Satoshi Kon's Paranoia Agent: Complete Collection (2005)

Adult Anime

The first two disks (eps. 1-7) are a thrill ride, focussing on different characters who are involved with a psychotic preteen called Shonen Bat (little slugger), who careens around with a bent gold-painted aluminum bat while on Rollerblades and bashes people who are psychologically damaged, and also with an animated dog and his creator, who are the connecting thread throughout the episodes.

The third disk (eps. 8-10) is not so good. It diverges from the main story to deal with three people who half-want to commit suicide (boring), some gossipeuses, who create talltales about Shonen Bat (ok, but unnecessary), and then a meta-episode about the art of animation narrated by that cartoon dog--and with an unbearably screechy voice (excruciating).

The fourth disk returns to the main story, such as it is. It ends dramatically, but fails to tell us what happened to some of the characters we've met along the way. It feels rushed, too. It's as if (and maybe this was precisely the case) the creators were told that they must wrap everything up in 13 episodes.

The animation is superb. The use of color, light, and shadow, is breathtaking. August 4, 2008

"A makeshift salvation is nothing but deception"

At it's basest level; "Paranoia Agent" is the story of a girl and her dog. But before you even begin to understand it on that level you will be subjected to a case study on the fragility of the human psyche, the domination of it by media in today's world, the various forms of escapism devised by the human mind, and the power of an animated series to bring together storytelling and metaphor in ways that are impossible in nearly any other format. This is simpy one of the most thought-provoking series of any kind out there and anybody who thinks that the anime genre is split between kid's stuff and pornography should consider this the ultimate vindicator.

"Paranoia Agent" uses an unusual style of narrative. Each episode follows a different protagonist or group and examines their particular brand of escapism/psychosis. Each character is related in some way to one or more of the characters previously met and thus the overall story grows. The binding elements are two characters: the merchandising sensation Maromi the cartoon dog, and a mysterious figure known as "Shonen Bat" ("Lil Slugger" in the English version)- a rollerblading menace who assaults people with a bent baseball bat. Both are symbols of the pervasiveness and power of modern media in warping people's minds and perceptions to the point that an imaginary child-thug can become a murderous demon and otherwise reasonable people can be incited to riot over a child's toy. The characters range from an overwieght otaku who is WAY too into his cosplay dolls (way underused) to a woman with split personalites who threaten each other using her answering machine to a trio of internet friends whimsically attempting (and always failing) to commit suicide together. Then there are the two detectives. The no-nonsense cop whose inability to see past practical reality and recognize metaphor eventually causes him to escape reality altogether in favor of an old-fashioned two-dimensional dream world, and the other who indulges in the world of fantasy and fiction without being consumed by it and becomes the only one who can see the truths of Maromi and Shonen Bat. This is a brilliant illustration of the power of fantasy to portray truths of the world to those with open minds and the power of a closed mind to blind you to those same truths. These and many more characters' stories intersect each other often and help to build the larger narrative which climaxes with the media's self-contradictory cocktail of paranoia-mongering, and mind-numbing comsumer-based escapist comfort becomes a single all-consuming deluge that all began -and must end- with the same little girl.

Sound complicated? It is, but even if all this talk of metaphors and psychology turns you off, "Paranoia Agent" is still a very fun series that comes highly recommended. There is a ton of black humor, great art and animation, interesting characters with well-written dialogue, one of the best opening credit sequences out there, and much more. And my two year-old absolutely LOVES Maromi. This is a show that can be enjoyed on the surface level, but it that really pays off when you delve into it's social and psychological depths. If you're up for watching one of the best anime series out there, put his at the top of your list. June 3, 2008

good, but overrated

this is certainly better than lots of other anime series, however it's far from great. i agree with reviews that claim some episodes are a total waste of time. With the psycho-anime world getting more and more creative and sophisticated this series has yet to catch up. March 23, 2008

Paranoia Agent

High concept! I caught a few episodes on TV and certain points kept turning in my head...Fantastic suspence! There were 2 episodes that although they didn't advance the storyline (or should I say one of the storylines)they definitely added to the plot by building to the overall picture, embelishing the anticpation of the final episode. It does go into diferent directions in places. One anime review had called it as "having four anime in one." I agree, and I wonder if they even can come up with more episodes. It would be difficult to top this one... September 24, 2007

Prepare your brain for some twisting.

This series basically chronicles a descent into madness, so deep that it seeps out into the real world.

Each episode is very different from the last, all done in different styles, and with different kinds of stories, but they all tie in together remarkably. It is well produced, well animated, and well directed.

It can be confusing as you watch it, but that just makes it more engaging.

Original. Sometimes frightening. Sometimes funny. High quality. It's a wonderful series.

The price is a smidge high for what is really one season of episodes, but it's originality makes me feel like I've gotten my money's worth. September 10, 2007

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