Paranoia Agent
| Episode Count | 13 |
| Season | Winter 2004 |
| Genres | Drama, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller |
| Source Material | Original Anime |
| Rating | TV-MA |
| Streaming | TBD |
Today, the works of Satoshi Kon are treated as legendary. But before 2019, they were all unlicensed and out of print in North America (except for Paprika which has always been affordable). Anime fans talked about them, but outside of that they weren't super mainstream. Paranoia Agent in particular was notoriously expensive to get DVDs of. But in 2019/2020, it seemed like they all got rescued at once. Now everyone talks about them, which of course is great to see.
The only TV series of Satoshi Kon's tragically short career, you would think that Paranoia Agent would be about Lil' Slugger, but actually it's an anthology series about everyone's perceptions of Lil' Slugger. Everyone's afraid of getting hit by his golden bat, but that fear takes over and grows into a full blown panic.
Paranoia Agent is great. Is it one of the best anime ever made? Mmmm no, I find that most of the people and publications that say that are film buffs that have seen more than the casual viewer but aren't full-blown weebs. Nevertheless, it's a must-see.
- 0215MADman
Yeah, part of me still doesn’t fully understand this anime. I mean, I’ve watched it, and I enjoyed it, but part of me doesn’t really GET it. Satoshi Kon made a brilliant piece of artwork with some memorable characters and moments, but it’s very much an anime that you have to sit down and WATCH. You can’t just have it on in the background while you work. One of my favorite episodes has to be “Happy Family Planning”. It’s such a departure from the rest of the anime, but it still stays in the same vein. The twist at the end genuinely caught me off guard and required multiple viewings to see what I missed. Of course, this is a show that has a firm place on my Blu-Ray shelf…and it’s long past due for a rewatch…if for no other reason than to hear that very excellent OP “Dream Island Obsessional Park”. That was another night-drive song blasted from my old Acura.
- KhakiBlueSocks