Been watching this film for years now, and am understanding it better and better everytime, but there is one thing that still puzzles me...
and that's the guy at the window, the one watching Shinobu while she got lost in the alleys (the suggestive scene with all these bells)... who is he?
is it Ataru? or is it the DreamDemon? and why is he watching/spying on her?
any clues?
same here But I saw it on AZN
sorry for the late reply. According to the commentary on the laser disc, the child looking down on Shinobu represented the director, Oshii Mamoru, fear of dark alley ways and locations of the like.
shareHere is the explanation taken from this interview:
http://eigageijutsu.blogspot.com/2013/11/interview-with-mamoru-oshii-o n-urusei.html?m=1
Oshii: I find alleys and wind chimes strangely appealing. I showed alleyways in other series like Patlabor, and in other movies. When we were filming Kerberos in the alleys of Taiwan, it was fun, but they’re like a maze. We didn’t know where we’d come out. It’s a common idea, but within those places there could be an entrance to another world. When I was a kid, alleys were fun, but also scary. They still remind me of mazes and dungeons, and I like that.
At the end of that scene, there’s a boy standing by the window – everyone was asking me who that boy was.
CPM: So who is it?
Oshii: It’s an outsider looking in. Basically, it’s me, the director.
CPM: It’s the viewer, one’s self.
Oshii: That was my intent. He seems to resemble Ataru.
CPM: That’s who I thought it was.
Oshii: There were a lot of people who said that. I probably should have made him look a little more different.
CPM: His hair color is a little different…
Oshii: It could be that the animator or colorist thought it was Ataru as well. But the guy is someone outside of it all. I like the idea of briefly showing someone removed from the situation.
I don’t mind doing a little bit of craziness every now and then. There’s also a little bit of service for the fans. As I said, I really love the Leopard tank, and putting it into various situations, like in a classroom, or in a pool, is my imagination running free.