Paprika

I first saw Paprika last summer when a good friend of mine strongly recommended the works of Satoshi Kon to me and after gazing at the anime titles he made, Paprika grabbed my eyes the quickest given its trippy imagery and description, so I bought it on Amazon and am extremely glad to have seen it because it's one of the most enriching and creative titles I've ever seen in the medium. STORY In the near future, a huge advance in psychotherapy is created in the form of a device called the DC Mini, which is capable of recording people's dreams. However, the DC Mini is stolen and Dr. Chiba's science team and detective Konakawa join forces to get it back before it falls into the wrong hands. In their pursuit, follows one of the craziest mind trips ever put on celluloid. CHARACTERS What's a movie without good characters? Thankfully, Satoshi Kon kept this in mind and fleshed out very believable and interesting characters when creating this animated feast for the eyes and brain. What I also like is that while there's protagonists and antagonists in Paprika, they don't really fit any stereotypes and aren't one-sided morally speaking. Atsuko Chiba (At-Chan, as Kosaku Tokita calls her) has the alter ego in the form of a red-headed and energetic lady named Paprika but unlike most alter egos, Paprika exists entirely in the dream universe. Chiba tends to be serious and butts heads with Tokita. Detective Konakawa is one of the most interesting to me since he has repressed terrors and lives them out through dreams that play out like movies. Tokita is a more unique case since he's a kid trapped in a genius adult's body and given that personality, he acts just like that since all he cares about doing is "doing what he wants" instead of doing what he HAS to do. Even the more minor characters are better than mere plot devices because just like the leads, they feel very believable. PLOTTING AND APPEARANCE Normally in my reviews, I separate the plotting and appearance, but in Paprika's case, I have to combine the two since they're dependent of each other and would be awkward reviewing the two individually. This is where most of the fun in Paprika lies in. Kon, being the excellent storyteller that he is, perfectly meshes the dream world with reality and unlike Christopher Nolan's vision of the dream world for Inception, Kon takes full advantage of the opportunities he has and creates a dream world where anything, and I mean ANYTHING, can happen (visually and plot-wise). The plotting is brilliant as to where it's complex but not overly so, in the sense that the plotting isn't a gimmicky puzzle movie where it's a convoluted mess that you're trying to put together (though it's best to pay attention), but rather blending both fantasy and reality within a character's dilemma and ultimately fits what they're going through as a consequence of the DC Mini's severe abuse. An example of this is when Konakawa is pursuing one of the main antagonists, he gets caught in his recurring nightmare and acts out according to the nightmare, and the consequences from his actions affect the antagonists in the real world. There's so much more to this, but I think you get the picture (and that I don't want to spoil the whole movie). Then there's the appearance of the movie. This is integral to the film since it's the imagery that breathes so much life into the dreamworld in Paprika. Kon took full advantage of this opportunity in the visual department and made a dreamworld like no other. In this dreamworld, toys, household appliances, and other devices coming to life and say complete gibberish. There's a scene where Paprika jumps into Dr. Shima's dream, she sinks into Shima's body and causes him to inflate like a giant balloon and explodes, causing him to wake up. When people dive into peoples' dreams, they can take the form of any object they merge with. The best example of this would be with Paprika since she takes a myriad of forms ranging from fairies to griffins in the film. Things get really interesting towards the end when reality and the dreamworld merge since you see businessmen gleefully jumping off a building in formation and Tokita running around as a toy robot firing missiles at a giant Japanese porcelain doll and rambling about fat content in coconut milk. In my first viewing of Paprika, I was left lying in a fetal position wondering what just happened mostly because of the dazzling imagery used to flesh out peoples' dreams. The animation and artwork is fantastic. The frame rate is rather smooth and the imagery is very colorful and detailed. Like Shigurui: Death Frenzy, Paprika is another anime that uses both 2D animation and 3D animation and much like said anime series, Paprika mixes the two in a very tasteful manner since the 3D imagery exists only to supplement the primary 2D animation instead of overpowering it. The characters have very distinctive looks and me being a male in his early 20's, especially enjoyed the way Dr. Chiba was drawn since she looks beautiful but at the same time, her looks actually match her personality since she looks mature (and acts as such). In the case of female characters, Kon has a very distinctive way of drawing them and I personally love how he draws them since they look like anime characters but don't really fit the cookie-cutter styles abused in the genre. Once again, Satoshi Kon and Madhouse Studio crank out a high-quality anime. THEMES To supplement the well-done characters, surreal imagery, creative story, and excellent plotting, Kon threw in some themes to make an already brilliant anime even better. While subtle, there's themes about the sacredness of one's dreams and the intrusion of technology in said area elaborated by the Chairman (the main antagonist). I felt this was pretty insightful since according to the Chairman, a person's dreams in the movie's current setting are all that's left that's "personal" to someone, and the DC Mini will violate that sense of uniqueness since it'll record the subconscious and have it shared with the whole world. There's also a theme of someone dealing with hard guilt since Konakawa has a film-like recurring nightmare because of personal losses he had in the past relating to film. These themes add more life to an already vibrant animated picture. FINAL WORD If you love anime that's intelligent, creative, has great characters, and chocked full of mind-blowing imagery, then Paprika needs to be in your collection RIGHT NOW if it's not. If you have the technology, I suggest you get the blu-ray version since the sharper picture and sound really enhances this great movie. RIP Satoshi Kon. Your body of animated work may be small, but it'll be remembered and lauded for eternity.

