Perfect Blue is a 1997 Japanese animated psychological thriller film directed by Satoshi Kon. The plot follows Mima a member of a Japanese idol group who retires form music to peruse an acting career. As the film goes on, she becomes the victim of stalking as a series of murders are committed around her and she loses her grip on reality. Perfect Blue in a film about the perception of identity to both yourself and individuals around you and showcasing how you can ultimately lose you identify acting as a criticism of Japanese consumer culture.
Right from the begging reality is thrown into question as the film starts with a power ranger like performance on for the film to show that this is actual a performance making all of reality being thrown onto question form this point onwards. In the film Mima announces that she is leaving charm and as a result people reacting a negative way showing how people imprint their own identity on other people, there last performance highlighting japans consumerist culture. In her performances within the film the movie makes it clear that the image of Mima is what is important to everyone and not her as a person. This is further reenforced with her boss wanting to make her act and her agent wanting to make her sing people ultimately want to control their own idealised image of Mima as if she is not even real. During this performance the stalker character holds her hand up to Mima like she’s dancing in her hand showing he views her like a doll and wants to keep the perfect mage of her.
The stalker then ends up starting a fight with another for disrespecting the perfect image of her showing how an audience views an entertainer as a commodity. However, the fighting cesses when she tells them to stop like a god commanding her followers, from this they all watch her final song as if in a trance. When she leaves fans yell at her not to quit, again committing on Japanese consumer culture and how ravenous and extreme a fanbase can turn.
There are nice little details in Mimas room like teddys bears showing she is still somewhat young and innocent highlighting her transformation. Her taking her Charm poster of the wall shows her moving on with that portion of her life and growing up, this is cemented by the idea of her changing her identity from one that was created for her to become an individual. We also see her receive fan letters linking into the dangers of voyeurism of individuals within otaku culture, as people don’t truly understand what the individual is going through with her mum being disappointed but Mima saying that the industry is suffocating. Mima also receives a fax saying traitor again linking to the idea of people wanting to own the identity of the performer, this is further highlighted with the shot of Mima turning and looking outwards form her flat highlighting the idea of voyeurism. Throughout the film the phrase who are you is repeated and is the line said in her first scene as an actress. The lien perfectly describes both the person stalking Mima and Mima herself as the loss of and quest for identity are major themes throughout the film, as well as voyeurism with an online website fan page of Mima invented for her.
Her fist line in her new TV show acting gig “who are you” again links into the idea of identity. A main question throughout the film is the idea of identity, who is the real Mima the average everyday normal person or the Idol people know and as shown throughout the film that answer is not clear as the liens between these two worlds blur as Mima questions hero new reality. Although it seems like her agents are trying to help her with her acting by giving her more lines, they only use her for profit showing the disposable commodity nature of the celebrity in the eyes of the people. This sequence gets interrupted by a bomb going off hurting her manger in a letter that was meant for her. This further highlights the voyeurism of the film in people obsession with other in watching other, in knowing everyone about others filtered through this celebrity culture highlighting its protentional dangers. Throughout the film there is an idea of male dominated control over her highlighting the dangers of women in entertainment industry, as well as again acting as a criticism of Japanese consumerist culture.
An interest thing about the structure of Perfect Blue is that there is not a lot of conformation between the characters if the things in the film happened or not and except for Mima even seems to be almost oblivious to their surroundings. The use of voyeurism is further emphasised when the website Mimas room seems to contain to much information about her life. Again, the phrase who are you? Is used throughout the film links scenes together. The phrase is ultimately about her ask who the person stalking and controlling her is and well as ultimately asking who is controlling her identity as she is questioning herself as a person. Mimas agents again ponder whether she can make it as an actress and if leaving Charm was a good thing, reaffirming the idea of people controlling her life. The stalker character within the film sees himself as protecting the image of Mima, with Mima herself being terrified with the idea of someone controlling her life.
It turns out that Charm have moved on and gotten bigger with a shot of all three of them celebrating enforcing the idea that she can never truly escape her old life. The theme of reality and the use of the camera as a means of storytelling are a constant throughout the film as the perception of reality is constantly questioned. The producers worry if the agency will be ok with Mimas rape scene. Although Mima is ok with it the agency isn’t with the producers wanting to exploit her and the agency wanting her to be a pure object that will not be defiled. In a mirror image shot we se. her old performer self-reflected in the train window reinforcing the idea that she will never let g of her past and it will forever be a part of her identity. The fake rape scene in the film is framed in a way that it seems real reenforcing the idea of reality and fantasy being merged questioning what is real and what isn’t. With this scene it shows the voyeurism and dangers of pop idols at the hands of men. The female manager is discussed by her defilement and the destruction of the ideal woman with her becoming sexual. In the film the rape scene feels real, as the scene highlights voyeurism due to her disturbing hyper sexualisation with the male gaze being a big factor within the film, highlighting otaku cultures obsession with sexualisation. Her manager breaks down because of this on one hand she is worried about her but on the other hand can’t and the idea of her being defiled.
Mima then goes into a dreamlike an orgasm where it shown her idol image showing that she didn’t like doing the scene and has ruined her perfect image. The film is ultimately about her internal battle between her true self and her idol self throughout the film shown with her hating the idea of her being defiled. Her old self mocks her highlighting the idea that you can never truly run away from her past. In the film the stalker character stalks her though the internet. He is the one that created the website with pictures all around him which shows his obsession of the image of Mima. This further inks into the idea of identity as they live their lives viscerally throughout Mima and creates his perfect idolised version of his idol, this also showcases the films voyeurism with the relentless stalking and lust positioned by him in the film. The film uses the male gaze as we are scene the character of Mima as a fetishized object for the stalker. This is a criticism of otaku culture and how certain people, or characters can easily be fetishized by the mass fanbase destroying their humanity.
