Paranoia Agent and Fractal Storytelling | Video Essay

Micah Grawey
23 Dec 202221:22

Summary

TLDRThis video script explores the concept of fractals and their influence on various fields, highlighting the work of composer Susumu Hirasawa and his 'fractal control' method. It delves into Satoshi Kon's career, his unique storytelling in 'Paranoia Agent,' and its themes of hope and paranoia. The script pays tribute to Kon's impact on animation and storytelling, emphasizing the depth and complexity of his work, particularly 'Paranoia Agent,' which is considered his masterpiece for its nuanced exploration of societal issues and human psyche.

Takeaways

  • 🌐 The concept of 'fractal' was introduced by Benoit Mandelbrot, relating to the idea of a never-ending, infinitely complex pattern that is found in nature and has applications in various fields.
  • 🎵 Susumu Hirasawa, a Japanese composer, used fractal control in his music, creating a unique sound that defied traditional genre classifications.
  • 🎨 Satoshi Kon, born in 1963, was a renowned animator and director known for his deep exploration of themes and innovative storytelling techniques.
  • 🎬 Kon's work was influenced by his time working with Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of 'Akira', and his experiences in the animation industry.
  • 🎥 'Perfect Blue' was Kon's first feature film, which started as a live-action adaptation but became an animated film allowing for greater creative freedom.
  • 🏙️ 'Millennium Actress' and 'Tokyo Godfathers' showcased Kon's ability to create critically and financially successful films with unique narratives.
  • 🤹 'Paranoia Agent' is considered Kon's magnum opus, a 13-episode series that explores themes of paranoia, societal issues, and human psychology through a complex, interconnected narrative.
  • 🎭 The series 'Paranoia Agent' uses a fractal writing style, allowing each episode to have its own story while contributing to the overarching plot and themes.
  • 🌌 Satoshi Kon's work has had a lasting impact on the animation industry and continues to inspire new generations of animators and storytellers.
  • 💔 Kon's life was tragically cut short by pancreatic cancer, but his legacy lives on through his influential body of work and contributions to the Japanese Animation Creators Association.

Q & A

  • What is the concept of a fractal as introduced by Benoit Mandelbrot?

    -A fractal is a mathematical concept that represents a theoretical fractional dimension, which is used to describe geometric patterns in nature that exhibit self-similarity at different scales. Each layer deeper reveals an infinite pattern that is never-ending, always shifting, and growing in complexity.

  • How has the concept of fractals influenced various fields?

    -The concept of fractals has influenced a wide range of fields including mathematics, art, technology, law, architecture, and is often studied in its natural occurrence in nature. It is also a key idea in Chaos Theory, reflecting the geometric chaos and conformity of the universe.

  • Who is Susumu Hirasawa and how does he relate to fractals?

    -Susumu Hirasawa is a Japanese composer known for his genre-defying music. He has used a method described as 'fractal control' in his music, which involves using computer-generated musical fractals and refining them for use in his compositions.

  • What impact did the Japanese trans community have on Susumu Hirasawa's life and career?

    -The plight of the Japanese trans community had a significant impact on Hirasawa's life and career, influencing his work and the themes in his music.

  • Who is Satoshi Kon and what was his career trajectory?

    -Satoshi Kon was a renowned Japanese animator, director, and writer. He started as an aspiring animator, worked with Katsuhiro Otomo, and eventually directed films like 'Perfect Blue' and 'Paprika'. He also founded the Japanese Animation Creators Association to improve working conditions for animators.

  • What was unique about Satoshi Kon's approach to creating 'Paranoia Agent'?

    -Satoshi Kon used a fractal writing approach for 'Paranoia Agent', allowing each episode to have its own stories and themes while connecting to the main narrative. This method provided flexibility and allowed him to explore a variety of ideas and themes in depth.

  • What is the central theme of 'Paranoia Agent'?

    -The central theme of 'Paranoia Agent' revolves around the spread of paranoia and misinformation in society, and the consequences of seeking false saviors and quick fixes instead of facing life's challenges with resilience and hope.

  • How did Satoshi Kon's personal experiences and interests influence his work?

    -Satoshi Kon's personal experiences, interests in pop culture, technology, and societal issues deeply influenced his work, allowing him to create nuanced and empathetic stories that resonated with audiences.

  • What was the significance of the character 'Little Slugger' in 'Paranoia Agent'?

