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Jul 3, 2013 6:08 AM
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Jul 2018
564084

Unique storytelling. Satoshi Kon is a genius.

Indeed. It was the chase she loved.
Aug 22, 2013 11:01 AM

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Nov 2010
2047
It's hard to tell what kind of movie it'll be just by looking at it's title "Millennium Actress"

Having seen Tokyo Godfather & Paprika before I recognized the style right away and the story telling kept intriguing me
It was both about chasing/finding a cause

I wish this kind of animation style would be around and brushed up a little
It still looks good despite being over 12 years old

itsvero said:
RIP Satoshi Kon. Very unique, enjoyable, and unforgettable movie.


Seen a few more quotes about him here and I didn't knew it, RIP Satoshi Kon.

That's so sad, I hope some of his apprentices could do produce something a like

Time to check out "Perfect Blue" sometime

Offtopic: The key is interesting, now Attack of Titans is airing with the same item
The Author must have seen this movie before
Dec 26, 2013 3:58 AM

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Mar 2013
154
10/10
[25/04/14 4:04:39 PM] Skitzo: doujins have deep psychological undertones about the sexual intrigue of human behavior
Jan 11, 2014 7:16 AM

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Aug 2012
370
The earthquakes did have a point, she was born in one, and she died in one. That's why she thought she was in the spaceship when she was dying.
Feb 24, 2014 2:34 PM

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Mar 2012
17649
Does anyone know if any sub groups are currently working on the BD release?
LoneWolf said:
@Josh makes me sad to call myself Canadian.
Mar 5, 2014 8:36 AM

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Jul 2012
48255
Whoa okay. What an ending... Loving all of Satoshi Kon's works so far. Next up will be Paprika (I've seen this and Perf Blue)

Man...That was sad. And kind of mindfcking LOL So many "era jumps" in this movie. xD It was fun though. Definitely goes into my list of favourite anime movies.

Gonna say a 9/10
Mar 23, 2014 11:53 PM

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Apr 2012
34062
holy shit 10/10 absolutely brilliant

creative, mindfuck storytelling
Didn't mind the sad/bittersweet ending at all.
So the old witch/hag was actually a projection of herself......
The hag says she loves her and hates her more than she can bear. It all makes sense in the end. Her love is for her youth that she clings on to by chasing the man she once met, but her hate is the reality of her aging and inability to let go of the shadow of a memory.
zzzeallyMar 24, 2014 12:02 AM

Apr 26, 2014 7:04 PM

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Dec 2013
107
This film was SO moving. It left me without words.
"Me ni wa me wo, ha ni wa ha wo, aku ni wa aku wo."
Jun 15, 2014 6:40 PM

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Sep 2012
343
This is my third Kon film and definitely my least favorite so far. To me it seemed nothing more than a plotless romp with your typical childhood promise love story behind it that only tried to be different through the direction. I don't see what everyone says is so good about it.
Another page to the history of the Fujaku.
Jul 26, 2014 8:53 AM
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Oct 2007
165
Fujaku said:
This is my third Kon film and definitely my least favorite so far. To me it seemed nothing more than a plotless romp with your typical childhood promise love story behind it that only tried to be different through the direction. I don't see what everyone says is so good about it.


It's about how it's told.

All the story really is, is a documentary director-cum-fan being captive audience to his idol's life story in that one afternoon.
It's how Satoshi Kon brings that afternoon to life in this movie, through her career's films, which subtly imply that she became such a legendary actress in all the movies she acted in, she brought her considerable passion in her chase for that elusive painter onto the silver screen. All of her acting in the movie scenes she made alive was the real her.

But of course, if you aren't capable of admiring anything else in a movie than "the story", or recognising any plot that isn't spelled out to you by the characters, Isuggest you skip such mundane typical stuff and go watch something unique like, say, Twilight.
Normal well-adjusted human being
Aug 28, 2014 1:27 PM
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Sep 2009
1759
One of the best movies ever made, animated or otherwise.
Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.
Sep 20, 2014 9:11 AM
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Jun 2013
1
Holy shit what a drag.

4/10
Oct 24, 2014 6:53 AM

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Mar 2013
237
when i first watched it a few years ago i found this movie to be great and i liked the lovestory, but after rewatching it i think this movie has a very wrong moral message. This movie could have been very great if she said something at the end like :" all my life i have waited for this one man and focused so hard that everyone realy caring for me became unnoticed. I lived a very sad life and never expirienced love......"

But no what we got here is old woman who couldnt face reality and remaind in her little girl fantasies. it kinda resembles the wishfullfilling idea, shown in many anime that the woman will wait for you as long as it takes, just because you are so special. Its bullshit and only for people who doesnt know how humans are.

