Paranoia Agent

Wow.

Kon Satoshi's series Paranoia Agent is just as amazing as I hoped. I went in not knowing what to expect, and got exactly that; something that I couldn't have expected. One of the hardest things for me to do has been to get into a new anime title while it's aired on Adult Swim, I'd constantly miss episodes, or come in at mid-story and not be able to catch what's going on or gather who the characters were Paranoia Agent is one of these cases.

The series feels like a lot like a movie in the terms of how the plot moved along. It's clear that Kon is a movie maker first and foremost and that Paranoia Agent evolved out of ideas that could not be fit into films he was creating. The series might have sprouted from discarded ideas, but the work is far from trash.

As I said in my recent review of Kon's Paprika one his talents is blurring the line between the actual reality and the reality that is manifested only in someone's mind. This is very true in Paranoia Agent, in many different ways. There were times where I felt reminded of my when I first saw The Devil's Rejects, and I wasn't sure if I should be laughing hysterically or mortified at the scenes unfolding. The whole experience is a beautifully twisted tale that slowly branches out, seems to move into a disjointed set of stories, only to slowly bring it all back together at the end.

Again, Kon Satoshi knows how to leave an audience confused, bewildered, and totally lost, but at the same time, waiting anxiously to see where things will go.



Rating: 9.5/10

Favorite episodes: (A VERY close tie)
"Happy Family Planning"
"ETC"