In Paprika, butterflies appear as signs, identifying the transition into dreams. In some scenes, the butterflies act as a way-finders, guiding the characters into the dreams, as they search for answers.
Here, as in the film, it is difficult to tell what is real, and what is virtual. The bedroom wardrobe is a Narnian magical portal that links the existing house to the avatar’s virtual world. In the virtual world the sun is closer and never sets, it is very bright and always sunny. For the avatar, it’s perfect for hosting parties on the roof deck. Understandably, sunlight is the only form of lighting necessary in the house. The numerous slit ribbon windows, besides their obvious function, allude to the butterflies and act as functional identifiers as they cast sharp linear light forms on the floors and walls, as a means of wayfinding, directing us to the bright roof terraces.