    -Little Slugger is a mysterious figure in 'Paranoia Agent' who is revealed to be a manifestation of the main character's guilt and trauma. The character serves as a symbol of the chaos and paranoia that can arise from unresolved personal issues.

  • Why was the project 'Dreaming Machine' never completed after Satoshi Kon's death?

    -The project 'Dreaming Machine' was not completed due to budget constraints and creative reasons. The producer, Masao Maruyama, also felt that any attempt to finish the project without Kon would result in an imitation rather than a true representation of Kon's vision.

  • What impact did Satoshi Kon have on the world of animation and storytelling?

    -Satoshi Kon had a profound impact on the world of animation and storytelling, influencing both Japanese and American cinema with his unique narrative structures, deep themes, and innovative visual styles.

Outlines

00:00

🎼 Fractals in Art and Music: Susumu Hirasawa's Journey

This paragraph introduces the concept of fractals, a mathematical idea coined by Benoit Mandelbrot, which has been applied to various fields including art, technology, and nature. It discusses the Japanese composer Susumu Hirasawa's unique approach to music, using fractal control to create complex and genre-defying compositions. Hirasawa's work is influenced by the Japanese trans community and his desire to connect with a broader audience beyond traditional music scenes. His innovative method of using computer-generated musical fractals has influenced AI-generated ambient music.

05:01

🎨 Satoshi Khan: From Animator to Storyteller

This section delves into the life and career of Satoshi Khan, a renowned animator and filmmaker. It starts with his aspirations to be an animator, his work with Katsuhiro Otomo, and his directorial debut with 'Memories.' The paragraph highlights Khan's creative process and his stylistic influences. It also discusses his directorial works, including 'Jojo's Bizarre Adventures,' 'Perfect Blue,' 'Millennium Actress,' 'Tokyo Godfathers,' and 'Paranoia Agent.' The narrative emphasizes Khan's unique storytelling approach and his impact on the animation industry.

10:03

🎭 Paranoia Agent: A Masterpiece of Fractal Storytelling

The focus of this paragraph is the TV series 'Paranoia Agent,' which is considered a pinnacle of Satoshi Khan's work. It provides an overview of the series' plot, which revolves around a former police detective and his partner investigating a series of mysterious attacks. The narrative structure of the series is likened to fractal writing, with each episode exploring different characters and themes while connecting to the overarching story. The paragraph also touches on the series' themes of paranoia, chaos, and the search for hope in a technological age.

15:05

🌐 The Impact of Satoshi Khan's Legacy

This paragraph reflects on the lasting impact of Satoshi Khan's work, particularly 'Paranoia Agent,' and its relevance to contemporary society. It discusses the show's exploration of self-harm, suicide, and the complexities of human emotions in the face of societal pressures. The paragraph also highlights the series' message of hope and the importance of empathy and understanding in overcoming personal struggles. It concludes with a tribute to Khan's unique storytelling and its influence on future generations of animators and storytellers.

20:07

🎉 Personal Reflections and Gratitude

In the final paragraph, the author shares personal reflections on the challenges of creating content, expressing gratitude to the audience for their support. They mention the upcoming holidays and the anticipation of the new year, reflecting on the passage of time. The author also expresses their deep appreciation for Satoshi Khan's work and its profound impact on their life, ending with well-wishes for the audience and an invitation to explore more of Khan's creations.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Fractal

A fractal is a mathematical concept characterized by self-similar patterns that repeat at different scales, creating an infinitely complex structure. In the video, fractals are used metaphorically to describe the complexity and infinite patterns seen in nature and in the works of Susumu Hirasawa, a Japanese composer who used fractal control in his music, reflecting the theme of never-ending complexity and growth.

💡Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory is a branch of mathematics that deals with the behavior of dynamic systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, often resulting in unpredictable and seemingly random outcomes. The video connects Chaos Theory to the concept of fractals and the geometric patterns found in nature, suggesting a deeper understanding of the universe's chaotic yet ordered nature.

💡Susumu Hirasawa

Susumu Hirasawa is a Japanese composer known for his genre-defying music, which incorporates elements of punk, experimental rock, and electronic music. In the video, Hirasawa's use of fractal control in his compositions is highlighted as a key influence, illustrating the video's theme of breaking boundaries and exploring new artistic territories.

