Master animator Satoshi Kon’s debut feature is so layered, working on multiple levels of reality and fantasy, that it’s often underrated as a Horror/Thriller. The core plot is in the mold of Italian giallo or Brian DePalma. The Japanese culture heightens the media sensation angle, along with the casual doll-like sexualization of young beauty. Animation provides a barrier, keeping this from being puerile and lurid, while providing visuals only possible in animation and large scenes that would either be too expensive to film or risk looking cheap.
Taken within Kon’s other work, you get the recurring theme of reality and the fantasy we create for ourselves in spades. Here it’s more direct and not as perfectly mixed as later, but it’s a quick and dirty horror with shocks and surprises. A great portrait of someone trying to make the best choices for themselves, but surrounded by people pressuring them to be something they’re not. The portrayal of fanboy culture has not aged well, but what’s as relevant as ever is a young woman trying to be taken seriously as an adult, but often only regarded as a fantasy object.
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