Gedo Senki (Tales from Earthsea)

20th January 2006

Number 22 - I saw Mamoru Oshii's latest film

Yesterday, in the Ghibli screening room, I saw a preview of Mamoru Oshii's latest film "Tachiguishi Retsuden"[1]. Before I give you my impressions, lets talk about old times.

20 years ago from the present day, when I was still a high school student, I met the director Mamoru Oshii.
The place was my grandfather's holiday house in Shinshu (more of a mountain hut really). I remember the season as being the height of summer.
At that time, Mr. Oshii was in his mid thirties, really a good-looking (?) red faced young man. His bright white running shirt was impressive.

While they were staying in the holiday house, Mr. Oshii and my father endlessly discussed and debated their own personal theories about animation.

It was about the year before that I think, in 1984, that Hayao Miyazaki's "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind" and Mamoru Oshii's "Urusei Yatsura 2, Beautiful Dreamer" came out.

At that time I preferred "Urusei Yatsura 2" and this fact was communicated to Mr. Oshii, I found out later.

Anyway, to return to the main point. Whether he remembers that occasion or not, Mr. Oshii has, it seems, always felt kindly disposed toward me, and definitely wanted me to see "Tachiguishi Retsuden".

I want Mr Oshii to succeed again.
That is why my impressions are a single sentence:
I'd like to see him try, one more time, on the same theme, to produce customer-first entertainment.
That's all.

Translator's Notes

[1]: This has been glossed as "The Amazing Lives of the Fast-Food Grifters"