Posted by : Veld 
Posted on : 2009-11-02  
In a nutshell: The story takes about an episode for each character to develop. In the time their character develops, they are each attacked by the mysterious Shounen Bat and their problems mysteriously vanish.
The good:
The characters are each very believable and easy to identify with. The characters are very unique also. My favorite was the woman with split personalities: one half a straight-laced, soft spoken office worker, the other half a fairly well known call girl. The plot for their battle for control as the dominant personality was amazing.
The plot begins as very gripping as the mystery of Shounen Bat slowly comes out. In the first five or six episodes, there seems to be a very clever and coherent plot that kept me wondering what the show was really about. I kept watching it nonstop to find out more about where the mysterious Shounen Bat came from.
The action is good. The show keeps you interested with a reasonable amount of light action.
The bad:
About half way through the show, Shounen Bat becomes sort of a sensation and the whole show seems to lose cohesion to its plot line. It seemed like the show could have held more to the original characters and their stories as many seemed to be unfinished.
The overall explanation for the whole premise behind the show was lacking. It had a lot of subtle hints and ideas that were prevalent in the beginning that showed the writers had a good idea of where they were going, but it seemed by the end that they were really just making it up as they went. The beginning was very sound, coherent, and held one cleverly devised plot line between several seemingly unrelated characters, but half-way through, that plot line mostly vanished and did not really develop or really resurface again. The show seemed to just end up with Shounen Bat being the antagonist and a mass murderer rather than a clever and somewhat principled character that the beginning hinted him to be. The resolution seemed to be very unimaginative also. It looked like there was a very great amount of thought and a very deep plot in the beginning, but it ended up being very short sighted and uninteresting making the entire story apart from the existence of one character of any value to the plot whatsoever.
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The show began as what I thought was going to be a really solid anime, but ended up totally losing my interest half way through. I felt really let down by the last half of Paranoia Agent. The show had so much potential, but I feel that it lost its vibe in the middle and lost my interest. Worth checking out, but don't expect too much for resolution. 7/10
Posted by : primula
Posted on : 2008-04-20
Story - 9
This anime will probably be one of the oddest you've seen but in a very good way, almost paranormal, you will often wonder what's real and what isn't. The story transitions from one episode to the next nicely but is still sort of episodic.
Animation - 10
Very gorgeous animation, a different style than usual that goes perfectly with the story. You will almost feel like you're in a different universe watching it.
Sound - 8
Good music that keep it mysterious and creepy while the paranoia sets in.
Characters - 9
Very interesting characters with many twists, turns, and personalities. With many characters since it is episodic, it still does a good job of developing the characters in a short amount of time.
Overall - 9
A very intelligent anime that is sure to creep you out while being enjoyable.
Posted by : ErwinRommel
Posted on : 2008-04-13
You know how some people need to be hit to snap them back into reality? Paranoia Agent takes it literally and uses a giddy kid with a bent gold bat to do the job. The individual stories are a wonder to behold as each story takes a dim view of humanity while maintaining a biting sense of humor. I truly enjoy this anime.
The humor in this anime is wonderful. The first half of Paranoia Agent I thought is technically much better then the second half but the second half of the anime is far more creative and sardonic in its story. Each episode takes a serious situation like bullying, explores it, and then combines it with a wit I have not seen in an anime. Secondly the social message the anime is trying to deliver isn't lost. For instance the boy who is getting bullied is running for school president. His election poster becomes vandalized. The graffiti, which is very amusing to look at, are done by the students but you hear in the background the source of their inspirations... their gossipy mothers.
When watching Paranoia Agent the red herring of this anime is the main antagonist Shounen Bat. It really doesn't matter who he really is if he actually exists; wondering who the hell that brat swinging a bent gold bat is a waste of time. The anime ultimately answers the question but it does so in a very indirect way. The same is true for the other characters. It's a specialty of the anime. All the characters are revealed in very unconventional ways. None of the characters are generic and they are a very interesting bunch; all are magnificently insane.
I guess the main reason I don't give the anime 10/10 is the fact that I disliked how it skips from one episode to another so nonchalantly. I like the stories individually but I still expected some overarching plot so I am disappointed with the ending in that sense.
Paranoia Agent is a great anime; knock yourself out. 9/10
Posted by : rorke
Posted on : 2006-09-08
" JEEEEEEZUUUUSSSSSS "
this series is officially messed up... I mean its like a 13 episode series that tops Perfect Blue on the "holy crap the animators and creators and writers were taking crack� scale. Its basically about this kid with a bat that goes around killing people that have serious issues that they think can be solved by being attacked. The hole thing is a giant mind trip. .....yeah. If you want to feel a little messed in the head after you watch an anime series then let me tell you this is the series that you should be watching....
