Memories (1995)

A trio of anime shorts made by notable genre directors, each one based on a story by Katsuhiro Ôtomo, creator of the seminal Akira (1988).
01. Magnetic Rose (Dir. Kōji Morimoto). Four space-garbage collectors respond to a mayday call and get more than they bargained for. Written by Satoshi Kon, who adds his reality-bending skills to Ôtomo's. Music by Yoko Kanno.
02. Stink Bomb (Dir. Tensai Okamura). For a regular bio-lab worker, what starts out as a simple cold turns into the worst day of his life. More comedic than the other two, it nevertheless has a serious side with a grave message.

03. Cannon Fodder (Dir. Katsuhiro Ôtomo). An Orwellian setting with some masterful world-building. It's like a showcase for the freedom that animation offers over live action, specifically with location panning and movement.

3½ trajectories out of 5

Ani-Kuri 15 (2008)

Is it possible to tell a successful story in one minute? Of course it is. I ignore anyone that says otherwise. If done properly it can also capture a feeling and present that feeling to an audience. A group of animators, among them such visionaries as Mamoru Oshii, Makoto Shinkai and Satoshi Kon (full list in comments), did just that. Fifteen short films. One minute each. They’re either cute, sad, funny, inspiring, whimsical or adventurous but each and every one is beautiful in its own unique way.

5 fleeting glimpses out of 5

Paprika (2006)

By using an experimental device, psychologists are able to enter the minds of sleeping patients, to better understand their problems. The titular Paprika is one such traveller. Users of the device have a moral obligation to respect the motivations of the dreamer, but what happens when the traveller chooses to force his or her own will upon the sleeping soul? Reality bends at every turn, exploring themes that Dir. Satoshi Kon has proved his mastery of in previous works. Fans of those previous films will happy-clap at references in this one.

Kon's regular composer Susumu Hirasawa again adds his talents to the madness. It's a match made in creative heaven; the parade music is a highlight.

4 moths to a flame out of 5

TOKYO GODFATHERS [2003]

From the late-director Satoshi Kon and Shogo Furuya, comes the light-hearted anime Tokyo Godfathers.

Based around themes of  family, forgiveness and twists of fate, the film is beautifully animated to emphasize on the emotions and expressions of these quirky, yet lovable characters.  This is a Christmas themed film so expect the schmaltz to be played heavily.  Especially near the end.  Just when you think it can't get anymore melodramatic, it does.  Then does it again and again.

It's packed with enough laughs, original action pieces and a refreshing group of characters to be forgiven.

3½ "12-25"'s out of 5

Millennium Actress (2001)

Chiyoko Fujiwara is an aging actress with a story still to tell. It will remain untold until the proper audience is found; at the whim of fate the proper audience finds her. Once again, Director Satoshi Kon tears down the boundaries between the real and the imagined, causing past and present to overlap with fiction and reality in captured time.

It would take at least a thousand words to address all its merits. Ultimately, it's a love letter to film and a poetic celebration of the human heart. Kon gave us a film that demands subsequent viewings. If you hate it, you're dead inside.

5 nods to Kurosawa and Godard out of 5

Perfect Blue (1997)

Mima Kirigoe is a promising young Japanese pop-idol with aspirations to be an actress, so it’s unfortunate for her that she sits alone on the verge of sanity drinking from a cup of paranoia. When the fiction in her head overlaps with the fiction on the film set shit gets real.
Perfect Blue is Satoshi Kon’s first feature-length film and it’s a classic. It's chilling, creepy and uncomfortable viewing at times but highly recommended. The editing is perfection, I can’t praise it enough. You’ll forget you're watching an animation after fifteen minutes. It's a stunning début.

5 Hitchcockian timings out of 5