Why You Should Watch Paranoia Agent

[@fleetingstrokes5758]

she wanted to avoid the stress of designing a new, iconic character so she... designed a new, iconic character

[@PLKinka]

Reminds me of Hemingway quote about writing and bleeding... Creation is described as giving birth not without a cause.

[@samfivedot]

A new, iconic character in a radically different style and tone from what she was known for. If you're struggling with an art block, one thing that can help is to try doing something completely outside of your comfort zone.

[@montajedelespectador]

Is the creppypasta (before internet called Urban legend) of hello Kitty

[@zannatulatia2466]

then those attacks on yuichi and other are made up too?

[@ZeranZeran]

Without meaning to.. on accident.

[@chincorecc8802]

the dancing plague would make a perfect junji ito manga

[@gioni0n612]

ChinCore CC I was thinking the same thing lmfao

[@Abdega]

I feel like it would look something like this kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqXJZ52Xip58pcU

[@Ivan-uq8cc]

wouldnt it be like army of one

[@chincorecc8802]

@@Abdega that is both terrifying and hilarious

[@endm_]

I’m pretty sure he has made work influenced or at least similar but I can’t think of what

[@amyduong9423]

Fun fact: the opening was made the way it was, was because the anime would air late at night so they wanted a theme song that would wake viewers up to keep watching.

[@TheChosen141]

If that's true it sure worked with me, being 14 and falling asleep during adult swim, that opening woke me the fuck up. I swore I was in a lucid dream that night.

[@CBranchArts]

That makes so much sense now

[@WalkingGirlKoi]

Amy Duong Really? Well, they succeeded. It has never kept me bored or on the verge of sleeping - ever.

[@jacoblevenson7934]

definitely fitting.

[@Odinsday]

That is actually a brilliant idea.

[@zeechops401]

Between this and Perfect Blue, it's crazy how Kon kinda predicted how the internet and the new information age would have psychological effects on us.

[@stormcrowlegendary3512]

I read a book from either the 80's or so that was fairly spot on with modern culture. The only thing is the cell phones were computers implanted in people's brains.

[@BlackavarWD]

People knew that when TV was invented... WAY before the internet.

[@livinghooman8471]

tbh it's not impressive - not that impressive at least. Extreme behaviorism has had this kind of theme pinned down since the 80' (or even earlier, but it depends on the actual theme - anonimacy, administration of two 'images' of yourself, stress, the feeling of wanting to be finished off... and the relationship of all of that with communication). I'm not discrediting the series, but yeah, in terms of the theme it was quite commonplace in sci-fi and even distopias/utopias started adapting to it. Execution is a whole other story

[@bookbliss1915]

seriously though its kinda scary

[@moodtv732]

And its funny that the road the movies warns us about are ones we follow to learn about it. The path to destruction is often the one that leads to knowledge of salvation. (Notice how i say knowledge, not salvation itself)

[@fresnelfringe4736]

"Shonen-Batto" is actually a pun. There's a word in Japanese "Shounen Ba (正念場)" that roughly translates to something like a tough moment in your life. Like being in between a rock and a hard place; hell or high water.

[@apea9117]

Wow that's interesting

[@devinweathers7520]

FUCKING astounding and love those names Who watch when it is on adult swim

[@Saltience]

So basically he was called Hard Hitting.

[@DamonDraven]

@@Saltience Kind of, but that term doesn't mediate that it's a young boy.

[@achronos178]

The death of satoshi is one of the worst lost of talent that has happened

[@Jujuoak]

Wait whattt

[@lupipdm]

@@Jujuoak He died around 10 years ago :(

[@minchi_the_aoigirl]

We can't see another beautiful psychological thriller style like this

[@omdubey8340]

Yes 😔

[@krishkumar7616]

Wtf he died???? Why just whyyyyyyyy

[@PforPanthera]

I've been an insomniac since I was a child and I got to a point where when I'd wake up in the middle of the night I would just turn on Cartoon Network and watch whatever anime was on. I saw two episodes of this as a child, the one with the lady with the split personality and one with three suicidal people. That was one of the oddest experiences of my childhood. Didn't scar me nearly as much the Full Metal Alchemist episode where the dad combines his daughter and dog though ;_;

[@Angel-ti9lg]

Lol same

[@creepymangaming6543]

Lmao suicide in a nutshell

[@mordredvonumbra154]

Reality is not only stranger than fiction. Its far more terryfing. And far more understandble. If it makes sense you. PS. I am drunk so i might be talking out of my ass. Fiction isnt terryfing. Reality is much more. To those who are stupid or smart enough to think. I think i need to pass out. See ya.

[@haventseensun]

WHAT

[@haventseensun]

i wish i didn't look that dog scene up

[@StudioUAC]

so what you're saying is. that we live in a society.

[@crappyaccount]

😂

[@abstract0407]

Paranoia is nothing short of clever

[@batmanfanboy2212]

Yes

[@guineapig1016]

Covid 19 = lil slugger

[@Scarshadow666]

Yes and no (society might not influence every action, but it definitely does influence a major amount of things). In the case of Paranoia Agent, the anime also makes a point that we influence society based on what personal responsibilities we're ready to accept.

[@nikgeniuses6856]

I was actually questioning what was Mental illness, supernatural, insanity, imagination, or reality while watching this anime

[@BlackavarWD]

Yeah, that's *paranoia* for ya.

[@TaigiTWeseFormosanDiplomat]

umM

[@Galvion1980]

That's Satoshi Kon for you...man was a frigging genius, everybody needs to watch everything he made...his death was a massive loss for the world of art

[@Galvion1980]

@Anonymous Anonymous The symptons and the distress experienced by those deemed mentally ill are real, however. Reading a lot of clever books did bugger all to alleviate my symptoms. Lifestyle changes, environment alteration,therapy and medication have been much more effective. A sick society induces its own sickness in the people who live in it, but that does not mean I have to take it lying down...

[@franxe8479]

We truly live in a society

[@genesisplus4325]

That one guy on episode 8 cutting and weakening the rope on that little girl's noose is almost endearing.

[@samuelmansson5735]

Emphasis on ”almost.”