Besides that is the lovestory very Very retarded. I mean: what does she know about this one guy: he ran into her, said he is making pictures (which she never have seen) and talked about some snowy country where he wanted to go, despite the fact being chased by the police and used HER place as a shelter. After that he is never shown to give a shit about her. The painting on the wall is probably not even from him. I mean yeah, as a young girl she can fall in love with him because he looks cool or some shit like that. She is in puberty, so... but when she grows up she should become an adult.. i mean thats reality.

And the idea that the policemen comes after the war to apologize is retarded as well. What did he do wrong? He imprisond some criminals and tortured them when they didnt want to talk. That were probably normal methodes back then. After all they were CRIMINALS.

So overall it was a nice movie, nice artstyle and soundtrack, nice execution and quite interesting story, but the moral of the story was so freaking wrong and the love-subplot was utterly retarded
Nov 8, 2014 2:51 AM

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Mar 2010
46
Loved the style and surrealism. Definitely my favourite Satokon film.
Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon!
Feb 23, 2015 1:34 PM

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Dec 2013
3404
Boring, elitist crap. The 'plot twist' at the end was just plain stupid. The art was so poor even for 2001, wtf Madhouse. The way of storytelling didn't appeal me completely. 1/10
Apr 16, 2015 5:33 AM

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Apr 2013
1392
8/10 This was very enjoyable story telling
Apr 27, 2015 5:19 PM

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May 2010
360
Good movie! Very much a Satoshi Kon kinda movie. Unique way of telling the story.. I loved seeing all the different time periods shown
Jun 19, 2015 4:49 PM

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May 2012
1072
very unique method of story telling, i like how she acted through a "millennium" through her films. Satoshi Kon is a brilliant man
Jul 14, 2015 12:35 PM

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Jan 2014
4581
Beautiful for the eye, beautiful for the ear, beautiful for the heart.

Who's to judge what the shape of real love is?
She may have never felt love for that mysterious person directly.
Maybe it was just her love for life. Her inspiration. Her shadow.

And yes, the storytelling was very effective.
Jul 22, 2015 7:13 PM

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Oct 2014
3663
It was really boring 5/10
Aug 30, 2015 7:49 PM

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Jun 2015
3466
After watching this I'm really concerned about what was Satoshi Kon left to create if he hadn't died.

A travel through memories and experiences (II WW, post-war period) mixed with excerpts of her work as an actress but always keeping the same motivation. A really touching experience and a very well executed idea.
Sep 2, 2015 10:47 AM

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Jul 2010
8334
I was kinda bored like 75% of the time of this tbh, only towards the end it got more interesting to me.
Nov 7, 2015 7:21 PM

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Jul 2009
21077
Really interesting storytelling method, the transitions especially were very cool. Great animation and soundtrack ... I admit I was a little confused by some things, but I can't say I was too surprised by the ending. The last line however ... just the chase huh? Idk, I guess the characters were pretty good too and so much repeating themes (running, the doors, etc.) Overall very good and I enjoyed it, and definitely leaves some food for thought lol. 8/10
Nov 20, 2015 12:16 AM

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Apr 2013
1174
Satoshi Kon is amazing, and this movie was amazing. Love the bittersweet ending, pretty sad as well. Didn't expect feels. Superb storytelling and artistic cinematography too! The ost was spot on~
Dec 30, 2015 9:03 AM

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Sep 2014
556
It was Absolutely Brilliant. Hell, even i got emotional in the end. This movie is just another example to show how dedicated Satoshi Kon was towards his work. Huge respect for him.
Dec 31, 2015 12:46 PM

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Apr 2014
259
Despite how simplistic the movie was in heart, what made it was the awesome execution and storytelling, as well as the worth-the-mention production values. Definitely one of my favorite movies when it comes to animation. 8/10
Jan 10, 2016 9:53 PM

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Jan 2016
101
Already saw some other Satoshi Kon movies/series already and I must say, this is my favorite so far. The story was indeed told in an interesting way, without all the unnecessary things that will make the movie look trying hard to be unique. The first few parts was okay, yes, kinda boring and nothing special except for the distinctive storytelling BUT the latter part was really really good and made this movie standout, the dramatic vibe at the end was on point too. The ending was fantastically sad.
Mar 6, 2016 3:59 AM

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Oct 2014
425
Some people's comments give me AIDS.

Satoshi Kon proves yet again how much of genius he is!
Millennium Actress took a simple romance story and told it in the most brilliant way I've ever seen. The movie has a lot of social messages too! The ending left me in tears.
Great animation and phenomenal soundtrack by Susumu Hirasawa, my favorite composer!
Mar 17, 2016 10:28 AM
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Jan 2011
229
Onwards with the theme of Americans stealing incredible ideas from the Japanese and not crediting them… If this didn't inspire Cloud Atlas, then I don't know what did.