This movie... it is just so good! Better than I remembered! Especially for anyone who loves anime and is also a movie buff, it is such a treat! I have 1 warning (The Bad), 1 genuine complaint (the ugly), and then I'll gush a bit (the good!); The Bad: WARNING: Animation is a medium, not a genera. Just because a show is animated doesn't mean it is for kids. This covers some pretty heavy topics around psychosis, as well as portrays some pretty unnerving personal violence, and has a fair amount of nudity. It covers these topics respectfully, and covering the topics themselves is not bad... but it does disserve a trigger warning, because this movie would be bad for those who have issues with un-reality, and/or abuse. I am pretty liberal in media consumption for my kids, and even I am saying high school or older on this one. Partly because you just need a certain level of life experience and exposure to other media to really get what is going on... but mostly because you don't want to normalize these things to kids who don't know reality from fiction yet. The Ugly: The bluray really looks like a poorly up-scaled DVD. I think it was intentional, and was meant to give it more of a 'film' look... but it is just unfortunate. If you don't have it, then pick up the bluray for sure... but if you already have the DVD, don't expect much of an 'upgrade'. The good: Oh man... where even to begin?! The story is clearly in the wheelhouse of scifi, but it pulls from so many generas and references to other mediums that it is difficult to call it a 'scifi' anime. It seamlessly switches from thriller, to action, to psychological horror, to murder-mystery, to fantasy, and back to sci-fi again... but it does so very naturally, and kind of makes it its own thing. The plot (no spoilers) is about a team of scientists who create a device that lets people share dreams... but there are some unforeseen side-effects, and a few of the devices go missing, and a suspected terrorist is on the loose abusing what the technology is capable of. So this device, which is meant to heal mental illness, is instead infecting people with delusions, and the project team works with a cop to get to the bottom of the issue. What follows is a wild ride that can only be portrayed in animation, because it would just be too weird in any other medium. But, because it is animation, they have a lot of fun with it. On the story front they break the 3rd wall a lot (breaking from set to set), but not the 4th wall (addressing the viewer directly). But from a directorial and cinematography perspective (can it be considered cinematography if there is no literal camera involved?), they run wild! As a former film student, it is so much fun to watch! From projecting the intro credits onto the scene as if it was 3D, to having characters enter a picture or poster, and shifting style and perspective (as well as rules of color and physics). It is like a crazy fever dream of mixed realities and mediums... which is kind of the whole point, and they do it so well! It is visual story-telling at its peak! And it is truly a shame that the director's life was cut so short and couldn't share more stories over time. In a lot of ways I feel like Mamaru and Hosada really picked up the torch that Satoshi left behind... but where their stories and animation are more focused on coming of age stories, Satoshi wasn't afraid to tell other stories that appeal to older and more mature audiences... and we are all kinda missing that in the anime genera these days, and could use more of it. Still, it is a great watch, and a glorious celebration of animation and story telling! Can't believe it is nearly 20 years old, but it still holds up, and even when you know what you are in for, it is still a wild ride!

