Today, as always, I’ll go gloriously off track and freely write out everything on my mind. I’ve discovered something in common between director Mamoru Oshii and stuffed animals, so I’m going to talk about that.
Chapter 1: Stuffed animals have no facial expressions
The other day, I was casually watching TV when I heard someone say that stuffed animals have no facial expressions. Apparently, it’s designed that way on purpose.
Because their faces are expressionless and flat, we are able to “see” expressions in them.
Children project their own emotions onto them and perceive expressions accordingly.
When they’re happy, they see a smile. When they’re sad, they see a crying face. We project the expressions we want to see onto stuffed animals.
Through playing with stuffed animals, children unconsciously express their emotions, and as adults, we can unexpectedly gain insight into their deeper psychology from the way they play.
The moment I heard that, for some reason, Mamoru Oshii came to mind—am I the only one?
Chapter 2: A Director Called Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii, born in 1951 and from Tokyo, is an animation film director. After working at Tatsunoko Production, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the director of the *Urusei Yatsura* series. He later gained worldwide acclaim with *Ghost in the Shell* (1995), which is also known for having been shown by the Wachowskis to their entire staff before making *The Matrix*. He has continued to create works such as *Patlabor: The Movie*, *Innocence*, and *The Sky Crawlers*, known for their philosophical themes and distinctive visual style, making him one of Japan’s leading animation film directors.
One striking feature of Mamoru Oshii’s films is this: the characters show almost no facial expressions.
Chapter 3: Because there are expressions, words don’t get through
More precisely, the expressions are reduced to the absolute minimum. This is not by chance, but a deliberate choice by the director. He has said that when there are facial expressions, the dialogue becomes harder to convey.
When I first heard that, I remember finding it very strange. Wouldn’t emotions be easier to convey when there are facial expressions? But when you actually watch his films, you realize that’s not the case.
For example, Motoko Kusanagi in *Ghost in the Shell* rarely changes her expression, perhaps because she is a cyborg. Even so, her lines pierce straight into our hearts. There is a clear, unclouded feeling, as if her words reach us directly.
What does this line mean? What was she feeling when she said it? What was her intention in saying it?
Precisely because there are no facial expressions, we become even more curious about what they are thinking. Each time an expressionless character speaks, our imagination expands. Because the characters have no expressions, we as viewers are left to infer their feelings ourselves.
The only clues to understanding the characters’ minds are contained in their words alone. But of course, there is no definitive answer.
Perhaps their deeper psychology is reflected in certain actions or subtle gestures. And that makes you want to watch it over and over again.
That’s likely what Mamoru Oshii is doing.
We have a tendency to anticipate others’ emotions from their facial expressions. When we see someone smiling, we assume they’re happy, and when someone’s eyes are narrowed or raised, we feel they’re in a bad mood.
It’s a completely natural perception we’ve developed to survive. But that anticipation always leaves a stronger impression on us than words do.
No matter what words are spoken, the impression we receive from facial expressions can override their meaning. If someone says “I’m fine” while crying, how would you take it? I would probably feel that they’re forcing themselves to say “I’m fine.” It’s a moment when expression dominates the interpretation of words.
That’s why Mamoru Oshii deliberately removed facial expressions. To reset our tendency to “anticipate” or read ahead.
Perhaps he wants us to strip away our preconceptions and face the words alone. Without facial expressions, the viewer has no choice but to engage directly with the words. We have to pick up each line ourselves and interpret it on our own.
Chapter 4: The Kuleshov Effect and the Common Thread Between Stuffed Animals and Mamoru Oshii’s Works
What comes to mind here is an experiment in the world of film known as the “Kuleshov Effect.”
In the 1920s, Soviet film director Lev Kuleshov combined the same expressionless shot of an actor’s face with different images.
When paired with a shot of food, audiences felt “he looks hungry.” When paired with a coffin, “he looks sad.” When paired with a child playing, “he looks like he’s smiling.” Even though the actor’s face remained completely expressionless, the perceived emotion changed depending on the surrounding context.
This experiment demonstrated that humans are creatures who strongly seek to read emotions into expressions and context.
And the same can be said of stuffed animals.
Stuffed animals have no facial expressions. That’s why children can overlay their own emotions onto them.
It happens unconsciously. When we’re sad, they seem sad; when we’re happy, they seem to be smiling. It’s the same structure as in Mamoru Oshii’s films.
It’s not that the stuffed animal looks sad because it has a sad face. It’s the child’s sadness that makes it appear that way.
Perhaps what Mamoru Oshii’s films aim for is something like a “stuffed animal.” Within the “void” created by expressionless characters, the viewer unknowingly brings in their own emotions. As we follow the characters’ lines, aren’t we, before we realize it, exploring our own inner selves?
Chapter 5: That’s Why We End Up Watching It Again and Again
Mamoru Oshii clearly stands apart from other directors who worked on the same series.
Mamoru Oshii clearly stands apart from other directors who worked on the same series.
I think it’s something people’s tastes will be divided on. However, it’s also true that Oshii’s works have especially dedicated fans, and once you’re drawn into his world, it’s hard to get out.
I myself have no idea how many times I’ve rewatched *Innocence* and *The Sky Crawlers*. And every so often, I feel the urge to watch them again. I’ve long wondered where that addictive quality comes from. I think the answer, again, lies in “expression.”
Oshii’s films don’t tell us what the characters are feeling. Because there are no expressions, their emotions aren’t visible. In other words, the viewer has to fill in the characters’ inner world entirely with their own imagination.
The emotions we imagine there differ each time we watch. If our state of mind changes, the same lines will feel different.
The same scene can feel quiet at one time, and deeply piercing at another. That’s why no matter how many times you watch it, you never interpret it the same way.
No matter how many times I watch it, I can’t help but wonder if there are still subtleties I haven’t yet noticed.
Just as a child holding a stuffed animal entrusts it with their emotions in that moment, we watch Mamoru Oshii’s films while letting them resonate with who we are at that time. It’s a strangely compelling feeling—almost addictive.
summary
Starting from a story about stuffed animals, I unexpectedly arrived at the secret behind Mamoru Oshii’s films.
Because there are no facial expressions, the lines themselves resonate. Because the lines reach us, we’re able to feel emotion. And each time we watch, we discover new emotions.
Hearing that story about stuffed animals, I finally realized that this strange experience is why I keep returning to Mamoru Oshii’s films again and again.
Before I knew it, I found myself wanting to watch another of Oshii’s works. My heart is already lifting at the thought that I might discover something new again.
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