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Jan 21, 2019 2:30 PM

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Jan 2010
115
Unfortunately I got disappointed by the anime. In the last episodes (and probably even earlier) it was already very easy to see that the shounen bat was an illusion (a shared one in this case).

Existed some random episodes in the middle that were not pleasing either and that didn't added that much to the story.

And the big disappointment for me was the cause for the delusional shounen bat, really the girl got traumatized by his puppy die by a car? Then she didn't want to accept the truth and invented this shounen bat?

I mean I would have accepted that, if she was seriously traumatized by a cause that would be way more seriously than that.

Overall:
6/10

Some interesting ideas but some terrible ones.

P.S. The opening is kinda interesting and memorable.
Mar 21, 2019 11:46 AM

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Jan 2019
135
Overall, I really enjoyed this anime and how symbolic everything was portrayed in it. I would give this anime a 9 or 10, but a few episodes - in particular, no.5 weren't as interesting in my opinion. However, this was very well thought out and interesting and it was definitely worth the time to watch it ^
why am i plagued with furry jokes everywhere I go
May 7, 2019 9:41 AM
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Jan 2017
706
the series is very interesting began from terror and mystery and ended with monster and horror,,
very confusing storyline, unknown source of character,
the spice is very good at the last two episode,,
from this anime i learn that imagination can destroy the world,,,
May 28, 2019 4:38 AM

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Jan 2017
65
some of you guys just seem to hate dogs and probably shouldn't get a pet

loved the series
Jun 5, 2019 7:44 PM

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Apr 2019
1666
The final was a bit disappointing and there is a lot of unnecessary things that should not be in the story, it was good to watch but the final really does commit a lot, even so it takes my 6/10.
Jul 29, 2019 8:55 AM

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Sep 2014
238
Good start, boring middle part and bad ending. Maybe it was not good day to watching this. Warm day, hot outside and atm I don't have despair nor mental disorder, but well... I finished it and will score on current feelings -> 5/10

Suicide squad best ep.
Sep 4, 2019 10:42 AM

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Feb 2017
2389
Some people nowadays could learn a thing or two from this show, about the undue, outward chaos and strife that can come from playing the false victim just to protect oneself. This anime is way more important in light of the recent societal climate. If the events of this show came about in our reality, Shounen Bat would have manifested through Twitter. "I was attacked by Shounen Bat! #MeToo"
Oct 5, 2019 9:57 AM

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Oct 2013
9149
Great final episode for a great show. This wasn't just an anime. It was a journey for me, something fresh and really catching. 10/10 anime, definitely.

Maniwa became the Ancient Master himself, but dunno if I should be happy or not for him. He basically went utterly insane.
Nov 10, 2019 6:47 PM

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Sep 2017
628
I was hoping everything would connect at the end like some brilliant detective story (which, mind you, is what I thought this was). Besides the weird art style, I can't say I necessarily disliked Paranoia Agent, but I've never really been a fan of the "figure it out yourself" kind of shows. I enjoy thinking but I don't enjoy doing all of the work myself. I'm pretty lazy. The connection between Maromi and Shounen Bat was really cool though.

[spoilers="Paprika Spoilers"]I wonder if the city getting destroyed part is a constant among Satoshi Kon works, as that is basically what happened in Paprika. At least Paprika had a hot anime waifu.[/spoilers]

Held back by its sometimes nonsensical story, inconsistent tone, and unorthodox art style (not that this is a bad thing, it just isn't pulled off well here), Paranoia Agent failed to live up to both its potential and my expectations. It was fine, I guess. 6/10.

Nov 20, 2019 3:47 PM

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Oct 2019
122
And plot twist after plot twist we finally come to an end. Pretty good show considering things started out pretty normal. I guess they lowered our guard properly before delivering their surprise twists. 8/10
Nov 22, 2019 1:27 PM
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Jul 2019
29
This was phenomenal. This might be one of my new favorites. It never dumbs things down for the audience, and constantly kept my attention throughout. It is a meta-narrative about itself, and the small symbols used throughout weaved into the story so fluidly. The visuals were top notch, and the sound design was basically perfect. It managed to juggle a huge cast of characters and keep them all interesting. And the message of the show is incredibly powerful. I don't have a single bad thing to say about this.