[@genesisplus4325]

@@samuelmansson5735 *S A D*

[@aligmal5031]

which is sad when you know they are all already dead when the building collapsed

[@hamtaromachina]

What, I missed that part and I watched the series like ten times

[@trdl23]

@@hamtaromachina Yeah, you can tell when they actually died (by accident!) by when they stop having shadows.

[@RedVanBuskirk]

13:11 The detective isn't just imagining Cardboard Cutouts, he's imagining himself inside of a kamishibai, a sort of classic paper puppet show that would be put on by various street performers which reached a height in popularity during the early 50's. This is a really cool detail because it shows that even the era the detective wants to go back to doesn't really exist. People weren't just "good" and "evil" until they weren't like the detective seems to believe, this is simply his own skewed view of the past, presented in a medium that often used good vs evil storytelling.

[@TheDigitalWatcher]

This something I've noticed with many middle-aged co-workers of mine. They occasionally bring up news coverage of shootings, bombings, and the like, saying "Stuff like this never happened when we were kids." Yes it did. You just weren't paying attention, and information didn't travel quite so quickly and readily.

[@somekid7]

ShallowShi I hear you. I can't count how many times I've heard this from middle-aged folks. Not even trying to start an argument. I figure every generation deals with the disturbing feeling of having seen society change so much from what they grew up knowing, that they escape to their idealized versions of the past for comfort. Goddamn I'm terrified of growing up.

[@BrokenHedgehog]

The world didn't go bad. People just lose their innocence.

[@noodlegumm_]

leave it to good ol' robobuddies to drop even more interesting detail, u rock

[@J.Skyler]

Hey Robobuddies. Fancy seeing you here

[@vicenteortegarubilar9418]

I remember the opening very clearly, it was haunting, weirdly upbeat, brilliantly mad, like everything satoshi kon touches it.

[@spartacus5950]

Slightly off-topic: don't think Wolf mentioned it, but it's actually the same musician behind Berserk's Forces, Susumu Hirasawa.

[@WalkingGirlKoi]

Vicente Ortega Rubilar As a kid me and a friend of mine would laugh whenever the opening played on Adult Swim and then change the channel. I saw the show at least a year ago and all of the humor was lost after I figured out its meaning.

[@vicenteortegarubilar9418]

WalkingGirlKoi yeah my first reaction was WTF!!!, my last was WTF, but with a totally different meaning.

[@shagstars]

its creepy ina way.

[@olstar18]

I remember it as well. Especially the allusions to nukes. In fact after reading your post I went to watch it again and noticed something that I didn't understand the significance of as a kid. The fact that the girl was on the building holding her shoes. The guy that made tsundere simulator mentioned it in one of his update videos but people in japan commiting suicide have a tendancy to take their shoes and glasses off and leave them in a neat pile on the roof when they jump. Just that one piece of knowledge that I didn't have as a kid makes the opening so much darker.

[@mrjanoycresva]

Episodes 2 - 4 and 11 are so fucking strong with 11 being my favorite. Hearing the detective's wife talk about her love for her husband and their struggles while avoiding death from Lil Slugger was so heartwarming and heartbreaking

[@trdl23]

The way she helps break Ikari out of his cardboard world makes me cry every time I see it. Hell, I just got misty by thinking about it.

[@LadyAltaria]

Imagining what sort of work Kon would be making today if he was still alive genuinely saddens me. I think with the current popularity of anime in the west he could have broken through and been popular globally in the same way Bong Joon Ho did with Parasite. His death was such an enormous loss to animation and film in general.

[@aaronparis409]

Parasyte only went but so far tho.

[@Sneednfeedn]

He would've be the only one I could've trusted to faithfully adapt Goodnight Punpun.

[@mimble]

I swear to god, I barely remember this anime and thought it was a horror dream I had

[@zzz-ovidiu2015]

also called nightmare🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

[@mimble]

@@zzz-ovidiu2015 Nightmare would suggest I didn't like it

[@S-Matrix]

This show is a masterpiece. It's one of those rare anime that prove how the right combination of a brilliant creative mind (such as Kon's), the animated medium, and the quintessential modern ennui of Japanese culture can come together to produce something almost like onscreen literature.

[@TheEnigmaticBM39]

I'd say the same for eureka seven and cowboys bebop

[@emilpersidski]

and Serial Experiments Lain

[@SuperBlahmaster]

RIP Satoshi Kon, you left us far far too soon.

[@kuroshinko427]

I'm still waiting for Dream Machine to finish.

[@notamodelcitizen]

He died on my 33rd birthday. If I ever needed proof that God is a prick, that was it right there.

[@prisci363]

Nice

[@notamodelcitizen]

@@Exigentable Did you miss the part where he died on my birthday?

[@plusone801]

@@Exigentable Why is that even an insult? You should stop picking on others you homophobic jerk.

[@themikx2939]

Paranoia Agent is amazing. Its so ironic that it all started because Tsukiko was being pressured to make a character bigger than Maromi and she ends up succeeding by making up Lil Slugger.

[@MyEverty]

Yeah, I think thats why Satoshi Kon chose a character artist to be the first victim, to hint at the idea that lil slugger is her creation. And only she has the imagination to create something that will become such a big part of pop culture.

[@buhbo3250]

Boi. Just, boi. This is a vid of why you should try this series. Don't spoil it.

[@andeggbreaks]

Great observations but you should give a spoiler warning

[@scryblescribbles]

@@buhbo3250 there's spoilers in the actual video though. Edit: Never mind, just remembered he gave spoiler warnings-

[@wavieff]

Man fuck you and your spoilers

[@johnnylozano3745]

the dancing plague sounds like the roughest mosh pit in history.

