Perfect Blue (1997)

Perfect Blue (1997) — Overview When pop idol Mima Kirigoe quits her bubblegum J‑pop group to pursue acting, she expects a rocky transition — but not a breakdown of reality. As Mima takes on darker roles, poses for risqué photo shoots and struggles with her new public image, a mysterious fan begins stalking her online, posting intimate details and threats. Simultaneously, Mima is plagued by vivid hallucinations and a sinister doppelgänger who seems intent on sabotaging her life. As people around her are brutally attacked, the line between performance, memory and madness frays, and Mima (and the audience) must guess what is real and what is a terrifying fabrication. Watching Perfect Blue is an intense, disorienting experience: a slow-burning psychological thriller animated with stark, cinematic visuals and abrupt cuts that mirror Mima’s unraveling mind. The film explores fame, identity, and the exploitation of women in media, using unreliable perception and mounting suspense to keep viewers off balance. Expect mounting dread, shocking violence, moral ambiguity and a finale that forces you to reexamine earlier scenes — the film rewards careful attention and multiple viewings. Content warnings: mature themes, graphic violence, sexual content and psychological distress. Perfect Blue is best suited to viewers who can handle dark, provocative storytelling and who appreciate tense, mind‑bending thrillers that blur fantasy and reality.

Actors: Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji

Director: Satoshi Kon

Runtime: 81 min

Genres: Animation, Crime, Mystery

7.5 /10 67 /100 8.0 /10 7.4 /10