Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

Movie Information

ANN Encyclopedia | AniDB | AnimeNfo
Producers: MADHOUSE, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Science Fiction
ED: [Byakkoya (白虎野)] by Susumu Hirasawa
Duration: 90 minutes
PAPRIKA | A FILM BY SATOSHI KON | A SONY PICTURES CLASSICS RELEASE

Many may remember that Youko did a review of this film some time ago so I’m not going to say as much as he did since I feel I’ll be saying a lot of the same things he did. So with that said, on with my thoughts!

This was one amazing movie that left me completely awed when the ending credits rolled in. Satoshi Kon made yet another masterpiece and this one is one of my favorites to date. One of his previous works, Paranoia Agent, are among my favorite shows of all-time and a similar feel in that could be found here in Paprika (just like with his other films). Much of that is in part, I think, to the amazing soundtrack composed by Susumu Hirasawa. All of the scenes from beginning to end are accompanied with music that fits the background and the action taking place. This is especially evident in the major chase scene in the movie (which is a common element in Satoshi Kon’s films). The animation, I think, it goes without saying that it’s beautiful and no number of screenshots can do it justice. Everything must be seen in motion to realize how much of a beautifully crafted film Paprika is.

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Genre: Fantasy, Psychological, Sci-Fi
Animation Production: Madhouse Studios

This was my first time seeing such a wonderful feature length animation movie since Spirited Away. I could really relate to this movie and was blown away by its great concept and the way it grasps the audience into it. Speaking of Spirited Away, I guess you could say this was quite similar to it. No, it’s not a Miyazaki film, but it’s from a certain someone known as Satoshi Kon. I dunno about the rest of you, but I never actually heard of him until this movie. Maybe I caught a few instances of his other great works like Tokyo Godfathers, Millennium Actress or Perfect Blue, heck I didn’t know the guy was responsible for the mysterious Paranoia Agent. The high responses intrigued me to see it. Well, other than the fact that my sister wanted to see it, and I would not have any thought of it if she hadn’t asked. But that’s besides the point. Anywho, a synopsis of the movie first.

28-year old, Dr. Atsuko Chiba is an attractive but modest Japanese research psychotherapist whose work is on the cutting edge of her field. Her alter-ego is a stunning and fearless 18-year old “dream detective,” code named PAPRIKA, who can enter into people’s dreams and synchronize with their unconscious to help uncover the source of their anxiety or neurosis.

At Atsuko’s lab, a powerful new psychotherapy device known as the “DC-MINI” has been invented by her brilliant colleague, Dr. Tokita, a nerdy genius who is rather too fond of his food. Although this state-of-the-art device could revolutionize the world of psychotherapy, in the wrong hands the potential misuse of the device could be devastating, allowing the user to completely annihilate the dreamer’s personality while they are asleep.

When one of the only four existing DC-MINI prototypes is stolen in the finals stages of research, and simultaneously Dr. Tokita’s research assistant, Himuro, goes missing, Atsuko suspects it’s not a coinidence. Several of the remaning researchers at the lab start to go mad, dreaming while in their waking staets, haunted by a Japanese doll which featured heavily in the dreams of one of Himuro’s schizophrenic patients. Atsuko now knows for certain that the DC-MINI is being used to destroy people’s minds. She fears that not only will the government refuse to sanction the use of the machine for psychotherapy purposes when it becomes public, but whoever is manipulating the machines has a more evil purpose in mind.

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