[@crappyaccount]

Omg

[@goofygoob420]

Art thou prepared to rockith

[@AgentSapphire]

I know I'm late to the party here but I wanted to voice my thoughts. Youkai are a type of spirit from Japanese mythology that basically exist to explain a phenomena. Why does your voice echo when you shout up at a mountain? Because a youkai sits on top of that mountain and parrots back whatever it hears. That sort of thing. However, because of their very nature, youkai need belief or fear in order to exist at all. They are spawned by collective belief and made stronger as those emotions grow more intense and widespread. What's really fascinating about paranoia agent is that, toward the end especially, it starts to look like something actually supernatural is happening. In fact, when viewed through the lens of Japanese myth and legend, that's exactly whats happening. How else would a sickly woman be able to destroy her own home? How else would the city have experienced such a terrifying presence overnight? That lingering question of "but what if?" is haunting.

[@crappyaccount]

:o

[@Frogggle]

@@crappyaccount when u translate your comment to English the mouth gets bigger lol

[@PhantomGato-v-]

I agree, Kyouko is cute.

[@AgentSapphire]

@@PhantomGato-v- Kyouko is a good girl

[@thesapphire_standard7534]

Your voice makes a common statement sound like a *STARTLING DISCOVERY*

[@akarj9017]

Roldan333 he does do that

[@Celeste-xf4iy]

Roldan333 he has a lovely cadence

[@afiffarhati4580]

Roldan333 that why i watch his vids

[@fukiibukii]

Roldan333 who’s on your profile picture?

[@marchdarkenotp3346]

Humans are so forgetful that certain platitudes are in need of constant repetition on its ears.

[@Kvalia]

Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.

[@southsidegamer5611]

true, but they still danced until exhaustion haha

[@EGO-Online]

Southside Gamer you know he was quoting Nietschze right?

[@qusigh]

@@EGO-Online idk who that is so it just sounded creepy lol

[@0oidiedinatimemachineo024]

deep.

[@ProtoPropski]

Quaint, however who's to say the music no one else can hear doesn't in turn drive you insane? After all nothing is always how it seems, and reality often never cares about your own opinions being justified. something may seem right in a moral standing, but have disasterous meaning on a whole different level, I know this is controversial, but take Trans Acceptance for instance, after-all it's morally something that we want to agree with, because a person should have the right to their perception of themselves, and their body, but unfortunately regardless of the right thing with accepting that, we inevitably run the risk of making a percentage of our community sterile, only contributing in using our resources if they aren't scientist, or educated to provide something to society beyond blogs, and Twitter rants, to supplement the one thing anyone sterile can provide which is furthering the population growth.. However on that note, it can also mean the complete opposite, and be a sign of a bloated population subconsciously making themselves sterile, to prevent over population. either way its something that is a morally ambiguous situation, that has a dire importantance on society as a whole that is deemed hateful to try to understand as people view their opinions first, and prioritize that over any other likely outcome, or consequence.

[@FrankLightheart]

The suicide pact is my favorite episode. GOD, it's my favorite.

[@chronicdoll4334]

It was censored in Britain and I'm still angry about it lol

[@HoodeloodumGAME]

I think that was the most confusing in the context of the rest of the show. It really fucking annoyed me.

[@ripoffsasuke]

same

[@Mr.Kibuuka]

I just want to know if the committed sucide

[@xmrkp]

@@Mr.Kibuuka Of course, they die in the abandoned house at the start of the episode. The rest of the episode they are ghosts. It's why they see the guy jump in front of the train moving and worrying about work even though he just died. Trying to show killing yourself doesn't solve anything. Also the photo taken at the end, freaks out the group of people because they're ghosts. Shonen bat runs away from them because they're dead, can't kill yourself if you're already dead.

[@woohoo2491]

I first saw the last couple episodes of this by accident late one night when I was 6-7 years old. I didn't know of any premise, I just remember being absolutely terrified and deeply disturbed by the pink dog that tried to stop the black goop from eating everyone alive. It's haunted me for years and I never knew what the name of the show was, until I accidentally stumble on this thumbnail and am sent back to 2006. Thank you for posting this, I can now watch this damn series in its entirety, understand what the hell is going on, and put this demon to rest

[@crappyaccount]

And? How was it?

[@woohoo2491]

@@crappyaccount Only saw the first few episodes but its pretty good so far

[@BlackavarWD]

Good luck with putting demons to rest. They don't like to rest.

[@leestrz4153]

This made me happy and I laughed 😂

[@michaelbuehler3897]

The themes of this show are still relevant today.

[@pietrogaluzzi3373]

They are more relevant now than ever

[@TrueGamer22887]

Pietro Galuzzi I see you both also watched the above video

[@Scarshadow666]

Very true! 0_0

[@Reubel]

...and praise be to Susumu Hirasawa for the music. Paranoia Agent would be a lesser show without his tunes.

[@umjammerlammy9993]

His kingdom remix scene was beautiful

[@FelicityGemini]

his music was the reason I stuck with the show, i even listen to it sometimes on youtbe because its that good!

[@TheEnigmaticBM39]

Love the opening theme

[@dinkeshjain5450]

So the 'Shonen Bat' was a symbol of hurting ourselves due to stress at first, and as too many people were getting hurt and it got known in whole Japan, it's power got increased, which is suicidal thoughts. The paranoia they were facing is just to escape their reality. And that's why when the Wife of the Detective struggled to accept her reality, she was breaking the things near her. But when she accepted it, Shonen bat left but her husband went into a delusional world again just to escape his own reality. Woah this would never end!!! What a thinking the writer had 🔥🔥🔥

[@teejaykaye]

Me, watching the video: "nah sure I'm fine with spoilers I'm not too interested in watching it anytime soon" Also me, upon hearing The Twist: "...dammit now I wish i'd watched it instead"

[@teejaykaye]

Damn, I commented this before the video was over - the fact that you brought up the KZbin conspiracy and the killer clowns is especially frightening because I remember hearing about that from my friends and my online ventures. One of my best friends was actually super worried about Marina, despite having never heard of her before the conspiracy started spreading. Jeez. Society, you scary.

[@parkerpeachy7770]

Teejay Kaye there are studies that show people enjoy movies more after the twist was spoiled for them so like you might just like it more now. Idk it was like that for me...

[@sirmel11]

He needs to put a spoiler warning in his videos at the beginning. I realize it can be hard to talk about a show without spoiling parts of it but before his "warning", he talks about spoilers and spoils some of the things that would shock you about the show.

