Hey there, fans. Instead of the usual Happy Fun Thursday article and the second part of the Japanese Music post, I bring sad news about a legend in the Japanese animation industry. Satoshi Kon, the director of such animated classics like Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, and Paprika, has been confirmed as deceased, according to a report by the Anime News Network:
Jim Vowles, a member of the Otakorp Board of Directors for the Otakon convention, has announced on Tuesday that director Satoshi Kon has passed away. Kon was 47. The staff of Otakon confirmed his passing with MADHOUSE studio founder Masao Maruyama. Maruyama had wrote on his Twitter account on Tuesday night in Japan that an important director of the studio had suddenly passed away. However, Maruyama declined to name the director at the time.
This, as many other blogs have put it, sucks. As an anime fan, I hate to admit that I’ve only watched two of his films and only a glimpse of Paranoia Agent, a series he directed, but the talent present within the those two films rivaled even Miyazaki, the only other anime director whose films I have considered classic. He was as original as he was brilliant: the movie Paprika foreshadowed elements of the recent blockbuster hit Inception, much like Ghost in the Shell planted the very idea of The Matrix in the movie of the same name! His characters are as real as people you see every day: the characters of Tokyo Godfathers have more depth to their personalities than any actor could muster! All in all, this was a great big loss, and a blow to the creative powers within the anime industry.
About the Author
After finding out that the school's library was a welcome respite from the heat of the tropical island he inhabited, Paolo Jasa found out that books were a whole lot better than being a constant target during P.E. class; so much so that he developed a love for them that would last him a life time. His first forays in Science Fiction were in the novels of the esteemed I. Asimov, R. Bradbury, and D. Adams, while his adventures in Fantasy took him to the realms of Discworld, Hogwarts, and a Chicago that houses the only Wizard-For-Hire found in the local Yellow Pages, Harry Dresden.
Then he found out about Gaiman's Sandman comics, Miyazaki's animé, Pixar's movies, and (almost) every single web-comic on the Internet.
This changed things a little bit. A lot, in fact.
Regardless, Paolo's currently enrolled in the College of William and Mary to get a Bachelor's Degree in ... something. Hopefully in English or in Education in order to become a teacher, and to bend the minds of the next generation towards all things nerdy. While not studying or reading, he enjoys playing the alto saxophone and singing unabashedly around campus when no one’s looking.