10/10

Criticism is cheap. There are flaws in everything. No work of art will be loved by everyone. Now can everyone just chill?
Jan 15, 2020 5:16 PM
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Apr 2016
13025
That was awesome! Strange how everything happened entirely because of one girl and one puppy, though. Oh well! Personally liked the first half of this anime more.
Feb 7, 2020 7:51 PM

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May 2018
807
What the actual fuck did I just watch?! This was so all over the map that I can't really decide if I liked it or not.

I just choose to believe that everyone in that city was breathing in poisonous gas that caused visual and auditory hallucinations.


"Are you intoxicated, or just insane?"
Mar 17, 2020 10:01 AM

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Sep 2017
106
So many sweet ironies in this last episode. The 2-D art style of Ikari's fake escape universe was so beautiful and eerie, especially when all the townspeople turned on him once he started to deny the fantasy, there's something so deeply unsettling about the flat, 2-D characters specifically in this scene, maybe it's a depth-perception thing? It's also definitely the irony of the idyllic becoming the horrific. Which is exactly what happens when one immerses themselves in beautiful, happy things in order to escape from the reality of their own plight. We must learn to face that reality, even when the trauma causes reality to break down into the wildest of fantasy, and that is the curse of being human. Paranoia Agent shows us that curse weighs on every person alive, yet it weighs heavier on some people than it does others. This show came off as deeply sympathetic to this struggle, there's so much brilliant imagery in this show that perfectly encapsulates this theme. Is it a perversion of justice that Masami and Taeko both end up amnesiacs sitting together on a park bench or is this a good thing? I don't think Kon wanted this question left ambiguous; the disturbing smiles locked onto their faces combined with the fact that Maniwa ends up the hero for never faltering in the search for the real truth make it clear that the only effective healing is through facing the truth, even if that truth is long forgotten and buried. Hypothetically, Maniwa would remind Masami about his perversions and make him face them like he reminded Sagi of her projections and lies. The heavier the trauma, the more complex the equation to figure out the truth becomes. And the more crazy one starts to feel for pursuing it. Especially when that trauma causes a literal rupture in space-time and births a Grim Reaper in roller skates. I still wonder what the significance of the number 510 was... looking forward to diving back into this show in future.
LordQuazMar 17, 2020 10:10 AM
Mar 31, 2020 10:23 AM

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Nov 2011
13
Overall a pretty great anime which seems to tell a story about how past trauma can affect a person's perception of the world. Denial of the incident ever happening, making up something imaginary which can take the blame or distort the perception of reality and doing one's best to escape from the memory while it secretly takes complete control of your life. All of this seems to portray PTSD quite well, especially the mixing of "real" and "imaginary" worlds. After all, they are not separate, instead they exist together, influencing each-other and the truth lies somewhere between. That's why I really liked the detective who bothered to listen to the accused Shonen Bat boy and look into the unconsciousness of people for answers.
Somewhere in the middle I got a bit bored but I did enjoy some of the filler episodes like the humorous suicide trio adventure and the portrayal of that woman with a dissociative identity or split personality disorder. For the most part it was actually a pretty good portrayal of a person who hasn't fully accepted their diagnosis yet and is still in denial, wanting to be normal and the only personality in the body. It is a condition which is caused by childhood trauma, which ties in nicely with the plot.
In regards to the plot and ending, I feeeel like they explained a bit too much... I would have liked it more if they didn't expain it so bluntly, since it was already quite clear to me who Shonen Bat was, how he was created and how the pink doggo was mixed into all that, before they got to explaining that with the very straightforward sentences in the last ep.
Also I felt like the ending was too happy... lol .. Just seemed kinda cliche that everyhing is back to normal and even the people who died were suddenly alive and well again. I would have liked it more if the dead people remained dead and life just went on without the Shonen Bat.
K2staMar 31, 2020 10:27 AM
~I like turtles~
Apr 7, 2020 4:16 AM

