This week, Anna and Oli turn to anime, and discuss the Satoshi Kon’s classic Perfect Blue (1997).
Mima is a beautiful young Japanese pop-star and member of the J-pop group CHAM! when she decides to quit and pursue a career in acting. However even after her career change, Mima soon realizes that she cannot escape the horrific truth behind her success as a performer: the public’s perception of her, especially of her predominantly male audience, and in particular an obsessed stalker impersonating her online. The pressure of image, beauty and the price she is willing to pay for her success increasingly weigh on Mima, and her sanity begins to unravel in what is one of the most confusing and haunting third acts of this film genre. A violent and surreal exploration of gendered beauty standards, the pressures of fame and celebrity, and a deconstruction of the film’s true enemy: male gaze.
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