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 1984 Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer 1985 Angel's Egg 1989 Patlabor: The Movie 1990 MAROKO 1993 Patlabor 2: The Movie 1995 Ghost in the Shell 1996 G.R.M.: The Record Of Garm War A conceptual short film that evolved into Garm Wars: The Last Druid 1999 Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade 2004 Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence 2005 Open Your Mind Musical drama 2006 Tachiguishi Retsuden 2007 Ani-Kuri 15 – Project Mermaid Short film 2008 Ghost in the Shell 2.0 2008 The Sky Crawlers 2009 Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai Also producer 2010 Je t'aime Short film,Twelve minutes TBA Chimera Kō
Other credits Year Title Role Notes 2000 Blood: The Last Vampire Co-planner (Team Oshii) 2009 Halo Legends – The Duel Creative director Short film 2012Kick-Heart Consultant
Television Year Title Director Writer Notes 1977–1978 Ippatsu Kanta-kun Directed 2 episodes 1977–1979 Yatterman Directed 2 episodes 1978–1979 Gatchaman II Directed 3 episodes 1979–1980 Zenderman Directed 9 episodes 1980–1981 The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Directed 18 episodes 1981–1982 Belle and Sebastian Directed 2 episodes, Also production assistant 1981–1986 Urusei Yatsura Directed 24 episodes,Wrote 7 episodes,Also served as "chief director" from episodes 1 to 106 1983–1984 Mrs. Pepper Pot 1 episode 1989–1990 Patlabor: The TV Series/Mobile Police Patlabor 5 episodes 1990–1992 Patlabor: The New Files 4 episodes 2021 Lupin the 3rd Part 6 2 episodes 2023–2024 The Fire Hunter
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
OVAs and ONAs Year Title Director Writer Notes 1983–1984 Dallos Wrote 3 episodes 1987 Twilight Q Second part, "Mystery Article File 538" 1988 Mobile Police Patlabor 1989 Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! 2002 MiniPato: Mobile Police Patlabor Minimum 2010 009: The Reopening A promotional short for 009 Re:Cyborg 2020 CONNECTED... Co-directed with Kōji Morimoto, a promotion for KENWOOD wearable device 2021 Vlad Love
Live-action Film Year Title Director Writer Notes 1987 The Red Spectacles 1991 StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops 1992 Talking Head 2001 Avalon 2007 Shin-Onna Tachiguishi Retsuden – The Golden Fish Girl & Assault Girl Also executive producer 2009 Assault Girls 2010 28 1/2 Mousou no Kyojin 2015 The Next Generation Patlabor: Shuto Kessen 2015 Tōkyō Mukokuseki Shōjo 2015 Garm Wars: The Last Druid English-language film 2019 Blood Friends
Short film Year Title Director Writer Notes 2003 Killers – .50 Woman 2006 Onna Tachiguishi Retsuden Ketsune korokke no Ogin: Paresuchina shitō hen 2008 Rebellion: The Killing Isle (aka Kill) – Assault Girl 2 Also executive producer
Television Year Title Director Writer Notes 2008–2009 K-tai Investigator 7 Episode 19-20 2014–2015 The Next Generation: Patlabor 2017 Sand Whale and Me Miniseries
Other credits Year Title Notes 1987 In the Aftermath Uses footage from Angel's Egg, which was written and directed by Oshii 2021 We Made a Beautiful Bouquethttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt11219254/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_ql_1 Cameo as himself
Radio drama Year Title Director Writer 1987 While Waiting for the Red Spectacles 2006 Kerberos Panzer Jäger
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 Mamoru Suriura 2006–2007 Kerberos & Tachiguishi Mamoru Sugiura
Novel Year Title 2000 Avalon: Gray Lady 2000 Blood: The Last Vampire: Night of the Beasts 2004 Tachiguishi Retsuden
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 1999 You're The Reason Single by Wamdue Project. Music video is composed of footage from Patlabor 2: The Movie
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2004 Mobile Police Patlabor Comes Back: MiniPato Supervisor 2008 The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces Special consultant 2025 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach The Pizza Chef Likeness only
References
Bibliography Ruh, Brian (2004). Stray Dog of Anime: The Films of Mamoru Oshii. Palgrave Macmillan.
External links
Production I.G