Perfect Blue (1998)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Satoshi Kon

Writers:

Sadayuki Murai (screenplay)
Yoshikazu Takeuchi (novel)

Release Date:

28 February 1998 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The color of illusion is Perfect Blue. (Japanese)

Plot:

A retired pop singer turned actress's sense of reality is shaken when she is stalked by an obsessed fan and seemingly a ghost of her past.

Plot Keywords:

Obsessed Fan | Singer | Actress | Fan | Rape

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Junko Iwao	...	Mima (voice)
Rica Matsumoto	...	Rumi (voice) (as Rika Matsumoto)
Shinpachi Tsuji	...	Tadokoro (voice)
Masaaki Ôkura	...	Uchida (voice)
Yôsuke Akimoto	...	Tejima (voice)
Yoku Shioya	...	Shibuya (voice)
Hideyuki Hori	...	Sakuragi (voice)
Emi Shinohara	...	Eri (voice)
Masashi Ebara	...	Murano (voice)
Kiyoyuki Yanada	...	Kantoku (voice)
Tôru Furusawa	...	Yada (voice)
Shiho Niiyama	...	Rei (voice)
Emiko Furukawa	...	Yukiko (voice)
Aya Hara	...	(voice)
Shinichirô Miki	...	(voice) (as Shin'ichirô Miki)

Also Known As:

Pâfekuto burû (Japan) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated R for animated sequences of violence and nudity, and for brief language.

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Japan:R-15 | Taiwan:R-18 | Australia:MA | Canada:16+ (Québec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | France:-12 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | USA:Unrated

Company:

Rex Entertainment

Trivia:

The "Big Body" pizza box in the infamous stabbing scene usually gets a few chuckles from English-speaking viewers, who are no doubt thinking about the food's fat content. However, "Big Body" is actually an homage to Susumu Hirasawa (who would later compose music for Sennen joyû (2001) and "Môsô dairinin" (2004), also by director Kon) and his electronically band "P-Model." Big Body is the name of their tenth album, released in 1993.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the English dub version, Cham sings their song at the beginning in English. Later on, when the writer is waiting for the elevator, the radio is playing the song in Japanese.

Quotes:

Mima Kirigoe: Excuse me... who are you? Excuse me... who are you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Soundtrack:

Omoide ni dakare te ima wa

One of the best animés of all time!

An interesting look at pop culture...

Mima Kirigoe (Voiced by Junko Iwao) on the advice of her "producers" has quit her pop band named "Cham" and has taken up a career in acting, the only role she gets is in a violent thriller named "Double Bind" her character is less than clean cut but if it makes her a success that's all that matters isn't it? In the meantime a website is setup that describes Mima's life in every detail, it is run by an obsessed fan who thinks that the Mima who quit Cham is not the real Mima and that the real Mima wants this fake killed (Confusing huh? The movie can probably make this point better) In any case the people around Mima start to die (Including a sleazy photographer) This movie is full of graphic violence and nudity so it goes without saying this isn't for kids, it is one of the best animé films of all time but I can never get anyone I know to watch it because their brains connect animé to girls in mini skirts being tentacle violated...This isn't "La Blue Girl" it is an interesting horror/thriller that actually has a very good plotline and a very surprising ending (To me anyway) and I would recommend it to all genre fans including those who stick their noses up at animé in general.

A deserved 9.5/10