Perfect Blue

Perfect Blue is one of the most well received anime movies of all times. Having been appreciated world wide it is a must watch for all anime fans and cinema goers.
It's a film by the famous Japanese director of anime films, Satoshi Kon and is a psychological thriller based on the life of an aspiring pop singer Mima Kirigoe.


The movie opens in a rather strange way with otakus gathered to see Mima's last performance as a pop-idol. On one hand where some fans hope for a bright future for Mima who is going to establish herself as an actress, some are rather disappointed in her especially a stalker who goes by the name Me-Mania.
The story unfolds in a predictable way from thereon where Mima experiences extreme pressure, both physical and mental. In order to establish herself as a competent actress Mima has to undergo many a situation which are mentally bothersome. For example, a rape sequence shot by Mima in the drama series called Double Bind [which in turn is also a mental state in which an individual (or group) receives two or more conflicting messages, with one message negating the other]
Mima's dedicated and skillful acting leads her to secure a larger part in the drama series. Meanwhile, Mima finds an online website called "Mima's Room" full of entries discussing her day. Mima who initially likes it as humble attempt by a fan is later taken aback to see how her life is discussed in such great detail. She discusses this with her manager cum friend, Rumi who assures her that it'd mean her no harm and that it's plausibly a prank.

In the later parts of the movie Mima is shown to have a trouble life born out of the rape sequence she shot in Double Bind to such an extent that she is unable to distinguish reality from fantasy. The story takes a new turn when all the people behind her pitiable mental state are gruesomely murdered one after the other. Mima begins to realise it's her doing cause there is ample amount of evidence against her and yet she is not sure cause she is no longer able to distinguish reality from fantasy.

Having been in a struggle to find out what's real and what's not Mima encounters Me-Mania who attempts to rape her. Mima is convinced it's he whose the diarist of the online website "Mima's Room" . She hits Me-Mania and runs off to Rumi, her sole comfort only to find her as the person behind the online website. Rumi is disillusioned and believes Mima, the pop-idol is the real Mima.
In the end it is shown that Mima goes to pay Rumi a visit in a mental hospital. On one hand where Rumi remains disillusioned, Mima gets out of the intense folie a deux situation and moves on with her now successful life.

The movie has a surreal plot often reminding one about David Lynch's works. It's a critically well received movie and one has to appreciate Kon's work of manipulation of psychological elements to achieve a level of intensity that many likened to the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Darren Aronofsky allegedly paid for the remake rights to Perfect Blue, so he could use one of the scenes for Requiem For A Dream.


Ultimately, WHAT A MOVIE..! is all I am left to say.
I rate it a fine 7/10 [I know my opinion hardly matters but still..]