Reiko - Kobayakawa Face

Satoshi Kon was a master of visual storytelling, and he deliberately used Reiko’s face to lure us into a false sense of security. We see her exhaustion. We see her frustration with the "Lil' Slugger" (Shonen Bat) case. We see her compassion for the victims. We trust her because her face looks... normal.

After defeating the "new" Shonen Bat, Reiko sits in a mental hospital. She is calm. She is at peace. And then, a young nurse runs in screaming about a new attacker with golden rollerblades and a bent baseball bat. reiko kobayakawa face

In the pantheon of iconic anime imagery, few things are as immediately chilling as the smile of Reiko Kobayakawa. Satoshi Kon was a master of visual storytelling,

Reiko looks directly at the camera—directly at us —and . We see her compassion for the victims