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Aug 7, 2009 10:28 AM
#1

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May 2009
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THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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Creating a missing episode thread. Again. Seriously, no one likes this anime?

Anyhow, this episode is a very important plot turn in the anime. The game fanatic boy is just a copycat criminal, because he confessed that he only assaulted Shogo and Kawazu.

And also because he's killed by Shounen Bat. But that's secondary.

Now Mitsuhiro is trying to investigate on his own, and by using radio messages he thinks to make troubled pepole wish for Shonen Bat's help, so he can investigate on him. He pratically tossed the bait...
Arashi89Mar 25, 2016 2:13 AM
Dec 9, 2009 10:57 PM
#2

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Jan 2008
6961
Knew Shonen bat wasn't him. T'is getting interesting again.
Dec 30, 2009 5:30 AM
#3

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Nov 2008
2645
Hell yes, this anime is getting more and more exciting!
Now the cops are pushed in another direction, searching for people who are in trouble in order to find the shounen bat. That's really a good idea for a plot turn, and hell we're led in every direrction and the identity of the shounen bat is even more unclear.
I like how we're brought to think that we're close to find the answer when we're in actually not.
May 9, 2010 1:53 AM
#4

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Jan 2010
2807
I'm liking how even the cops are now being "pushed into a corner". So, now do we know for sure that lil slugger is supernatural? Or.. was it some type of illusion? I'm betting on supernatural, though.


And yeah, what the hells up with no one being active in these forums? I would've suspected this show to be more popular.
May 12, 2010 3:47 PM
#5

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Feb 2010
15
This anime is really starting to freak me out.
The sound is scary and mind-fucked. I mean, it's 1 AM here now, and i really don't feel very comfortable :D

Btw As i said in previous episode, Shounen Bat doesn't really exist. Only in our heads.
He's an angel "make a wish, and i'll do it". This is getting more and more exiting.
They say there's no such place... as Paradise. Even if you search it to the ends of the Earth, there's nothing there. No matter how far you walk, it's always the same road. It just goes on and on. But, in spite of that... Why am I so driven to find it? A voice calls to me... It says, "Search for Paradise."
Jun 19, 2010 10:23 PM
#6

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Mar 2009
65239
I was doubting that kid was really Shonen Bat. Quite intriguing so far.
Jul 1, 2010 10:18 AM
#7

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May 2008
116
IppoSRB said:


Btw As i said in previous episode, Shounen Bat doesn't really exist. Only in our heads.
He's an angel "make a wish, and i'll do it". This is getting more and more exiting.



+50 points for you.
I like how you think
Sep 22, 2010 11:24 AM
#8

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Aug 2009
2555
It's highly likely Shounen Bat doesn't exist at all.
I didn't expect this anime to take the turn to the supernatural. Even though it was expected, because it said ''Supernatural'' at the genre part, hurr.

A superb episode. It got me hooked. 5/5
Sep 22, 2010 3:02 PM
#9

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Aug 2009
1010
Now its starting to get really good 5/5
Nov 1, 2011 11:25 AM

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May 2009
3529
As expected from Kon, 5/5
Dec 24, 2011 10:51 PM
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Dec 2011
2
The show started off as any other great crime show. Random victims, a set villain, and the cops trying to tract him down. I feel like this is the first episode where shit really started to pop off. The show is becoming more and more surreal and you're on the edge of your seat the whole time. I really can't wait and see what the ending has in store for us. This episode had some really great twists and a great ending.
Jan 27, 2012 2:38 PM

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Jan 2012
1349
Well unfortunately I knew that the dude wasn't the realy slugger, so that wasn't a real :O moment for me, but meh! This show is fascinating, I mean really, makes your head think, apart from the daft RPG episode (which in my eyes dosen't exist) this has been an excellend series so far! The ending was quite eerie for some reason I dont know why! Love this series!
Mar 5, 2012 6:20 PM

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Jun 2008
1005
Wait, so the copy of Little Slugger was murdered or did he suicide and somehow his head fell off? Someone please explain what happened to me lol... it could be due to my lack of attention too.

