Perfect Blue
the movie begins with a live-action performance of a series called powertron. two boys run out calling it cheap. in the first minute the film has already established its major themes: this is a story about the gap between reality and the image.
i just absolutely love this film and watching it for the third time, i can say it doesn’t get old. the animation isn’t perfect but i love it! it captures everything and adds to the unsettling vibes. the character designs are so interesting, and mr me-mania is genuinely so damn creepy every time he’s on screen. the way shots from double bind are used for fake outs is just genius and just add to the instability that this film revolves around. the themes are fascinating, and while the director has said this isn’t a critique of the idol industry, i really think it should be. to be a woman is to perform, and this film perfectly shows the parasocial relationship problem with a lot of celebrities, especially in j-pop where idols are seen as pure and accessible. it’s all just an image or persona, and we really see the toll it takes on mima and how she gets taken advantage of throughout it.
watching this film (and watching video essays about it) has helped me understand it more, which makes me appreciate it even more on rewatch. the sound design for suspense is incredible, and watching rumi knowing her revealed identity makes me notice little signs i completely missed the first time.
the scene where rumi (as mima) is about to get hit by the truck and reaches out as if she’s on stage is just absolutely beautiful. this film really scratches my brain in all the right ways. i was never planning on watching it again anytime soon, but i’m so glad i did.