Paranoia Agent
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| Paranoia Agent | |
| File:Paranoia agent.jpg Paranoia Agent wallpaper | |
| Genre | Mystery, Paranormal, Psychological, Seinen |
|---|---|
| Created by | Satoshi Kon |
| Anime | |
| Directed by | Satoshi Kon |
| Studio | Madhouse |
Paranoia Agent (妄想代理人, Mōsō Dairinin) is a 2004 13-episode anime television series. It was created by Japanese director Satoshi Kon and produced by Madhouse.
On May 28, 2005 Paranoia Agent began airing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim using an English language dub produced by New Generation Pictures. The show has finished airing in both Japan and the United States. However, Paranoia Agent is being re-aired on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim beginning June 6, 2006.
Story
When darkness overcomes the heart, Lil' Slugger appears...
An elementary school boy on rollerblades dubbed Lil' Slugger (Shōnen Bat in Japanese) is said to be responsible for a series of mysterious hit-and-run assaults in Tokyo. None of the victims can recall the boy's face and only two distinct details are left in their memories: golden rollerblades and the weapon, a golden baseball bat bent like a dog's leg.
Two police detectives, Keiichi Ikari and Mitsuhiro Maniwa, are assigned to the case to track down the perpetrator and put an end to his crimes. Starting with the first victim, Tsukiko Saki, a shy character designer who created the immensely popular pink dog Maromi, the detectives follow what little clues they have and try to apprehend the mysterious "boy". Just when they think they have solved the case, new evidence about the attacker leads them towards a frightening revelation.
Episode Listing
- Enter Lil' Slugger (Lil' Slugger claims his first victims)
- The Golden Shoes (A popular schoolboy is believed to be the young assailant)
- Double Lips (A woman is pushed to the breaking point as she fights her alter-ego)
- A Man's Path (A corrupt policeman rather surprisingly captures Lil' Slugger)
- The Holy Warrior (The otaku suspect takes the detectives through his RPG reality)
- Fear of a Direct Hit (The detectives have a startling realization as Lil' Slugger claims another victim)
- MHz (One detective deduces Lil' Slugger's true purpose as his main suspect meets a grisly fate)
- Happy Family Planning (Three internet correspondents rendezvous for a suicide pact)
- ETC (Housewives gossip about Lil' Slugger)
- Mellow Maromi (The ill-fated crew producing the Maromi anime show suffers staffing shortages)
- Entry Forbidden (Lil' Slugger meets his psychological match in the form of a frail, sickly wife)
- Radar Man (The young detective dons a superhero outfit and battles Lil' Slugger to uncover his mysterious past)
- Final Episode (A black mass overruns the city as the truth behind Lil' Slugger is finally revealed)
Characters
These are the major characters of Paranoia Agent. For more information on these or other characters, see Paranoia Agent Characters.
- Tsukiko Sagi (鷺 月子, Sagi Tsukiko)
- One of the central characters of the series, she is a famous, but timid, character designer best known for a cartoonish dog named Maromi. She carries a plush toy copy of Maromi everywhere. She is the Li'l Slugger's first apparent victim in the series, and is the catalyst which jump-starts the plot.
- Li'l Slugger
- Li'l Slugger (Shōnen Bat in the original Japanese, lit. "Bat Boy") is the enigmatic figure which the series revolves around. He looks like a grinning, baseball cap-wearing juvenile who travels on golden rollerblades and attacks people with a matching gold-colored metal baseball bat that is curiously bent.
- Detective Keiichi Ikari (猪狩慶一, Ikari Kei'ichi)
- One of two police detectives assigned to investigate the attacks by the Li'l Slugger. He is extremely old fashioned and often yearns for the simpler, less hurried times but is often chastisized for this by his young and idealistic partner Mitsuhiro Maniwa.
- Detective Mitsuhiro Maniwa
- Young, idealistic, and a flexible thinker, Maniwa is the perfect complement as well as foil to the more rustic Keīchi Ikari. He is open-minded and often unconventional in his methods.