Good episode.
HEY!
Mar 30, 2012 6:25 PM

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Feb 2012
1918
randompadley said:
apart from the daft RPG episode (which in my eyes dosen't exist)


Which was the point of that episode, incidentally. Episode 5 makes even more sense after watching episode 7.
Jun 14, 2012 1:52 AM

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Sep 2011
10430
Now, its getting interesting. Very interesting.
Sep 12, 2012 7:40 PM

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Mar 2012
2884
Next episode: Happy Family Planning.

Oh, dear.
May 1, 2013 2:16 AM

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Aug 2007
1490
I feel bad for Maniwa :(
He's really invested in this case, and it's backing him into a corner.
And guessing his own days are numbered until "Lil' Slugger" saves him.

Jun 6, 2013 1:12 AM

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Jan 2013
11047
Hmm not too interesting.
Jun 11, 2013 6:30 AM

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Feb 2010
344
The fake lil slugger said he only attack Shogo and Masami, then why did "he" disappear after attacked Shogo? That was what Yuichi saw in ep.2

...and Maniwa, what you did would only make lil slugger stronger.
Sep 6, 2013 5:24 AM

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Aug 2012
1127
I loved the paranoia in this episode. Poor cop is going nuts.
Dec 6, 2013 7:13 PM

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Mar 2013
155
I'm marathoning this atm, and I believe there is only one word for this anime:

Unsettling.

I don't believe I can put it into better words how all the aspects of this anime, especially the mental disorders, reverberate within the viewer to create such... discord. But I like it.
Apr 12, 2014 1:09 PM
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Jan 2010
1559
mass hysteria desu
sasuga me
Jul 2, 2014 5:42 PM

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Jan 2014
160
e-eh?! Kozuka commit suicide?
nah, this getting interesting now.
Aug 14, 2014 7:14 PM

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Jan 2014
3761
omfg, that episode preview at the end, this was my reaction:
Aug 23, 2014 1:40 PM

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May 2012
25828
How the hell did he die? And man everyone is starting to lose it!
Dec 9, 2014 4:09 PM

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Sep 2010
255
Wow. Things are getting seriously twisted now. What is up with this anime?? (I'm so very hooked though hahaha)
"If you can eliminate all the other choices, the remaining choice, no matter how improbable, it is the answer."- Sherlock Holmes
Jan 4, 2015 7:45 PM

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Dec 2011
1811
Heh, Maniwa is quickly freaking it out. Maybe will be the next victim of Shounen Bat?
Pretty scary watch this episode at 1am, btw. 5/5.
Oct 10, 2015 9:31 AM
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May 2012
7011
Treefingers said:
IppoSRB said:


Btw As i said in previous episode, Shounen Bat doesn't really exist. Only in our heads.
He's an angel "make a wish, and i'll do it". This is getting more and more exiting.



+50 points for you.
I like how you think


That's what I think, too. There are still many possibilities, though.
That preview.
Oct 23, 2015 11:18 PM

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Feb 2014
1733
Shounen bat is dead...?
Wut
Now there's another guy on the loose!
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Nov 19, 2015 8:08 AM

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Jan 2012
31479
sad they lost their jobs.

Nov 26, 2015 6:43 PM

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Jul 2014
35
I think Shounen Bat isn't real. I noticed the fake one said something like "if I'm gonna do it anyway...then before that- " I think he was referencing to him wanting to kill himself. The only thing the real Shounen Bat did was grant that wish.
And I think the comment Tsukiko made a few episodes back where she said she thought she recognized the boy is related to the old man. The doll said that it couldn't be the same boy because it was so long ago, so it would be impossible for him to be the same age. I don't know how it would be connected though :I
Dec 1, 2015 11:28 AM
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Aug 2012
926
Perfect episode! Agree with everyone about the idea that he is like angel granting a wish-nothing could be added! But I like how this series devours me in its atmosphere, I feel cornered, scared and not comfy-masterpiece!
Jan 7, 2016 11:29 AM