This review is extremely biased because I will forever be Satoshi Kon’s number one fangirl. Rest in peace, king. The late and great director, Satoshi Kon, made this absolute banger back in 2006 and of course the animation still holds up to this very day. This anime film does not appear dated in the slightest like most animation made during this time period, and dare I say it’s ahead of its time as well. You have not seen what can be done with animated transitions until you see this movie. It is littered with the most striking transitional scenes you will ever witness. I would actually consider this animation to be an exemplary case study on how to achieve the best transitional effects possible, live-action features included. Although the visuals itself could carry this film entirely, the plot does a fantastic job of capturing your attention and your imagination throughout the runtime. The story is something I have not seen done by anyone else and nothing else really comes close. I’ve heard others compare the storyline to the movie Inception, and while I don’t disagree that this live-action movie touches on similar concepts in regards to controlling dreamscapes, I find the two films handle this particular situation in a vastly different manner that leads to different thematic interpretations of each film. Inception seems more gloomy while Paprika seems like it is bursting at the seams with life in an array of color. Inception pales in comparison in every aspect in my opinion. I cannot stress this enough, but I highly recommend watching this absolute masterpiece if you like anime, any anime really. Oh, there is some warnings though: female nudity, smoking, drinking, slight body horror, depictions of suicide, and some suggestive content.

ラジオ番組で、筒井康隆原作の映像作品の中では「パプリカ」がダントツの1位だと紹介されていたので 購入しました。 実際に観てみたら、脚本、演出、映像のクオリティー、音楽、どこをとっても完璧でした。 SFアニメの観点では、庵野秀明や押井守の作品を凌駕していると感じました。

Paprika stellte für mich damals den Einführungsfilm für Satoshi Kon’s Schaffen dar. Und ja, dementsprechend zählt er wohl auch zu meinem Lieblings-Film des Regisseurs. Der überkreative Science Fantasy-Film behandelt das Thema Träume so genial wie fesselnd und strotzt nebenbei mit völlig abgedrehten Bildern. In naher Zukunft: Der geniale, wenn auch infantile Doktor Kōsaku Tokita entwickelt ein Gerät mit dessen Hilfe man die Träume von Menschen aufzeichnen kann. Darüber hinaus können Außenstehende in diese Träume mit einsteigen und auch entsprechend manipulieren. Das Wundergerät heißt DC-Mini, und soll künftig bei der Psychotherapie zum Einsatz kommen. Tokita’s Kollegin und heimlicher Schwarm Dr. Atsuko Chiba setzt den DC-Mini jedoch bereits bei einigen Probanden ein. In den Träumen ihrer Patienten tritt sie in ihrem völlig gegensätzlichen, quirligen sowie lebensfrohen Alter Ego Paprika auf. Atsuko erweist sich in Sachen Traummanipulation zudem als äußerst fähig, da sie beinahe gottgleiche Kräfte innerhalb der Träume inne zu haben scheint. Als der DC-Mini jedoch aus dem Labor entwendet wird häufen sich Vorkommnisse in welchen Menschen spontan Tagträume erleben aus welchen sie nicht mehr zu erwachen scheinen. In ihrer Rolle als Paprika versucht Astuko zusammen mit Tokita den Drahtzieher hinter den Vorfällen zu finden und aufzuhalten. Doch die ganze Welt scheint hierdurch aus den Fugen zu geraten. Meine Meinung: Ein Rezensent hat es bereits schon sehr gut in Worte gefasst: Paprika ist Inception in gut. Dem kann ich mich ohne Widerworte anschließen. Kon griff das Traumthema perfekt auf und inszenierte ein bildgewaltiges, sowie kreatives Feuerwerk. Die Träume der Menschen sind wirr, durcheinander, sprunghaft sowie fantasievoll und manchmal auch direkt unheimlich. Zwar muss man klar sagen dass das Ende manchen nicht zufriedenstellen wird, da man keine definitiven Antworten auf den finalen Akt bekommt, nichtsdestotrotz sollte man sich nicht von dem hier gezeigten Wahnsinn abschrecken lassen. Die Figuren sind interessant (gerade Protagonistin Atsuko ist ein vielschichtiger Charakter), das dazugehörige Charakterdesign ist darüber hinaus äußerst ansprechend. Wer frühere Kon-Werke gesehen hat weiß was ihn/sie erwartet. Die flüssigen Animationen tragen dem fantasievollen Treiben zudem mehr als Rechnung. Diese sind superb und klasse in Szene gesetzt- ein wahres Fest für die Augen. Der Soundtrack wurde von Susumu Hirasawa komponiert, dessen Musik passend zum Film völlig abgespaced ist und die surrealen Traumwelten somit perfekt untermalt. Die deutsche Synchro geht meiner Meinung nach in Ordnung. Die Rollen wurden mit professionellen und bekannten Sprechern besetzt. Die leider bereits verstorbene Veronika Neugebauer übernahm die Rolle der Atsuko/Paprika. Sie war u.a. die deutsche Feststimme von Neve Campbell. Martin Halm, der Tokita seine Stimme lieh, ist im Bereich Anime auch kein unbekannter Geselle. Viele werden seine Stimme aber aus „How I Met Your Mother“ wiedererkennen. Dort war er die deutsche Stimme von Ted Mosby. Fazit: Paprika ist gewiss nicht für jeden geeignet. Geschmäcker sind aber bekanntlich verschieden. Wer sich lieber bei der Hand durch einen Film führen lässt und jedes noch so kleine Detail vorgekaut bekommen will, der wird mit Paprika nicht glücklich. Ich rate jedoch dazu dem Film eine Chance zu geben, sich vielleicht sogar erst Kons andere Werke anzuschauen („Toyko Godfathers“, „Millennium Actress“) bevor man sich an Paprika (und eventuell an „Perfect Blue“) heranwagt. So wie einige der bekanntesten Hollywood-Filme von Anime inspiriert waren, so nahm sich auch Nolan für Inception an Paprika ein Vorbild. Es hieß lange Zeit auch dass Wolfgang Petersen Paprika neu verfilmen wolle (woraus bis heute nix geworden ist). So ist es eben mit dem ideenarmen Hollywood: Meisterwerke schnell und billig kopieren. Ich wundere mich schon lange dass nicht schon „Mononoke Hime“ verwurstet wurde. Aber immerhin wurden schon Klassiker wie „Ghost in the Shell“ und „Death Note“ verschandelt (für Akira folgt alsbald auch eine Realverfilmung). Aber ich schweife ab. Ich kann Paprika nur empfehlen. Fans von Satoshi Kon`s Filmen werden ihn ohnehin schon im Regal stehen haben.

