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DKL
Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1956
Location: California, USA
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:42 pm
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Here we go... I might be a little loose since it's been a while...
This is spoilers that cover the whole series, so I guess you can only read when you finish up
scorpioEDC wrote: | I am not sure whether the director himself can make any sense out of this series.
Is the destruction of the city by those black stuffs, goo, ashes or whatever (using it to symbolize a riot in the city?) at the end of the series a reality or illusion?
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Okey-dokey, so I added these neat spoiler tags... and highlight to view my take on the thing *yay*
The destruction in the ending is pretty much reality, people have began to cave under stress and the lil' slugger thing got out of control mainly because... up front, we're told that MAROMI has completely disappeared...
if I were to put it into context, I think what it means is that everyone lost their MAROMI crap, but then at the same time which results in this weird mass panic *the series is somewhat about coincidence when you think about it*
Where people are either pissed off, blaming eachother, etc.
well... that and people keep imagining a bunch of weird BS too
We most likely see black goop since we can't see EVERYONE'S different perception of lil' slugger *which at this point is pretty much distorted beyond belief*
So yeah, it could be people rioting, crashing cars, etc.
but everyone involved thinks it's lil' slugger fault
And the image they see is real, mainly because the person who started it *Tsukiko* hasn't admitted to her lie yet
Sort of in the same sense that the people attacked in the earlier episodes all claimed that they were assaulted by KOUSUKA *the fake lil' slugger*
when in truth, it was just USHIYAMA *the fat kid*
But since they all corroborate "the truth"... it's well... "the truth"...
making it seem real
chapel382 wrote: |
episode about the 3 online friends:
i don't git it were they already dead??????
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Gonna just cross post this since I've actually answered this before:
Also, this spoiler only covers what was shown on CARTOON NETWORK so far
Okay, they were alive at the beginning of the episode, they did have shadows *notice how they were fanning the flames and stuff*
they probably died around there *meaning it was either the monoxide (or something) poisoning or the pills* since when they got down after the contruction crew tore the place, they didn't have shadows anymore...
as for the reasons: *I might be confusing the names of the 2 men, it's been a while*
-ZEBRA: His lover *another man* left him
-FUYUBACHI *the old guy*: He's kinda tired of living... I mean, he IS old
-KAMOME *the little girl*: She says it herself, she doesn't want to be alone, which she probably was without her online friends
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Wufei
Joined: 05 Jul 2005
Posts: 50
Location: Virginia
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:53 am
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The whole "Little Slugger" thing had me watching until the plot just seem to fall off right after the video game episode. Now I don't even bother to watch. It just made me loose interest.
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DKL
Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1956
Location: California, USA
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:08 am
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I need a higher resolution avatar
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AL429
Joined: 09 Jul 2004
Posts: 11
Location: So. CA, USA
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:08 am
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Wufei wrote: | The whole "Little Slugger" thing had me watching until the plot just seem to fall off right after the video game episode. Now I don't even bother to watch. It just made me loose interest. |
Actually that's really too bad since you'll be missing out on a very ingenious ending and shocking conclusion to whole Lil' Slugger (Shounen Bat) plot. Contrary to what most folks might think, Episode 5 "The Holy Warrior" of Paranoia Agent is a re-cap of the plot at that point in the series (episodes 1-4). I guess you have to be familiar with RPGs to really understand that episode, which is why most folks won't comprehend it and thinks it's a break in the plot of the series. Most of the characters described in episode 5 are actually the victims of Lil' Slugger (Shounen Bat) to that point in the series. It just that the creators of the series use a more symbolic approach to that episode as most of the "mystical characters and Monsters" in that episode represents each of the victims and describe them pretty well in the context of that episode.
That's pretty much the general point of episode 5. I could go in to details some more if asked to but mainly that episode serves as a recap of events in past episodes 1-4 in the series. BTW, I really recommend that folks watch the series on DVD as [Adult Swim] screwed up some of the details when they failed to air the translated English subtitles to the relevant on-screen written Kanji in the series. Mostly it does explain some of the names of all the characters (Lil' Slugger Victims) up to that point having symbolic animal meanings behind them. For example: part of Yuichi Taira's name means fish thus the fish analogy in the series, and part of Harumi Chono's name means Butterfly, and part of Akio Kawazu's name means frog and so on. That would of help in the understanding of that episode as well if that part of it was explain before hand.
