Adaptation Displacement: As with another novel adapted bySatoshi Kon, the anime movie is significantly better known than the original novel, especially overseas where the novel wasn't even translated until after the movie was released.
The entire soundtrack, by Susumu Hirasawa of Berserk fame, "Parade" and "Mediational Field" in particular.
Special honors, though, go to "The Girl in Byakkoya". The crazy juxtaposition of acoustic and electronica make for a song that's memorable, enjoyable and strangely romantic.
Broken Base: About Chiba hooking up with Tokita at the end. Some believe it is a proof of Earn Your Happy Ending for both characters, others see it as jarring male Wish-Fulfillment, and others believe the movie would have gone better without any romantic pairings at all.
Complete Monster (anime): Dr. Seijiro Inui, aka the Chairman, steals the Dream Machine prototypes, uses their powers to twist a group of innocents to insanity, and brainwashes another into believing he was responsible for the Chairman's crimes. When heroine Dr. Atsuko Chiba manages to kill his right-hand man, the Chairman transforms himself into a monstrous being intent on using his newfound power to rewrite all of reality to his whims. Hiding himself under ostensible claims of good intentions, the Chairman is in truth a selfish madman set on controlling everything to satisfy his god complex.
Fan Nickname: Tokita = Gabe Newell. They both have messy brown hair, wear polo shirts, love technology, and are Big Fun.
Harsher in Hindsight: All the talk about Konakawa's incomplete film. Paprika was Satoshi Kon's last completed project; he died partway through making another film called, coincidentally enough, The Dream Machine.
Signature Scene: The dream parade, which appears everywhere in advertising for the movie and was Satoshi Kon's favorite scene to make.
Strangled by the Red String: Chiba and Tokita. Yes, there are hints - very subtle hints - of mutual interest, but let's face it, this interest is never remotely identifiable as romantic.
Subbing vs. Dubbing: A rare case where both sides have merits. The first meltdown dialogue comes off like a poorly translated metaphor in the subbed version, while the dubbed version makes it clear that the speaker's lost his mind. Interestingly, the dubbing goes for the spirit of the script rather than the translation, leading to entirely different but still effective dialogue.
Tear Jerker: "But what about the rest of it?" Konakawa finally admits why movies are a Trauma Button for him, after having a few drinks; when he was younger, he and a friend worked on films. They in fact started working on a movie about two former friends who become bitter enemies. Then Konokawa, in his words, got cold feet and decided to enroll in the police force. His friend died before the movie was completed, and he regrets that they never finished it. Konokawa also fears that he's not honoring his friend's memory and his childhood dreams. By the end of the movie, Paprika helps him realize that he didn't waste his life or his friend's ambitions by becoming a cop; he's living out the fantasy they created, becoming the hero they imagined, and honoring his friend's memory. The dream version of his friend admits it as much by encouraging him to do "the rest of it".
Ugly Cute: Tokita, who may be morbidly fat, but has an expressive, cute baby face. Then again, it might be just creepy for some.
Visual Effects of Awesome: Taking into account the lavishly detailed and flowing animation (including many scenes with phonetically-animated lips), meticulously painted backgrounds, and the wildly creative parade scenes (containing perhaps hundreds of different characters), this is one gorgeous-looking film!
The Woobie: Tokita. An innocent scientist who couldn't comprehend that people would use his invention for evil, he created a machine that was meant to help others with their traumas. For his troubles he finds out someone he trusted stole the machine and is using it to drive people to nervous breakdowns, and Chiba yells at him for not considering the consequences. To atone for his lack of judgement, he dives into the dream world and gets trapped trying to fix his mistakes. Then while in the middle of dream logic, he tries to eat the woman who loves him and can't recognize who he is anymore. Poor guy!
". The crazy juxtaposition of acoustic and electronica make for a song that's memorable, enjoyable and strangely romantic.