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Apr 2015
3542
Obviously a mesmerising show with absolutely flawless execution; for some reason the climax didn't quite hit me as hard as it should have though, which is probably on me not the show but got the score down a bit nonetheless. 8/10

This could be because I'm an escapist at heart; it's not completely but still somewhat at odds with the central message of the show
Apr 11, 2020 6:46 AM
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Apr 2016
89
I''m not a big fan of psychological stories and didn't really liked the conclusion much but this was OK i guess, i rated it a 7/10, it got really confusing at times but the first half was really entertaining because i preferred when it looked like it was going to be just a regular crime-detective story, and something else that should be mentioned more times: the art was GODLY, i found the art quality really impressive in most of the episodes of this anime series, the faces in particular.

Fadeway said:
A bad show. Considering my experience with Paprika, I guess I just don't like Satoshi Kon.

Unrealistic. Pretentious. Dumb. I don't mind a show being trippy, if, in the end, the mystery is resolved in a realistic manner. Everyone hallucinating is not a realistic conclusion. Take away the pretense and all you have left is a really bad thriller with a senseless conclusion. By being pretentious and "tackling" "problems" such as depression and the escape from reality, this show seems to successfully get a pass on telling any sort of story, much less a good one.

I wish I could give this a 1 or 2, but it's a 4/10, which is high for my average of 5.17. I did get some enjoyment out of watching, even if I'm terribly disappointed. I wouldn't have such strong feelings about this show if it was so bad as to not even get me to care, but it did have its moments and it's really sad that the author preferred to be trippy instead of coherent.


I agree with this completely.
charlieman999Apr 11, 2020 7:23 AM
May 1, 2020 3:54 PM
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Sep 2017
503
Honestly, this shows was a amazing ride. Satoshi Kon managed to surprise every time.

Overall grade: 9/10

Paranoia Agent > Tokyo Godfathers > Perfect Blue > Millennium Actress
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May 29, 2020 1:37 PM

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May 2016
12399
Well, Ikari shattering his rose-tinted world to get back to the real one was a very on the nose way of telling the viewers to remember to not rely on escapism too much and face reality no matter what. Shounen Bat turning into that giant sea of sludge that got easily dispelled when Tsukiko took accountability for her own simple mistake despite being able to destroy the whole city showed the massive consequences a little lie may have if it's told frequently enough.

The overall message of the last episode's become all the more relevant nowadays with the whole victim culture that has many competing to be the biggest victim out there even through false means that only makes it harder for actual victims to be heard and believed.

For the sake of enjoyment, I would've liked it more if Shounen Bat's an actual mysterious criminal (that ain't a delusional otaku) that required a more realistic and clever way of defeating him to really beat him. I liked the whole anime but the mystery vibe the first few episodes gave me was so good that I was left pretty disappointed when things got off the rails in the mindfuckery department.

My personal ranking of Kon's work in terms of how much I enjoyed it:
Tokyo Godfathers > Millennium Actress > Paranoia Agent > Paprika > Perfect Blue








Jun 17, 2020 5:58 PM

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Jul 2016
819
Whatever sense I made in the first 3 episodes of this show is completely gone now
Jun 24, 2020 8:14 AM

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Oct 2010
21374
I got a few things wrong but overall I nailed it. The former detective didn't die, he went to his "own world" to deal with his sorrows, and sagi wasn't shonen bat, she just invented it, people heard her, believed it and began to manifest it.

This show is kinda hard, you have to feel it, it's about human nature and their iner difficulties, shonen bat is just an exaggeration/a symbol. We all see the disaster at the end, but it may have been created by an earthquake, simple as that, and the populace's mind was already polluted with negative feelings (shonen bat)

I don't know why the knight (young detective) transformed into the sage at the end, was he the sage all along? and they even made a pv for the first episode or was it the whole series? of course there are things that I did not understand but the overall premise was reached, shonen bat was "defeated" but that doesn't mean that evil was completely eradicated. I guess people will have a hard time watching this anime.
overall 8/10, but I plan to rewatch it to find some links between the knight and the sage
Jul 25, 2020 10:25 PM
Trickster

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Jun 2011
2130
So the lesson of the show was that you can't live a lie your entire life. You can't just take the easy way out and live in your own delusion. You have to embrace the truth, no matter how cruel it may be. A great lesson. With that said however, the ending left a LOT to be desired. We now know that Lil Slugger was nothing but a delusion that grew out of control from Tsukiko, and it actually affected the world in a real way.

