Dr. Atsuko Chiba (voiced by Megumi Hayashibara) works as a scientist by day and, under the code name "Paprika," as a dream detective by night. Atsuko and her colleagues are working on a device called the DC Mini, which is intended to help psychiatric patients, but in the wrong hands it could destroy people's minds. When a prototype is stolen, Atsuko springs into action to recover it before damage is done. This award-winning Japanese anime film is based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1993 novel of the same name.