* At the beginning of the movie, Konakawa says the guy in the hallway represents the murder case he's working on. [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse So what becomes of that?]] And for that matter, how does exploring your own dreams help to solve a case?
** Paprika's letter at the end congratulates him on solving his case.
*** My interpretation was that the case he was working on was reminiscent of the film he was making, thus distracting him and stressing him out by reminding him of the (possibly) repressed guilt he felt for abandoning his friend. Once he was able to move on from that he could focus on the actual case. Its all there in context. Or subtext.
*** It's also believed that dreams occur when your mind goes over the memories of your day, so exploring his own dreams might allow him to pick up on extra information, or see key evidence in a different way.
*** From my point of view, (and as I recall from the movie), the case was at a dead end, and Konakawa was being treated for the anxiety and stress produced by the experimental treatment of Paprika.
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