- Maromi (マロミ)
- Maromi is a popular Sanrio-esque mascot created by Tsukiko Sagi. A pink dog with big black eyes and droopy ears, Maromi is considered rather cute in appearance. Maromi proves to be more than just a simple toy.
Analysis
There are many intentional loose ends in Paranoia Agent. The show is also rife with symbolism that provides more explanation to the original Japanese audience, but not to those unfamiliar with Japanese folklore and mythology. The ending is intentionally ambiguous to provoke thought and discussion. Common questions that arise are:
- What exactly were Maromi and Lil' Slugger, and how did they become real?
- What happened to Mitsuhiro Maniwa, and what were his and the Old Man's purposes in the story? The Old Man's purpose in the plot seems important; however it is never explained, and is left ambiguous as he passes his job over to Maniwa before he dies.
- What was the meaning of Maniwa's rather creepy monologue in place of the next episode preview at the end of the last episode?
- What were the individual fates of each of the story's main characters? For example, did Shogo ever patch things up with Ichi, and did Chono somehow overcome her illness? What was the ultimate fate of the troubled Hirukawa family? Although it is generally hinted that things are better off nothing specific is shown.
- What did Maniwa find out in the end that was so startling? Is it in relation to the cat seen in the end on the big T.V. screen?
- What was the exact importance of the otaku and his plastic anime character dolls that seemingly came to life? He, like the old man, seemed to have a part to play in the show's events.
- Is Li'l Slugger gone for good? Are there other entities besides him and Maromi?
- Why did Lil' Slugger kill Makoto, aka "Fox", rather than knock him unconscious like the previous victims? This may be because by hitting each victim, he helped them. Fox wanted to die, and so he got his wish. What connection did "Fox" have with the trio from Happy Family Planning? What was his connection with the old man, aka "his master"? Apparently Makoto enabled Maniwa to further understand the old man and enter and interact with the delusional reality of Maromi.
- Why were Fuyubachi, Zebra and Komome (Happy Family Planning) committing suicide? Was "Fox" going to commit suicide with them? Why was Lil' Slugger afraid of the trio?*
- Lil' Slugger was afraid of Fuyubachi, Zebra, and Komome because they were already dead. That's why they couldn't kill themselves. Fuyubachi realizes this near the end when he can't see his shadow. Another interpretation could be that Lil' Slugger was afraid of the three due to the fact that, unlike the other characters in the series, they seem to feel a much lesser degree of fear/anxiety, and none at all when "confronted by" (actually cornering) Lil' Slugger. Lil' Slugger is often thought to be the anthropomorphic representation of anxiety and stress, so their admiration and eagerness to meet him is possibly what sets him off. In the episode "Entry Forbidden," Misae Ikari seems particularly aware of this in her handling of the entity.
- What was the significance of the number 510 (Tsukiko's adress, shown in episode one), the answer to the equation?
- It was also the number of a hospitel room for one of Shounen Bat's Victims.
The series' ending and its loose ends are enthusiastically debated among the show's fans. No official explanations or follow-ups have been offered by Satoshi Kon.
Symbolism
Symbolism plays a vital part in the revelation of the plot, both on the episodic level and in the series overall. Although often subtle, better understanding of these symbols may bring better understanding of the characters and the story.
Names
Each of the characters who were canonically attacked by Lil' Slugger (that is, before episode 7) have names which correspond to animals; "Sagi" Tsukiko means egret; "Kawazu" is an archaic term for frog (which is also relevant to the episode where the "supposed" Lil' slugger is recounting his RPG like tale in the episode "Holy Warrior" in which Kawazu is a frog-man); "Ushi" means Cow (note: he is also the fat kid of his class); "Tai" means Fish; "Chō means Butterfly (incidentally Chō-chō can also mean butterfly, possibly alluding to the dual nature of the character, and her character in the RPG episode is portrayed as a butterfly princess); and the "Hiru" means "leech". The characters are repeatedly substituted for these animals, and the sequence of attacks (sans leech) is explained and foreshadowed in the old man's rambling charcoal drawing in the hospital.
