I think that’s part of Kon’s magic – his films do things that could only be done in animation. The paranoia represented in Perfect Blue (and on a lower budget in Paranoia Agent), the nostalgia in Millennium Actress, and the dreamscapes of Paprika all really showcase the strengths of the medium – seeing reality through a completely different pair of eyes. His work was all about perception, and how attitudes and perceptions skew our visions of reality, and he chose to communicate it through a deliberately unreal medium: animation.

I’m very curious to see the last film he was working on: “The Dream Machine”; Kon said himself that it was one of his regrets, not being able to finish the production, but I would like to see it nevertheless.

TBH I was expecting a relatively small fan reaction but the sheer number of blog posts, tweets and similar pieces made me sit up and realise that he had the admiration he deserved even within his own lifetime. It was also admiration earned not out of commercial promotion of his films or association with other big names, but because he was so good at what he did.

I really do hope that other animators are inspired by his MO of originality and thoughtful writing – his talent was unique and therefore irreplaceable but if we fans are as impressed with it as this, how can it NOT encourage others to realise their own potential? Here’s hoping, anyway.

My recent rewatching reminded me too of how creative and entertaining his work is, on so many levels. Millennium Actress is probably my favourite as well, although Paprika has a wonderfully uplifting sense of sheer spectacle. Comparing the two is a bit unfair of me, a bit like comparing The Girl Who Leapt Through Time with Summer Wars. Both are great, but highlight different aspects of the director’s skills. Speaking of which, what I’ve seen of Hosoda’s work does fill me with a bit of hope for the future – he’s one of the best candidates to keep that tradition going.