"Angel's Egg" is quite literally the stuff of legend. The 1985 OVA was famously directed by "Ghost in the Shell" director Mamoru Oshii, and a collaboration with "Final Fantasy" artist Yoshitaka Amano (he both did the character designs AND is given an equal credit with Oshii for writing the story). Both are famous names today, but keep in mind this released years BEFORE any "Final Fantasy" game, and long before Oshii's work with "Ghost in the Shell" and "Patlabor." The OVA wasn't successful in Japan, and it never received a formal American release. Even decades later, when these creators became world famous and when seemingly every other obscure anime film and OVA got a DVD or Bluray release, "Angel's Egg" was off the table - distributors willing to talk about it would say the license was simply impossible to get, for reasons unknown. The only way to see it at all, for exactly 40 years, was through bootleg copies or shoddy internet uploads with fan-made subtitles. Even when I bagan collecting anime in the late 2000's, "Angel's Egg" was talked about in whispers in online forums, like a ghost story, or bigfoot, by fans who saw it and pined for an official translation with better picture quality. And then, out of nowhere, GKIDS announced "they got it." Shortly before announcing that Japanese distributor Toho acquired GKIDS, which might have had something to do with whatever hesitant reasons kept the movie from getting licensed. But whatever... "Angel's Egg" was getting a 4K remaster, and would get a theatrical and home video release in America in 2025. Miracles are rare, but this was a welcome one. It was also announced far out in advance... more than 12 months later, the details of a Bluray release haven't been revealed, but "Fantasia Film Festival" was hosting the North American premiere of the 4K restoration in Montreal. Hmm... I knew it would be due in theatres if I just waited a few months, was it worth the drive just to see this a little early? Probably. For me, a decades long, patient wait was finally over, a wait that for some was even longer, and I could finally end it. I've watched "Angel's Egg." I've seen it at its best, and presumably, with the best English subtitles. And yes, the subtitles are important here, even though there's probably less than five minutes of dialogue in the entire film. Famously, "Angel's Egg" is obtuse as heck, to the point that it nearly ruined Oshii's prospective career as a director. That might have caused him to reign himself in for later movies: "Patlabor The Movie" and "Ghost in the Shell" 1 and 2 read like childrens' picture books compared to "Angel's Egg." I like a movie that lets you ponder, but in my first viewing, even this might be over my head. Which makes it hard to describe the plot, so I'll just describe what I've seen. It depicts a surreal, futuristic yet nostalgic, barren wasteland. A young, pale girl with long, messy white hair wanders alone. She protects a large egg in her dress, carrying it like a pregant mother. She wanders, taking a liking to glass spherical vases, which she fills with water as she walks by, entertained by the beauty. Sometimes, there are ghosts of men chasing giant shadows of fish projected along the empty buildings. The girl comes across a young man, a warrior-like traveler, who looks like he's wandered in from a random JRPG. Even when asked, neither reveal their names, and remain nameless in the movie. The man seems kind, but the girl is initially untrusting. Reluctantly, she allows the man to follow her through the town. The lingering questions are: who are these two? Is the man trustworthy? And what exactly is inside this mysterious egg, and why is the man so curious to know? The longest piece of dialogue comes from the man retelling an alternate, more somber version of "Noah's Ark" from the Bible. This gives the biggest clue as to what the overarching story is here and what the movie is trying to say. One can catch on that this is some biblical allegory, and fan theories online go into interesting detail on the film's symbolism. I've seen animated feature films well over an hour long, with literally nothing to say. "Angel's Egg" does seem pregnant with ideas and is ripe for theory conjecture. It rewards multiple viewings. But I admit it's frustrating to not have the movie at least spell parts of it out more clearly. In art theory and art appreciation, I could write a book-long essay about the meaning of the design of the can of 7Up on my desk, but it could very well be that the vessel is simpler than that.
At first, it's not clear that the movie had a story at all, but was simply an exercise to invoke a mood. And it's effective in doing that. There's a unique sense of loneliness in seeing the girl wandering empty cobblestone streets. But also a beauty in her innocence, and seeming contentment in her walk. The tone reminds me of an obscure Nintendo Wii game "Fragile Dreams," which I was quite fond of. The sound design plays a key role, often being silent, or simply rendering the whistle of strong winds, or water echoing in caves. But also, occasionally, a vocal choir, singing "ahhh...ahhhh... ahhhhh..."... very much like older American films trying to depict awe or majesty. Oddly, it reminded me of Disney's 1942 "Bambi." But hearing this in a Japanese anime was almost alien. And a certain cry late in the movie, the one moment of vocal emotion, shatters the silence like thin glass. To sit in silence with communion among an attentive, respectful audience is a powerful experience here. Although every cough, sneeze, and phone vibration echos more loudly in such a quiet film with otherwise hushed audience breaths... watching at home with headphones might be the best way. Admittedly, it does test your patience. Some shots are deliberately long, with nothing happening, specifically to show the passage of time. Can modern audiences really sit through this without once looking at their phone? Mine managed to, somehow. Maybe watching in a mature crowd mitagates the urge, helping you sit quietly to experience the moment. Graphically, the movie looks a lot like 1985's "Vampire Hunder D" (yes, it came out the same year). That gives a good idea on what to expect from what this old anime looks like. Yoshitaka Amano's character designs are starkly beautiful at times, namely around the girl, whose strands of white hair seem individually drawn and animated in a way that would give modern animators nightmares. But also, those old stylistic choices sometimes look odd. Both the man and the girl have deadpan eyes that look like they haven't slept in months, or perhaps this expression is to show their distrust in each other. Their mouths and facial expressions don't help the picture either... it's a personal opinion, but I never fully liked anime sensibilities from this era. The real beauty comes from the empty cityscapes and abstract structures, and from little detailed scenes showing the most of sparse animation, like the opening shot of a person's hands. But yes, animation is generally sparse, with many shots depicting little to no movement - production wise, it saved money from having less "frames" than usual for a movie this long, although you wouldn't notice that from the few shots that do have action. A minor sidenote: the Wikipedia page for "Angel's Egg" goes to great length describing that this was once meant to be a "Lupin the Third" movie. I guess Mamoru Oshii took that route with "Urusei Yatsura - Beautiful Dreamer," so I can vaugely picture it. But wow, what a different world that would have been! You can research further into that yourself. If it wasn't for the involvement of Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano, both creators I trust and respect, I could imagine myself being less lenient with "Angel's Egg." It's slow, sometimes dull, thick with promised meaning but difficult to carve. Perhaps it's because of the creators involved that I'm so eager to parse out exactly what it's trying to say. Regardless of whether you can make sense of it, it's a wholly unique experience.