Upon its U.S. release in the mid 1990s Ghost in the Shell , directed by Mamoru Oshii, quickly became one of the most popular Japanese animated films, or anime, in the country. Despite these accolades, Oshii is known as a contrarian within anime, a self-proclaimed 'stray dog', avoiding the limelight in favour of his own personal cinematic vision. He cannot be pigeon-holed, working in both live-action film and animation, directing everything from absurdist comedy to thrillers to meditations on the nature of reality. Stray Dog of Anime is the first book to take an in-depth look at Oshii's major films, form his early days working on Urusei Yatsura to Avalon , his most recent feature. Ruh details Oshii's evolution as a director, paying special attention to his personal style and symbolism, resulting in a unique guide that will appeal to anime fans and cinestes of all kinds.

Upon its US release in the mid 1990s, Ghost in the Shell , directed by Mamoru Oshii, quickly became one of the most popular Japanese animated films in the country. Despite this, Oshii is known as a maverick within anime: a self-proclaimed 'stray dog'. This is the first book to take an in-depth look at his major films, from Urusei Yatsura to Avalon .

A hilarious story of one man’s obsession and a brilliant reckoning of a nation’s cultural confusion—from a master Japanese novelist. When twenty-eight-year-old Joji first lays eyes upon the teenage waitress Naomi, he is instantly smitten by her exotic, almost Western appearance. Determined to transform her into the perfect wife and to whisk her away from the seamy underbelly of post-World War I Tokyo, Joji adopts and ultimately marries Naomi, paying for English and music lessons that promise to mold her into his ideal companion. But as she grows older, Joji discovers that Naomi is far from the naïve girl of his fantasies. And, in Tanizaki’s masterpiece of lurid obsession, passion quickly descends into comically helpless masochism.

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The world is in crisis as a vampiric plague spreads across the globe! With nations falling left and right, a powerful skill weapon is transported to Japan, bringing the Decay of the Angel’s plan to its final stage. However, Fukuchi fails to account for one thing—his own team! The Hunting Dogs are on his scent, and he knows better than anyone else that once their jaws bite down, they never let go!

Yokohama may be peaceful, but there’s never a dull moment as the agency enters a dance contestand gathers around to tell spooky stories. However, what if the series took a different path? What if the agency was a patisserie instead? What if Bungo Stray Dogs was about actual dogs? Or most unbelievable of all—what if Chuuya had agrowth spurt?

Atsushi and Akutagawa butt heads! Dazai and Chuuya also butt heads! Whether it’s the Port Mafia getting in on the virtual reality boom or the kids at Bungo Day Care figuring out how to deal with a ghost, the cast of Bungo Stray Dogs have their mature moments...and some childish ones, too. But through it all, one thing’s for sure—no one in Yokohama is getting any work done today!