Mamoru Oshii

Oshii studied Christian theology at Tokyo Gakugei University before entering the animation industry, an unusual academic background that shaped the persistent philosophical and spiritual undertones of his later directorial work.

The philosopher-director of anime, whose adaptation of Ghost in the Shell traded action-movie pacing for long, rain-soaked meditations on what a soul is once the body is optional, began his career directing episodes of the Urusei Yatsura anime series before moving into more overtly philosophical feature work.

James Cameron has cited the film as a major influence on his own filmmaking, and the Wachowskis have said it directly shaped the visual language of The Matrix, cementing Oshii's outsized influence on Western science fiction cinema.