Paranoia Agent

[Servo2000]

Paranoia Agent

‘Paranoia Agent’ begins with a vicious attack on a young woman named Tsukiko Sagi. She claims her assailant was a youngster wearing gold in-line skates and wielding a golden baseball bat. With no witnesses and no evidence, the detectives handed the case feel justified in their opinion that she’s simply delusional and making the whole thing up. Opinions change, however, when a second victim comes forward, a reporter who had been staking out Tsukiko`s case, claiming to have been assaulted by the same phantom figure. As the detectives begin their investigation and yet more victims of the now notorious ‘Lil’ Slugger’ appear, they soon find they’re at beginning of a twisting tale that takes a hop, skip and a jump between the boundaries of fantasy and reality.

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Quick Shitty Review"

I'll start this by mentioning that generally I hate anime series, but I would argue that this is perhaps one of, if not the single best, animated show for television within recent memory. Emotionally poignant, politically motivated, and socially relevant.

Satoshi is well known for taking on social and current events, but in my opinion this does it best Satoshi's examination of Japan and its "...views of school peer pressure, loss of identity, prevalence of cultural icons (such as Maromi, often seen as a criticism of highly marketable anime mascots such as the poring from Ragnarok Online), ambiguity of morality, nature of social and personal growth, criticism of the harsh conditions of Japanese animators, and criticism of the otaku subculture..."

Much of the work parrallels Murakami's "Superflat" ideas and explanations for japans culture, a main character / idea who may as well be the atomic bomb dropped on japan, for instance.

The art style is well done, the dialogue well written, the plot convincing and bizarre.

I really can't say enough good things about this show. I suggest you obtain it through any means, either legally or through other means that are also, totally legal, as far as you're concerned.

Excuse the fact that I make a horrible reviewer.

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Other Links:

Paranoia Agent Homepage

Paranoia Agent Wikipedia (*spoilers*)

The "Baseball Bat" Crimes

Entertainment Re-oriented: Atomic Pop Pt. II: Hello Kitty and the Rape of Nanking

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P.S.

I feel like this show may have been showing on Adult Swim, I don't know if it still is, but you might be able to catch it there as well.

[Servo2000]

Trailer: Get Paranoid

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Episode 1: Part 1

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There's no part 2 since there's mild nudity, so you'll have to figure out some means of getting it other than youtube, most likely. The opening is probably my least favorite part of the show, but like most anime it's not representative of the rest of the show at all, although the lyrics do give some hint as to the more obtuse subject matter.

"The lost children are a spectacular mushroom cloud in the sky."

[wEstSidE]

kinna makes me want to murder, for real i've even got a mask and gloves to bust (guys in the head with a basesball bat and golden dior homme roller skates) for one love.

[naturaljax]

just downloaded and watched the first episode, it was pretty good.

I dunno if it'll compare to Samurai Champloo in terms of my recent anime interests, but it was good.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

paranoia is my favorite recent series

so fucking cool

glad to see people here dig it

thinking about picking up the box------not many anime series make me want to spend $

(though mahoromatic also has this effect)

[Fuuma]

The premisce is interesting but the series gets weirder and weirder as it progresses. It seems they wanted it to become more of an allegory than an actual story that made sense at some primary level. I'm in the process of watching Haibame Renmei (saw 1-10) and happen to think it is much more engaging; the "weird" story tackles many narrative levels but can still make sense when taken at the first degree. Kinda remind me of After Life by Koreeda, a movie where he showed enough humility to present concepts in a palpable (and more esoteric form), instead of going for the straight allegory.

[Servo2000]

The premisce is interesting but the series gets weirder and weirder as it progresses. It seems they wanted it to become more of an allegory than an actual story that made sense at some primary level. I'm in the process of watching Haibame Renmei (saw 1-10) and happen to think it is much more engaging; the "weird" story tackles many narrative levels but can still make sense when taken at the first degree. Kinda remind me of After Life by Koreeda, a movie where he showed enough humility to present concepts in a palpable (and more esoteric form), instead of going for the straight allegory.

