Paranoia Agent

Double Lips

Season 1, Episode 3, Aired 6/11/05

Episode Summary

After being attacked by Lil' Slugger, Yuichi's name is cleared and he can finally relax. However, Harumi Chono, Yuichi's tutor and an assistant at a local university, has problems of her own. She has another and hedonistic personality named Maria that spends the night as a prostitute. Whenever Maria takes over, Harumi has no recollection or control of what happened. However, they manage to live as they are until Harumi receives an offer of marriage from her co-worker at the university, Akihiko Ryu. Harumi decides to end her life as Maria but Maria won't take it sitting down.moreless

9.3

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Cast & Crew

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William Knight

Old Man
Adam Gordon

Additional Voices
Wendee Lee

Additional Voices

Fan Episode Reviews (4)

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Confusing, yet satisfying. Another perfect episode. Don't worry, I'm not THAT biased!

10

"Perfect"

By shsteve, Sep 14, 2006 Report Abuse

So after two perfect episodes (trust me I'm not giving 10/10 for all..), we're thrust into another horrific tale of identity.

Harumi, Ichi's home tutor, is breifly seen in a previous episode but as the (barmy some would say...) credits show, she was bound to be a major player in the events to come. Though to be fair, she's rarely in it after this other than very brief appearences. The best thing about PA is the way the characters are shifted around. A background character can either connect stories by tenous links or become the central figure of another. This allows the series to avoid what would be an easy detective thriller to follow by using a complex perspective compiled by fragmented storylines.

Probably the closest to Perfect Blue as a series as you can get, the episode features a woman the edge of an identity crisis. What's so special about the episode is that it let's you decide who the real identity is. When is there a point that shows Harumi is the real identity and the prostitute Maria isn't? Again, like the previous episode, the conventions are twisted to a point where you no longer think you were right because of genre iconorgraphy. It kind of reminds me of Silent Hill 2 to a point (no, not cos of the name Maria okay...).

It's perfectly balanced to keep you guessing and yet, it also manages to underplay the fantastical elements of the second episode; while managing to comment on sexual repression. Not bad for 25 minutes I guess.

And then...moreless

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This episode scared me to death. It has a plot of paranoia so bad it scares you.

10

"Perfect"

By walkerbjs22, Aug 24, 2006 Report Abuse

Huromi is Ichi's private tutor and a prostotute at night. But, whenever Maria, the prostotute takes over, Huromi has no control over what happened. As the two cops investigate more, they learn that Ichi had it hard. Huromi is paranoid and when a man asks Huromi to marry her, she trys to throw out all of her stuff. Then, when she opens it back up, the stuff is there. Maria put it back. In paranoia, she is on the streets, in her imagination, Maria is oushing her around, as Lil' Slugger attacks her. When she wakes up in the hospital, Lil' Slugger was arrested late the other night.moreless

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This is what truly makes Paranoia Agent brilliant.

10

"Perfect"

By danideathstrike, May 30, 2006 Report Abuse

"Double Lips" is about the boy from last episode's personal tutor. This is my favourite episode ever because of its great storyline. Basically the Tutor has a split personality disorder which she cannot control, by day she is a hard working teacher, by night she is a nymphomaniac prostitute. The story line twists and turns with great ease, leading for a great Hitchcock like episode. We also see how this split personality affects the others life, including their relationships. This is a brilliant episode as it delves into both characters feelings about each other even tough they are the same person. 10 out of 10. This is what truly makes Paranoia Agent brilliant.moreless

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A great physchological episode that can stand on its own.

9.3

"Superb"

By ZaleIsBackAgain, Aug 22, 2005 Report Abuse

Harumi, the tutor of Ichi who was recently attacked by Shounen bat, made only a slight appearence within the previous episode. But this episode concentrates solely on the problems she has dealing with her other half. She's an assistant to a docter, as well as a tutor, as well as a prostitute. Though in reality, she has a split personality that she's clearly supporting by allowing that side of her to continue on living. Though when her doctor asks her to marry him, she decides to throw that life away by trashing absolutely everything affiliated with that past; clothes, memories, everything. But even after throwing them in the dumpster personally, she finds the clothes to remain as if they were never touched. Even after throwing them out again, they seem to reappear the next day. Her past refuses to be nonexistent, and Harumi continues to grow even more concerned that her husband might be ashamed of what her wife really was, or is. In a constant battle of possession over her own body being fought in the middle of the road, Shounen bat comes along and gives sense to her.

This episode is remininsce to a similar work, Perfect Blue. A pop star diva abandons her singing career, hoping to pursue a life in acting. But glimpses of her past character ocasionally haunts her, tearing her will apart in order for her past to come alive again. It's the same thing here; Harumi wishes to abandon a piece of her life, but that small section becomes another person, continually haunting the current self in order to control her body. Honestly, if I had to pick which work I've preferred, it would be a tough decision, even though this episode alone is only 20 minutes, and Perfect Blue is a full length movie. I'm not really a fan for physchological thrillers after what I had experienced in Neon Genesis Evangelion, but this was just a really special episode despite your dislikes towards the genre.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Episode Title Appearance: After Maria exits the otaku's apartment, a sign displaying the words Double Lips appears advertising a prostitution agency — most likely the one Maria works for. It lists prostitutes as available for ¥25,000. Edit
Notes
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- The original Japanese broadcast was on February 16, 2004. Edit
- EDITS: - After having sex with the otaku, when Maria gets out of the bed to take a shower, her hair has been extended to cover her breasts. However, in the next scene, her hair is nowhere near that long. - In both the scenes where we see Harumi taking a shower, more steam has been digitally added. Edit
Quotes
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- Prophetic Vision To begin, the sound of a bell from a noble temple. But it won't work on a leecher's deaf ears. After the Arabian Nights end, every time he stand up he is beaten. The golden fox cries only once. The great warrior gets on a noble steed and passes through the broadband. And then... Edit
Allusions
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- This episode shows some similarities to Fight Club, with the main character of each struggling to gain control over their "other selves", even the methods employed are similarly violent. Edit