RIP Satoshi Kon

Reports are coming in that influential anime filmmaker Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent, Paprika) has passed away at the age of 47. Though no details are known yet, he will be missed, particularly his visual flair and complex storytelling.

I really need to watch more of Kon's work. At this point, Paprika is the only film I've seen in full, and I was blown away by it. Compared to, say, the visually gorgeous fables of Hayao Miyazaki, Kon's films were often much more adult and complex, but no less stunning. His anime series mercifully never extended far beyond the necessary length of the story, as many anime series do, and are praised as works of art.

Unfortunately, he was in the middle of producing his fifth film, The Dream Factory, when he died. We may never get to see what brilliant vision he had in store for us.