Perfect Blue

❝Excuse me... who are you?❞ · · ───── ⊹⊱∆⊰⊹ ───── · · Beautiful and haunting, Perfect Blue is a look into the twisted effects of how women are treated in the idol/acting industries. As an idol, everything about Mima's image was manufactured to undoubtedly advertise sex appeal while simultaneously seeming innocent and naive. Her fans (mostly men) wanted to sleep with her, and because they couldn't, they took solace in the presented appearance that no-one else would either. But her transition to actress, filming horribly lewd scenes meant that pure image was shattered, and those same people couldn't take it; they started branding her a 'whore'. And as if that wasn't enough, the men calling the shots in her new career saw her desperation to succeed and manipulated her into doing things she despised. On the other side was Rumi, an ex-idol herself who probably went through similar situations as Mima during her idol days. She clung to that innocent appeal long after her retirement and projected it onto her artists, and internalised the misogyny all around her to the point where she felt she had to kill Mima for her new, more adult career, and the people who put it together. As Mima slipped further into psychosis, it was interesting to see she knew internally how different she was becoming to her former idol self way before Rumi revealed the truth, as well as how her imagination conjured images of the murders to 'help' her deal with the trauma of the photoshoot and filming, but instead made her even more troubled. I'll admit it was very difficult to watch certain scenes, and I really do question the need for them in such a prolonged manner. As far as technical and other aspects go, I can't find many flaws at all; the animation is great, the music is eerie and atmospheric, and I loved the mix of bright and bleak colour palettes throughout. Overall, an excellent film I find hard to believe is only a debut; hats off to you, Satoshi Kon.