💡Satoshi Khan

Satoshi Khan is a renowned Japanese animator, director, and writer, known for his unique storytelling and visual style. The video discusses his influential work in the animation industry, particularly his film 'Paprika' and the series 'Paranoia Agent,' which are deeply connected to the video's theme of exploring complex narratives and human experiences.

💡Paranoia Agent

Paranoia Agent is a television series created by Satoshi Khan, which explores themes of paranoia, societal chaos, and the human psyche. The series is noted for its unique episodic structure and interconnected narratives, serving as a central example in the video of fractal storytelling and the exploration of complex ideas within a single work.

💡Fractal Writing

Fractal writing, as mentioned in the video, refers to a narrative structure that mirrors the self-similar patterns of fractals, allowing for complex, interconnected storylines that can evolve and branch out in various directions. This concept is integral to the video's discussion of 'Paranoia Agent,' where each episode serves as a self-contained story while contributing to the overarching narrative.

💡Anime

Anime is a style of animation that originated in Japan and is characterized by vibrant characters and fantastical themes. The video discusses the impact of Satoshi Khan on the anime industry and his unique approach to storytelling and animation, which has influenced both Japanese and international audiences.

💡Japanese Animation Creators Association

The Japanese Animation Creators Association is an organization that aims to improve working conditions for animators and promote the discovery of new talent. The video mentions Satoshi Khan's involvement in founding this association, reflecting his commitment to the betterment of the animation industry and its artists.

💡Magnetic Rose

Magnetic Rose is a segment from the anthology film 'Memories,' directed by Satoshi Khan. The video highlights this work as an early demonstration of Khan's stylistic influences and thematic interests, which would later become more prominent in his other projects.

💡Paprika

Paprika is an animated film directed by Satoshi Khan, known for its technical achievements and innovative storytelling. The video positions 'Paprika' as a significant work in Khan's filmography, reflecting his ability to create intricate narratives and visually stunning animations that resonate with audiences.

💡Technological Age

The term 'technological age' refers to the current era characterized by rapid advancements in technology, which have transformed various aspects of society. In the video, the concept is used to frame the relevance of Satoshi Khan's work, particularly 'Paranoia Agent,' as a commentary on the challenges and changes brought about by modern technology.

Highlights

The concept of fractal, coined by Benoit Mandelbrot, is used to describe never-ending, infinitely complex patterns found in nature and various fields.

Susumu Hirasawa, a Japanese composer, used fractal control in his music, creating a genre-defying style influenced by the Japanese trans community.

Hirasawa's method of using computer-generated musical fractals was later popularized in AI-generated ambient music programs.

Satoshi Khan, influenced by the plight of the Japanese trans community, created unique works that combined animation and deep societal themes.

Khan's work on 'Memories' and 'Magnetic Rose' showcased his ability to explore complex ideas and themes in animation.

His directorial debut in 'Jojo's Bizarre Adventures' led to the creation of his own manga, though it was never finished due to creative differences.

Khan's film 'Perfect Blue' was a significant departure from live-action adaptations, allowing him creative freedom within the animated medium.

The film 'Millennium Actress' and 'Tokyo Godfathers' demonstrated Khan's versatility and ability to work with different animation styles.

In 'Paranoia Agent', Khan employed a fractal writing style, allowing each episode to explore unique stories while connecting to a central theme.

The series 'Paranoia Agent' delves into the effects of paranoia and misinformation on society, with a focus on pop culture and technology.

Khan's 'Paprika' was both a critical and financial success, showcasing his technical prowess in animation.

The unfinished project 'Dreaming Machine' was intended to be led by Madhouse, the studio behind most of Khan's films.

Khan's legacy continues to influence the animation industry and the Japanese Animation Creators Association.

The message of 'Paranoia Agent' emphasizes the importance of human connection and resilience in the face of societal chaos.

The series finale of 'Paranoia Agent' reveals the interconnectedness of its central characters and the power of overcoming personal trauma.

Khan's works, particularly 'Paranoia Agent', offer a nuanced exploration of self-harm and suicide, providing empathy and understanding.

The show's structure and storytelling in 'Paranoia Agent' have been compared to other notable series like 'Cowboy Bebop' and 'Neon Genesis'.

The outro of 'Paranoia Agent' symbolizes hope and the human spirit, despite the overwhelming challenges faced by the characters.

