Don't Follow Me, Golgo

Love him or not, you've got to admit director Mamoru Oshii's got the touch. He's got the power. And a few days ago, Japanese public broadcaster NHK posted a list of twenty-six of his most popular shows and films, ranked by viewers of the Anime Giga TV show. It's part of an all-Oshii fest being aired this week on NHK's BS2 channel. (NHK also posted a list of fans' favorite Oshii-directed Urusei Yatsura episodes, but you can translate those lengthy show titles your own damn self.) Here we go:

1) Patlabor 2: The Movie (920 votes)
2) Patlabor: The Movie (905 votes)
3) Ghost in the Shell (851 votes)
4) Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer (747 votes)
5) Innocence (653 votes)
6) Patlabor (OVA) (621 votes)
7) Urusei Yatsura TV Series (376 votes)
8) Avalon (250 votes)
9) Gosenzo Sama Banbanzai! (219 votes)
10) The Angel's Egg (187 votes)

11) The Red Spectacles (186)
12) The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (166)
13) Urusei Yatsura: Only You (133)
14) Tachiguishi Retsuden (130)
15) Kerberos: Jigoku no Banken (86)
16) Talking Head (69)
17) Twilight Q Vol 2: Mystery Article 538 (65)
18) Zendaman (46)
19) MAROKO (42)
20) Meiken Jolly (33)
21) Gatchaman II (30)
21) Dallos (30)
23) Gold Lightan (21)
24) Ippatsu Kenta-Kun (15)
25) .50 Woman (14)
26) Ryu no Me no Namida (12)

Do you realize what this means? Do you? Finally, you've got quantifiable data to settle the argument that's been ripping your cosplay-and-fanfic circle apart: whether the giant robots of Patlabor are "way cooler" than the cyborgs of Ghost in the Shell. And what's that? A gloomy live-action movie filmed entirely in Polish fares better than a bunch of fast food grifters? Say it ain't so!

Actually, the big surprise is the total lack of love for "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade." Yeah, yeah, the man didn't direct it, but c'mon, it's pretty obviously an "Oshii joint." I think it's safe to say the vast majority of foreign fans would've picked that over Avalon or Tachiguishi Retsuden (let alone .50 Woman or The Wonderful Adventures of Nils!) any day of the week.

Comments

[D.Z.]

>Actually, the big surprise is the total lack >of love for "Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade." >Yeah, yeah, the man didn't direct it, but >c'mon, it's pretty obviously an "Oshii joint.

No, it isn't. That's why no one likes it.