One point that I'm a little confused on: Towards the end, as Maniwa becomes disconnected from reality, he actually becomes MORE focused on his goals of defeating Shounen Bat. Same with the Old Man—as disconnected as he is from reality, he sees with a mysterious clarity.
Given that the overall theme of Paranoia Agent is the acceptance of reality for what it is, where do they fit into the scheme of things?
Were they really so disconnected from reality? Or were they more connected than anyone else?
In the beginning, the old man seems totally "out of it" (he WAS run down in the street) and yet he apparently is the only one who can see the forest for the trees. Everyone else is in the forest amongst the trees, but they are so much a part of it they are unable to step back far enough & see what is going on.
In the end, Maniwa has taken over the role of the old man. He is more dedicated than ever to keep on top of this thing...even if he defeated Shounen Bat, it would seem that there is an opening for the same kind of thing to happen again (as suggested by the new kitty character, which was actually a play on the "floppy panda" character that really existed), and as he sits on the pavement calculating, a look of realization comes over his face:
http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3386234
http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3386235
"If you just talk, I find that your mouth comes out with stuff." ~ Karl Pilkington
Maniwa is trying to understand fear from a perspective of interest and science. As opposed to the others who fall victims of their fears and once they accept them no longer have an interest in an actual understanding of fear.
The very nature of Maniwa's relationship with the old man is a strange, subconscious one. Maniwa picks up on the old man without even having spoken to him. The old man starts entering his subconscious and shows up as a sort of guide figure for Maniwa. In performing the "greatest trick of the century" I think he tries to convey to Maniwa (what the Chief also discovers) that shounen bat, the whole thing is merely illusion.
The Yellow Duck is a Red Herring.
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Though they seem to be in touch with a higher plane of existence, I think they are facing reality. All of it, even the parts many people cannot (or refuse) to see.
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