Bodysuit 23 #570

Yesterday I went to my brother and his fiancee's house to watch some anime. We wound up watching the entirety of Paranoia Agent, Perfect Blue, an episode of Cromartie, and a bit of Konosuba.

Paranoia Agent seriously holds up, and I highly recommend picking it up. It's easily available in store at Walmart for like $30, which was where I went and grabbed it right before heading over.

The first time I watched it was its original broadcast in 2004/5, so when I was 14 or 15. When it was broadcasted, I didn't quite comprehend the theme of the show, despite how the fact it slaps you in the face with it repeatedly and straight up tells you. I mostly watched it because "Whoa! I've never seen anything like this!" Even when I rewatched it years later when I was like 18/19ish, I still didn't really get it.

I mean, of course I didn't get it at the time. It's about people being pushed into a corner unable to find a way out of their circumstances, and relying on a fantasy as a means of escape. Dumb young me living at my parent's house fucking around at community college wouldn't understand the feeling these people were going through.

Having dealt with depression, constant worrying about my future, and seeing how fucked everythings been getting for the past 5-6 years, I really get what the characters are dealing with. People want an escape from their troubles and problems, and Lil' Slugger/Maromi gives them the outlet to escape. Maromi gives people a distraction, that the people become obsessed with, despite the fact the people working behind the scenes are being driven to the brink (the original creator of Maromi and those working in the same character company. Even everyone in the anime studio working on the anime adaption literally dying producing one episode only to be ignored by those around them because all that matters is the episode is finished (that episode really gets depressing when you think about how fucked up the industry working conditions is and the fact this show is a decade and a half old and nothing's changed)).

And then you have Lil' Slugger. A way to give yourself a few days from having to deal with the shit happening around you. "If only Lil' Slugger attacked me, then I wouldn't have to deal with my problems). There's even someone who wound up using him to kill themself.

Ultimately, one must confront their issues head on and not try to push it away or reject it, as it will only grow into a much larger problem that will completely consume you (and all of Tokyo).

With 2020 coming to an end and the hellscape that is 2021 to look forward to, and no Captain Murphy to ease our suffering, it's a nice show to watch and reflect on. Also Susumu Hirasawa's music is good in it. Also makes me sad we never got another TV series from Satoshi Kon.