Phases of the Moon
There are some parallels between the phases of the moon and the progress of the story; there are very obvious cuts to the moon, and Tsukiko's first name means "moon child"; she is also referred to as the moon which reflects the light of Maromi's sun (obviously a pun on the name). In the first episode, Tsukiko is shown browsing a web page title "MOON LIGHT Tsukiko's Room", which displays a logo of Maromi hanging on to a crescent moon.
The Significance of Shogo's Palm Tree
One of the most debated things in Paranoia Agent is the meaning of the palm tree replica that Shogo was carrying when walking with Yuichi near the end of episode 2. This symbol reappears near the end of the series when Yuichi clutches a smaller palm tree replica.
One possibility is that the palm tree represents victory, joy, and/or success [1]. In the story, Shogo, despite his difficulties at his old school, keeps a positive outlook and seems to make friends at his new school while Yūichi becomes ostracized. Later on, Yuichi's palm tree could indicate a yearning for Shōgo's success or Yūichi beginning to rebuild his once overwhelming success.
The tree could even be a play on words in Japanese. In Japanese, there are many different kanji for the sound ki. Two of the most common are the kanji for feeling or spirit (気) and the kanji for tree (木), both of which can be read as ki. The phrase ki o motsu is an expression meaning to keep one's spirits up, or to be positive. However, these words can also mean "to hold a tree". This also could relate to the series introduction sequence, in which various major characters are seen laughing and "keeping their spirits up" in various deadly or desolate environments.
Some fans say the tree was just a school project of Shogo's that he did because he liked Palm Trees and Yuichi had the keychain as a symbol of their new friendship.
Crows
The crows in the Harumi/Maria episode (episode 3) are symbolic of her "schizophrenia" (actually dissociative identity disorder). The growing number of crows are evocative of the crow-like karasu tengu and specifically tengu kakushi (literally "hidden by a tengu"), an obsolete Japanese term for dementia or schizophrenia.
Baseball Bats
The series' multiple depictions of baseball bats may be symbolic of truth, or reality. Lil Slugger carries a bent bat, indicating that he and Maromi delude their victims with false hope, or perhaps further symbolizes Lil' Slugger's existence as a made-up delusion. In contrast, Maniwa finds a baseball bat which Tsukiko's father carried, and uses it as an "ancient sword, carried by a man who uses it to destroy the lies he sees through." The "Mellow Maromi" cartoon depicts a boy who lets go of his bat because he is depressed about baseball, as Maromi tells him to "take a rest". It is also assumed that the bent bat was literally the real Maromi's broken leg or form, which cast its shadow after the accident and appeared similar to a bent bat. In the Japanese version, Lil Slugger's bat is said to be shaped like the hiragana く (ku) which can mean "suffering".
Social Commentary
Satoshi Kon is famous for his use of social commentary and Paranoia Agent is no exception. (for baseball bat related crimes in Japan: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1074427.stm) Subtle commentary on his views of school peer pressure, loss of identity, prevalence of cultural icons (such as Maromi, often seen as a criticism of highly marketable anime mascots such as the poring from Ragnarok Online), ambiguity of morality, nature of social and personal growth, criticism of the harsh conditions of Japanese animators, and criticism of the otaku subculture is found throughout the show. Much of the commentary can be tied to Takashi Murakami's superflat manifesto, with the views of how reality and fantasy are being blurred in postwar Japan. Kon has been critically acclaimed for making social commentary a major and effective part of his work.
Media
- Paranoia Agent Volume 1 - Enter Lil' Slugger (October 26, 2004, Geneon, DVD)
- Paranoia Agent Volume 2 - True Believers (January 11, 2005, Geneon, DVD)
- Paranoia Agent Volume 3 - Serial Psychosis (March 8, 2005, Geneon, DVD)
- Paranoia Agent Volume 4 - Sayonara Maromi (May 10, 2005, Geneon, DVD)
- Paranoia Agent Complete Collection (July 5, 2005, Geneon, 4-DVD set)
Theme Songs
Opening
- "夢の島思念公園 [Yume no Shima Shinen Kouen - Dream Island Obsessional Park]" by Susumu Hirasawa
Ending
- "Shiroi Oka - Maromi no Theme [White Hill - Maromi's Theme]" by Susumu Hirasawa
External links