[@ryannschnabel4713]

mp

[@unitymask]

OK LITERALLY SAME

[@GreyfoxRaposa]

One thing not mentioned on the video is, how in the end, everyone "helped" buy Lil' Slugger didn't get really "well". It's show just very briefly in the end of the series, but many of them simply went back to their problems, like the teacher/call girl ends up having the call girl personality (that was assumed to be gone) appear to her husband, how after everything that happened, people are still dealing with avoidance when it comes to situations they dislike, and there's a new "Maromi" mascot on the media. Still loved the video on the anime. It's easily one of my favorite and thanks for the video.

[@PersephoneDarling28]

The younger detective tells us much at the end in the final prophetic vision

[@NostalgiaMan]

This video was stunning! I watched every episode of this years ago and I love this anime. One of the best ever

[@liamlee7730]

Shut the hell up

[@liamlee7730]

@Among us that’s gay

[@センナ-h4c]

This video has brought my fear levels so high that your Link profile picture reminded me of a creepy pasta related to The Legend of Zelda

[@ocellaris1271]

Can you just fuck off already man?

[@laog1777]

The best part was, the opening makes sense after you watch and rewatch it again till you understand

[@hiredsword]

I loved this show when it first came out, I really need to watch it again now that I'm older. I feel like I'll get a different perspective on it, Satoshi Kon is sorely missed.

[@chowinsnow]

Hired Sword Didn’t understand it growing up

[@catbug6263]

chowin Because the week long wait you had in between episodes. Whatch them back to back (not all at once but if u get that into it no one can stop you) it will make a lot more sence.

[@catbug6263]

Hired Sword Trust me you will understand a lot more when you see it when your older

[@stormcrowlegendary3512]

I only got to watch one episode a week so I was unable to put it all together.

[@SkaryMisfit]

One of my favorite shows ever, directed by one of the best directors out there Satoshi Kon. He's dearly missed and I hope we get Dreaming Machine one day

[@KumoriGurasu]

I hope so too, but after Eyepatch's video on _Redline_ and some more thought on it, I have that sneaking suspicion it's not going to happen. The way the anime industry is now, it hasn't been, nor will it ever be able to fill that hole Satoshi Kon left behind when he died.

[@doyleharken3477]

Kumori Garasu Yeah, we'll have to wait a long time until a worthy successor to Kon emerges. Nobody in the industry had that much insight into Japanese society and its problems. He was one of the few in the entertainment sector who honestly told stories about social issues, a taboo breaker. New talent has first to shed their socially imposed blinders before they can begin to create stories as genuine and perceptive as Kon's.

[@WalkingGirlKoi]

NorthTwo Kon was a master at showing the human psyche much more than other people in the anime industry. While there are a few others who can show the horrors of humanity in other genres their way of writing is more eccentric by far, much more niche, and rarely put out material (Kunihiko Ikuhara and Chiaki Konaka.) It's a shame that only recently I've started looking into Kon's work for the last two years and it sucks that he passed before his time.

[@WalkingGirlKoi]

Kumori Garasu The issue is that the people who do put out highly acclaimed work maybe a tad similar to topics Satoshi Kon are irregular in the industry and niche. What Kon's strength was is also making works of art that are much easily accesible to other people, yet still remain true to his own interests. The anime industry has always preferred going with the grain for making cash than taking risks, it's just that now we're going through another phase of some stagnation where bad light novel adaptations and sequels to classic s no one asked for are what's in now. Like the other trends with rom-coms and harems the material fad appeal will pass, but as for skilled newcomers I cannot name too many outside of Naoko Yamada that aren't tied to just animation studios.

[@Spherecode.]

Hirasawa and Satoshi Kon used to make some fire shit together

[@TheOGLunaClipper]

Next one should be: Why You Should Watch Super Eyepatch Wolf. I love when stuff goes meta.

[@AnimeOverdose1]

Cain chin already done by pedantic romantic

[@loganhaefner907]

That would be incredibly self fillating

[@monsterhunterfan12]

that would be a good idea for a channel trailer

[@InquisitorThomas]

Logan Haefner then how about he does why You Shouldn’t Watch: Super Eyepatch Wolf

[@datanotfoundpleasetryagain3559]

It could be a channel preview.

[@adnauseam1432]

This and Serial Experiments Lain are two of my favourite anime due to the superb execution of their themes.

[@ZyzzUMIRIN]

Fax

[@renmier3996]

can absolutely agree

[@nftman260]

I haven't watched serial experiment lain is it good as paranoria agent

[@Void_Daddy]

@@nftman260 made by the same dude so yea

[@puffnisse]

​@@Void_DaddyNo it ain't.

[@danchase7454]

Why do all his shows start with the letter "P"? Paprika Paranoia agent Perfect blue.

[@TheChiptuner]

Yeah let’s ignore Millennium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers then :p

[@jojithehuman4937]

@@TheChiptuner I mean, those are really nice but his Triple P works are the best of the best

[@xelith6157]

Paprika and Perfect Blue aren't shows, they are movies.

[@NBass136]

three letter "p". say it fast: three pee... trippy

[@ErickGarcia-qs2yh]

yeah and pokyo godfather and pillennium actress

[@Caspianm2]

Just watched this for the first time about a month ago, such a fantastic experience. Radar man is best boy.

[@LoudCommentor]

Fantasy may keep us estranged from reality, but they very often are a true comfort from reality. What terrifies me about this series is that the character's motivations and actions are so real; their escape into fantasy is what most people do every day, and it's certainly something that I do. It makes me afraid to rewatch this show. You see, media like this demands not only to be understood, but to be responded to. Paranoia Agent asks this question of us; "Will you continue depending on your fantasies, or will you face reality head on? Will you go on deluding yourself, or will you make the most of life... whatever that might be?" I'm afraid of that confrontation. I'm afraid to even type this, to think about it, to even have insight into my life; to look at my reality and strip away all the excuses I use to continue living in the shit way that I currently do... The thought of actually needing to face life and actually live it without the option of running back to where I'm comfortable... That's true terror, I think. The idea of mass hysteria is scary, yes, but it affects me in an abstract way. True terror, I think, isn't what we imagine or create; it's not what we put down on paper or the big screen, or what's spread by the media; it never will be, so long as it's something we imagine. But our daily lives and the reality we have to face each and every day? The reality that we shouldn't, mustn't avert our eyes from, even when it chills us to our very core? That's what true terror is.