I got this film because it was a highly rated anime and because I'd seen Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue and really enjoyed it, seeing as this was about the dreams and altering reality I decided to give it a try. Firstly the animation was amazing, apparently they used some cgi in there- I couldn't even tell! The whole dream sequence is so extravagant all the movement and the colours it was brilliant. The music was something else as well, i had to get the soundtrack most of it is outstanding, it really works with the film and was apparently the first film soundtrack to use a vocaloid- a program/machine that mimics the human voice. As someone who immensely enjoyed Inception, I heard this was one of Christopher Nolan's inspirations for Inception I had to see it. The plot is really good, it keeps you guessing for most of the film and ends up with a huge fight in dreams/reality. The detective subplot was really inventive too, and I felt quite sorry for him when he was waiting for Paprika etc. Paprika is one of those films you can watch again and again and it all comes together even better, though it ends like Inception where you aren't overly sure what's been reality and a dream or if they're still in the dream. My only criticism is that the subtitles only match up with the Japanese, so watching in English with the subtitles - a little thing I do with every film- is annoying. Overall this film is great, and could fit in the same category as The Matrix - I just can't wait to read the book which was written in the 90's. It's a shame it took so long to make this film, and with a live action film being made soon this fantastic piece of cinema will reach more even people. 5*

Halabaso sea Satoshi Kon dónde quiera que esté. De la películq, ¿qué puedo decir que cualquier que la vaya a comprar no sepa? Kon tiene un estilo único que será imposible que alguien puede asimilarse. Por otro lado, es una edición muy linda y la fortuna de que si tiene doblaje al español latino, porque si bien existe una versión nacional en blue Ray, la realidad es que hoy en día es casi imposible de conseguir así que es una fortuna que Sony agregara el doblaje en esta versión. Sin más, es un hermoso Steelbook, vale totalmente la pena tenerla en formato físico, así que deja de leerlo esto y ve por tu copia. Éxito allá afuera!

Animé exceptionnel !!! Paprika est un film qu'on redécouvre à chaque visionnage. C’est intelligent, complexe et visuellement époustouflant. Inception avant l heure.