Satoshi Kon's "Paprika"

I have been a fan of Satoshi Kon ever since I first started watching his anime series Paranoia Agent on Adult Swim. The story was a fascinating look at a variety of social concerns, most notably the blurring of the distinction between fantasy and reality in both the media and in society at large. I also really loved the character design and the intricately detailed artistry of the backgrounds. I soon became acquainted with Kon's other works as well: the touching story of three homeless men trying to protect an abandoned baby in Tokyo Godfathers; the exploration of celebrity and malevolent obsession in the stylish thriller Perfect Blue; and the visually sumptuous Millenium Actress, with its gorgeously rendered depiction of an earnest and timeless romantic yearning. Because of the sheer beauty of his work, Satoshi Kon has become my favorite anime director. That is why I was thrilled to see that his latest work was recently released in selected U.S. cities.

Satoshi Kon's latest film Paprika may be both his most visually stunning and most disturbing film to date. In the story, a revolutionary device called the DC-Mini, enables therapists to enter the dreams of a psychiatric patient in the hopes of understanding the patient's neurosis or psychosis. Even though the device is still in the experimental stages and is not yet approved by the government for clinical use, Dr. Atsuka Chiba, in the guise of her alter ego—a pretty and mysterious young red-headed woman known to her clients only as "Paprika"—is using it to help people without the knowledge of her superior, the enigmatic Chairman. The Chairman himself seems somewhat dubious, if not hostile, toward the technology.

Before the government is able to approve the DC-MINI for use, three of the prototypes are stolen by an unknown party. The inventor, a hyperbolically corpulent genius named Tokita, advises Dr. Chiba that the three stolen devices could potentially allow the thief to enter into the dreams of anybody hooked up to a psychotherapeutic computer. The Chairman sees this as an opportunity to pull the plug on the nascent technology. When other scientists from the lab begin to go mad with the deluded dreams of other psychiatric patients, it is discovered that anyone who has been exposed to the DC-MINI, whether currently connected to it or not, can be placed into a psychotic dream state even while still awake. It is then up to Dr. Chiba—and Paprika—to enter into the twisted dreamworld into which these scientists are trapped and try to discover the evil mastermind behind it all.

The dreamworld imagery is some of the most imaginative animation ever shown on the big screen. One particularly rich dream has a polychromatic parade of flute-playing frogs, dancing kitchen appliances and ominous Japanese dolls. Reality becomes fluid, with scene after scene melding into ever more imaginative sequences with dizzying rapidity as the imperilled heroine attempts to escape from one exquisitely detailed trap only to fall into another. The conspiracy is soon laid bare, leading to an apocalyptic confrontation between those wishing to heal the world and the one who seeks to enslave and control it.

The whole experience was both exciting and exhilaratingly disorienting. This movie stands as a beautiful reminder of why I became hooked on Japanese animation in the first place. More than any other form of animation, Japanese anime has consistently provided the most diverse and awe-inspiringly imaginative realms into which fans are able to immerse themselves. In this most magnificent of art forms, Satoshi Kon stands as one its most luminous geniuses.

This film is rated R for brief animated nudity and strongly disturbing imagery. Definitely not for kids!