Satoshi Kon

今敏

Satoshi Kon was a Japanese director best known for his anime films. He began his career as a manga artist and editor for Young Magazine, later making his screenwriting debut with Magnetic Rose, a segment of the anthology film Memories. Kon's directorial debut, Perfect Blue, was released in 1997, followed by Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika, and the television series Paranoia Agent. A fifth film, The Dream Machine, was in production at the time of his death but was subsequently cancelled. All of his directorial works were produced by Studio Madhouse, where he served as a staff director alongside Rintaro and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. He was also a founder and member of the 15-person steering committee of the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA), a labor group.
Satoshi Kon died of pancreatic cancer shortly before his 47th birthday. Prior to his death, he posted a final statement on his blog.