Transcripts

play00:01

fractal coined by Benoit mandelbrot used

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to expand on the concept of a

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theoretical fractional Dimension to

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geometric patterns in nature a

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mathematical concept where each layer

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deeper you have an infinite pattern

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never-ending always shifting and growing

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in complexity argued for centuries what

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it means and if it means anything to the

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math world the concept and use of its

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meaning has stretched from math to time

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art technology law architecture and is

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often studied in its natural occurrence

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in almost all of nature it is also one

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of the key ideas in Chaos Theory as it

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follows the geometric chaos and

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Conformity of the universe and yes this

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is very important to what we're talking

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about because of one susumu hirasawa a

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Japanese composer early on running as a

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guitarist in the punk and experimental

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rock band he soon moved on to working on

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solo albums where his music never stayed

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in one genre as he pushed the boundaries

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of melodic ideas stating in an interview

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I dislike it when I hear someone

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describe my music as weird rock or weird

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techno surely this genre is hard to

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Define in the music scene because it

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doesn't meet the standard of western

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music charts hence if a rock music

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critic attempts to judge me and my music

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all they will come up with is ambient

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music or music to take drugs to the

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Japanese music scene doesn't help with

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introducing terms such as new age or

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trans personality I want to let my music

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reach a border part of society being

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music born from the Japanese culture

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this is why I want to connect to the

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world that doesn't exist in the music

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scene

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and along with major influences from the

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plight of the Japanese trans Community

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which had majorly affected his life and

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career he worked in his solar-powered

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electronic studio with a method

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described as fractal control using

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computer-generated musical fractals and

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cutting them and honing them to use them

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in his music the same technology would

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be later popularized in several AI

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generated ambient music programs Satoshi

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Khan marked susumu hirosawa and fractal

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control as his biggest influences in all

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of his career

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[Music]

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thank you

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[Music]

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Satoshi Khan born in October of 1963

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like all the greats grew up aspiring to

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be an animator along with his high

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school friend saiho takisawa with

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similar aspirations throughout college

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she pursued the Arts and graphic design

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she would not only study animation and

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manga but in his personal life he would

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make it to where he almost exclusively

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watched live-action films such as Blade

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Runner Throne of blood and Terry

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gilliams Brazil and in his later years

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of college she found work with katsuhiro

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otomo the creator of Akira who would not

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only launch his career but be one of his

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biggest stylistic influences for the

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rest of his life he worked as a writer

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for several of otomo's movies and

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eventually got his big break with

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otomo's next big project memories which

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Not only was he able to write the script

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for one of the segments but he also was

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on the art team as he originally set it

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up to study in college and the segment

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that he did for memories magnetic Rose

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not only is in my opinion definitely the

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best segment but it also started to show

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signs of the ideas and themes that would

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run throughout almost his entire body of

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directorial works in the mid 90s he

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would get his first directorial debut as

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an episode on the original run of Jojo's

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Bizarre Adventures and that same year he

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would start working on his very own

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manga which unfortunately was never

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finished due to a creative difference

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between him and his co-writer off of

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Believe It or Not the success of his

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Jojo's Bizarre Adventures episode he was

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able to get backed by producer masal

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mariyama for his first feature film an

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adaptation of the book perfect blue

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originally the film idea was going to be

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live action and a direct adaptation of

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the book but unsatisfied under the

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restrictions of the adaptation and live

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action and due to budget it was switched

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to an animated film and he appealed to

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author yoshikazu takayuchi to allow him

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to make changes to the book and in fact

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he did Satoshi Khan was allowed to write

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the story that he wanted to as long as

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it followed the vague premise of perfect

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blue and also work in the medium he knew

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and was trained in and perfect blue a

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masterpiece in its own right was born

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into the 2000s he started working with

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several American Japanese Studios to

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produce his next film Millennium actress

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in 2002 which earned critical and

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financial support enough for him to make

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another film the next year with Tokyo

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Godfathers his first project moving away

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from the traditional cell animation and

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in 2004 he took several of the

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overwhelming obsessive ideas that he had

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and put them together into the

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reality-bending social Thriller series

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Paranoia Agent but he wasn't done yet in

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2006 he made his return to film with the

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highly anticipated paprika that he had

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been working on since writing the story

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for a Paranoia Agent the movie would not

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only end up being his most successful

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financially and critically but it would