Honestly, to call Kon a genius is to give him too little credit as a filmmaker. Perhaps visionary or GOAT would serve to better encapsulate his essence. Throughout the course of the film, I was moved to tears more times than Genya, and even at parts where I was not meant to. The film was literally that good. The thing that I most liked about Millennium actress was the way they told the story. It gave off a real "Titanic" vibe at the beginning with an older woman recounting the story of a lost love through some of the biggest points in history. What I loved, though, was the ambiguity of everything, the seamless scene transitions, and Kon's signature style of not babying the audience with overused tropes and boring explanation. I loved Genya and his cameraman's presence in the scenes, as Kon's way of treating us, his audience, to a front row seat in Chiyoko's life.

The symbolism was so fantastic throughout the entire film, and the transitions were just as seamless as they were in Perfect Blue, in step with a rhythm. Even though they were just movies, you really feel that Chiyoko has been chasing this guy throughout multiple lives and multiple eras, and her career as an actress, as well as the ensemble cast who follows her life serve as a canvas to paint her feelings for this man,

This film really highlights for me one of the reasons why I really like and respect anime as a medium. Real-world films are bogged down by the physicality of the actors and the trappings of real life, and would never be able to capture the style of Kon's films. Live action actors often bring their own style or voice that bleeds through in every character that they play. Unlike with real world actors like Tom Hank's character in Cloud Atlas, Kon was free to mold Chiyoko's appearance throughout her life into whatever way he wanted. He didn't have to use the same actress for young and old Chiyoko, and scenes with young and old Genya were that much more immersive.
Apr 1, 2016 6:25 AM

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Oct 2013
1315
pretty good, 7/10. animation is what you'd expect from the madpeople
May 31, 2016 1:27 PM

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Nov 2011
4001
Better than Paprika

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Jun 24, 2016 9:47 AM

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Aug 2013
2073
Great movie, one of the best uses of a flashback I've ever witnessed.
Jul 27, 2016 7:09 PM
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Jul 2018
564084
I wasn't super into the first half of the movie, but after around the halfway point, the movie became super interesting to me. I was going to give it an 8/10, but the ending... well, the ending bumped it up to a low 9/10.

One of the things that had bothered me about the movie in the first half was that the MC was chasing around and caring about some guy who she'd barely met. Like it seemed really strange to me... So when she said that it was all about the chase and that it was okay if she never found the guy again, it made a lot of sense to me! What a way to end a movie...
Sep 13, 2016 3:15 PM
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Sep 2016
1
Guys help me with these questions please 🙏🏼 the questions are about Millennium Actress

1.) Do you think the film suggests that continuously chasing after one's dream is worth it or not? Why or why not?

2.) Why does the film often include Genya Tachibana and his cameraman in the flashbacks even though they weren't actually there?

3.) How do Genya Tachibana and Chiyoko Fujiwara mirror one another in the film? How might they differ?

4.) Why does the film constantly blend reality and the fictional work of Chiyoko's films? What kind of an impact does this have on the narrative?
Oct 8, 2016 12:12 AM

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Apr 2009
2794
Can someone tell me who is the old lady with the white long hair?
And why is there too much earthquake during the movie.
Thanks a lot.
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Oct 8, 2016 4:23 AM
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Oct 2011
1217
@ ezaya The old lady is the young lady in her old age
Oct 22, 2016 2:52 AM

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Aug 2013
124
I have a feeling that this movie is so well rated just because it was made by Satoshi Kon. This movie is byfar the worst Satoshi kon's work that i've seen so far. The whole thing about chiyoko falling in love with that man that she barely know to the point where she wasted her whole life dedicated to chasing him is just retarded.

Lockensocke said:
when i first watched it a few years ago i found this movie to be great and i liked the lovestory, but after rewatching it i think this movie has a very wrong moral message. This movie could have been very great if she said something at the end like :" all my life i have waited for this one man and focused so hard that everyone realy caring for me became unnoticed. I lived a very sad life and never expirienced love......"

But no what we got here is old woman who couldnt face reality and remaind in her little girl fantasies. it kinda resembles the wishfullfilling idea, shown in many anime that the woman will wait for you as long as it takes, just because you are so special. Its bullshit and only for people who doesnt know how humans are.



This ^.
Dec 28, 2016 9:57 PM
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Jan 2015
85
So... what was the key for ? xD
Why Genya didn't told Chiyoko that the painter was dead back then ?

ezaya said:
Can someone tell me who is the old lady with the white long hair?
And why is there too much earthquake during the movie.
Thanks a lot.


