Paprika

Japanese anime of the very highest level. An adult story (based on the science fiction novel by Tsutsui Yasutaka) in the misleading form of a film for young people, even with elements from children’s films alongside an occasional scene that will confuse the censors in some countries.
The story is set in a psychotherapeutic research laboratory in Tokyo in the near future. The attractive young doctor Atsuko works with a piece of equipment with which she can penetrate the dreams of her patients (as a result of which she notices that in the dreams of others under the codename Paprika she has an even younger and more attractive form: a trendy and worldly young lady with bright red hair). There are only four prototypes of this new and still unapproved device invented by her brilliant colleague Dr Tohita and, when one of them turns out to be stolen one day, panic ensues. It is soon clear to Atsuko/Paprika that the thief has evil intentions with the dream machine that can change personalities.
When the dream detective gets assistance from the classic hard-boiled detective Konikawa, an effective bond ensues between the worlds of Sigmund Freud and Raymond Chandler. Film maker Kon Satoshi is a virtuoso in his incomparable mix of genre fantasy and realism. For the dreams, he draws on film history, making the film not only an entertaining adventure, but also a homage to cinema. (GjZ)

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