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also be his last in 2007 he would do his

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final project with a segment in a

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Japanese animation anthology film and he

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would lead along with several other

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famous Japanese animators and writers

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and editors the Gathering of 500

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Japanese animators for the founding of

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the Japanese animation creators

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Association an organization to help

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Japanese animators get better working

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conditions and head up the discovery of

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new animators and in 2010 he would

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officially pitch his next movie dreaming

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machine in May of the same year Khan was

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diagnosed with terminal pancreatic

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cancer he stayed at home the rest of the

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year and died in August to the shock of

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almost everyone as he had appeared in

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good health the last time he was at a

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public event and told nobody about his

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illness

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originally it was planned to continue

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work on his final project dreaming

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machine led by madhouse the animation

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studio that had produced most of his

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films but the project due to budget and

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creative reasonings never got finished

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in 2016 producer mayama said in an

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interview for four or five years I kept

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searching for a suitable director to

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complete Khan's work before his death

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the storyboard and script and even part

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of the keyframe film was already

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completed

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then I thought even if someone can mimic

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Khan's work it would still be clear that

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it's only an imitation for example if

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mamaro hasoda took the director's

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position the completed dreaming machine

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would still be a good piece of work

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however that would make it a soda's

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movie not cons dreaming machines should

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be Khan's movie him and only him not

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someone else's that means we cannot and

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should not compromise only to finish it

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I spent years to finally reach this hard

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conclusion

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though Khan's life was cut dramatically

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short his body of work Still Remains one

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of the most influential not only to

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Japanese but American Cinema and his

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work with the Japanese animation

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creators Association is still having an

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effect on young up-and-coming animators

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to this day now you may be thinking to

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yourself after hearing all of this

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wouldn't paprika be Satoshi Khan's

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magnum opus is it not his final film

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that garnered the most success in

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popularity and built on the same themes

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as the rest of his work is it not the

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most technically impressive animation

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wise and while the answer is yes to most

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of those questions the project that I

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think fully encompasses that not only

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his body of work but also the style and

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Method Satoshi Khan created is the one

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and only Paranoia Agent

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Paranoia Agent as you may know and I

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hope you do because I'm about to spoil

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the heck out of it as a 13 episode mini

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series roughly following the Journey of

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former police detective kichi ikari and

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his former partner mitsohiro Manawa as

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they investigate a series of mysterious

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attacks from a boy with a golden

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baseball bat and rollerblade starting

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with sukiko Sagi the creator of

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increasingly popular beanie baby-esque

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stuffed animal marumi who is joining me

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in the studio right now I say roughly

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because the story as quickly as it gets

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going devolves into practical chaos

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branching out with each different

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episode focusing on a different

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character or characters as their lives

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get tangled up in these mysterious and

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increasingly brutal attacks to the point

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where one of the episodes is all just

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rumors of more and more Fantastical

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Tales of these horrifying events as

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paranoia and Chaos ensues around the

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entire city and yet everything still

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connects to our main players and builds

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off their relationships and personal

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Journeys to say that this has some of

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the most beautifully tragic scary and

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inventive things I've ever seen would be

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an understatement and the underlying

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message the show leaves about not giving

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in to false saviors and quick fixes but

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instead to be present with the people

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around you and live through this hard

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life whether that false savior is

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getting attacked so you don't have to

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finish a deadline that you know you

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can't hit or being bullied to the point

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that you're begging to get hit to prove

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you're not the one doing things it

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effortlessly explores the depths of

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depravity people will fall into when

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paranoia spreads through Society

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especially focusing on pop culture and

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Technology again very complicated and I

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can't sum it up in words this brief

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please watch it but if you refuse to

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watch it then just think of it as all of

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the LarryBoy episodes combined shout out

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to the Rumor Weed but where I think

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Paranoia Agent is really allowed to

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shine as a project is in the way it's

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written and structured with fractal

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writing and the creation of all of the

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other films and projects He was

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dissatisfied that he couldn't explore

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the ideas that he wanted to to the

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extent that he wanted to he said in an

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interview about Paranoia Agent in the

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case of a film to be shown at theaters

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I'm working for two years and a half

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always in the same mood and with the

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same method I wanted to do something

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that allows me to be more flexible to

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realize instantly what flashes across my

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mind I was also aiming at a sort of

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entertaining variation so I decided to

