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Title: Paprika
Author: Yasutaka Tsutsui, 1993
Translator: Andrew Driver, 2009
Adaptations: Paprika (Movie) Directed By Satoshi Kon

Paprika is fairly old as a novel, having been first published around 1993, but has only just been translated for a western audience. Being an avid fan of the movie, when I found out that stunning piece of work was based on a novel, I knew it wasn't one to miss and I pre-oredered it immediately. I'll do this review in chunks according to the sections I had to vote on (story, art, characters etc.)

First of all, the story. Those of you have seen the film will recognise the basics of the ... plot: Stunningly beautiful doctor Atsuko Chiba is a psychiatrist at an institute which is pioneering the way for psychiatric treatment using PT devices - devices which can project a person's dream onto a screen and which allow the therapist to even ENTER a patient's dream and live it alongside them. Atsuko and her associate, the grotesquely obese Kosaku Tokita are the masters of these devices and are the only ones who know how they work. When a doctor at the institute gets psychosis, the PT devices are blamed and things just get worse when prototypes of Tokita's latest invention, the DC mini (Aka. Daedalus Collector Mini), are stolen and used to turn people insane. Chiba and her alter ego 'Paprika' are called to the task of saving the world of reality from the world of dreams as reality as the line between them becomes more and more blurred.

The story is so enticing! From the first page you're totally emersed in Chiba's world and you feel every irritation and excitement along with her. The settings are well thought out and timing and pace are great. There are some here and there chapters that add context and make you think "i need to stop reading this" but as soon as you think that the pace is up again and you can't stop reading. The world is a colourful mix of science, psychology, reality and scifi which really draws you in. The idea is ingenious and executed perfectly.

Story Score: 10 - A masterful plot played out in a fast paced, enjoyable way

Secondly, the art. This is a full novel and so contains no art except the cover art. When I first saw the cover I thought "ooooo..kaaayy", and I'll be honest, I still don't understand how a woman seemingly pretending to puke strawberries has ANYTHING AT ALL to do with the plot (maybe I'll find out when I finish it?), but it does really grab your attention (as several of my college teachers will vouch) and so, the "art" does deserve some sort of commendation.

Art Score: 7 - Nothing to really comment on, but the cover does it's job.

Thirdly, Characters. I love the characters in this story. We'll start with Atsuko Chiba, the main protagonist in the story. She challenges so many of the scientific woman stereotypes among other things. She's smart, beautiful, confident, grat witht he opposite sex and not in the least bit shallow. Yes girls, she does sound pretty perfect doesn't she? but for all her amazing points Tsutsui portrays her in a way that shows she still has faults, she's only human, making her an enjoyable character to follow through the story. Tokita is my next stop. He is still morbidly obese but so much more childish than he was shown in the anime and very simple minded. Although he can be a little irritating you tend to find yourself pitying him somewhat, especially when he self loathes because of his weight, and it's affect on his relationship with Atsuko, but continues to eat to drown his sorrows. One thing I do want to point out to fans of the film, Tatsuo Noda, the rich detective is very different in the novel and in my opinion more likable in it and is not seen quite as regularly either but seems to be used as a way to break up the plot slightly. The other characters all have fairly gentle roles, not appearing quite so often but still being wonderfully presented, the one flaw of all ofthe characters is they are not always described in dertail until further in, or are only described in small amounts so you may form an idea about a character's look only to have it altered by a statement on the next page.

Character Score: 9 - Main and support characters are great but descriptions can be a bit on-and-off

Reviewers have ranked Yasutaka Tsutsui alongside Haruki Murakami, I actually think this is a bit of an insult to Tsutsui who's work is far more energetic and even though clearly more fantastical than Murakami's, is somehow more real and understandable. Overall, I think this book is tremendously exciting and I can't wait to get to the end of it and figure out all the twists and turns of the plot on the way. A colourful, intellectual and amazing story well worth reading.

Overall Score: 10
Cost: £5.98 from amazon

Other Works by Yasutaka Tsutsui: Hell, Salmonella Men from Planet Porno

Possibly for fans of : The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula K Le Guin, The Works of Haruki Murakami, The Works of Anne Rice