I mean...like
HOLY CRAP ALL OVER A FRIGGEN DOG, MAN!!! THE END OF THE WORLD, MAN!!! CAR...BLOOD...DEAD PINK PUPPIES... *Cough* ...You see this is why I am not a dog person... Cause you might not see it but they are just waiting to get hit by a car so that they can take over the world....HOLY CRAP MAN HOLY CRAP!
I feel backed into a corner just thinking about it *head smashes into keyboard cause kid with large K like bat just hit Rorke's noggin*
Even though it was totally crazy in every way I think I still have to give this anime series 7.5 on greatness. The story kept you wanting to know more and the animation was pretty friggen rad...and I mean, I gave it an extra half a point just for pulling the hole story off... .I mean common Pink fluffy puppies bring about the end of Japan....Common you have to give the creators some credit to be able to make it actually fly. Ha Ha I wonder how it went when they first tried to pitch the idea to a network....LOL the looks on their faces ....
Also...cause its all about the endings for me. Paranoia_Agent_ had a perfect ending.
Posted by : mangaddict
Posted on : 2006-07-24 
That's right. A 10 out of 10. It seems rather generous but it deserves nothing less. You don't see much anime like this nowadays. Normally this type of anime doesn't appeal to me. This isn't even one of my favorites. But it's soooo addictive.
It might seem unappealing to anyone that skimmed though this series. It would seem like a bunch of random attacks from some nutjob. But as the story moves on, we learn that his attacks aren't random. The need to understand the subtle facts hidden in plain sight would cause anyone to give Paranoia Agent their undivided attention. Every episode, no matter how strange, contributes to the story and is more rediculous and addictive than the last. Anybody who didn't like this anime probably didn't give Paranoia Agent undivided attention.
All in all, this is a great anime but it isn't anything I would want to watch twice.
Posted by : onizukapwns
Posted on : 2006-05-25
I am so glad I didn't miss out on this show!
Paranoia Agent has got to be one of my favorite anime. I am very into cunning, intelligent, and thought provoking type shows, and PA has got to be one of the best of its genre.
The storyline, although complicated, unfolds very smoothly in PA. I really liked the pacing of the storyline. Each episode, told at different standpoints, basically brings the audience deeper and deeper into the mystery behind Little Slugger (AKA Shonen Bat). Is he real? Is he a figment of our imaginations? Or is he a supernatural being of salvation and destruction?
I especially liked the wide spacing they gave us for which to interpret Little Slugger. Although �open interpretation� in most cases is a HORRIBLE way to go about a series, I find that such is not the case in PA. The entire mystery of PA towards the audience itself is focused on how we should interpret the Slugger, and the creators didn�t screw it up and make us feel lost and stupefied.
I love the demented opening sequence
Clever storyline, great animation, and it even has humor! No romance or action (although there are some amusing sword clashing scenes). Not meant for people who kinda want to lay back and put as little mental effort into their anime as possible.
Posted by : daed_fish
Posted on : 2006-04-16
Paranoia Agent is quite a complex anime. Besides the fact that the catalyst for all the solutions to almost all the problems in the story is far more complex than he may seem, it delves deep into the subconcious and what people will do to set themselves free, if only for a little while. Each episode deals with one or more memorable characters, in a ever growing web of personalities, who have some dilemma or problem we find out only a golden baseball bat can "solve". Creator Satoshi Kon gives us a delightful taste of dark humor, stressed emotions, and violence which all try to help people. But despite cute pink "filters", Kon also shows us how it is best to deal with our problems. In all, Paranoia Agent is a anime, although deeper than it may appear, which doesn't leave the viewer completely lost or bored. It keeps you on your toes and maybe gives you a laugh every now and again. It doesn't hurt that lil slugger is one of my favorite anime characters either.
Posted by : Tevesh
Posted on : 2006-01-03
Paranoia Agent is like the Freddy Kreugar franchise, or any sort of horror franchise. We see how we created the monster, see how it destroys us, and then we see how our heroes manage to combat and defeat the evil. Or at least until the next movie. With the creator of Serial Experiments Lain involved, the audience sees the horror emerge from a psychological perspective rather than blood 'n guts like various Hollywood horror movies. It should be noted that both have boobies.
