By Michael Pementel
When it comes to horror anime, there are few minds like the late, great Satoshi Kon. Throughout his career, Kon established himself as a master of the craft—able to capture a true essence of suspense and horror through the unique frame of anime.
Say hello to Lil’ Slugger
For some of you, this may be a recent discovery, with Satoshi Kon’s legendary Paranoia Agent now available for streaming on Funimation. Originally released in 2004, the 13-episode series is a brilliant case study in psychological horror.
The series begins with animator Tsukiko Sagi being attacked by an assailant who wields a golden baseball bat. Appearing as a young boy who rides around the streets on in-line skates, the attacker comes to be known as Lil’ Slugger. After the initial attack, the rest of the series deals with the fallout of Lil’ Slugger’s actions.
Right from the jump, Paranoia Agent morphs into a brutal mystery begging to be solved. Just who is Lil’ Slugger? Why is he causing harm to others? What is his goal?
These questions shape the way Paranoia Agent plays out, as viewers get a snapshot of each of Lil’ Slugger’s victims, with entire episodes focused on single characters. These windowed vignettes allow us to observe each victim and where they’re at in their lives. And these characters are struggling—all while the animation, the score and the dialogue stockpiles a sense of dread.
RELATED: Satoshi Kon’s Paranoia Agent to Stream Exclusively on Funimation, Blu-ray Coming this Year
For example, one of these victims is a woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. We’re introduced to her as two personas: a sex worker and a school administrator. As her story rolls along, the walls between these personalities begin to crumble, and her identities intertwine. They weave a chaotic narrative that is chilling in its execution.
And as each of these characters attempt to work through their pain, they reach a breaking point, finding themselves backed into an emotional corner. In that quiet moment of despair, Lil’ Slugger makes his appearance and attacks them. But rather than the attack resulting in further despair, the attack brings them unexpected relief. Rejuvenated both mentally and emotionally, Lil’ Slugger ends up helping them escape their woes in a subversion that allows the core of Paranoia Agent to truly shine.
A key to all of this, Kon leads viewers on a mind-bending experience. Lil’ Slugger is built up as a terrifying antagonist, violent and blunt in his actions. But he’s helping people. Or is he?
A career of perception
Satoshi Kon’s animation career began in the early ‘90s, with one of his final animated works being Paprika in 2006. Though Kon proved himself an excellent storyteller and director across his body of work, it’s the horror, psychological mystery and deep subtext that continue to captivate the minds of viewers today, leaving each and every one with a cerebral aftereffect that warps our reality. He’s a master of perception and deception.
We see this in Paranoia Agent, in Paprika, but it truly breaks through in his 1997 film, Perfect Blue.
Perfect Blue follows Mima, an idol singer looking to make the jump to acting. As Mima pursues her new career, she begins to develop neuroses—her mind becomes warped by anxiety. On top of this, she has a stalker, one willing to harm those around her.
As tensions rise, Mima’s sense of reality begins to fall apart. She takes a role in a show (that traumatizes her, causing a lot of fan backlash) in which the events within it align perfectly with the struggle of her personal life. This bleeds into her reality, causing complete confusion and kick-starting the film’s cerebral trickery.
In one scene, we witness Mima being told about a horrible trauma she suffered, reflecting on an earlier moment in the film. The twist? It was a scene in the show, not real life. Then the reverse happens, where Mima experiences something truly horrific in the context of the show, but it’s actually taking place in reality, and murders are happening all around her.
This distortion works on two levels just as it does in Paranoia Agent, warping the perception of a focal character, leaving both character and viewer utterly stunned.
Distorting the real world
Satoshi Kon’s ability to distort reality allows for some intriguing storytelling, but it’s also essential in conveying the true horror of his narratives.
In Perfect Blue, Mima’s delusions act as a window for the viewer to peer into, giving them a chance to absorb her mental anguish. Many of the individual side stories throughout Paranoia Agent also offer this quality—each character’s warped reality touching upon their own personal agony, forcing us to reflect on ourselves.
But the subtext of these series goes even bigger. Paranoia Agent is an examination of how society copes with trauma and eternal struggle. Its core theme is about life collapsing on itself and the quest for escape. Whether through a hobby or social media, this messaging in Kon’s work continues to ring true today, and has laid the foundation for a generation of horror media.
The use of the word “horror” doesn’t imply that series like Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent are built to scare the viewer, but rather to unnerve them and leave them asking questions. Sure, they may dip into fantastical imagery, but they never lose touch with a core sense of dread and suspense. For as psychologically bizarre as Kon’s work gets, his stories are relatable. How many of us have ever felt lost and broken?
Kon knew what made for a true, profound work of horror—how the medium is meant for us to look at the darkest parts of life. Internal trauma, toxic obsession and gripping anxiety around identity are keystone to his portfolio, and they shed light on the little horrors of our own world. Great horror media shouldn’t just disturb us but teach us something.
A master of his craft, Satoshi Kon left an everlasting mark on not just anime, but all of entertainment. And if you haven’t had the chance to experience the likes of Paranoia Agent, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika or Perfect Blue, there’s never been a better time to dive into Kon’s world of personal psychology and social commentary.
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