Paprika

The way these movies are drawn is similar and the main character is a young woman who has a talent for acting and an attractive personality. The dreams we chase and the reality we have to face; the relationships between people and harmony within ourselves - these two movies open the door for us to understand what is really important.

If you enjoyed the psychological confusion that Perfect Blue offered, Paprika gives you the same spice, and much more. Paprika and Perfect Blue are created by the same person and thus the style is evidently the same. They both have a very scattered execution which is good, because they're both mysteries. Paprika has the aspect of entering and altering people's dreams which makes its plot very interesting. Also, it's a recent movie so the boosted art and animation quality is a bonus. Perfect Blue was mysterious and has some horror aspect.

Perfect Blue is another movie that questions the difference between dreams and reality. Keeping you on the edge of your seat, this psychological thriller is a much darker version of Paprika.

Both Perfect Blue and Paprika are directed by Satoshi Kon, fit into similar anime realism genres which are rich in Satoshi Kon's social commentaries, and have intellectually stimulating themes.

What is reality? What are dreams? When do we know when we're in either state? Paprika and Perfect Blue explore these ideas with a great deal of success - both have dark undertones which are caused by deep-seated trauma. If you liked either of these, the other will surely appeal to you.

If you enjoyed Paprika, you will most likely enjoy Perfect Blue. Both anime's are total mess with your mind, and end happily. The plot in Perfect Blue is amazing, however there is one particular scene which was rather upsetting to me, and almost ruined the whole anime, but it didn't. In the long run I can understand why that scene was important, even though I didn't like it. Also, in Perfect Blue, there are a couple of scenes which were almost identical to those in Paprika. Both animes deal a with a woman trying to figure out who she is/wants to be. In Paprika, its the scientist and her dream self, and in Perfect Blue its her "pop idol" self versus her "actress" self. I loved it, it was upsetting, interesting, and kept me guessing as to what was going to happen.

Both movies deal with the human psyche and transcend traditional storytelling by not quite letting the viewer feel sure about what's real and what is not.

Perfect Blue was one of Satoshi Kon's early works, and I think is his best. If you enjoyed Paprika's style of story, then you will love Perfect Blue's engaging story of a pop idol turned actor who discovers she has a stalker. Kon keeps the suspense coming with every scence, and you will be mesmorized by how well Kon executes his stories. Both movies have interesting characters and an interesting story that only Kon could express.

Both films refers to the thin border between reality and dreams or illusions. They are also well made, have very addictive plot and touch some delicate problems of human's psychology, so if you enjoyed one, you won't be disappointed by the other.

Besides the rather obvious correlation that these anime are the work of genius Satoshi Kon, there is a more fundamental similarity, in that they both deal with an unreliable reality. In Paprika, the world of dreams intrudes itself forcibly on the world of the waking; whereas, in Millennium Actress, there is a gradual melding of the fictional world of film with the documentary reality of the actual world. This overarching theme of Kon's is also present in other works of his, such as Paranoia Agent.

Although it might be because both movies are from the same director (Satoshi Kon) Millennium Actress and Paprika, while having totally different themes, create a very similar atmosphere when you watch them.

As both movies progress though their respective stories it becomes more and more difficult to distinguish the different layers of reality and fiction (Millennium Actress) or the psyche of the characters (Paprika).

Both movies are festivals of colors and imagination and succeed in engulfing the viewer in true fantasy cinema.

Millennium Actress and Paprika share the same thematic core: blurring the borders between fictional projections and reality as we see it. MA blends cinematography with real life events while Paprika unleashes the world of dreams unto our own. Both are imbued with Satoshi Kon's unique flair for the bizarre and take anime as a medium to a whole different level; the stunning visuals fuse perfectly with non-linear plots that immerse the convoluted yet appealing narrative into the fabric of imagery itself.

These two films, by the same Satoshi Kon, are very alike in that a lot of the time you find yourself asking, "...Wait, what?" They're intriguing and wonderful, and you can easily get lost in the storyline.

Akira and Paprika are both extremely strange; the sci-fi content of their skewed plot lines is extremely similar. These movies twist what the viewer is seeing and deliberately frustrate straightforward explanations. Shape shifting imagery invades the narrative and sets Akira and Paprika apart from linear efforts in the world of anime. A certain apocalyptic tone is present in both and the feeling of oddity that finds itself augmented as Akira progresses is deeply enmeshed in Paprika as well.

If you want a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat while working your brain overtime, definitely check out these two movies. Both have an underlying theme about a power that has gotten into the wrong hands and broken the mind of it's wielder. These are a must-see for any fan of the psychological genre.

When I watched Paprika it made me think alot about Akira, especially Paprika's parade scenes being similar to the illusions cause in Akira. Both series are based around a strange power Akira's being some sort of telepathy and Paprika's being the ability to ifiltrate other's dreams. In each series this power is corrupts the users leading to an apocolyptic scenario.