Heh, I kind of liked the way that the series just kept getting stranger and stranger. The thing is admittedly based largely around ideas that the director / writer had "leftover" from his films, so there is a bit of finnagling with straight-forward plot lines to cram more of them in it seems to me. I'll admit that I'm a bit of a sucker for Satoshi's work in general.

I'll have to check out Haibane Renmei, sounds interesting. It's based on a manga by the guy who did that "Serial Experiments Lain" or whatever, which I only saw like one episode of but seemed interesting enough. You know far more about film in general than I do, so I missed these "negative" aspects completely, and to be honest I probably won't mind a second time around either, haha.

You damn film snob, Fuuma. (10)

[soraanaam]

i remember a particular episode that i watched on adult swim, it was when this one kid kept studying alot like he studied and studied and studied, until it was the exam day, well he got a nervous breakdown in the middle of the test and goes to the restroom where he barfs out all these equations and formulas etc. i started watching paranoia agent from that day on

[backinthetrees]

i just started watching bleach/.. i like it. hahha

ive been watcing champloo too.. its alright i guess...

favorite is still rurouni kenshin.

[soraanaam]

i mean, the little fuker believes he lives in a video game thats why he goes around whacking people

[Servo2000]

i mean, the little fuker believes he lives in a video game thats why he goes around whacking people

I'm afraid you're wrong on many levels. Watch the rest of the series.

[Guest jmatsu]

i enjoyed this series. my only complaint is the episode in where thedetectives fantasize about being in some fantasy rgp. unecessary and lame.

[Crillz]

I love how people always preface anything with a warm regard to anime with "Now I generally hate anime etc. etc..." I'd say the ratio of anime I've seen to anime I've enjoyed seeing is about on par with the movies I've seen vs. enjoyed. However, I'd never start a movie review with "Now, I generally hate movies, but..."

[Fuuma]

I love how people always preface anything with a warm regard to anime with "Now I generally hate anime etc. etc..." I'd say the ratio of anime I've seen to anime I've enjoyed seeing is about on par with the movies I've seen vs. enjoyed. However, I'd never start a movie review with "Now, I generally hate movies, but..."

People are affraid of the stigma, I personally like anime a lot, although due to my other movie watching habits, I don't watch as much as I should.

[Servo2000]

It's not so much that I hate anime, I like good anime as much as anyone else, but there is an intense stigma that's hard to disregard. I hate stereotypical anime. (Edit: on a side note, that's basically what I said: "I generally hate anime series." I really don't care too much for most anime television series, I'm more a fan of animated movies in general as opposed to series, although it could certainly be because I just haven't seen enough good ones, as always!) I'm talking ruroni kenshin, gundam, stuff like that. I don't like american versions of these shows either (jack actionguy, generic swordfellow, etc...), and when you say "anime" that's the image that most people call to mind.

It's hard enough to get many people to consider a cartoon art or a piece of real cinematic value oftentime, harder even then when you tell them it's subtitled and from Japan, and even more so when their only introduction to the genre has been "Pokemon" or something along those lines. You'd be surprised at how many "are those the shows where they talk funny with the big heads?" type of responses when I suggest good anime films to people.

I'd prefer people to approach a suggestion knowing that I'm not trying to suggest them something along those lines is what it comes down to.

Fuuma, did you buy the DVDs of the anime you mentioned, or is it available from one of those online movie rental servies (greencine, etc...)?

Somebody rep Fuuma, I can't.

[-questionmark-]

i watched it when adult swim aired it. i didn't understand it untill i saw the last two episodes. it was good but i enjoyed other anime's more.

FLCL is one of my favorites. ive watched it like 5 times now and still can't figure out what its about though.