In a scene where she is being interviewed, her interview is shown through a camera lens with her music playing in the background reenforcing the idea of her wanting to become an actress and not a signer. When Mima logs into her website she sees people have written misinformation about her or rather the information they want showcasing the dangers of the relationship between the celebrity and the fan. The picture of Mima then comes to life saying she is the real one. This further highlights the idea of Mimas internal struggle within the film between her two selves’. One of which wants to stay an actress as the other one wants to return to being an idol. The Idol version of Mima berates her for being defiled and is now a filthy woman that can no longer be seen as perfect. Mima misses the spotlight due to the godlike power it gives her. The film shows that to people the avatar of Mina is what is important not the real person as she is tarnished and can no longer be the perfect person. In one scene one of her production people is murdered with charms music playing showing the murder of Mimas male controllers at the hands of an otaku. Again, her idol image is shown as she is riding in the car opposite her. This further shows the themes of identity and the perception of reality, the idol Mima mouths the worlds “serves you right” showcasing both the fractured part of her mind that hates herself for what she has done as well as the options of her otaku fanbase obsessed with her.
With the scene for her being photographed for an erotic photoshoot it highlights the voyeurism of the film in that she must become sexualized in this new identity. This also demonstrates the male gaze in that Mima is shown as the sexual object of peoples desires however this ultimately goes against what she wants. In turn this also is a criticism of Japanese consumer culture in that people desire this blank sexual object without any thought to the person in question. Mina is disgusted by this and loses her identity due to this exploitation. The idol version of Mima appears yet again. This is symbolic of Mimas fractured identity asking the question what makes up a person really. Her character is ultimately what people want her to be not who she is as shown with her ghost version signing with her former bandmates. With the stalker purchasing all the magazines of Mima it further highlights the voyeurism of the film as the film shows the dangers of obsession. Again, this further highlights the male gaze in that his obsession of Mima as a perfect image and the dangers of that. This again highlights the themes of identity and the danger of projecting yourself onto individuals. Again, this works as a criticism of otaku culture in how objects intensify obsession which is dangerous and destructive. The stalker wants to project an idolised image of her onto the real version of her. The pictures of Mimas start talking to the stalker saying that the real Mima is an imposter, and he must kill her highlighting the dangers of obsession between fans and celebrities. Mima is ultimately having a crisis of identity, however in a conversation with her doctor it states that a persona is not fixed and can change the conversation with her doctor exams the idea that there is a projected self and a true self as the film highlights the fears of when these two identities merge and lose control of each other.
In the sequence where she chases her projected model identity self the sequence is ultimately showcasing her trying not to lose her identity. Again, this turns out to be another dream sequence, what is real and what is a dream is never clear throughout the film as the characters is going insane. Perfect Blue highlights the problems of identity and performance and the liens between fake and real personas and the dangers of that blurred line in how a person can lose their identity and their grip on reality. Within the film reality cannot be trusted. Mima truly loses her mind and doesn’t know what’s real, this is shown in a truly disturbing way with her breaking a cup and wondering if her bleeding hands are real. Mima starts believing in her false reality, as people state the murder is also an illusion witch itself is fictional.
This perception of reality is further distorted as the photographer gets stabs by a pizza delivery man that turns out to be Mima, as flashes of her naked photoshoot flash Infront of the viewers eyes, as it is reaved she killed him. This further relates to the idea of Voyeurism as Mima loses her mind she attacks those who defiled her as a commentary on the exploitation of the Japanese entertainment industry. With the press bursting through the door to talk about the murder it truly cements that the walls of reality are collapsing for Mima, which is further heightened as that murder sequence is shown again from the perspective of it being in a show. This further highlights the ideas of performance and identity. Mia in unable to distinguish herself from her role acting as a performer to people that might not even be real. From this she loses her identity creating warped semi-fictionalised persona of herself combing reality with fiction semes within her own damaged psyche. We are then shown what seems to be a police integration as is seems like Mima has gone insane and hints at the idea of this all being inside her head, however this idea of her having schizophrenia turns out to be part of the role as her illusion and dreams come to life.
Mina is attacked by the crazy fan has her identity is destroyed. The stalker can only perceive the perfect image of Mima as the struggle mimics the fake rape scene only this time with a real attempted murder scene. He strips her like he is going to rape her and destroys the set. She then hits him with the hammer killing him only for his body to diaper in the next scene as we find out the director has also been killed. In the climax of the film the manger takes her back to her flat. However, it turns out the flat is not hers but her female managers who has become obsessed with the image of Mima forming an identity around it. This again highlights the dangers of Japanese consumer culture, and the way people obsess over things and forge their identity around fictionalised desires is terrible. This leaves Mima with no identity as it has been stolen her manager Rumi tries to murder Mima, in killing this version that people don’t like she will preserve the perfect version of her. This then leads to a chase/fight sequence between her and her manger.
This only ends when Mina pulls the wig off her manager revealing her identity. However, she cannot acct reality and instead impales herself on broken glass. She covers her true reflection with blood again showing she cannot face reality and tires to end her life by walking Infront of a truck, but Mina saves her. The film then flashes forward to show Rumi in a mental hospital still believing she’s Mina with Mina visiting her. The film ends with Mina looking at herself in the mirror accepting reality and who she is.
Perfect Blue is a film about the perception of identity to both yourself and those around you, it highlights the dangers of losing that identity to a consumerist culture and states that the only way to live is to ultimately accept who you ae a forge your own identity yourself.