Paranoia Agent is more accessible than Serial Experiments Lain. Agent explores less themes than Lain, but it doesn't require a crash course in philosophy or seem like a chore. You can actually watch Agent for entertainment, rather than learn some philosophy like Lain did. In my book, this is an amazing advancement but Agent still falls short of a perfect score. Why?
Quite simply, I lost faith. Or rather, the director allowed my faith to be lost. Using the Freddy analogy, the first few episodes is the creation of the horror while the last is dealing with it. In the middle of the series, inexplicably there is a four episode gap that randomly expounds on the "Shounen Bat" monster. It shook my faith, as I was wondering what was happening to the main characters and why are we having episodic episodes from a man who created Lain? Doubt wouldn't be able to emerge in a horror movie when the creature goes on a different tangent of murders because in a movie that is generally ten to twenty minutes. This tangent was two hours, so I managed to escape the hooks that Agent implanted.
Serial Experiments Lain is still the better of the two, as you learn a few lessons of life while having a psychedelic trip along the way. But looking at the two as a piece of entertainment, it is Paranoia Agent that is superior. I will recommend both to those who want more from their anime than action, but Agent will be recommended over Lain on the fact that its brighter.
Paranoia Agent also gets brownie points for discovering why anime has an obsession with cats over dogs, and why.
Posted by : SGAI
Posted on : 2005-09-06
A psychological thriller sure to keep you at the edge of your seat (or under the covers), Paranoia Agent is a surreal, strange and downright scary anime. From the disturbing opening, to the mysterious and odd credits, Paranoia Agent is sure to keep you thinking.
The show centers on a handful of characters, from a strange girl that talks to a doll, to a woman with a radical split personality. But the one that stands above them all, is the freaky (and disturbingly realistic) Shonen Bat (Little Slugger), a kid that goes around wounding or killing people with a golden baseball bat. With a curious plot, and twists that will drop your jaw, Paranoia Agent is a must-see.
Posted by : moonie05
Posted on : 2005-07-19
Sometime I like psychology anime but this anime does not interest me at all. I don't like PA very much.
Story: the storyline is about a boy who wears a rollerskate, a cap and holds a bat "Shounen Bat". He has been doing a lot of crimes by hitting peoples with his bat. I think the storyline of PA is complex and hard to follow. They jump from this to that too fast, because of that I have a hard time to figure thing out. Every episode I watch it get even weirder and weirder.
Music: it's not so great, the ending music is peaceful but boring. The opening music it's kinda good at first but after a few episode I dislike it alot. Because somehow for no reason I just did not like it.
Artstyle: this is the part that I don't like PA for. The art is not as unique as any other anime. Some characters are okay but lots of them looked really terrible and have such a bad personality. The graphics of the scenes are nicely done but it's not very unique and I don't feel like it has anything special in them, they're just common scenes.
Enjoyment: I don't think I enjoy PA very much, this is the most complex anime I've ever seen. The main thing is it's really not my type of thing to watch like father and daughter relationship in PA, that have given a major headache and making me feel sick, how could a father do that to a daughter.
Anyway, I think you should check PA out if you like psychology but I'm given it a 6.
Posted by : seefutbow
Posted on : 2005-06-30
Phew! what a weird anime. It wasn't very predictable for me, and I'm usually very good at predicting what happens in shows, movies, or anime in general. Watching Paranoia Agent was one unique ride through and through. If you're into psychological anime's that do all this questioning about life and why we're here and what not, this would be for you.
Animation: The characters were all very unique. They all had a special look about them. Some of the background was really ugly even though it may have been done for effect. Tsukiko also looked like a grade schooler, when she was supposed to be 22. The animation was however very consistent, which is always a plus. It was very well done. 9.
Sound: The opening and ending for Paranoia Agent were very eccentric. I didn't like the opening at all. It may produce some mystical effect for some, but it was just annoying to me. The ending was pretty boring, which I didn't like. The background music, however was extremely well done. The BG music gave the anime the perfect mood and complemented every scene very well. Besides the opening and ending, the music was very good. 8.
Story: Now this is one special piece of work. The story was very original. Paranoia Agent revolves around a crime that involved a girl getting hit by a young boy (Shounen Bat) on golden roller blades with a golden bat. The crime eventually becomes somewhat of a legend in Tokyo, and a couple detectives set out to solve the mystery of the Shounen Bat. Very original story, which I enjoyed, but it wasn't superb or mind blowing for me. 9.
