Celebrated as one of anime’s greatest directors, Satoshi Kon was inspired to pursue a career in animation while attending high school by future classics including Space Battleship Yamato and Heidi, Girl of the Alps, which was directed by eventual Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata. After leaving college, Satoshi Kon found his first work in anime as an animator on Roujin Z by Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira), who he had previously served as a manga assistant, and Mamoru Oshii’s 1993 film Patlabor 2: The Movie, before making his directorial debut in 1997 with Perfect Blue. Satoshi Kon returned to re-examining the blurring lines of reality in both his 2002 film MIllennium Actress and his final feature film, 2006’s Paprika. Between those, he helmed the award-winning comedy drama Tokyo Godfathers and television anime Paranoia Agent. On 24 August 2010, Satoshi Kon tragically passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer, aged 46. His planned fifth film, Dreaming Machine, remains unfinished.
Satoshi Kon
Director, Writer