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go for a TV series

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so when operating episode episode he

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knew the conclusion that he wanted to

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get to but allowed each individual

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episode to break down into its own

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stories and themes while almost always

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connecting elements to the main story

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and the episode before it

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for an example an episode to the golden

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shoes as we follow the first outside

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person affected by the attacks with Ichi

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a former popular student who shares

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several similarities with the

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description of the attacker and gets

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bullied and ostracized for it to the

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point that he starts to lose his mind

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and wish to be attacked to prove that he

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isn't little Slugger his tutor in school

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will only appears here and there that

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Ichi actually has a crush on is harumi

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chono the main character of The Next

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Episode double lips double lips follows

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harumi as she deals with her

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dissociative identity disorder as her

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alternate prostitute personality starts

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to take over more and more and she is

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pulled in two directions just as she got

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engaged to the man of her dreams right

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at the point of no return little Slugger

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appears episode 4 follows a character

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that briefly appears in episode 1 and

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explores his creepy and disgusting path

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and how he got there and so on and so on

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and so on each episode tied to the one

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before it or the themes and ideas all

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centering around the attack and the

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stuffed animal sukiko had made and to

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the point that the paranoia and

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misinformation that has spread starts to

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take form and affect every element of

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the city even an animation team making a

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show about marumi as they slowly

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mysteriously die off one by one while

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marumi interjects telling you different

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things about how an animation studio

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runs it's pure

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unabridged unaffected allowed to be free

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Satoshi Khan on the page I mean I may be

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crazy here but I can't think of anything

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more perfect for his legacy and his body

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of work than a show with the ability to

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explore the depths of almost all the

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ideas his writing had ever explored

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while also being one of the most

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technically best movies and most

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intimate and hopeful feeling messages

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from any of his projects

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I think about the scene from episode 11

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where missai the wife of the main

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detective that's been investigating all

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of this is able to fight off essentially

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super rumor form below Slugger by

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realizing our faults and wishing to be

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attacked despite her terminal illness

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and increasingly rough relationship with

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her husband she does a massive monologue

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on the power of the human spirit and

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will and what love means and what it

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means to have hope and the people and

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the world around you not giving in to

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the quick and easy answers that will

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make all of your problems Drift Away

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often most of the themes in the show

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come down to the theme of self-harm or

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suicide which especially in fantasy

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sci-fi settings is a very hard concept

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to explore with nuance and give the

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weight that it needs to have but the

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show and Satoshi himself has every bit

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of empathy and understanding for the

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troubles and Trauma and fear that causes

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pain in all of these people's lives to

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grow to unimaginable levels where they

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feel like they're drowning in the noise

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and there's only one Escape

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little Slugger it gives its time and

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sympathy to each and every character

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even the ones who are the biggest

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scumbags in the show because at the end

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of the day this show is made as a sign

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of Hope to any and every person who gets

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swept up in the paranoia and

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hopelessness and overwhelming feeling of

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the life that we live in bullying

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technology radio all of it comes into

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play in this along with government

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propaganda things that we very seriously

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have troubles with it's genuinely hard

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to wrap my mind around a show built and

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written in the way that this is the only

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thing that I can even think of similar

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to this is something like Cowboy Bebop

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or Neon Genesis which both of their

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stories are close-ended and wrap around

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with each episode doing their own thing

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but also adding to the overreaching

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story but even then it hardly even

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compares to the way this mystery

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progresses and the reality breaking in

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different views of humanity we get in

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each individual episode

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paprika ended up getting a lot of

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Acclaim in popularity and influenced

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several major movies to come but

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Paranoia Agent feels like a big call to

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people of this generation people of the

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technological age and in this instance

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every person who would watch it to come

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speaking to a world being corrupted in

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sucked of its love and care for each

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other with us all being wrapped up in

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micro worlds and problems of her own

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making

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but really we're all dealing with the

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same world and we all have the same

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things in our hearts

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the final episode reveals the fact that

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little Slugger and marumi are one in the

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same and a little Slugger something

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sukiko had made up when she was a little

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girl and her Stern father had gotten her

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a puppy named muromi and while she was

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taking them on a walk she accidentally

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let them go because of a cramp and they

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ran into the road and died for fear of

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her father she came up with the story of

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little Slugger who caused the dog to die

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and that story had come to mind again

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when she couldn't reach a deadline for a

