One sentence: “Threw me in for a loop.”

You’d think that Mima is the only person confused in this movie, but after a while you’d find yourself so drawn in that you’d think you’re the one hallucinating. In the later part of this motion picture, reality and fantasy get mixed up that you don’t know what to believe anymore. To add to the amazing mix of twists and turns, the “dark” element that was the key to Mima’s psyche is actually the one person I leasted expected it to be.

The artwork and the stunning display of vivid imagery make me think: Lain meets Kite. The directors want you to feel nervous, confused, deathly afraid, and this can surprisingly be accomplished easily in this package.

Perfect Blue is actually a milestone on its own and probably the first of its kind to tackle an issue that is sensitive to the actual Japanese culture of pop idols and showbiz sensations. In a world filled with twirling shoujos, giant mechs, and big-breasted leading ladies, PB is the only one daring enough to be different. It deals with human psychology, more specifically the psychology of a “has-been” jpop idol who ventures into unknown waters when the end of her teenage years signaled the end of her singing career. Mima’s introduction to adulthood is violent and filled with self-hatred. The film is worth your while — provided you are one person who’s unperturbed by disturbing imagery.

Individual Rating: Art/Animation 8; Story 9; Characters 9; Sounds 9

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 2nd, 2001 at 6:25 pm and is filed under Perfect Blue, Anime. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.