Paprika

After a lengthy viewing of Tokyo Gore Police (slow but perfectly over-the-top) a friend suggested i check out Paprika, an anime adaption of a Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel of the same name. It involves a new psychotherapy device, the DC-mini, that allows people to record and watch dreams, as well as share dreams with others. Someone steals the device and madness ensues. Overall the plot is chaotic but fluid, dream-like in every way. It is also beautifully animated. go watch it! (instantly if you have Netflix).



Though the novel was published in 1993, it is only being translated into English this year. Here you can find the first 30 pages or so.


I've also started watching Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex in the hopes of finishing all 52 episodes before they expire from Netflix streaming video on April 1st.



Netflix also suggested i check out:

FLCL - "A rock 'n' roll psychedelic romp often compared to Yellow Submarine, Fooly Cooly (or FLCL) is a mind-bending visual rocket ride using anime aliens as allegory for teen angst. The protagonist, 12-year-old Naota, has his life changed forever when he's run over by a guitar-wielding woman on a Vespa. The woman, Haruko, causes a horn to grow from Naota's forehead, but that's just the beginning of adventures for this slightly cynical, lovesick hero."




Desert Punk - "In a futuristic Japan, where fate has transformed the once-lush landscape into the giant Kanto desert, the complexities of everyday life have pushed many to become criminals, and innocence, decency and heroism are scarce. Amid the chaos, a pint-sized bounty hunter named Sunabouzu (aka the Desert Punk) -- armed with a reputation for excellence and admittedly less-than-noble intentions -- is just looking for his next paycheck."




Dead Leaves - "After awakening on Earth with no recollection of who they are or how they got there, otherworlders Pandy and Retro go on a crime spree. But they're soon apprehended and sent to Dead Leaves, a high-tech prison on the moon, and discover that the facility is also used for cloning and bizarre genetic experiments. Before long, the duo enlists the aid of their deformed fellow inmates in an attempt to escape from the prison."