Japanese Literary Awards

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Mamoru Oshii

おしい まもる

Oshii Mamoru

Aliases: 丸輪零 / 名輪丈 / 小川守弘 / 岩崎宏生
Pen Names: Maruwa Rei（Alternate name used in early TV anime credits）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1951-08-08 （Omori, Ota, Tokyo, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Born in Omori, Ota, Tokyo; later resident of Atami, Shizuoka

Career

Occupations
film director, animation director, novelist, screenwriter, manga original author, playwright, game creator, university lecturer
Active Years
1977-
Affiliations
Tatsunoko Production (former), Studio Pierrot (former), Production I.G (collaboration / talent development), Hachihachimitsu Co., Ltd. (personal office)
Memberships
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (past member)
Influenced By
Jean-Luc Godard, Andrei Tarkovsky, Wim Wenders, Federico Fellini, Ridley Scott
Influenced
James Cameron, The Wachowskis, Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro, Katsuyuki Motohiro
Nominations
57th Cannes Film Festival (Innocence), 65th Venice Film Festival (The Sky Crawlers)

Education

Tokyo Gakugei University
Faculty of Education / Department of Art Education
Period: 入学1970年代
Country: Japan
Began film activities while at university; had periods of low attendance and retention

Awards

Winsor McCay Award (Annie Awards)
2016
Category: 生涯功労賞
Organization: Annie Awards (ASIFA)
Result: winner
Japan SF Award
2004
Work: Innocence
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan
Result: winner
Japan Academy Prize — Excellent Animation of the Year
2009
Work: The Sky Crawlers
Category: 優秀アニメーション作品賞
Organization: Japan Academy Prize
Result: winner
Mainichi Film Awards — Animation Film Award
1994
Work: Mobile Police Patlabor 2: The Movie
Organization: Mainichi Film Awards
Result: winner
Mainichi Film Awards — Animation Film Award
2009
Work: The Sky Crawlers
Organization: Mainichi Film Awards
Result: winner
Sitges—Catalonian International Film Festival (FIPRESCI / awards)
2001
Work: Avalon
Category: 最優秀撮影賞（等）
Organization: Sitges — Catalonian International Film Festival
Result: winner
Cannes Film Festival — Official Competition (selection)
2004
Work: Innocence
Category: 公式コンペティション
Organization: Cannes Film Festival
Result: nominated
Tokyo Anime Award — Best Script (individual)
2005
Work: Innocence
Category: 脚本賞
Organization: Tokyo Anime Award
Result: winner
Fantasia International Film Festival — Lifetime Achievement
2014
Category: 生涯功労賞
Organization: Fantasia International Film Festival
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

GHOST IN THE SHELL

1995 Animation / Science fiction

A cyberpunk animated feature set in a near-future of cyberization, exploring philosophical and societal themes.

identityboundary of human and machinestate vs individual
Adaptations
  • [Live-action film (Hollywood)] Ghost in the Shell (live-action) / Rupert Sanders (2017)

Innocence

2004 Animation / Science fiction

A lyrical animated feature continuing themes of Ghost in the Shell, exploring dolls, bodies and architecture.

humanityartifice and lifeontology

The Sky Crawlers

2008 Animation / war drama

A story about fighter pilots who fight forever; screened at international festivals including Venice.

eternityprofessional nature of warfiction vs reality

Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer

1984 Animation / comedy with SF elements

A theatrical installment of the TV series that skillfully handles loops and the nature of fiction.

time loopsrewriting reality

Mobile Police Patlabor: The Movie

1989 Animation / mecha / science fiction

A feature blending mecha action and police drama, acclaimed domestically and internationally.

technology and societyprofessional ethics

Avalon

2001 Live-action / science fiction

A live-action film themed on VR and gaming experiences, which attracted international attention.

virtual worldsescape from reality

Bibliography

  • TOKYO WAR - Mobile Police Patlabor
  • Innocence Creation Notes: Dolls, Architecture, Body + Interview
  • Fight to Win! (Director Edition)
  • Rolling Thunder PAX JAPONICA
  • Mamoru Oshii's Films: 50 Years, 50 Films

Adaptations

  • Ghost in the Shell (Hollywood live-action adaptation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Cinematic layout system blending live-action concepts with animationSound-centric direction and emphasis on audioNarratives that oscillate between fiction and reality
Recurring Motifs
fiction vs realityeternity / repetitiondogsreclaimed land / urban landscapes

Legacy

An influential filmmaker active in both animation and live-action whose work has impacted directors worldwide. Known for the integration of sound and image and for interrogating fiction vs. reality.

Academic Societies

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (past member)

In Popular Culture

  • Oshii-seijin (a parody mascot inspired by Oshii in Urusei Yatsura related works)
  • Oshiinu (a dog character modeled on Oshii appearing in Mini-Pat)

Quotes

  • Half of film is sound.
    Source: Interviews and writings

Trivia

  • Moved to Atami reportedly to keep dogs; is an avid dog lover
  • One of the Japanese directors whose films have screened at all three major international film festivals
  • GHOST IN THE SHELL topped the Billboard home video sales chart in the US