Bats & Terry

Bats & Terry was produced by the acclaimed studio Sunrise and released in 1987 as a standalone original video animation. It emerged during a creative period in the late 1980s when Japanese studios were experimenting with the short-form OVA format to explore more experimental character-driven narratives that fell outside the scope of traditional television broadcast constraints.

The film was directed by celebrated animator Mamoru Oshii, who infused the project with his signature blend of surrealist humor and meticulous visual composition. The narrative follows a pair of unlikely protagonists, a bat and a boy, navigating an atmospheric and disjointed reality; the design reflects a distinct transition in Oshii's career, showcasing the technical precision of Sunrise’s production values while signaling the philosophical and aesthetic shifts that would later define his more iconic feature-length works.