I have a bad habit of not keeping up with the news, particularly when it's from another country...
I just found out that one of my favorite writer-directors died two years ago at the young at of 46 from pancreatic cancer, which he kept secret from the general public until the time of his death. Of the many artists and authors in Japan whom I hoped to have a (granted, very minute) chance of meeting during my stay, he was among the top. Now, seeing this hero is an impossibility.
In a nation with a greater stigma against mental illness than even that of the United States, Satoshi Kon (今敏) was one of few Japanese artists who captured aspects of depression (utsu) and stress-induced break downs (lightly termed "burn outs" in English translated articles) in the light of his characters' humanity. They were honest and three-dimensional, and framed within thoughtfully cerebral, yet emotionally captivating stories. I was particularly moved by Perfect Blue, my first introduction to the idea that anime was not always for children, and Paranoia Agent, which I could further identify with, having finished several years towards a degree in psychology by the time I saw it.
His blatant avoidance of medical treatments is particularly painful to read through in his posthumously posted final blog post (translated here), as I wonder how he would have faired, given he had followed a proper doctor's advice. Would he have finished his current works? Would he be living today? Could I swoon and beg feebly in my poor Japanese for an autograph and maybe even attempt to get him to answer a question or two? But such hypotheticals don't matter, even though they still sting.
I would like to visit these latter subjects later, but for now I wanted to share my sorrow, and call attention to a great artist, two years gone. Thank you, 今さん. I'm deeply sorry to have missed my chance to meet you.