Overall, Paranoia Agent, like most of Satoshi Kon's works, is a acquired taste. It does get weird and hard to understand at some point, but after some repeated viewings and some thought, the whole series DOES make perfect sense and isn't that hard to understand. BTW, Paranoia Agent isn't your "a typical anime" either which is why it's special, IMHO, and one of my personal all time Anime Favorites.
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DKL
Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1956
Location: California, USA
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:15 am
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The episode with the RPG thing also sort of reminded me of the story-telling style of MILLENIUM ACTRESS actually
It's an important episode too though, this is the part where:
We see everyone lying out of their asses *With the exception of USHIYAMA, who wasn't even too sure if it was KOZUKA that attacked him*
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AL429
Joined: 09 Jul 2004
Posts: 11
Location: So. CA, USA
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:06 am
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DKL wrote: | The episode with the RPG thing also sort of reminded me of the story-telling style of MILLENIUM ACTRESS actually
It's an important episode too though, this is the part where:
We see everyone lying out of their asses *With the exception of USHIYAMA, who wasn't even too sure if it was KOZUKA that attacked him* |
Well, this is a work by Satoshi Kon after all. Not only Millennium Actress (also one of my personal favorites) but I see stuff related to Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, and part of Magnetic Rose from Otomo's Memories are all noticeable in Paranoia Agent.
BTW, nice catch about episode 5. Really puts things to perspective especially what happens at the end of the series. I'm personally trying to stay away from giving out spoilers at this point since I've been use to that on other on-line forums.
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DKL
Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1956
Location: California, USA
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:31 pm
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When you look at it, the production design of PARANOIA AGENT is what they used for TOKYO GODFATHERS *minus all the snow*
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hell, those old ladies were there
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v1cious
Joined: 31 Dec 2002
Posts: 6208
Location: Houston, TX
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:54 pm
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DKL wrote: | When you look at it, the production design of PARANOIA AGENT is what they used for TOKYO GODFATHERS *minus all the snow* |
yeah i noticed that in episode 8
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FullMetal52
SPAMMER
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
Posts: 24
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:44 pm
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For some reason i just want to see more of that show...Adult Swim has given it the perfect spot in their line-up!!Late at night when you start to get tired and then BAM!!! a creepy show with a deep twisting plot that keeps you thinking!!! It is like a cold glass of water on my head seeing that show!!! And i love the beginning...the laughing is crazy!!All i have to say is god bless you AS for putting a show like that at the perfect time!!
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Key
Moderator
Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18247
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:58 pm
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Curious you should mention that, FullMetal52. . .
According to Satoshi Kon in one of the vol. 4 audio commentaries, Paranoia Agent originally aired on Japanese TV at midnight. The opener to it was deliberately designed to be a lively piece to "wake people up" at the beginning of the show and the closer was deliberately designed to be a sedate piece to tell people "it's time to go to bed" at the end.
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DKL
Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1956
Location: California, USA
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:48 pm
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Yeah, he said that... but still, 1AM is a bit much...
wait, is it still at 1AM?
Anyway, still try my best to stay up for it
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AL429
Joined: 09 Jul 2004
Posts: 11
Location: So. CA, USA
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 9:08 am
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DKL wrote: | Yeah, he said that... but still, 1AM is a bit much...
wait, is it still at 1AM?
Anyway, still try my best to stay up for it |
Sadly, yes... ...on both days that it is on in their current schedule. Still, I'm managing to stay up for it, and really the only show at the moment that really interest me in their line up now. Even though I've seen the whole series a year ago before hand and is actually buying the Official R1 DVDs of the series.
I guess [AS] need to appeal to the ratings, and the "action" and Inuyasha fans first before anything. I just hope they would give Paranoia Agent a decent weeknight time spot if the series gets a entire re-run rotation after its initial premiere.
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FullMetal52
SPAMMER
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
Posts: 24
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Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 11:53 pm
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I always pull myself to watch it...but then after it takes me a while to get to sleep I'm still thinkin even after the show is long done...and i've never seen the dvd's so im not tryin to copy anythin...just my own little opinion...
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DKL
Joined: 08 May 2005
Posts: 1956
Location: California, USA
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:47 am
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doesn't matter if you have the DVDs or not, you get to watch for free and legally on CN, take pride in that
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.Sy
Joined: 11 Mar 2005
Posts: 1266
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:29 pm
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The show just gets more and more bizarre. Now I've just seen a guy spewing out letters and such. Can anyone explain what that was all about? I haven't seen Maromi for a while either.
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