Shell and cult-favorite live-action efforts such as Avalon.

      With his early avant-garde anime film Angel’s Egg newly restored and screening in U.S. theaters for its first official release, along with his experimental live-action debut The Red Spectacles set to follow, we had the chance to pose five questions to the master. Oshii-san's replies provide insights into the unique process behind creating Angel’s Egg, its connection to his broader oeuvre and worldview, his well-known love for video games, and his thoughts on the religious or utopian elements that inspire many of his films' tragic dreamers.

      Read below for his answers in Japanese as the film begins its U.S. theatrical run. Special thanks to Sylvia Savadjian and GKIDS for facilitating this interview.

      The Film Stage: You’ve mentioned before that the idea for Angel’s Egg originated from an unachieved Lupin III film. Once it took a drastically different turn, how did you persuade producers to support a film that deviates from typical anime?

      Mamoru Oshii: I didn’t particularly persuade them. It’s quite common for a halted project to be reimagined into something entirely different. Most of my works are adaptations or alterations of my original ideas, adjusted according to each producer's requests at the time. For me as a director, this film is a continuation of my earlier works and underpins my own concepts. In that sense, every new film is merely an adaptation of what came before.

      押井：特に何も説得してはいません。頓挫した企画が全く異なる形で再提出されることは珍しくなく、私のほとんどの作品はその時々のプロデューサーの要望を反映しつつ、もともとの企画を翻案したりアレンジしたりしたものです。監督として、この映画は前作を引き継ぐものであり、自分のアイデアを構築する基盤となるものです。その意味では、すべての新作は過去の作品の翻案に過ぎないと言えます。

      Could an anime like Angel’s Egg be produced today?

      I believe it would be impossible today. The intricate drawing required for this film would be tedious for most contemporary animators, who tend to favor engaging in creative, original endeavors rather than refining skilled techniques. Additionally, the current anime production environment is far from conducive for a project like this. The charm of this film lies in the fact that every detail was crafted by human hands—this is fundamentally different from the precision afforded by modern digital technology.

      不可能だと思います。この作品の緻密な作画は、現在のアニメーターにとって非常に苦痛であり、彼らは職人技を磨くのではなく、創造的で独自な作品に取り組むことを好みます。また、現在のアニメ制作環境はこのような企画を許すにはほど遠いです。この作品の魅力の多くは、人間の手によって生み出されたものであり、現代のデジタルが可能にする精密さとは異なります。

      Mamoru Oshii, courtesy of GKIDS

      Have your perspectives on the world, as seen in Angel’s Egg, changed? So much of your work involves understanding the nature of the world (both materially and philosophically) and often presages future developments in ways that have proven prophetic.

      I don’t think anything has changed. Every anime or live-action film I’ve directed seems to circle back to this title.

      おそらく何も変わっていないと思います。私が監督したすべてのアニメ映画や実写映画は、結局はこの作品に還元されるように思われます。

      Many in the West interpret Angel’s Egg as a narrative about Judeo-Christian faith and its decline, yet it seems to me that the theme of transcendence (and its failure) is relevant to both the spiritual and political aspects of several of your films. Do you see transcendence or utopia as achievable in our current world, and would you want them to be?

      I don't deny the existence of religious feelings, passions, or faith. Such emotions have motivated me to create films, although I don’t promote any specific religion. I’m neither an atheist nor do I dismiss the idea of entities beyond humanity—but I believe religion and faith are distinct concepts. Politically, I am not utopian, and I disavow all forms of “millennial