Paranoia Agent

...and if you don't have Dream Island Obsessional Park stuck in your head for all eternity, you're doing it wrong. A psychological thriller wrapped in a supernatural mystery, Paranoia Agent will have you questioning and re-questioning the reality of the world it weaves. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's every bit as engaging as other works by Satoshi Kon like Paprika, Millennium Actress, and Tokyo Godfathers.

People are reviewing this thing like it's the meaning of life, so let me cut through to the facts. I wouldn't say there's anything incredibly profound or insightful here. It's a series of bizarre stories about reality, unreality, and the harsher parts of life that connect in an abstract way. More highbrow than your average godlike MC with a harem - but maybe kind of like Lost in that it endlessly builds the mystery until you realize that's all it does. Or maybe the conclusion is there, it's just kind of ambiguous or beside the real point. Anyway, definitely give it a shot if you're in the mood for some abstract art in Anime form. It made me think but it wasn't a super satisfying watch.

Ostensibly about a series of street assaults perpetrated by a mysterious youth on roller skates w/ a baseball bat, this show is weird, transitioning between 3 very distinct phases through its short 13 episodes. It straddles the line between anthology series and ongoing narrative drama (until it doesn't). Where the larger plot doesn't matter at all (until it does). A psychological horror-comedy. It feels like it belongs in a museum, not b/c it's a masterpiece in every aspect, but b/c it's so weird and different that it should be put on display (despite its flaws) for anyone to experience who cares to. It may not be everyone's taste, and it's certainly not essential viewing, but chances are you'll walk away having seen something unlike anything you've ever seen before, and that you'll likely never see again. Last note: if you're familiar w/ Satoshi Kon's other works, this definitely feels like it's in his style. You'll definitely be reminded of all of his other works (including the stuff he hadn't made yet when this came out) as you watch.