Today, someone told me that Satoshi Kon had passed away.  Kon’s body of work was almost entirely animated, which unfortunately kept those who could have most enjoyed his work away from it.  This is understandable.  The niche of American culture in which Japanese animation resides is sometimes unsavory to film snobs.

But Kon’s  strengths weren’t in the stereotypical areas of Japanese animation – his action sequences weren’t particularly over-exaggerated, nor were designs caricatures of the human form.  His strengths were in his impeccable sense of timing, sound design, and framing.  If Kon had been making live-action movies, there is no question that they would have been some of the most elegantly made and beautifully shot works of photography around.  To say nothing of the compelling storytelling.  It’s a shame that his work was branded in the States by the stigma of animation.  I can only hope that some budding filmmaker will internalize and replicate his methods in the future.  More than any other modern director, his style should be carried on.

Even if you’re allergic to animation, as I typically am, check out at least one of his feature-length films: Perfect Blue (1998), Millennium Actress (2001), Tokyo Godfathers (2003), and Paprika (2006).