[@umairahfaridfaisal2778]

Nicely said my man.

[@kimashitawa8113]

I feel this

[@neko_spirit6350]

This got to me.

[@karalas]

*teen movie slow clap

[@neuronflattern]

I am so sad that Satoshi Kon passed away. He was ahead of our time, and brought us so important movies. I hope there will be other artist like him in the future.

[@tayb4662]

Remember watching this series on Adult Swim late at night. A real classic

[@stormcrowlegendary3512]

Back when Adult Swim was worth watching. Hell, tv in general was worth watching. They don't make anime this good anymore and it feels like only the Adult Swim and Toonami anime was dubbed decently. Well some of them atleast. That said I'd take a early 2000's anime or a 90's anime over modern any day. Its all fallen into like 3 shows over and over again. I can't even remember character's names as I've seen them with 30 different names already.

[@vojtis1731]

@@stormcrowlegendary3512 old good new bad

[@stormcrowlegendary3512]

@@vojtis1731 Well, when all they show is just a reskin Hogwarts or "I'm trapped in a vidya game" all the time, it gets boring.

[@ZoZo-fh6tq]

@@stormcrowlegendary3512 are u talking about the tv channels or modern anime in general

[@MostDope513]

It scared me as a kid when the words start physically coming out the guys mouth I will still watch it to this day

[@dogman5806]

“Hey Satoshi can you make a cute kid cartoon?” “Hah, sure Jim.” *makes the first episode of PA*

[@yt-sh]

'Jim' haha

[@SylemGistoe]

Take a rest... Take a rest... take a rest... take a rest... take a rest... take a rest....

[@StarkSpider24]

*chills to this day.. Thanks for undoing my repression*

[@chronicdoll4334]

Best and creepiest part of the whole thing.

[@Dang.-]

I mean, he's not wrong

[@els5247]

I saw Paranoia Agent over 10 years ago and I remember feeling unsettled, but unable to look away. I watched it riveted, not quite sure why. I remembered Paranoia Agent not a month ago and remembered just how unnerved the entire show made me feel, and put it back on my to watch list. This video reminded me why I love Paranoia Agent as much as I do, and why it has been under my skin for so long. It also made me realize why the opening theme is simultaneously uplifting, but haunting.

[@balls261]

Man when I first watched Paranoia Agent I didn't really get it at all. I mean this was a couple years ago, and I caught on to most of the themes but didn't have the deep appreciation that a show like that deserves. However I still really enjoyed it. It's weird how we're able to become so entranced by some stories without really knowing why it is until later on. I identify with the daydreaming/escapism aspect a lot, but I didn't really realize just how much the show was about that until watching this video. I think that's not only a testament to the greatness of the series and how it can get under your skin like that, but also SuperEyepatchWolf's fantastic analysis.

[@Pkmute]

"In order to go through life , everyone needs something apart from reality."... that hit different cause its so true

[@Scarshadow666]

I loved how, despite the darkness and how the vast majority of the characters are swamped in delusion just to function throughout their lives, Ikari and (especially) his wife offer some much needed hope and brevity for people watching the show. The wife talking back to Little Slugger even felt more cheerful to me the suicide pact guys (because it's a more genuine and hard-won cheerfulness to me).

[@7heartsleft]

Don’t take this the wrong way, but this video made me feel sick. The way you conveyed the creepiness or the subjects mentioned made them feel much more threatening. Awesome work as always dude.

[@AsterSea]

Zero Comma Three Ever since the perfect Blue video, I've been feeling the same thing. It's brilliantly done.

[@MrMetalforever5]

I deal with anxiety a lot during the night and thought I was going to get through Halloween unscathed, but the opening subject, imagery, and music choice kept me up for the entire duration of the video when I had just laid down for bed. Fantastic editing and presentation.

[@Odinsday]

Same here. But it made me smile that much more.

[@toki-ko]

Same. When I saw the picture of the lady with the gaping mouth I actually noped out for a moment and closed KZbin.

[@totallynotraccoon]

+Tokiko Niko Yeah i'm surprised there's not more comments about it, that shit is creepy.

[@Snikeros]

The danger of misinformation by memetic spread huh? Neat

[@marchdarkenotp3346]

Call in the SCP Foundation, Antimemetics Division!

[@bjaurus6375]

@@marchdarkenotp3346 We don't have an Antimemetics Division!

[@NeostormXLMAX]

after what happened to projared recently lol at this accuracy

[@ericisnthereorthereeither562]

Great video! I was just thinking that this series needed more attention the other day! Apparently even Robin Williams liked this series enough, where he owned an autographed copy specifically signed to him from Satoshi Kon

[@moogyaka8940]

The suicidal and the gossip episodes are ones of the best i've ever seen in any series

[@jssekyl]

I see now why adult swim chose to play this during the Corona pandemic.

[@dieterdelange9488]

True: everyone in this show went insane, and the entire planet went insane in 2020.

[@plugshirt1762]

@@dieterdelange9488 eh 2020 was a pretty normal year people way overhyped how bad it was. If anything the year went better for me than most

[@cidzultima]

Episode 3 is just heartbreaking. Harumis struggle is such an well directed portrait of a mental illness that it was for me hard to watch. Kon was an absolute outstanding director.

[@The3bad3]

When I first saw this anime I was too young to truly understand it.Watching this video made me realize that this show is actually a masterpiece.Looks like I need to watch it again with a more mature view to truly enjoy it.

[@LieshaCichol]

My advise on watching the show. Don't binge watch it. Watch it as it was meant, once every week, since it'll take you that long for intent behind each episode sink into you. In good old newsgroup, there was thread dedicated to the episodes of the show and it took about three days of discussion there to realize the threesome in episode #8 actually succeeded in what they set out to do. (hint: pay attention to their shadow) Couldn't have spotted watching it back to back.

