Paprika (2006) Papurika (original title)

Director:

Satoshi Kon

Writers:

Yasutaka Tsutsui (novel)
Seishi Minakami (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 November 2006 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

This is your brain on anime.

Plot:

When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patient's dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist can stop it: Paprika.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Arboretum | Banner | Betrayal | Video Telephone

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Megumi Hayashibara	...	Paprika / Chiba Atsuko (voice)
Tôru Furuya	...	Tokita Kohsaku (voice)
Kôichi Yamadera	...	Osanai Morio (voice)
Katsunosuke Hori	...	Shima Tora-taroh (voice)
Tôru Emori	...	Inui Sei-jiroh (voice)
Akio Ôtsuka	...	Detective Kogawa Toshimi (voice)
Hideyuki Tanaka	...	Guy (voice)
Satomi Koorogi	...	A doll (voice)
Daisuke Sakaguchi	...	Himuro Kei (voice)
Mitsuo Iwata	...	Tsumura Yasushi (voice)
Rikako Aikawa	...	Kakimoto Nobue (voice)
Shin'ichirô Ôta	...	Reporter (voice)
Satoshi Kon	...	Jin-nai (voice)
Yasutaka Tsutsui	...	Kuga (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brian Beacock	...	Hajime Himuro / Kuga (voice: English version)
Doug Erholtz	...	Dr. Morio Osanai (voice: English version)
Michael Forest	...	Dr. Seijiro Inui (voice: English version)
David Lodge	...	Dr. Torataro Shima (voice: English version)
Yuri Lowenthal	...	Dr. Kosaku Tokita (voice: English version)
Cindy Robinson	...	Dr. Atsuko Chiba / Paprika (voice: English version)
Paul St. Peter	...	Detective Toshimi Konakawa (voice: English version)
Ezra Weisz	...	Konakawa's Old Friend (voice: English version) (as Ethan Murray)

Directed by
Satoshi Kon

Writing credits
Yasutaka Tsutsui		(novel)
Seishi Minakami		(screenplay) &
Satoshi Kon		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jungo Maruta	....	executive producer
Masao Takiyama	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Susumu Hirasawa

Cinematography by
Michiya Katou

Film Editing by
Takeshi Seyama

Art Direction by
Nobutaka Ike

Art Department
Satoshi Hashimoto	....	color designer

Sound Department
Masafumi Mima	....	sound director

Animation Department
Masashi Ando	....	animation director
Masashi Ando	....	character designer
Hisashi Eguchi	....	animator
Hideki Hamazu	....	animator
Shinji Hashimoto	....	animator
Kaichi Honma	....	animator
Ei Inoue	....	animator
Ei Inoue	....	assistant animation director
Toshiyuki Inoue	....	animator
Toshiyuki Inoue	....	assistant animation director
Yoshimi Itazu	....	animator
Takashi Kawaguchi	....	animator
Kumiko Kawana	....	animator
Ken'ichi Konishi	....	animator
Tetsuya Kumagai	....	animator
Michio Mihara	....	animator
Michio Mihara	....	assistant animation director
Yasunori Miyazawa	....	animator
Mitsunori Murata	....	animator
Hiroyuki Okiura	....	animator
Yasumitsu Suetake	....	layout artist
Michiyo Suzuki	....	animator
Norimoto Tokura	....	animator

Editorial Department
Mathieu Reid	....	color timer

Other crew
Masao Maruyama	....	development
Ezra Weisz	....	voice director

Production Companies

• Madhouse
• Paprika Film Partners
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan)

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Classics (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2007) (Canada) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2007) (Argentina) (all media)
• LK-TEL (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2006) (USA) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2006) (Japan) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Milan Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Papurika" - Japan (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violent and sexual images

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | France:U | Italy:T | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Australia:M | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R13 | Denmark:7 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Portugal:M/12

Company:

Madhouse

Trivia:

When Paprika interviews Kogawa in his filmmaker guise, his mannerisms and appearance resemble that of Akira Kurosawa.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Paprika:Time for the greatest show on earth!

Movie Connections:

References Roman Holiday (1953)

Soundtrack:

Mediational Field

More lucid dreams from Satoshi Kon

I saw this two days ago at the New York Film Festival.

The plot: What happens when we acquire technology that allows us to migrate the boundary between dreams & reality, and what happens when that boundary blurs?

The Animation: Stunning; Madhouse always does good work and Kon's movies always produce some fun reality bending sequences.

The Music: Susumu Hirasawa who did the Paranoia Agent soundtrack came up with the score here too. The opening song is a particularly infectious number. It makes you smiley. It's like the opening song from Paranoia Agent on steroids. I really could not get the grin off my face till the beginning sequence ended.

The Cast: The voice cast is headed by Megumi Hayashibara, probably the most prolific and well known female seiyuu ever, with roles such as Rei Ayanami (Evangelion), Lina Inverse (Slayers), and Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop) to her credit. Akio Ohtsuka and Koichi Yamadera, Batou & Togusa of Ghost in the Shell fame, both play major roles as well. All do a fabulous job as usual, but Hayashibara really shines in her Paprika role.

This film has great animation, music & actors, but the plot is really just a thin veneer for the lucid dreaming sequences that permeate so much of Satoshi Kon's work. I still recommend seeing it because it's a really light fun film, but I don't think it adds up to being more than the sum of some really great parts. I think this one needs to be enjoyed in pieces rather than as a whole.