What about the characters that were effected by Lil Slugger? Have they too moved on like Tsukiko? Why is Tsukiko in a high school uniform? She's an adult isn't she? What about the ex-cop? He has white hair now and has taken the place of the old man? What was the problem he was trying to solve? Was it because he too realized what was happening and now bears that burden?

The whole episode was great save for the last minute or so, because I don't like loose ends. I think it's a standout because of its stellar animation and psychological themes, but other than that, I don't see it as a masterpiece that others say it is.
Jul 25, 2020 10:51 PM

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Mar 2014
1481
Well that was a very weird, abrupt ending. I don't like what they're implying is the reason Tsukiko let go of Maromi's leash for that few seconds. Pretty spooky at the end though. The Good Cop became a crazy white-haired math guy like the old man, and the cycle began anew...!

Thank goodness though I have the internet to explain what the hell all that symbolism was about. So the whole thing was basically a metaphor for repression?
Aug 15, 2020 2:55 AM

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Jul 2020
680
WTF was that?!

I have no words.
Aug 26, 2020 5:03 PM
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Aug 2019
17
Para la gente que no entendió lo de la destrucción de la ciudad creo q es porque cayó una bomba, un tsunami...Algún fenómeno climático por eso en el opening salen explosiones y la casa de la abuela se derrumbo y lo del tsunami explicaría porque la chica en el último capítulo se estaba ahogando.
Sep 2, 2020 2:14 AM

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May 2015
1961
Is this real life or just fanta sea

8/10
Sep 17, 2020 6:08 AM
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Nov 2017
2
Aoi_ said:
katsup said:
The ending was pretty confusing though. Wasn't the old man dead? And we never really quite figured out what his huge calculation was for, did we? I mean the last moment of the anime he finishes with the japanese characters "アニ" which is "ani" and he gets all shocked. My first reaction was that he was calculating what was happening in the anime as we were watching it, and then came to the realization that he was , in fact, in an anime. Sort of defying the whole "fourth wall" idea. But I could be completely wrong.


If you compare Maniwa's calculations in the final episode to the old man's calculation in the beginning of the first episode, you will see that they are exactly the same. So I would read the end of the calculation as "-- Mq^2ア=". And because the calculations are the same, that means the answer is 510. Which was the number of Sagi's hospital room. Though this time it most likely refers to something else.

So it means everything is now back in the beginning again. The story made a full circle. It just goes round and round. And that was why Maniwa didn't look so happy when he realized it.

And if Sagi is now cured of her past problems, it will simply be somebody else's turn this time. Just like in the first scenes seen in the series (and the last ones) everybody is either lying or saying that something that happened isn't their fault. Sagi's own lie came back to haunt her until she finally admitted it.

I liked this series and specially the opening song :D But about the suicide group episode, I would like know what did the girls see in the picture they took. The parts I didn't like were those were Maniwa thought he was in some game -__-' .

Maybe I watch this series again so I will understand more :D


woah this explanation is make sense, thanks!
Nov 14, 2020 10:20 PM

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Feb 2020
29
i found the ending very weird but I enjoyed it. Every episode of this anime had me thinking all day at my job and had me eager to go home and watch the next episode. I absolutely love the soundtrack. I will absolutely re-watch this in the future. I also feel like this anime isn't for everyone as it can get very confusing.
Mar 23, 2021 7:25 AM

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Nov 2018
1070
So it is a better version of Paprika.
Pretty much the same message delivered the different way.

I hate everyone equally
Mar 28, 2021 1:29 AM

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Aug 2012
3305
There were definitely things about this I didn't like. For starters there were comments at the end about the Tokyo rebuilding from the incident two years ago which leads me to believe that the whole black goo Shonen Bat thing did really happen? Ehh, not really sure how much I'm a fan of that, though I suppose with my Tulpa suspicions I can't really be surprised that it leaned heavier into the supernatural.