[Fuuma]

I like anime TV series, especially cheesy romance ones like Kimagure Orange road (so eighties!!) and Hana Yori Dango (although the books are better). Frankly if you don't fall into the unwashed fat freak who uses japanese quotes every time he can stereotype, you should feel free to explore the interesting medium that is anime. I'm immune to that stigma anyway; I'm an intellectual not a geek

[Fuuma]

Some series I like, you might not have heard of or considered because of the stigma:

X (around 20 mangas if I remember correctly): I like the mangas, although it’s starting to drag and drag. The pictures and pretty and everyone is good looking, emotional and slightly demented. The name Fuuma is from one of the characters in this book. I like that it sounds like French for smoking, but at the past tense (il fuma=he smoked).

Ranma ½ (38 books): Just read the books, they’re genuinely funny, great for public transportation. Ranma is like Archie but a million times better.

Shamanic Princess (6 eps): Mysterious fantasy series set in an unnamed European town. The “other world†is shaped with a delicate painter’s touch; a few well placed small strokes make you perceive the whole package.

All studio Ghibli movies: You probably know that but just in case, these are must watch. Miyazaki is more playful and grandiloquent while Takahata is dramatic and observant.

City Hunter (a bunch of mangas and loads of TV eps): Funny adventures of a lecherous PI who wants to sleep with every hot woman he meets (and he meets a lot) and usually gets turned down in the most painful manner possible. His partner (and potential love interest) is a women whom he seems to mostly disregard, who keep hitting him because of his insensitivity and sexual drive. This one used to be on a French Saturday morning kid show, which should tell you all you need to know about the (now shrinking) difference between French and American TV.

Here is Greenwood (6 eps, 10(?) books): Funny, slice of life, stories concerning a guy who moves in a crazy dorm, the last two episodes move on into romantic territory with a gusto rarely matched

Kimagure Orange Road (48 eps+specials+films, bunch of mangas): I love this one; totally 80s and the main character keep screwing up with both chicks.

Gundam: the series set in the original universe are nice, like Gundam 79, 80, 83 and the final Gundam movie; Char’s counterattack (his name is Char Aznable or something like that which is how a Japanese person would pronounce Charles Aznavour)

Hana Yori Dango-52 eps/Marmalade Boy-76 eps/Maison Ikkoku-around 100 eps: Great trifecta of romantic comedies. HYD is over the top melodrama/comedy about an “average girl†who clashes with pretty rich boys from elite school and Chanel bitches, there’s even an amnesia story in the books, what more can you want. Marmalade boy is a highschool romance where love octagons abound and Maison Ikkoku is the story of some guy who’s in love with the widow who manages his apartment building, his wacko neighbors get in his way at every turn and he’s too spineless to handle them.

Monster (18 mangas): Suspense/wrongfully accused/espionage story of a surgeon who must go on the lam, mysterious children, brainwashing and Eastern European secret services.

Please save my earth (6 eps, 21 mangas): Past lives on the moon and present day deception. The books are especially girly.

[emysiu]

I loved watching Paranoia Agent on AdultSwim network. I thought it was an interesting conceptually to think about and visually done very nicely. My other favorite animes that I recommend are Ghost in the Shell, Blood +, and Big O (though some may argue that this one doesn't really count as an anime).

[phen3N]

ive been wanting to watch this series for a while now, is there any place online where you can watch full episodes? i know theres sites that let you watch full episodes of family guy or futurama, so there should probably be some for anime

[Servo2000]

Like I said earlier, they are almost all up on Youtube. Could be on other sites as well, I'm not sure.

[Kasper]

Gundam: the series set in the original universe are nice, like Gundam 79, 80, 83 and the final Gundam movie; Char’s counterattack (his name is Char Aznable or something like that which is how a Japanese person would pronounce Charles Aznavour)

wow, i watched all the old gundam series recently and it never even once crossed my mind that char's name was suppose to be Charles Aznavour. haha

[JustHaja]

I like this series too....it was very strange but you cant stop watching it...did you ever seen Neon genesis evangelion...I dont know why but this anime reminded me of that....I had to watch the ending like 5 times to make any sense of all the dialogue but for an anime they are both very engaging.

Other favorites..samurai champloo Full Metal Alchemist and my all time favorite Ghost in a Shell

Wow...I am such a Dork!!!