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May 2015
1837
So the kid wasn't really Shounen Bat. I believe him when he said he only attacked those two people, but maybe he is one of several Shounen Bats? Then one Shounen Bat killed the other? Really confusing. I wonder what's going on.
I'm also really concerned for the younger detective's mental health.
And am I the only one who thinks Taeko's faking the amnesia in order to torture her father?
"It's a tragic misunderstanding that could have been easily avoided if he just finished his sentence in time!"

— Richard Watterson (The Amazing World of Gumball)
Mar 24, 2016 5:49 PM

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May 2014
8797
I love how paranoid this show makes the viewer with each passing episode, God this is so good.
I've been here way too long...
May 21, 2016 3:26 PM

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Jul 2015
34
Oh shit, they're getting backed into the corner now.
Jun 25, 2016 3:23 AM

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Feb 2016
1117
Very interesting turn of events. I liked the tone shift and the execution of the scene where that one investigator is asking frequently which person is cornered and the viewer comes to the conclusion that he himself (the investigator) is being cornered.

Also it's been confirmed that shonen bat is still on the loose.
Nov 16, 2016 8:39 PM

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Sep 2013
3373
I don't understand why the copycat kid and Shounen Bat look just alike. When the character design lady made up Shounen Bat, she drew up a sketch of what he looks like. And then the copycat guy shows up and somehow looks just like Shounen Bat in the sketch? Huh?

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Jan 11, 2017 9:54 PM

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Mar 2016
1226
Wow, another interesting episode.

Given that this anime has the supernatural label, my guess is that Mitsuhiro Maniwa is on the right track, meaning that Shounen Bat can appear and disappear in front of people who feel cornered/trapped. I don't think Shounen Bat is completely imaginary though. Also, given his behavior, I'm guessing Maniwa is going to be the next target.

However, if Kozuka was telling the truth when he said he only hurt Shogo Ushiyama and Masami Hirukawa, I guess he just "happened" to be lucky that he hurt someone who actually felt cornered? Also, the cops believe Kozuka killed himself, but he was actually killed by Shounen Bat. Why did Shounen Bat kill Kozuka when he had only seriously injured the other victims? Perhaps I'm wrong in thinking Shounen Bat isn't imaginary.
BlondieJan 11, 2017 10:03 PM
May 9, 2017 7:17 AM

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Dec 2015
15143
What mind fuckery is this??
"At some point, I stopped hoping."
May 19, 2017 5:55 PM
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Jul 2018
564084
wow the copycat actually died,,
Jul 26, 2017 10:17 PM

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Jan 2014
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Talon184 said:
I don't understand why the copycat kid and Shounen Bat look just alike. When the character design lady made up Shounen Bat, she drew up a sketch of what he looks like. And then the copycat guy shows up and somehow looks just like Shounen Bat in the sketch? Huh?


That's what copycats are supposed to do, though, to copy someone else. If he had ot fit the basics, he would have settled for another criminal
Jul 26, 2017 11:46 PM

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Sep 2013
3373
wlundgren said:
Talon184 said:
I don't understand why the copycat kid and Shounen Bat look just alike. When the character design lady made up Shounen Bat, she drew up a sketch of what he looks like. And then the copycat guy shows up and somehow looks just like Shounen Bat in the sketch? Huh?


That's what copycats are supposed to do, though, to copy someone else. If he had ot fit the basics, he would have settled for another criminal


That's what they're supposed to do, sure. But if I remember correctly (it's been awhile since I watched the show now) no one knew what Shounen Bat looked like. They just knew it was somebody with a bat and skates. Then the copycat shows up and doesn't just resemble him. They are identical.

Just a bit of a stretch imo...