[@aminrosli9744]

Liesha Cichol thanks, the only anime, I decided not to bingewatch was mushishi and kino no tabi, for mushishi i watched it 1 episode before bed coz of the atmosphere of the anime, it sooo soothing, time to add this anime to “not bingewatching” list

[@aminrosli9744]

I already watched it after I comment at the top, I binged watch this series and i loved it (but i took few minutes of rest before proceeding to the next episodes)

[@thesila2000]

lol i justed binged watched it

[@qusigh]

I just finished it,I started watching it yesterday,I don't think I got the full picture but I gave it a try at least,unlike an ungreatful friend I have that didn't even bother watching the first episode I sent to him,yet he called it rediculous and for kids and it sucks and shit like that,idk y i try putting him on new shows obviously he doesn't appreciate/get it,always judging from first look,I can't stand fast not full thought out judgments.

[@leejk3926]

I binged it the last two days and I think I fully got the "experience". Episode 8 right at the end of the episode it hit me because how freaked out the girl with the camera were.

[@keith6293]

Satoshi Kon, A legend amongst legends. You will be dearly missed and fondly remembered.

[@mari-hr3ug]

i just noticed, at 4:09 you can see how the shadow of lil slugger lines up with maromi, which i think is symbolizing how the two of them are connected

[@CultofThings]

Thanks for talking about this one. No one talks about Paranoia Agent. I can't find it anywhere but it is one of my favorite Animes

[@NA-dx6kn]

Jeff Doe ikr! it's one of the best series i've watched, tbh

[@SolidTaylor]

Shows like Paranoia agent and Serial experiments Lain and so on from the late 90s and early 2000s is one of the the reasons because I watch anime. Because they are really something different, something special. I can't say that modern anime is bad, it's not, it's great, but its seams to me that its lacking of so experimental and unusual works like Paranoia agent, and that make me sad. But maybe I hear only about mainstream anime, and there is still something like this exists? If it is, I hope someone can write the names of that titles under this comment.

[@MtnNerd]

Also Stein's Gate

[@mischacarlberg6631]

I recommend shinsekai yori, and obviously neon genesis evangelion, but you have probably already watched that

[@az030597]

The only recent anime that got me on my knees was shinsekai yori, it got me this unsettling feeling like Paranoia Agent. Parasyte, Steins Gate and Devilman Crybaby are also pretty good, but the focus of discussion is different.

[@mischacarlberg6631]

@@az030597 Yeah, shinsekai yori is really unsettling

[@adgato75]

Boogiepop Phantom

[@ToonCrate]

Wolf daddy's at it again

[@ptahtao1950]

Toon Crate have my half-breed babies, wolf daddy

[@REALwoombath]

^this

[@redx589]

But where are the "Fall of Family Guy" and "Why you should NOT Watch Fairy Tail" vids?

[@Odinsday]

+Red x I would say "The Fall of Fairy Tail: How it Happened" and then I said "You'd have to have gone up at some point to fall."

[@thephantomoftheparadise5666]

This isn't Dishonored Wolf.

[@josh.outcast969]

They didn’t just stop dancing. They actually were exorcised. Essentially they believed they were ill, so they became ill. Then they believed they would be cured, so they were.

[@theotakuguy2571]

It is still sad to lose a talent like Satoshi Kon-sensei... His last film for Madhouse called "Dreaming Machine" was remained unfinished...

[@CakeLord7]

I'm also irish, and "12th century British shenanigans" was hilarious. As always, great video!

[@falcon5178]

:0)

[@BirdSniff]

I'm really late, but Paranoia Agent has been a force throughout my life tbh. I actually remember first watching this series. I was born in '95, so I was very young, the first time watching it. I probably watched it on Toonami tbh and, while watching this show, I happened to see a commercial for Gorillaz (lol) and, the crazy looking music video combined with the crazy show, Paranoia Agent, made me remember these names for years to come. Paranoia Agent probably isn't something you'd want to show to your tiny children, but the absolutly FASCINATING animation mixed with the story, which I couldn't quite follow at that age, is likely what made my interest in it stay for decade to follow. When I was about 18, I rewatched the series. It was easy to find because I still remembered its name. It was then I noticed the much heavier messages of the show; mostly I noticed the disturbing commentary it made on media. Rewatching this show was honestly one of the first times I seriously thought about the difference between intent and consequence. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone tbh. But watching this review half a decade later, I realize there may have been even more from this anime that I missed as an adolescent... I almost what to recommend it to people I know, cos I'm already aware that this show is SPECTACULAR... but I don't really know anyone who'd be interested in watching this show, or any show at all tbh. But I feel now like I have to watch it once more, hoping I'll finally find meaning in EVERYTHING the show brings. Basically, Paranoia Agent has been a life-long endeavor for me...........

[@stormcrowlegendary3512]

When you watched it the first time it was on Adult Swim. AS was just beginning to stop being mostly anime back then and there was a short time when Toonami had come back on the weekend and would follow into Adult Swim, which played anime until around 12 or 1 AM in the night on weekends before moving into whatever random terrible show they made with $5 and some cheap software.

[@stormcrowlegendary3512]

In case your wondering, I missed a lot of the content too. An episode a week was not enough to remember much and I was still getting to understand Japanese culture so I was often distracted.

[@BlackavarWD]

You can never watch it too many times... like Boogiepop Phantom or FLCL.

[@WaffleLord109]

Jesus I know this is a late comment but I had the exact same experience. I was born in 95 as well and my sister warned me about this show saying I was too young for it. I watched it anyway and was scarred for a while lol. But i couldn't resist watching because the animation alone was just so different.

[@BirdSniff]

@@WaffleLord109 funny that you can tell kids what they should and shouldn't do but you can't stop them from wanting to experiment and find out on their own lol. Wishing you good health and a peaceful week

[@mutsuhanma7807]

6:46 "Suicidal Thots" -Super Eyepatch Wolf 2017

[@BrotherGoose-b9o]

The nostalgia of a pre-social media society really kicked me in the shin. Think I was happier then.

