Satoshi Konis a remarkable Japanese visual illusionist known for his distinct style of anime, as well as for consistently touching on themes relating to the blur between fiction and fantasy through surrealist imagery and tones. Kon has only made very few features, but each is extremely striking and memorable.
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He was a truly hard-working director who sadly isn’t alive anymore but didn’t fail to leave an outstanding mark on cinema. Many of his themes and imagery are still referenced today and inspire upcoming and established filmmakers alike. His small roster consists of only great pictures that are highly praised for being unique animated experiences.
6) ‘Ani*Kuri15: Good Morning’ — 7.6/10
Ani*Kuri15is an animated anthology series made up of 15 one-minute shorts, each made by a different Japanese director. Kon’s section is titledGood Morningand, as the title suggests, follows a woman as she becomes fully awake from slumber. The fact that a simple one-minute short can please audiences by having an impressive 7.6/10 on IMDb shows how great Kon is at his craft.
The film may be concise but still manages to convey so much. We essentially get a snapshot into this woman’s life, following her morning routine and learning specific things about her based on her living conditions and the things we can see within her apartment.
5) ‘Paprika’ — 7.7/10
Paprikais, unfortunately, the last project Kon was able to makebefore his death in 2010, but he still managed to send off his career with a true spectacle. The filmtells the story of a detective operating in the dream world to solve the case of a gang of dream terrorists who steal a device capable of manipulating people’s dreams.Christopher Nolan’sInceptiontooka ton of inspiration from this filmin terms of story and visuals.
The film is quite literally an exploration of the style and themes that Kon conjures up within his mind. It’s a fantastic visionary tale that crosses the line between reality and imagination by showcasing some truly mesmerizing interpretations of dreaming and imagination.
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4) ‘Tokyo Godfathers’ — 7.8/10
Tokyo Godfathersfollows a group of three charismatic homeless peopleon the night of Christmas Eve in Tokyo. However, when this band of misfits finds an unattended baby, they have to frantically search the city to find its parents, with barely any knowledge of its identity.
This is by far the most simple and tamest feature from Kon, consisting of no supernatural elements or blurring the line between fiction and reality. However, the film still flourishes with his style, even with this more grounded approach to storytelling.
3) ‘Millennium Actress’ — 7.8/10
Many have describedMillennium Actressas the anime version ofSynecdoche, New York.The film follows the story of two documentary filmmakers who interview a retired acting legend to investigate more about her life. As the crew discovers more details about the actress, the lines between fantasy and reality blend together.
It’s a great character study, showcasing a fictional retrospective of an actor’s life over multiple years, but it still does so in Kon’s twisted style. The film was loosely based on the lives of two real-life actors namedSetsuko HaraandHideko Takamine, both of who are highly praised film stars who worked at their craft for decades.
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2) ‘Paranoia Agent’ — 8/10
Paranoia Agentis a 13-episode miniseries about a strange social phenomenon that occurs in Tokyo, which is caused by an aggressive assailant, a young boy known as “Lil' Slugger.” The series follows a large cast of characters and how they are affected by the peculiar phenomenon, most of which connect to Lil Slugger, whether it is his victims or the detectives tasked to detain him.
Unfortunately,Paranoia Agentis Kon’s least popular project. This is truly upsetting as it is one of the best things he’s made, scoring an outstanding 8/10 on IMDB. The series isn’t one for the faint of heart, as itis one of his most harrowing projectsfrom Kon. It’s a surreal psychological horror that comments on dreary themes of abuse and the perception of death.
1) ‘Perfect Blue’ — 8.0/10
This is the very film that sparked the collective conscious agreement that Satoshi Kon is a mind-bending mastermind.Perfect Bluehas it all in, representing Kon’s fantastic quirks and stylistic elements.The film follows a popular idol musicianwho retires to pursue a career in acting. However, this path swiftly becomes an unpleasant experience as she loses her sense of reality while becoming a victim of several heinous acts.
It’s a highly distressing and miserable experience as we follow an actor dealing with the harsh reality of fame and exploitation, whichcoincides with modern pop culture. It’s a film that stillfeels very important today. It inspired numerous themes and imagery that we still see interested in contemporary filmmaking, such asDarren Aronofsky’sBlack SwanandRequiem for a Dream.
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