There are endless innovations on display at the animated industry and these productions often provide unprecedented freedom to their creators. There are many visionary authors who have made a name for themselves and established unique styles in anime, but few are as prolific like the late Satoshi Kon. Satoshi Kon passed away in 2010, but in his brief time in the industry, he directed iconic works of art such as Perfect Blue, Actress of the Millennium, The Godfathers of Tokyo, and Peppers.
Kon’s contributions to anime are still routinely discussed, but much less is known about them. dream machine, the unfinished project that was to be Kon’s fifth performance before his passing. The public may never see dream machinefinished product, but there are still some fascinating production details to consider.
9 It would have been Kon’s first film aimed at younger audiences
Part of Satoshi Kon’s legacy as a storyteller has a lot to do with the complex and thought-provoking psychological narratives he creates to challenge the audience. Kon is very comfortable delving into dark and uncomfortable topics regardless of how he provokes the viewer. That’s not to say all of Kon’s stories are somber, but at least they’re designed for adults.
dream machine was designed as a fantasy adventure that would appeal to a younger demographic. Older audiences might still appreciate the dream machine history, but it would be Kon’s most familiar affair.
8 A little over a third of the film is animated
The production of any feature film is a laborious endeavor, but this can be an even more daunting endeavor when it comes to animation. Animated movies take years to make because of the incredible amount of work that goes into bringing these new worlds to life.
One of the most tragic details surrounding dream machine is that the film was in its production phase and this was not just a pipe dream for Kon. dream machine it was set to be composed of 1,500 shots, 600 of which were finished at the time of Kon’s demise. This means that just over a third of dream machine Is complete.
7 The cast would consist entirely of robots with no human characters.
Robots and machines are fascinating themes that have fueled many animated features, both anime and otherwise. the eternal nature of robots and how they can experience millennia of change lends itself to some compelling ideas.
of kon dream machine it would be set in the distant future to a point where humanity has completely died out and all that remains are the robots that were built to improve their lives. dream machine would focus on a trio of robots, Ririco, Robin, and King, as they engage in a “road movie” through this lost world.
6 Production was started by Madhouse
There are so many variables that contribute to a successful anime series, but a project can quickly become a lost cause if the wrong animation studio is involved in its production. The public has become increasingly aware of the largest animation studios in the anime industry and Madhouse is still a heavy hitter which is responsible for series like Trigun, Nana, Parasyte: The Ultimateand Death Note.
Madhouse was also the main studio that adapted Satoshi Kon’s work and they were in charge of dream machine before its cancellation.
5 The main characters first appear in Paprika as Easter eggs.
Satoshi Kon was a filmmaker who frequently had his next project in mind while he was in the midst of production on his current film. This allows for a lot of cross-pollination between Kon’s themes, world, and characters, even resulting in some subtle Easter eggs about what’s on the horizon.
dream machine didn’t happen, but the trio of robots from the movie, Ririco, King, and Robin, are actually hiding in Kon’s Last Movie, Peppers. These friendly robots are part of the Dreamland theme park aesthetic, which may or may not be connected to the dream machine narrative.
4 The film is deeply inspired by the song “Dreaming Machine” by Susumu Hirasawa.
It’s always interesting to see how existing media can inspire new work. Satoshi Kon is a filmmaker who makes no secret of his cinematographic influences and other directors such as Hitchcock, Kubrick, Lynch and Argento have contributed stylistically to his creations.
Kon’s namesake dream machine comes from a song with the same name by Susumu Hirasawa. Hirasawa’s music inspired Kon’s movie, but it also appears that “Dreaming Machine” and other Hirasawa tracks would have appeared in the film. Hirasawa released a new recording of “Dreaming Machine” after Kon’s death, which may originally have been intended for use in Dream machine.
3 Lack of funds and artistic vision have kept the film unfinished.
It’s never easy to finish someone else’s work after their passing, and Madhouse’s Masao Maruyama was left in a difficult position after Kon’s untimely death. Maruyama was uneasy, but excited, to do justice to Kon’s unfinished film. In 2011, lack of funding was cited as a major obstacle to the completion of Dream machine.
However, since then Maruyama has explained that it has been impossible to find someone who can match Kon’s talent and style, even with the notes he left behind. There are directors like Mamoru Hosoda who were considered, but would create their own film instead of a “Satoshi Kon film”.
two Scenes from the film have appeared in Satoshi Kon’s documentary
More than a third of dream machine it was finished before Kon’s death, but there is still very little material from the film that has reached the public. There have been some production stills, as well as character models and reference art, but glimpses of dream machine they remain few and far between.
TO 2021 documentary about Kon, satoshi kon: the illusionist, is directed by Pascal-Alex Vincent and features testimonials from some of the biggest names working in the animation industry today. However, The ilusionist also features a few minutes of offline footage from Dream machine. It’s not much, but it provides a satisfying taste of what could have been.
1 MAPPA may be able to complete the film one day
dream machine It started out as a Madhouse production, but after Kon’s passing, much of the studio’s creative talent, including its founder, Masao Maruyama, left the company to create a new studio, MAPPA. Maruyama’s association with MAPPA and his past relationship with Kon means that if dream machine will ever happen will be through MAPPA and with his talent rather than a return to Madhouse.
MAP has gradually become one of the most respected studios in the anime industry, still dream machine it would still amount to one of his biggest movies.
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