However, my bigger issues is with the fate of Maniwa and the role of the old man. The old man seems almost entirely superfluous to the story, like he's just existed to be ominous and foreboding. I get that the point of him and Maniwa taking his role is all suppose to feed into how this is continual problem. And for the record, I appreciate having Maniwa deliver the final poem preview, that was a nice way to make thematic use out of that weird preview style. My problem here is that while yes people will always looks towards escapism rather than reality, whether it be comfort or suicide, and that Shonen Bat's sayonara wasn't truly a resolution, just a resolution for those characters. And while I appreciate addressing that message, doing it in such a needlessly specific way, with Maniwa even writing the same exact equation as the old guy, feels forced. Like what, I'm suppose to be believe the creator of Fmeow accidentally let go of their cat's leash leading to it getting run over by a car? Maniwa/Old Man caters too specifically to this situation with how relevant the information was to the earlier cases at least, it does make it feel like a time-loop, though that's clearly not the intention (as Maniwa himself states in the ending message).

But ultimately, how much does that matter? For me, very little, because I loved this episode. Minus like episode five, my posts in the previous episode discussion threads have mostly been me gushing about the series but in truth, most of my praise has been from an intellectual standpoint. There's so much clever details and concepts scattered throughout Paranoia Agent, it's a completely engaging series on that front but I haven't really considered it much of an emotionally moving one. And going into the series finale, I don't know what I was expected but it wasn't to be fighting tears.

First time was with the Ikari's, the whole fireworks sequence followed by Ikari's shattering of his own fantasy world is possibly the greatest scene in the entire anime. Misae's goodbye speech to her husband was the closest I came to gushing out in tears, the beautiful music aided it a lot but it was episode 11 that really paid off here. The snippets of the scenes we get as we reflect on the Ikari's relationship feature strong enough writing that if they were exclusive to this episode it'd still be powerful but with the context Misae gave in episode 11, they hit like a truck. Their love is so beautiful, getting to actually see those scenes she mentioned previously that gave her the strength to not succumb to Shonen Bat for real this time give Keiichi strength to break free, just brilliant. I don't feel I need to discuss why him shattering his fantasy world is impactful, just a perfect encapsulation of the series entire message, "That's the reality I have to face". Very few series have ever built up to a scene so triumphant and cathartic that just expresses what the series truly is.

And then was Tsukiko's resolution, her apology to Maromi. Look this was kind of an easy one, you put a dead puppy in my face and of course I'll be fighting tears. The only beat of emotional manipulation that worked for me in Elfen Lied involved a puppy, they're a soft spot for me (and many). If I was in young Tsukiko's shoes, I doubt I would've lied but I also doubt I could've made it as long as she did. No way I could forgive myself, I absolutely can't fault her for the escapist path she choose. Just a horrific situation, and her finally accepting the reality of the situation and apologizing to Maromi as she holds their dead body in her arms, it's just brutal. I'm fighting tears just writing this, and the solemn goodbye from Shonen Bat didn't help either.

As for the series as a whole, it was excellent. 9/10. Not my favourite Satoshi Kon work (that's Tokyo Godfathers) but it did probably manage to become my second favourite. Maybe tied with Millennium Actress. Satoshi Kon was really good though, with each piece of media I consumed I get more and more depressed about his unfortunate passing. And that Dreaming Machine will never be finished, despite knowing how much Kon wanted it and how hard Maruyama has tried to. Apparently scenes from it will be shown in an upcoming documentary, so I'm looking forward to that.
TerrestriousMar 31, 2021 10:33 PM
Apr 21, 2021 11:46 PM

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May 2017
125
One's enjoyment of the series really comes down to how you interpret that tonal shift after the first four episodes.

Not tonal as in mood but as in delivery. The first few episodes is meant to give the illusion that it's a gritty crime drama with psychological horror/suspense trappings. It's pretty apparent that this was intentional, just to make it all the more jarring when it gets more supernatural/paranormal/metaphysical/whatever.

