Among the cult figures of Japanese animation, director Satoshi Kon rightfully takes the place of one of the most extraordinary creators. In his works, he managed to combine dreams and reality, depicting memorable and colorful paintings. Since childhood, Satoshi was fond of drawing, manga, anime, so he decided to connect his future life with these hobbies, enrolling in the Musashino Art University.
The beginning of the creative path
During his student days, he got acquainted with the work of science fiction writer Yasutaki Tsutsui, whose books are saturated with dreams, psychology, and black humor. He liked the author's prose so much that in the future it was reflected in the future director's own projects.
After university he started working as a manga artist, helping the authors of various projects. But that all changed when he met Katsuhiro Otomo, who dragged Satoshi into the anime industry. Through total dedication, originality, and commitment, Cohn had new connections that helped him achieve the director's job.
Satoshi Kon's original style
In his works, Satoshi often uses metaphors and surrealism, skillfully depicting the main plot elements with their help. At the same time, viewers see not only interesting stories, but also insanely dynamic, vivid, unforgettable scenes. If you want to immerse yourself in the world of the gifted creator's dreams come to life, then here is a list of the best anime films by Satoshi Kon.
Perfect Blue 1998
- Genre: drama, psychological, horror
- Rating: Kinopoisk - 7.6, IMDb - 8.0.
Young and beautiful member of the pop group Mima Kirigoe decides to change her career. To do this, she gives up singing and tries to become an actress, signing up for a role in a controversial film. But not all of her fans approve of such a step, and one of them begins to pursue everywhere. The further Mima plunges into a new career, the more terrible the events in her life happen. The mysterious death of loved ones, strange hallucinations, frightening dreams. It seems that Mima is beginning to lose touch with reality ...
Millennium Actress (Sennen Joyuu) 2002
- Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Drama, Adventure, Historical
- Rating: Kinopoisk - 7.7, IMDb - 7.9.
Director Genye Tachibane is a longtime fan of the famous actress Chiyoko Fujiwara. Therefore, the Ginei Film Studio instructs him to shoot a documentary about Chiyoko's past, as well as her career. Although she is already old, she perfectly remembers all her roles and is ready to talk about them. From this moment, Guinea's bright and fantastic journey through the events of the past begins.
Once Upon a Time in Tokyo (Tokyo Godfathers) 2003
- Genre: Drama, Comedy
- Rating: Kinopoisk - 7.7, IMDb - 7.8.
An interesting and kind story about three homeless people living in a huge multi-million dollar Tokyo. At one point, fate confronts them with a newborn child found in the trash. Wishing the kid a better life, the homeless decide to find his parents. Traveling through the streets of the city, they are imbued with its atmosphere and remember their past. What can the search for the child's parents turn into for them?
Paprika 2006
- Genre: Science Fiction, Psychological Detective, Thriller
- Rating: Kinopoisk - 7.5, IMDb - 7.7.
Screen adaptation of the book of the same name by Yasutaki Tsutsui. In the near future, a unique device for psychotherapy - DC Mini - appears. With its help, you can penetrate a person's dreams and follow his thoughts. Scientists are using the device to heal patients' mental problems. But suddenly one of the devices disappears, and the thief himself begins to use it for evil. All over the city, people go crazy while sleeping, which makes the device a real weapon. One of the creators of DC Mini, Atsuka Chiba, takes on this problem.
Deserved recognition and tragedy
"Paprika" is the last full-length work by Satoshi Kon. The animated film was presented at the Venice Film Festival and nominated for the Golden Lion. From that moment, Satoshi Kon became known to the whole world.
The director began to be invited to international exhibitions, and the name Satoshi Kon and his Paprika repeatedly appeared at awards at various festivals. Even famous filmmaker Christopher Nolan said that for the filming of the movie "Inception" drew some of the inspiration from "Paprika", making several references in the film.
Unfortunately, at the height of his career, Satoshi Kon contracted pancreatic cancer and died suddenly on August 24, 2010. On this day, the world lost a talented director who could present the viewer with a real riot of colors and human imagination.
Unfinished creation
Before his death, Satoshi was working on his next project - Dreaming Machine. It was supposed to be a feature-length animated film about unusual robots with human characters capable of dreaming. In this anime, he wanted to combine children's and adult problems, making the picture interesting for all ages.
Kon asked his friend and part-time producer Masao Maruyama to complete the piece after his death. But, unfortunately, the project did not have enough funding, and it was postponed indefinitely. Recently, rumors have appeared on the network that the "Dream Machine" is again in development. Masao himself confirmed them, but did not name the exact release date. Fans of Satoshi Kon's work hopes that they will soon be able to see the work of their favorite author again and remind the whole world about one of the interesting, gifted directors of the full-length anime.