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Sep 21, 2017 6:39 AM

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Jun 2008
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Brilliant episode and directing from Satoshi Kon. The atmosphere of that episode reminded me of a fusion between Texhnolyze and Twin Peaks. Which is never a bad thing.
May 2, 2018 4:00 AM

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Feb 2016
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When the show suddenly becomes Texhnolyze
May 20, 2018 12:39 PM

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Apr 2015
220
I feel a bit mixed on this episode. See, it WAS a great episode, and it did develop the plot. I just feel like this show ... is getting ... a bit obvious?

I mean, maybe it's just me. But the idea that Shonen bat isn't a real person has been my suspicion since day one. It's not very subtle at all. The show is literally called "Paranoia Agent".

The twists are just not that big unless they're character specific. For instance, finding out that the bad cop was a pedo who liked his daughter? Big twist, especially when his only redeem quality before was providing for his family. This episode, it was realizing that the creepy TV and radio transmissions are coming from the ex police officer. I'm also very surprised that shonen bat made the copy cat kill himself. I feel so bad for the police officers, they got to feel like shit.

I do like where the show is going. It's just not wasn't interesting as it possibly could be this episode because it focused on making Shonen bat more obvious, and the characters focused on this episode weren't as interesting (I do like the young police guy tho)
observing a woman's body
Feb 17, 2019 4:09 PM
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Aug 2017
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Talon184 said:
wlundgren said:


That's what copycats are supposed to do, though, to copy someone else. If he had ot fit the basics, he would have settled for another criminal


That's what they're supposed to do, sure. But if I remember correctly (it's been awhile since I watched the show now) no one knew what Shounen Bat looked like. They just knew it was somebody with a bat and skates. Then the copycat shows up and doesn't just resemble him. They are identical.

Just a bit of a stretch imo...


They established a look for the Shonen Bat in the first episode did they not? While Sagi drew the sketch and gave a basic outline, public rumors filled in the blanks. He just made himself appear how SB allegedly looked like. Sorry to call you back to a show you watched years ago lol

AngryAlchemist said:
I feel a bit mixed on this episode. See, it WAS a great episode, and it did develop the plot. I just feel like this show ... is getting ... a bit obvious?

I mean, maybe it's just me. But the idea that Shonen bat isn't a real person has been my suspicion since day one. It's not very subtle at all. The show is literally called "Paranoia Agent".

it focused on making Shonen bat more obvious,


Hey I get you, and I thought from the start that it was just a mass hysteria, I actually thought that was the premise of the show lol , but now I'm holding out hope that I've been wrong all along, especially, as you say, they are making it "obvious" that SB isn't real (the lead detective said it openly, many times in the last episode as well as this one) but I think (hope) that's it's just a setup to once again subvert expectations. But you'll already know if you read this lol.
heym8heym8Feb 17, 2019 4:15 PM
Feb 17, 2019 4:23 PM
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Aug 2017
11
This episode was so good. Ambient as fuck. The sound design, editing and cinematography was so so good. So glad I watched this one high with my headphones on, loved it.

I realy don't know what to make of the cop and his communication stuff, first time this show has truly confused me a bit. Were his broadcasts and stuff in previous episodes? I don't remember.

Perfect episode IMO, just exactly what I wanted from this show, it's so good. If this was a live action western TV show, it would probably gain a cult following and would be the new Twin Peaks. R.I.P Satoshi Kon. Japanese, Animated David Lynch :( i am sad now
heym8heym8Feb 17, 2019 4:27 PM
May 15, 2019 5:05 PM
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Aug 2018
1240
During this episode I got the feeling that the younger detective named Maniwa will become the namegiving "Paranoia Agent".
May 24, 2019 9:20 PM

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Dec 2018
66
Yeah the paranoia aspect is prolific.The dream sequences illustrate that well. It is just not my taste.

However, the plot twists are driving this into territory that I despise "appearance vs reality" related to morally correct figures i.e the policemen.

It is highly probably I will not finish this show. I don't like to watch people being driven mad, let alone into hysteria.
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