So, it's clear that most people "get" the point of it all upon reaching the conclusion, but even so, some had settled in for one show and got another. Either you enjoyed the transition or you were disappointed by it. The middle episodes are a bit of a Rorschach test in this regard. Did you feel intrigued or betrayed by episodes 5-10? The people who ate it up appreciated the extra context, while those who didn't dismissed it as filler.

Plusses: Originality, creepiness, sound design, mystery, just plain entertaining
Minuses: Shifts in pacing and tone can give whiplash, enjoyment of metaphysical elements may vary, a bit pretentious

I enjoyed most of it, 7.5/10 for me. I, too, prefer a more literal, sensical form of narrative but you don't walk into a haunted house expecting a stock car race. This is a Satoshi Kon production, so never trust anything you see at first glance and enjoy the ride.
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Apr 29, 2021 4:52 PM

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Sep 2011
8
What a disappointment.
May 21, 2021 7:56 AM
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Dec 2018
116
It was super interesting yet confusing. There are few things that I didn't understand but it was a great show nonetheless.
8/10. So I guess the symbolism of the show is escaping from reality. I will rewatch it in the future to understand more.
Jun 18, 2021 2:53 PM

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Jun 2019
7021
My 90th completed series chronologically.

For the record, I extended it a 7/10 rating.
Jul 30, 2021 8:02 PM

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Mar 2018
245
This series contained quite a bit of masterclass episodes, but it also produced some subpar ones as well, leaving me unable to give it a 9, let alone a 10.

Episode 8 is hands down my favorite as this will probably be one I'll come back to time and time again.

This show was so unique in it's approaches, despite missing the mark on a few occasions, this anime is one to remember.

8/10
Aug 7, 2021 4:39 PM
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Jun 2021
281
I have finally finished this show and was wondering if anyone could help me understand what the old man was drawing with chalk? It looks like Math but it was the very last thing they showed in the anime and he had a surprised look on his face like he solved something but what?
Sep 1, 2021 1:11 AM

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May 2019
819
Once Ikari picked up the Maromi keychain he was transported into his imaginary/fantasy safe space.

Again Maromi is just whatever people use /desire/ consume and dwell on to distract from life and whatever leads them further away from living. "All just a big lie."

Shonen bat is a result of this and a metaphor for that complete loss of reality and life itself.
Maromi blames Lil Slugger when Maniwa confronts Tsukiko because Maromi is, in theory, benign and Lil Slugger is the result of distractions which seem a form of comfort at first yet take people further from real life (tv, video games, internet, social media, shopping, addiction, obsession, sex, over-working, consumption, trends, etc.). Lil Slugger comes (in the form of a kid with rollerblades and baseball bat because Maromi-comfort is child-like) as the pain, trauma, fear that people can not face when the distraction/comfort is gone or no longer works. The pain eventually leads people to desire death or to lose themselves in imaginary worlds, just wounding them further.

When Maromi is absent there is withdrawal and panic because people must face reality and sometimes that is far too painful, hence the black ooze consuming everyone.

When Mrs. Ikari appears in Mr. Ikari's fantasy world it is far too painful for Mr. Ikari to face her health problems, the loss of their baby and the fear of her death. Maromi comes to try to distract from the reality of the situation. However, just as before, Mrs. Ikari is fearless to all of this due to her modest, non-materialistic way living and the fact that she has real love in her heart. She exemplifies what it is to TRULY live, even at death, giving Mr. Ikari the courage to break down his distractions/comforts/imaginary worlds to face the pain of reality. (It's also heavily expressed via his smoking, drinking and grandiose illusions of being a hero in his own world).

Tsukiko's trauma which led her to spiral into pain from which she needed comfort (thus creating Maromi who talks to her) is being faced head on via Maniwa who is trying to help her. She was never able to face the reality (so she created a story about 'shonen bat') of the REAL Maromi's death. Thus, the black ooze, all of the pain of reality, comes for her. Lil Slugger's shadow puts down the bat because she can finally face the truth and all the hurt that comes with it.

The 'rebuilding' is just showing that people will always go back to distractions and not life. ie. talking about business, texting, headphones blocking the world out, talking about the mall, talking about animation and movies, and all the chatter that keeps us from a real life. Then, ultimately the cat character as the new Maromi.

