Featuring the artwork of Yoshitaka Amano, Tenshi no Tamago is a decidedly different art film from 1985. This anime relates a rather mysterious presentation of a unique post-apocalyptic tale.

The plot for Tenshi no Tamago is not something that can easily be related in words. The film is largely about the presentation more than action, and understatement instead of open revelation. Existentialism abounds, heightened by the moody artwork and the dialogue, which asks more questions than it answers. Bear in mind, however, that the conflict in the plotline primarily occurs in the audience’s mind, not in any sequence of actions in the film, spurred by speculation arising from one jarring impression after another.

There are only two primary characters in Tenshi no Tamago: a young girl who bears an egg and a man who holds a strange cross. The poor character rating is relative to other anime, requisite because the film does not openly reveal anything about these two characters save questions. The audience is left to speculate as to the identities and true personalities of these two images which act in this disturbing world. Indeed, much of their dialogue involves the question "dare ka" (who are you)... For such an existential film, however, this is perfect, as any open declaration of their thoughts, instead of such questions and mysterious actions, would ruin the mystery of the film.

A mysterious, surreal landscape, realized beautifully in stills if not in animation.	An enigmatic pair, about whom more questions are raised than are answered.

The visual presentation of Tenshi no Tamago relies more on the moodiness of the stills than on impressive animation. Much of the animation involves harmonic oscillation, like the waving of hair or seaweed or the rippling of water. Animation of the characters is minimized by camera tricks so as to avoid extensive detail in character motion. However, despite the dated (1985) animation techniques, the visual presentation of the world is exquisite; the stills effectively relate this rather alien world and deepen the air of mystery about the film.

The music is an appropriate complement to the disturbing visual elements. The classical elements contain dissonance reminiscent of Stravinski, creating a rather haunting orchestration. This accompaniment creates a rather immersive aural environment necessitated by the paucity of dialogue. At the same time, while this tonal tapestry effectively sets the mood of the film, it is not the kind of music one recalls afterwards as anything more than a fleeting ghost of a memory--memorable in its tone more than its manifestation.

As a whole, Tenshi no Tamago is a rather memorable gem of existentialism, something I cannot recommend enough if you are interested in this theme. At the same time, if you are not interested in existentialism or speculative fiction, it is likely that you won’t stay awake past the first five minutes of this movie, making it impossible to make an accurate single rating. Suffice to say, it is a rather unique anime not for the faint of heart ^_^

Creator: Studio Deen
Released: 1985

Plot: A
Character Design: C
Animation Quality: D+
Music: B
Overall: B