Satoshi Kon was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, animator and cartoonist. Kon started his career as a manga artist in the middle of the 80's, when still in university. He served as an assistant to famous manga author Katsuhiro Otomo, who will also play a role in steering Kon's career towards animation. Besides a few short stories, Kon's only finished graphic novel is Tropic of the Sea (1990). His unfinished manga series include Seraphim 266613336Wings (1994), in collaboration with anime filmmaker Mamoru Oshii, and Opus (1996). In 1991 Kon started a prominent career in the Japanese animation industry, eventually becoming one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. Kon's movies often explore the boundaries between dreams, reality and cinematic fiction. His directorial debut came with the critically acclaimed thriller Perfect Blue (1997), followed by Millennium Actress (2001), Tokyo Godfathers (2003) and Paprika (2006). Satoshi Kon died of pancreatic cancer at age 46.