Maniwa as the old man after the ED says "the story that seems to have ended spins back to the place where it began." Ultimately, people don't change.

It's really meta as I watched this and am now typing this online.

Maniwa is shown as the old man at the end (the wise master) solving the equation and realizes the real meaning of life...the opposite of Maromi.

Hands down one of the best anime and shows I've seen, really. There are so many layers and parts to unravel. The direction, art, character design and writing is amazing. Really a masterpiece by Kon. Fucking brilliant.
skatensleepSep 1, 2021 1:24 AM
Sep 5, 2021 10:13 AM

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Jun 2020
1628
Ok. So I didn't understand shit. First 7 episodes were pretty straightforward. Then random things were shown, which was also understandable for about 2 episodes. After that, I completely lost track of what happened. But still, I'd be lying if I were to say that I didn't enjoy watching this. It was a really fun ride... whether you get it or not. Overall 8/10.
Sep 6, 2021 11:17 PM

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Sep 2014
268
If you wanna look at it in an oversimplified way:

The entire show is about escapism

It explores both kinds, the light and the dark that do battle in the ending

The light side of escapism, being Maromi. We can relate to this one most as anime fans.

And the dark side which the show focuses much more on, Shounen bat. I feel like the entire thing is kinda a metaphor for suicide. As evidenced by the "hitting herself with the pipe" bit in an earlier episode, not to mention the themes of suicide in the opening animation or that entire suicide themed episode.
Sep 14, 2021 7:44 PM

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Aug 2014
1867
What a wacky ride this show was.
Paranoia Agent was a very messy show, its all over the place, it has some good highs but some bad lows too. It's a complicated show.
Satoshi Kon works are better suited for movies, watching Paranoia Agent i always felt that it was slowing the pacing more than it should, it didnt serve purpose other than stretching the anime and making it longer, this in addition to the few filler-like episodes that didnt contribute much imo. Satoshi Kon magic doesnt work or hold the same power for a series the impact just wares off and it starts to drag and becomes a slog at some point, i can't imagine what kind of slog this would be if they went for 24 episodes.

The ideas and the concept behind the story are very interesting and hold incredible value but their execution was messy, at some times i could resonate with whats happening and follow it but at other times the execution in the episode felt too weird for its own sake, too out of place that it made me lose interest.
The animation itself is basic and rather mediocre, its inconsistent from episode to the other, same goes for the art, the design and the artistic merit changes and is inconsistent.
Sound and Music wise its creepy and spooky but it didnt strike me as something memorable or something that blends well with the show, its rather just average.
I also dont believe the characters of the show are the driving force, they are just there, the characters each gets slight development in 1-2 episodes except for 3 characters, they serve their purpose and nothing more, i was not tired completely of them because of that but they didnt strike me as impressive or memorable either. They come together as part of this puzzle and metaphor.
Story is artistic which means it doesnt follow the typical storytelling and that gives it the opportunity to go wild, it does blur fantasy with reality and confuse the fuck out of the viewer, in the end it ends good though, they did good job at explaining the main point of the series by the last 3 episodes, its a heavy story that tackles heavy themes like escapism, mental issues, paranoia, victimhood, guilt and regret, depression and etc.., if it sticked to that and executed it well in shorter amount of episodes it could be a lot better and impactful.

Overall i had major issues with it and on top of that i was honestly bored watching it after episode 4, it did pick up at episodes 11-12-13 though but still that is a result of poor execution and poor pacing.
Despite all that i think this show is above average, simply for trying wild stuff, instead of being another generic boring show, it didnt succeed with it imo but it did some good stuff like e.g the themes. Perhaps if by any small chance i rewatch this later it can change my perspective, since those type of show have good rewatch value, i dont think i will though.

6/10
Kuuchuu Buranko has a lot of similarities with it somehow and i enjoyed it a lot more, it was more creative and it was more educational and it executed its ideas in a better way. So if you like Paranoia Agent make sure to give it a watch.
Nov 30, 2021 6:28 PM

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Feb 2020
418
Well, it wasn't bad, but I feel pretty disappointed. Tbh I think the fairly straightforward investigative plotline was the best part of the show. Mostly because I generally dislike works that try to slap you in the face with the theme of the story. For a show that is supposed to be abstract and up to interpretation, it's a bit surprising how blatantly the dialogue tells you what the theme is. It would have been less detrimental if Paranoia Agent had a strong narrative that the theme of escapism is just spicing up, but it really doesn't.

