Mamoru Oshii’s 'Angel's Egg' is Being Remastered

09.05.2024 - 14:41 / gamerant.com

Title

Angel's Egg

Director

Mamoru Oshii

Studio

Deen

Release Date

12/22/1985

Whether this is the height of nostalgia culture, the result of commendable efforts in media preservation, or just a big coincidence, there are a lot of cool films being remastered in 4K. Last month, it was reported that Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence would be back in theaters in 4K, and now Oshii's back again, this time supervising a remaster of his cult classic, Angel's Egg.

Angel's Egg, or Tenshi no Tamago, was an OVA released on December 22, 1985, created by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor) and legendary artist Yoshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy). Oshii directed the film while Amano created the character designs, but the two of them together crafted the story, which was animated by Studio Deen (Fate/Stay Night, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju).

Japanese publishing company Tokuma Shoten announced the production of the remaster on Wednesday. As of the time of writing, no word has been given on the progress of the project or when it is likely to be screened/distributed on home video. However, as the film is turning 40 next year, it will naturally be released sometime in 2025 to celebrate the anniversary.

As described in our piece on the film's meaning from last year, Angel's Egg is a surrealist art film depicting a barren, dreary, and utterly phantasmal world. The story follows a young girl, voiced by Mako Hyodo, who scavenges the wasteland while possessing a large egg — the titular angel's egg — and a boy, voiced by Jinpachi Nezu, who carries with him a large cross. Together, the two journey across their desolate world.

The film has long been lauded for its haunting atmosphere, absolutely mesmerizing visuals, and story told in very few words. In that regard, it is a powerhouse of visual storytelling, drenched in biblical allegory that can be as unnerving as it is beautiful. Though the film was an OVA, it did receive a limited release in Japanese theaters at the time. As for a Western release, that's a bit more complicated of a story.

Bafflingly, Angel's Egg was technically brought to the US in 1988, albeit with an entire chunk of live-action footage stitched into it and called by a different name — In the Aftermath: Angels Never Sleep. Needless to say, this version is discounted by fans of the original work, which itself has never been released in North America. There was, however, a screening in September 2023 in New York City, attended by Amano and hosted by The Japan Society, who described the film thusly:

Taking place in a seemingly quiescent time, two nameless strangers—a girl bearing a mystical egg and a man with a cruciate cane—journey across a primordial realm of decadent ruins, primitive fish and