Reviews:

From Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Vol. 42, No. 4 (p. 669):

This lucid, well-researched handbook traces the artistic development of animation film director Mamoru Oshii (b. 1951) through close readings of major fantasy-laden productions ranging from Urusei Yatsura (= Beautiful Dreamer, 1984) to Avalon (2000). Ruh offers an engaging treatment of ten animated films or television series, including for each a descriptive list of the major dramatis personae, a succinct synopsis of the plot, and a section of informed commentary and analysis. An introductory chapter explains why Oshii merits study as a globally influential director and how he entered the niche of Japanese anime. The conclusion contrasts Oshii with the most commercially successful contemporary anime director, Hayao Miyazaki, arguing that Oshii scrupulously avoids the latter's nostalgic motifs of a heroine's comforting return to a mythologized hometown. Endnotes, filmography, and a section of color stills from several of Oshii's films enhance the book's value. Unfortunately, Ruh does not include a kanji/kana glossary, and a typesetting glitch results in the glaring omission of about 50 occurrences of the lower-case italicized "v." Summing up: Recommended. All collections supporting film studies or contemporary Japanese culture.
P. F. Williams, Arizona State University

[Author's Note: The italicization glitch was corrected for the final print run, and does not appear in the copies available in stores.]