Venue: Metrograph, 7 Ludlow St, New York
Dates: November 15–23
Among anime fans, Mamoru Oshii stands apart for his singular art-house aesthetic. Though most know him as a director, understanding the depth of his writing means looking closely at his filmography. Angel’s Egg remains his first truly original work, while Urusei Yatsura: Only You (1983) and Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (1984) were where his unique voice first began to shine. From there, his contributions to some of the most influential anime of the 90s cemented his reputation as a visionary.
With Avalon (2001), Oshii explored the harmful effects of virtual reality long before it became a plaything of today, and parts of that story (written by Kazunori Itō) resonate. Through its existential themes, he explored what it means to live and dream inside a machine—ideas that would echo throughout science-fiction cinema for decades.
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Autumn’s creeping in and the anime leaves are turning — which means it’s the perfect time for a dive into something mysterious, uncanny, or just a little weird. This Top Spooky Anime picks list is not full-on horror (we’ll save the jump scares for later), as some of it began early in the Summer. However, since some folks began planning even then, what this list considers are our top spooky 