Some of the psychological character stories were fleetingly poignant, but some of them were obnoxious and dull. And the ending was mostly just disappointing. I would have liked the idea that Tsukiko's attempt at escaping her guilt created Shonen Bat more if it had been integrated into the plot before, like, the last damn episode. Hell, even a short, ominous flashback of her past would have made that ending much less random and underwhelming. Or if it was made into a more effective plot twist. Like, Tsukiko's escapism causes all of the violence? Ok?? It just isn't an interesting revelation because it doesn't contradict anything about her character, whom we barely know in the first place, and it's been exceedingly obvious that Shonen Bat is an illusion for quite a while.

But I think probably the biggest thing that put me off from this show was how stale the dialogue is. The show tries to hone in on the grittiness of the human experience, but a lot of the characters just don't feel like real people, especially towards the end. I can't put it into words but that's how I felt watching it.

I'll give this show a 6, instead of the 5 which I was considering, but mostly just for the cool op.
Dec 9, 2021 7:45 AM

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Jan 2015
2706
The moral of this story is clear



I mean

Dec 12, 2021 9:21 AM
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Nov 2020
2445
This was a masterpiece. I accept this as a whole, and it's made my heart innumerable sizes larger. Thank you, Satoshi Kon.
Dec 24, 2021 7:54 AM
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Dec 2019
746
This probably would have been an excellent movie. I did like the side-story episodes (particularly the group suicide and the old ladies gossiping) but as a bridge they don't really work that well.

The show starts as what seems like a mystery that maybe someone closely looking for clues could solve and then the latter half is the trademark Satoshi Kon spiral into madness/the ethereal but without a clear connection to why or how like in Perfect Blue or Paprika. Not that I specifically wanted Tsukiko's story to be a more clear line but I don't feel like the connection between her, Maromi the animation, and Shounen Bat is satisfyingly made. It just sort of snaps together in the last two or three episodes and blurps over the finish line like the black ooze in the show.

I wish I liked it more but 13 episodes felt like too much time for the story Kon wanted to tell. The attempt to build character over the spread of Tsukiko's delusion/evasion just didn't really stick. I look back at the episodes with Yuichi and Chouno and feel more like they were unsatisfying red herrings than meaningful manifestations of a Japan-wide mental panic.
Dec 24, 2021 8:43 AM

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May 2020
2013
A pretty trippy show, although that’s pretty much all I have to say about this show. The story was interesting but the the payoff wasn’t really worth it in my opinion. Nevertheless, it’s an enjoyable show to watch.
Dec 26, 2021 6:56 AM

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Dec 2021
560
This is the first Satoshi Kon thing I've ever seen and I have to say I have to agree with the dude (I don't remember who) that told me he's "basically Anime David Lynch". So yeah, I guess that's why while I liked it I'd also probably need to rewatch it 1/2 time to fully get, it
Jan 8, 2022 3:43 AM

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Aug 2019
176
So what actually happened was a delusion just to escape reality,that puppy and shounen bat....i am more confused in the ending as the tokyo incident was real or delusion and the heck the girl became younger and the detective became old man.....well it was my first Satoshi kons anime and i am not disappointed at all...it was really a good anime.
Jun 6, 2022 1:56 AM
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Dec 2021
1407
this is a great aniime!!!!!!!!!!
Jun 27, 2022 7:09 PM
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Jun 2014
24
I missed a real explanation. The anime was all over the place. I understood nothing of this. I guess I just don't understand art? I would've enjoyed more if we have seen the actual things that happened. That would've been actually deep and sad. Instead we got shonen bat and Maromi and dnd..... What a mess just to be artistic
Jul 28, 2022 11:16 PM

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Sep 2020
5502
Massive disappointment. Didn't like the ending at all. I will give it 3/10 just because first 3 episodes were somewhat decent.
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