It seems the old lady is Chiyoko
AP_974Dec 28, 2016 10:05 PM
Feb 9, 2017 8:42 AM

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Dec 2015
15143
When you think about the fact that for decades she was chasing after a man she met for 15 minutes, it makes her and the movie seem pretty stupid. But I gotta admit the movie did have some entertaining moments. 6/10
"At some point, I stopped hoping."
Feb 22, 2017 12:26 PM
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Jul 2018
564084
Interesting and unique storytelling, liked how the seamless transitions flowed from era to era. Yes her love may and devotion may not be believable to most of the people, but I thought that the actual message is pretty clear, she loved chasing him and that shaped her life. Kinda mixed feelings about the characters but the story stands out in its meta narrative and direction by Kon, 8/10. And the visuals were really beautiful to look at.
Mar 1, 2017 7:40 AM

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Jul 2015
27
Loved the Bittersweet ending. Its always a change of pace when you dont get the story book ending, and I really loved Chiyoko's last words "After all.... After all i ts the chase i really love." Showing that the story was about the adventure, and not so much the ending."
Mar 1, 2017 9:05 PM

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Apr 2014
1107
so what was the most important thing the key was for?

also loved the music in the movie

AP_974 said:
So... what was the key for ? xD
Why Genya didn't told Chiyoko that the painter was dead back then ?


It seems the old lady is Chiyoko


because if he told her then the chase would be pointless. but i'm also pretty sure she knew by the end that he's dead, since Genya said she might find him (in the afterlife, i'm assuming)
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Mar 26, 2017 3:02 AM

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Apr 2013
1338
What a brilliant film that was. Thought there were a couple of less than stellar performances in the dub though
Mar 31, 2017 1:41 PM

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Feb 2014
337
Very creative and inspiring, one to think about and reflect on our lives.

This is also a gorgeous homage to Setsuko Hara (who passed away in 2015), making it a very japanese film and thus difficult to grasp its content, unless you knew beforehand about her life.

@Lockensocke @FarrelSal

"After all it's the chasing after him I really love" is confusing but a form to convey that the path we travel through is what makes the ending fulfilling. I hope this "key" will open your wrapped minds.
Apr 7, 2017 6:28 AM

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Mar 2017
420
HOLY SHIT! Kon's Perfect Blue was amazing but this was by far the best movie I have ever seen beating Colorful just by an inch with its novelty. Maybe it's my preference acting for liking such "slow-paced" and "boring" movies like this but you can't deny that this storytelling was phenomenal.

The symbolism were on point, the transition of each scene was seamless and the OST was GOAT. I may add that the animation lacked at few places but at the same time the action/drama scenes in every Chiyoko's movie were well animated (especially the fight scene with ninjas).

The director and the supporting actress were scumbags. Genya was best guy. Chiyoko was pretty much a love-struck, young-in-heart kind of girl and her final words were very true and maybe even apply to all of us.

The story wasn't anything interesting from the surface; just another unrequited love story. But the presentation makes it worth watching. I am pretty sure Titanic did something similar with the flashbacks (or was it just the remakes?) but this is still one of the best use of flashbacks in narrating a simple yet heartwarming romance in any anime I have ever watched.

9/10

Onto Princess Mononoke, the magnum opus of anime movies according to the general consensus.
John_2001Apr 10, 2017 6:48 PM
Jun 8, 2017 3:57 PM
Ceasefire NOW

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Aug 2009
3739
joe_g7 said:
When you think about the fact that for decades she was chasing after a man she met for 15 minutes, it makes her and the movie seem pretty stupid. But I gotta admit the movie did have some entertaining moments. 6/10


If you remember her last moments, she said that she didn't love him, she did it because she loved the chase, even though she did not recognize it at the time.

Even though most of us have not lived for decades and realized that what we did was for an entirely different reason, I think most of us have at least experienced a moment when we thought we did something because of this reason, when it was actually for that reason.

And as humans, we usually want closure like what that "important thing" was that the key was related to or how the characters were doing by the end of the story. But for her, she liked the chase and how it invigorated her to live.
Aug 15, 2017 4:39 PM
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May 2012
7011
well, that was definitely creative, but other than the unique storytelling, there's nothing really impressive about this movie.
perfect blue is without a doubt better.
Aug 22, 2017 1:57 PM

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May 2015
6025
Very solid movie. 8/10. Ending was perfect.
"The future is always blank. Only your willpower can leave footsteps there."

"Ruling over death means ruling over life. Death is the climax of life. To have the best death, you must honor life."
Aug 23, 2017 8:13 PM
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Mar 2017
63
The best animated movie I'v ever watched.period.
9.5/10 but I really liked it so 10/10
Sep 22, 2017 1:32 PM

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Apr 2017
2721
Stunning movie, it nearly made me cry. And as usual a masterful soundtrack by Susumu Hirasawa!
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