Paprika with Aaron Wood - Episode 34

Paprika (2006) Is Better Than Inception? Talking Satoshi Kon, Dreams, and Fandoms with Aaron Wood This week, we’re diving into a movie I love with someone I think you’re going to love too—illustrator, designer, and board game artist Aaron Wood. We’re talking Paprika (2006), Satoshi Kon’s visually wild, brain-bending anime that’s basically Inception before Inception—but weirder, and honestly, better. Aaron had never seen it before, so we use that as a jumping-off point to explore: The ethics of dream-sharing The strange line between identity and avatars (online and in dreams) Why animation might be the only way to tell this kind of story Aaron’s work in fandom from the inside out—WPA-style fantasy posters, sci-fi tourism art, and board game design for games like Twilight Imperium Topics we hit include: 🎭 The uncanny valley vs. hand-drawn magic 🎤 Why Vocaloids are both cool and unsettling 📺 The live-action Paprika remake (we're already anxious) 🌐 How fandoms, internet identities, and dreams blur together 😱 That time Aaron’s parents betrayed him… with Return of the Jedi 🎬 Why sometimes we just need a little nudge to finally watch a movie This episode’s full of heart, nerdy insights, and plenty of sidetracks about art, animation, and how we experience stories. — Follow the host: Kt Baldassaro (MovieRuntime) TikTok: @movieruntime Instagram: @movieruntime Letterboxd: movieruntime Bluesky: movieruntime.bsky.social Follow the guest: Aaron Wood – Illustrator, graphic designer, and board game artist Etsy: JustOneScarf Instagram: @aaronwooddesigns TikTok: @aaronwooddesigns Twitter/X: @justonescarf — 🎧 Listen on your favorite platform: Spotify: tinyurl.com/mr8ct67c Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/3rarkktx Other platforms: tinyurl.com/y43c2cc7