[@TheEvilHumanist]

Absolutely loved this show. This show was a perfect example of a show can be subtly intense and maddening without being heavy handed. I renember a feeling of vulberability watching this show that few things (including Junji Ito) make me feel. I wonder what EPW think of Ren and Stimpy.

[@Visuwyg]

To be fair, you could have just played the incredible opening credits to convince everyone to watch Paranoia Agent.

[@sunkeerthtummala703]

Thank you Super Eyepatch Wolf for telling us when you're really going to start spoiling stuff. I like seeing anime with no idea what's going to happen next, however, I also don't want to waste my time on poorly made shows.

[@evagrius3818]

I'm so happy this is my favourite anime of all time, thanks you for this

[@brianaguila6925]

That mindfuck that is named Paprika is a masterpiece of the psychological genre. Never seen the horror if the line between reality and dreams suddenly blurred and affect people for the worst.

[@snowikitt1558]

Paranoia Agent is so good that I knew the twist going into it and yet I began to doubt myself, thinking maybe it was a different anime I was thinking of

[@davidagudelo2435]

mr Wolf. Congrats on this video. I think you hit the nail. However i think there is only just one aspect missing from the ideas proposed in Paranoia Agent: the subsequent responsability that arouses from accepting there is no scape to the harships of existance. As you see, in the chapter about the wife of the inspector, the ill woman speaks with lil' slugger about how she had accepted the inetability of what may come. And that is the underlying message i think Kon tried to depict: eyou can live ina fantasy world scaping the real one, but the real one will stay there no matter what. Sooner or later you will have to face your actions, your problems and your responsabilities. It kind of reminded me of the Radical Freedom from Camus and what Viktor Frankl talked about in his "Man in the search of meaning". You have to face reality, not with a depressed undertone of scapism and anxiety but with the calm and stoic mind of someone who has accepted the underlying meaningless that could face but that gives him the freedom to choose a purpose for him or herself. A ton of the stories revolve around not taking action in the face of a problems. I would like to hear your thoughts and again, keep the good work. I would give to your patreon but there are some financial and legal restrictions in my home country, Colombia. Have a nice day.

[@andeggbreaks]

Strongly agree with this. The episode starring Misae talking with Shounen Bat and how she managed to drive him away by accepting her reality was such a powerful and memorable moment, it gives me strength.

[@Scripinor]

>Super Eyepatch Wolf uploads "It's been 3 000 years..."

[@Rever-yl6om]

And the wait begins

[@zefile]

fuck you dude. making good videos takes time. and it's really discouraging to read comments like that.

[@LA_MALA_ORDINA]

+Quetzalcoatl “Zefile” it was just a joke man.

[@rachelfujotesh6141]

Jokes? Sarcasm? HUMOR??? Quetzalcoatl knows not of these mortal concepts. An unfortunate side effect of the severe, almost crippling, autism that afflicts them.

[@dahamdaham9827]

Rachel Fujotesh And Big Anime Tiddies

[@TheFatMoeChannel]

I loved Paranoia Agent!

[@resevoirdog]

You straight up turned me into a Manga fan in the matter of 2 videos. Thank you for letting me understand that before I never could and how much I was missing on being a performing artist trying to absorb everything but missing Japanese works entirely. I feel silly and so behind for missing this. Thank you nonetheless I've seen now almost your whole catalogue including the content you talk about

[@GarnetShuriken]

I fucking LOVE this show, a very underrated gem

[@Cabbolf]

Kon was a genius IMHO. His death was a loss for all mankind.

[@Uroboro_Djinn]

How did he die?

[@Kaosxca]

He died from pancreatic cancer

[@dieterdelange9488]

​@@Kaosxca He was working on a new film, too. Then he got diagnosed and was gone within weeks. :( I can't imagine how he would've depicted the insanity of today through his unique usage of surrealism and magic realism.

[@layceelay5382]

This was ALWAYS one of my favorite animes. I'm glad it gets the spotlight again

[@silenthero101]

"12th century British shenanigans" The most understated/funniest way I've heard British colonialism referenced.

[@infinityzer054]

always have kindness, challanger's spite, and determination...all 3 make you invincible

[@annalol6128]

I started watching this video like a year ago, stopped halfway when you said to avoid spoilers to watch the entire series, and I just now finished the video!! That means you did a damn good job :D

[@slowspectre9612]

i love your videos the scripting the subtle jokes and your voice (its a good story telling voice and presenting voice) its nice

[@aleksandernowocien8929]

Well, Dancing Plaque = TF2 Conga in nutshell

[@kenansabic2901]

Aleksander Nowocień And Kazotsky.

[@user-mb9nm7bq5e]

Lol teeth got to hurt if your plaque is dancing

[@Odinsday]

*Conga music intensifies*

[@cross612]

I got infected too

[@insomnial8153]

SPOILER WARNING Not only are Shonen Bat and Maromi the same in the they're Tsukiko's creations that took over the world, they also both tie back into the escapism theme by being characters she made to get away from reality. She made Maromi because she felt bad about her dog, and then throughout the series Maromi is there talking to her, making her feel better, always repeating that it's not her fault (her fantasy world). And then Shonen Bat was made to escape from the guilt of accidentally getting her dog killed and to not have to face that reality with her father. And in the last episode where we see Tsukiko hug Maromi and say she's sorry, aka finally accept this traumatic experience, Shonen Bat says goodbye and go away. And throughout the series, various other characters also take on this mass hysteria to feed into their own escapism, attacking themselves in order to be "free" and then blaming it on Shonen Bat. Such an amazing work of art.

[@Tornado1994]

Ala, St. Elsewhere.

[@rahjeel]

Satoshi Kon captured what the essence of an Urban Legend has with the character that is equally disturbing in fantastical and realistic sense.

[@sosayweall_jpg]

My absolute favorite anime of all time, with Kon being my fave creator/director. Great video, more people have to watch this series.

[@theresastarmanwaitinginthe5149]

Happy Halloween. Now to listen to Black Sabbath to get spooked.

[@kenansabic2901]

There's a starman waiting in the sky Already ahead of you there.

