Mamoru Oshii is a prolific Japanese film director, television director, and writer. In a career that has so far spanned more than forty years, Oshii has been involved in directing OVAs, feature films, short films, television series, and radio dramas. His first occupation in the anime industry was as a storyboard artist, and in the 1970s he storyboarded a variety of anime television programs for Tatsunoko Productions. As a writer, Oshii is a frequent screenwriter, and an occasional novelist and manga artist.

Though primarily known as a director of animated films, mostly for Production I.G, Oshii has also been involved in several live-action projects.

Anime

Film

Year Title Director Writer Notes
1983 Urusei Yatsura: Only You Yes No
1984 Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer Yes Yes
1989 Patlabor: The Movie Yes No
1990 MAROKO Yes Yes
1993 Patlabor 2: The Movie Yes No
1995 Ghost in the Shell Yes No
1999 Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade No Yes
2004 Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Yes Yes
2005 Open Your Mind Yes No Musical drama
2006 Tachiguishi Retsuden Yes Yes
2007 Ani-Kuri 15 – Project Mermaid Yes No Short film
2008 Ghost in the Shell 2.0 Yes No
2008 The Sky Crawlers Yes No
2009 Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai No Yes Also producer
2010 Je t'aime Yes No Short film;
Twelve minutes
TBA Chimera[1] Yes Yes

Other credits

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Blood: The Last Vampire Co-planner (Team Oshii)
2009 Halo Legends – The Duel Creative director Short film
2012 Kick-Heart Consultant

Television

Year Title Director Writer Notes
1977–1978 Ippatsu Kanta-kun Yes No Directed 2 episodes
1977–1979 Yatterman Yes No Directed 2 episodes
1978–1979 Gatchaman II Yes No Directed 3 episodes
1979–1980 Zenderman Yes No Directed 9 episodes
1980–1981 The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Yes No Directed 18 episodes
1981–1982 Belle and Sebastian Yes No Directed 2 episodes;
Also production assistant
1981–1986 Urusei Yatsura Yes Yes Directed 24 episodes;
Wrote 7 episodes;
Also served as "chief director" from episodes 1 to 106
1983–1984 Mrs. Pepper Pot No Yes 1 episode
1989–1990 Patlabor: The TV Series/Mobile Police Patlabor No Yes 5 episodes
1990–1992 Patlabor: The Mobile Police: New Files No Yes 4 episodes
2021 Lupin the 3rd Part 6 No Yes 2 episodes
2023–present The Fire Hunter[2] No Yes

Storyboard artist

Year Title Notes
1977–1978 Ippatsu Kanta-Kun 4 episodes
1977–1979 Yatterman 2 episodes
1978–1979 Gatchaman II 3 episodes
1978–1979 Majokko Tickle 1 episode
1979–1980 Zenderman 10 episodes
1980–1981 The Wonderful Adventures of Nils 11 episodes
1980–1981 Rescueman 6 episodes
1981–1982 Yattodetaman 6 episodes
1981–1982 Belle and Sebastian 2 episodes
1981–1982 Golden Warrior Gold Lightan 2 episodes
1981–1983 Miss Machiko 1 episode
1981–1986 Urusei Yatsura 21 episodes
1983 Urusei Yatsura: Only You
1981–1986 Dashu Kappei 1 episode
1982–1983 Gyakuten! Ippatsuman 7 episodes
1983–1984 Little Mrs. Pepperpot 1 episode
1983–1985 The Yearling 2 episodes
1983–1984 Dallos 3 episodes
1987 Zillion 3 episodes
1988 Mobile Police Patlabor All 6 episodes
1989–1990 Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai!

Other credits

Year Title Role
2004-2005 Windy Tales Supervisor
2004 Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG Story concept
2005 Blood+ Co-planner

OVA

Year Title Director Writer Notes
1983–1984 Dallos Yes Yes Wrote 3 episodes
1985 Angel's Egg Yes Yes
1987 Twilight Q Yes Yes Second part, "Mystery Article File 538"
1988 Mobile Police Patlabor Yes No
1989 Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! Yes Yes
2002 MiniPato: Mobile Police Patlabor Minimum No Yes
2021 Vlad Love[3] Yes Yes

Live-action

Film

Year Title Director Writer Notes
1987 The Red Spectacles Yes Yes
1991 StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops Yes Yes
1992 Talking Head Yes Yes
2001 Avalon Yes No
2003 Killers – .50 Woman Yes Yes Short film
2006 Onna Tachiguishi Retsuden Ketsune korokke no Ogin: Paresuchina shitō hen Yes Yes Short film
2007 Shin-Onna Tachiguishi Retsuden – The Golden Fish Girl & Assault Girl Yes Yes Also executive producer
2008 Rebellion: The Killing Isle (aka Kill) – Assault Girl 2 Yes No Short film;
Directed one of four shorts in the film;
Also executive producer
2009 Assault Girls Yes Yes
2010 28 1/2 Mousou no Kyojin Yes No
2015 The Next Generation Patlabor: Shuto Kessen[4] Yes No
2015 Tōkyō Mukokuseki Shōjo[5] Yes No
2015 Garm Wars: The Last Druid[6] Yes Yes English language film
2019 Blood Friends[7][8] Yes No

Other credits

Year Title Notes
1987 In the Aftermath Uses footage from Angel's Egg, which was written and directed by Oshii

Television

Year Title Director Writer Notes
2014–2015 The Next Generation: Patlabor Yes Yes
2017 Sand Whale and Me[9] Yes No Miniseries

Radio drama

Year Title Director Writer
1987 While Waiting for the Red Spectacles Yes Yes
2006 Kerberos Panzer Jäger Yes Yes

Manga

Year Title Illustrator
1988–2000 Kerberos Panzer Cop Kamui Fujiwara
1994–1995 Seraphim 266,613,336 Wings Satoshi Kon
2003–2005 Kerberos Saga Rainy Dogs
2006–2007 Kerberos & Tachiguishi

Novel

Year Title
2000 Avalon: Gray Lady
2004 Tachiguishi Retsuden
2005 Blood: The Last Vampire: Night of the Beasts

Music video

Year Title Notes
1999 King of My Castle Single by Wamdue Project. Music video is composed of footage from Ghost in the Shell

Video game

Year Title Role
2004 Mobile Police Patlabor Comes Back: MiniPato Supervisor
2008 The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces Special consultant

References

General

Specific

  1. ^ "Comic Natalie: Mamoru Oshii Directs Anime Film of Baku Yumemakura's Chimera Novels". Anime News Network. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Ranma ½'s Junji Nishimura Directs Hikari no Ō Fantasy TV Anime Scripted by Mamoru Oshii". Anime News Network. 30 January 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Mamoru Oshii Unveils Vladlove Vampire 'Girls-Meets-Girl' Comedy Anime Show". Anime News Network. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Live-Action Patlabor's Premiere Dates, Visuals Unveiled". Anime News Network. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Mamoru Oshii Makes Live-Action Thriller Tōkyō Mukokuseki Shōjo". Anime News Network. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Ghost in the Shell's Oshii to Helm His 1st Live-Action English Film". Anime News Network. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  7. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (20 January 2022). "Mamoru Oshii's New Live-action Film Blood Friends Gets One Night Only Screening on February 5". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  8. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (20 January 2022). "Mamoru Oshii's Live-Action Blood Friends Film Gets 1-Night Screening on February 5". Anime News Network. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Ghost in the Shell's Mamoru Oshii, I.G Debut 'Sand Whale and Me' Micro-Series on March 18". Anime News Network. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
Category