Paranoia Agent — Season 1
When darkness overcomes the heart... Lil' Slugger appears...
About this season
Musashino, Tokyo. An elementary schooler repeatedly attacks people in the streets. Known only to the public as "Lil Slugger", none of the victims can recall the young boy's face and only three distinct details are left in their memories: golden inline skates, a baseball cap, and the weapon: a bent golden baseball bat. Detectives Ikari and Maniwa set out to track down the perpetrator and put an end to his crimes.
Episodes (13)
1. Enter Lil' Slugger
7.2Aired 3 February 2004 • 25 min
Tsukiko Sagi, a shy character designer, is suddenly attacked by someone carrying a golden baseball bat. When a pair of detectives interrogate her, she describes the suspect as an elementary school-aged boy wearing golden inline skates and a red hat.
2. The Golden Shoes
7.4Aired 10 February 2004 • 25 min
Yuuichi "Icchi" Taira, a formerly popular sixth-grade schoolboy, starts being bullied at school for his red hat and golden skates which strongly resemble those of Lil' Slugger.
3. Double Lips
7.4Aired 17 February 2004 • 25 min
Harumi Chouno, a woman with dissociative identity disorder attempts to defy her prostitute alter ego, Maria. Harumi becomes increasingly desperate when a colleague proposes. She accepts, but is terrified of Maria's existence being found out.
4. A Man's Path
7.5Aired 24 February 2004 • 25 min
Masami Hirukawa is a low-level police officer who, despite calling himself a family man, accepts bribes in the form of cash and women from a local yakuza group. However, Masami squeezes the group a bit too much, and they send their boss to deal with him.
5. The Holy Warrior
6.5Aired 9 March 2004 • 25 min
Ikari and Maniwa interrogate the boy known as Lil' Slugger, who turns out to be an eighth-grade student named Makoto Kozuka. Kozuka admits to the attacks, but he believes that the world around him is a medieval fantasy-style role playing game.
6. Fear of a Direct Hit
7.4Aired 16 March 2004 • 25 min
Taeko, a runaway teenager, wanders through the stormy city wanting to forget about her past, as her father repeatedly calls her cellphone but she always answers coldly, saying she will "destroy everything."
7. MHz
7.1Aired 23 March 2004 • 25 min
After Taeko is attacked while both Tsukiko and Kozuka have alibis, Maniwa considers the possibility of another Lil' Slugger existing and looks for connections between the victims in an attempt to pinpoint who will be next.
8. Happy Family Planning
6.7Aired 6 April 2004 • 25 min
The three members of an Internet suicide pact meet each other for the first time in attempt to come up with ways to commit suicide, but hope to see Lil' Slugger.
9. ETC
6.8Aired 13 April 2004 • 25 min
Four housewives share gossip that they have heard about Lil' Slugger.
10. Mellow Maromi
6.4Aired 20 April 2004 • 25 min
Production coordinator Naoyuki Saruta fights traffic to deliver the first episode of "Mellow Maromi," an anime based on the famous character designed by Tsukiko, to the broadcasting network.
11. No Entry
7.1Aired 27 April 2004 • 25 min
Misae Ikari, wife of Ikari the detective, confronts Lil' Slugger when he comes for her about what humans really are and tells him about the problems he's caused.
12. Radar Man
6.8Aired 11 May 2004 • 25 min
Maniwa engages in battle with Lil' Slugger and investigates his past. First he visits the mysterious old man at the hospital just before he dies; his last words to Maniwa are "dance with the rabbit".
13. The Final Episode
7.2Aired 18 May 2004 • 25 min
Tokyo is in ruins because of a black mass, formed by the rampaging Lil' Slugger, that envelops the town. Maniwa contacts the police chief on a screen in the cartoon world telling him what he knows; Ikari smashes the screen and is hailed a hero.