Character: All the characters were well done. They were all developed well. Many of the characters were very uniquely drawn to emphasize certain traits of theirs, which made them extremely ugly looking. Some of their personalities were pretty disgusting too, so you should watch out if you don't like sick pervs with daughter complex's (like an Oedipus complex but with a daughter, google it if you don't know it). Most of the characters were very enjoyable and provided for a good watch. 8.
Enjoyment: Personally I watch anime for entertainment, and I don't like to be preached about the meaning of life or why we were put on this planet. Towards the end of PA, it seemed like they were pushing towards something like that, which made it a little less enjoyable. The excessively digusting things like the dad with the daughter complex also made it harder to watch. The anime was good, but not as enjoyable as I would have preferred. 7.
Overall: PA is definitely something you should check out if you're into the psychological kind of stuff. I didn't completely understand everything, but that might have been because I wasn't completely paying attention. With good animation, strong characters, and good BG music, PA made for a good watch and definitely not wasted time. 7.
Posted by : fRoZeNhEaRt
Posted on : 2005-05-10
The first few episodes of Paranoia Agent literally gave me a headache. I found it to be too weird and too farfetched. But as the story progressed and as the characters were revealed, it slowly caught my interest specially Shounen Bat. Is he a criminal? Is he a ghost? or is he a warrior of light and justice off to save the souls of those who are deemed trap?
Animation: Not too shabby. It could be compared to that of Spirited Away. I often give high points for anime with detailed art and so, this one just doesn't cut it.
Characters: I give high points for this. The characters were all unique and yet they all contributed to bring out the essence of the story (though the story itself was weird).
Sound: Plain and simple. Nothing much on this category.
Posted by : podolly
Posted on : 2004-12-22
I give this anime such a low rating because of a lot of reasons:
Animation: the art in this anime isn't all that great and I even averted my eyes a few times because it annoyed me too watch. The art changes a few times during the anime and the only part where the art was nice only lasted 5 minutes in one episode.
Characters: the entire time I watched this anime, I was hoping everyone died because none of the characters were likable at all. I couldn't help but roll my eyes because some of the characters were really stupid.
Story: the story jumps around alot and is pretty hard to follow. Alot of things happen that aren't explained and some events that happened were really unneccesary.
Music: I initially thought the ending theme was cute, but after the first few episodes, it sounded creepy and didn't go well with the anime.
The good thing about Paranoia Agent is that even though the ending is ridiculous, it really catches you by surprise.
Posted by : PolyGuru
Posted on : 2004-10-29
I picked up this anime for viewing thinking it was a who-dunnit and was surpirised to find that it is actually a psychological thriller.
It started of with a straight forward premise. Sagi is assulted on her way home from work and the police started a manhunt. In the meantime, more assults of a similar nature kept occuring and the media calls the unknown suspect the "Shounen Bat".
The police eventually catches the suspect. Here is where things become tricky. The plot no longer merely moves forward straight on but it keeps throwing curve balls at you from all angles. The script writers did a great job of holding the plot together, never allowing it to fall apart. They delivered a complex story which is based on the butterfly effect and never once let go of their grip on the viewer. Some points are not immediately understood but they are always explained further along. A very well crafted and executed story.
The characters of the victims are as varied as they are interesting. My favourite would be the one with the split personality. The animation is good as I liked the different effects they used to create different moods. Oh and the very cute soft toy Maromi! I want one too!
Paranoia Agent is like a good book. Very entertaining to read with characters that you like ( and wish them well for their future ) or hate ( and hope that they break a leg or something ). Like all good books, I'm always tempted to skip to the final chapter to find out how it ends. Unfortunately for some books, once I've read it completely, I won't pick it up for a second read as the thrill of it has gone out and Paranoia Agent is very much like that.
Posted by : idjota
Posted on : 2004-09-20
This is one great anime, however I can't bring myself to give it a 10 and I don't really have any good reason for that. The art was average, everything gloomy because of the theme of the anime, however every one of the main characters in this show laughs at the beginning and at the end of the series, it might be because they freaked out and don't know what to do anymore or they are just happy. Music was great, some of it done by Susumu Hirasawa who made music for Berserk (another great anime). The opening might have freaked out couple of people for whatever reason but I thought that it was great.
The story is the main reason anyone would watch this show. Even though every episode has a different main character, they are all connected in one way or another. While watching this anime, there has been a few times that I thought 'WTF?' is going on or why is this happening. All of that leads to a great ending. The ending for me felt like it was the best ending that the anime could have gotten because it has fully explained everything about the events that had happenede throughout the anime.
Overall this is a great anime with a deep story and I think that every one should go and see it.
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