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new design past trauma took over and

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spread spread into hate and fear and

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lies until they manifested and took over

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the city

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but what sukiko never realized was that

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her father of course instantly saw

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through her story but seeing her

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daughter upset from this played along

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and even spent years searching for the

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fake little Slugger just so she wouldn't

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feel like he was mad at her

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and when she finally is able to let her

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guilt and Trauma from marumi's Death go

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the paranoia is broken and the city is

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saved as she realizes there are no easy

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saviors without consequences

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a theme that the entire show touches on

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even from its intro as all of the

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characters find false security and the

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fact that they can get attacked as it

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plays to imagery of all of our

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characters laughing while the song sings

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about things that have affected Japan

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for a long time

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to nuclear explosions tsunamis and

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extreme government all sorts of things

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that could happen to Japan at any time

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the very unease of living on a small

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island that's so insecure a part of the

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culture carried as a burden with it

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always

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and yet all the characters are laughing

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because as shown in the outro everything

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will be all right as long as they give

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in to marumi's attacks as all the

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fractals that we've seen episode episode

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and the crazy whip that they make seem

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to connect in strange and geometric ways

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come together and they're most zoomed

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out in simple form

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the heart of the show

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hope

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Beyond any of the overwhelming feelings

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that we go through every day

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hope that there will be a tomorrow and

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hope that there will always be somebody

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going through the same thing as you

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I could spend probably hours deep diving

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into each individual episode showing all

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of its themes grabbed from satoshi's

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other works Crossing each individual

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character story moment reference there's

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a million things in this literally from

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episode 1 you are presented with so many

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tiny themes and elements that will be

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explored into so much depth later each

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episode is given its own room to breathe

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and have complexity each episode

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operates as its own story and yet each

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episode ties together and deeper and

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deeper into the mind of Satoshi Khan all

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of his interests all of his heart all of

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his message that he wanted to leave the

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world with was poured into Paranoia

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Agent and that's why I think it is

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honestly his Masterpiece there have been

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other pieces of media that have touched

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on similar Topics in just as nuanced and

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maybe not as complex of ways but no One

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Singular artist has spoken to me

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personally and my experience and the

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world that I live in like Satoshi Khan

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Through Paranoia Agent several episodes

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took me so long to digest I almost

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didn't want to take in the next episode

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yet the second time I watched the show

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through I watched it all through in one

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go which I think is not the way to do it

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the episodic structure is there for a

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reason again fractal storytelling it

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needs to be separated in each separated

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piece has to connect and each theme in

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each story has to connect each one

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creating one of the most beautiful

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honestly beautiful pieces of art that I

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have ever seen

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Satoshi Khan will be missed always and

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his effects on the world of Animation

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the world of Storytelling and honestly

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my world will always be felt loved and

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appreciated and who knows maybe one day

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I'll be able to make something even half

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as heartfelt and raw as this show but I

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don't think there will ever be another

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Paranoia Agent or Satoshi Khan

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thanks for watching

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and thank you Satoshi Khan

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foreign

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oh my gosh thank you for bearing with me

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um life has been crazy uh work family

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holidays uh I always forget that

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November and December are the hardest

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months of the year to put videos out

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during uh but things have been very very

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crazy so thank you so much anyone who

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has stuck with me through the channel

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this long seriously it means the world

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to me I hope you enjoyed this video I

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know it's taken a long time to make but

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I really wanted to get how I felt about

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Paranoia Agent out on Page in a way that

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I was happy with because this show means

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a lot to me

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um so I really hope you guys enjoyed

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this video uh hopefully I'll get a new

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video next month right on schedule I may

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have a collab coming up it'll be

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interesting we'll see lots of exciting

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things going on

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um Merry Christmas uh you know I hope

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you had a great Thanksgiving hopefully

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this will be up before Christmas oh my

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gosh

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um and yeah happy New Year everyone

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that's crazy to say it's gonna be 2023

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before I put out another video that is

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that is insane but I hope life is

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treating you well please go watch some

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Satoshi Khan pictures I literally cannot

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recommend them enough they are

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Practically Perfect every single one of

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them I love you all goodbye

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Satoshi KhanParanoia AgentFractal StorytellingAnime AnalysisCultural ImpactAnimation MasterpieceJapanese CinemaEmotional DepthSocial CommentaryCreative Process
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