[@Lirus9Star]

Are you referencing the Thing Geezer Butler saw to make the song or something else?

[@d_wang9836]

There's a starman waiting in the sky And to get your stand

[@jamesharvey5530]

For all you emo kids in the house, black parade

[@kkona3429]

JUST LIKE WITCHES AT BLACK MASSES

[@dante224real1]

i ADORE how this show is created, told, designed, structured, and presented. its perfect emotional dissonance being experienced with a satire of the real world that we can all understand.

[@artofstorytelling9406]

Now this is how you do a "review". No scores, no "i got problems with xyz", just talk about the show and the ideas presented. Brilliant as always Wolf

[@christiandiordenimflo]

Art Of Storytelling But this clearly isn't a review then, is it?

[@xblowsmokex]

marda marda yes it is actually. Look up the definition of review

[@artofstorytelling9406]

marda marda if anything it is more of a review than your usual "review" that comes across more like an opinion piece, which has nothing wrong, but i feel Wolf's videos are not only opinion but also dissect the many different aspects of what makes a particular show appealing and to whom it might appeal

[@acegraham95]

Art Of Storytelling I see it as more like an in depth recommendation than a review

[@brandonontama2415]

This isn't an review it's a recommendation video. "i got problems with xyz" you really can't take criticism of your favourite show.

[@charming8961]

Yo, I first watched this video a few years ago, but i stopped before the spoilers because it sounded so interesting. I just finished watching the series for the first time tonight and holy crud am I glad I went in blind because WOW that was incredible beyond my wildest expectations :D Thanks for pointing me towards this series, dude!

[@Anna-tk7ui]

The Batter: Who are you? Lil' Slugger: I'm you, but smaller.

[@scaredofsociety6351]

Is that an off reference?

[@Anna-tk7ui]

@@scaredofsociety6351 Yep. Great game.

[@Pokémon-b8c]

Is that a baseball reference?

[@definepoetic]

Super Eyepatch Wolf is best girl.

[@ultimape]

Serial experiments Lain, and also perhaps key the metal Idol are of a similar sort of predictive capacity. Key is particularly interesting because instead of using the internet it's using the spread of VHS tapes as a medium of information exchange. Whereas lain is about the early internet. Lain becomes her own maromi.

[@DorkyKirikai]

No better time to watch it than now. It’s streaming on FUNimation and will be released on Blu Ray later this year

[@TheChiptuner]

Just watched the complete series on Funimation and I legit can’t wait for that physical release

[@willeysingleton3057]

I always watch the videos about stuff iv already seen, and enjoy my time immensely while you go over my favorites with an artists passion and a voice as smooth as silk. I cant watch the ones i haven't seen because, I love knowing what your talking about. I love agreeing tipping my hat, and being like yea your danm right.

[@radarrin553]

I watched this anime when I was a kid and it fcked me up ngl, but I still liked and recommended it when I got older lml

[@optimisticDuelist]

It's worth mentioning that, brilliant as Satoshi Kon is, he's not the only author to tackle this subject matter. Kon seems pretty strongly influenced by the writing of Carl Jung--Paprika's interest in the Collective Unconcious, as explored through both dreams and the internet, is obvious. The division between Reality and Fantasy in Paranoia Agent is a fairly clear analogue for the Plato's World of Ideas, which Jung was also highly interested in. And moments like the Police Officer's comfortable pursuit of the robber call to mind Jung's concept of the mythic Archetypes. This is worth mentioning mainly because if this is philosophical ground that one finds appealing, there are a number of works one can go to in order to explore the subject further. Revolutionary Girl Utena by Kunihiko Ikuhara is one such work in the Anime medium, and weirdly enough, Digimon was similarly ahead of its time in describing the internet as a sort of collective world of Ideas/Collective Unconcious, notable because it particularly draws attention to people's relationships with childhood and fandom. There's also the modern Webcomics scene here in the West. Particularly, Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Sidell and Homestuck by Andrew Hussie both draw from Jung, and deal with similar ideas in yet more different ways that I find just as compelling.

[@gamerlost526]

will take note of that.

[@parusastringent7073]

Important to note too that one of a big name in Digimon, Chiaki Konaka, is also the one who had a big role in anime like Serial Experiment Lain and Texhnolyze. He also touch Raxhephon, The BIg O, Ghost Hound, Princess Tutu.... With Staoshi Kon, this guy is another really big name in anime visionary artist.

[@optimisticDuelist]

Man I always wondered why Digimon so often seemed to touch on similar stuff, and that may well be the answer. Thanks for mentioning! I'll have to give him a closer look.

[@Samm815]

One thing though, Jung wasn't an author he was a psychiatrist who studied under Freund. But he ended up disagreeing with his master so much he started his own school of thought that just so happened to mirror a lot of Far Eastern ideas about the world.

[@optimisticDuelist]

A worthwhile clarification, thanks--I didn't mean to imply Jung was predominantly a writer. One note, it's less that it "so happened" to mirror a lot of Eastern ideas and more that they were legitimate, if distant, influences. A lot of Jung's thinking was rooted in his interest in Gnosticism, a grouping of pre-Church Christian sects and subcultures that took influence from all sorts of different areas of thought, like Plato's theory of forms/the Demiurge from Greek philosophy and Yin/Yang ideas from Taoism.

[@juanm128]

@Super Eyepatch Wolf Where i can find the two quotes you used in the video (quotes from Satoshi Kon). I need them for a reference. The quotes are: "A world a person perceives is filtered by their own fantasy and paranoia" 7:49 (7:46 reference to Satoshi Kon) "In order to go through to life, everyone needs something apart from reality" 17:17 (17:14 reference to Satoshi Kon)

[@catwitch2479]

"Gross dudes who probably review anime on the internet" "..... oh god" I love that subtle joke XD Seriously though dude your vids are awesome so don't worry about it, I binge watched all your Satoshi Kon stuff like a month or so ago

[@izayuhcornball1572]

Back again, years later. Cheers, to a great video and great show

[@pranjalvats3787]

One of my favorite moments is when Kon visually represents how the chief struggles to 'follow' the lil' slugger's story