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THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS ONE OF AN ADULT NATURE.  PARENTAL DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

SUMMARY

Mima Kirigoe has decided to leave CHAM, a J-pop band, to pursue a new career in acting. She soon lands a role in Double Bind, a sexually charged murder mystery. However her life begins to literally fall apart as the pressures of acting in intense sexual scenes and trying to please everyone else take their toll. The lines between reality and hallucinations seem to cross and merge together as Mima desperately tries to hold onto what little sanity she has left.

As her descent into paranoia continues, Mima discovers a website which describes in very intimate details of her life. Meanwhile her associates are being threatened and murdered by an unknown person. As days seemingly blur together Mima is left wondering if any of this is real at all. Who is the strange security officer she sees while shooting scenes for Double Blind? Is he even real? Can illusions kill people? Who is Virtua-Mima, and why does she have such a hatred for Mima? All these questions and more are answered as Mima's life begins to break apart.

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: Decent, better than the video release. The colors are clearer and the image sharper although, there are some light moments. There is some light artifacing on images with a solid color. While there is film grain and specks, these are from the source material. Some cleaning up would have been nice. 

AUDIO: There are two 5.1 options to view this film; English and Japanese. Both versions sound crisp and clear, especially during the more intense scenes.

EDITS: There appears to be no edits in this movie. Every graphic and disturbing scene is presented in all it's glory!

EXTRAS: There are many extras on this disc. They include interviews with director Satoshi Kon and voice-actors, music photo gallery, behind the scenes performances, and bonus audio track.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: Perfect Blue is based on the novel written by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, and this movie makes me want to find that book so I can read it for myself. Just when the viewer believes he or she has it all figured out Perfect Blue throws a curve ball into the mix. Ultimately the viewer is left wondering where reality ends and the paranoid delusions begin.

ACTING: In my opinion, both the English dubs and Japanese audio were mediocre. There really wasn't a voice actor on either side who presented a memorable performance with the exception Ruby Marlowe as Mima Kirigoe. While her Japanese counterpart did a fair job with her role, Mrs. Marlowe did a better job because she put more emotion and spirit into her reading.

FAN SERVICE: There is a portion of this movie were Mima, albeit very reluctantly, agrees to strip during a photo shot for the photographer. That being said, there is nothing perverted about these scenes. In fact, the photographs are very seductive and sensual.

CONCLUSION:

Believe it or not, Perfect Blue was originally intended to be a live-action movie. At first Madhouse's CEO, Masao Maruyama, was extremely skeptical about switching this movie into an animated one. Masao later reluctantly agreed only because he was inspired by the passion of Yoshikazu and the original producer, Koichi Okamoto. It is my firm belief that we all should be very thankful this film was developed as an anime because, quite frankly, I don't believe a live-action movie could outperform it.

This movie was Satoshi Kon's directorial debut, and he did a marvelous job. Segments are beautifully blended together to keep the viewer guessing which parts are real and which ones are illusion. Perfect Blue loves to keep its viewer guessing about what's truly happening in Mima's life. Just like her, the viewer can't help but to second guess everything. For example: Was that creepy security guard really standing there watching Mima, or did she imagine the entire thing? Did Mima really have a conversation with her “other half”, or is she talking to no one? How many days has passed, or is it the same day? This is but a small part of the magic that is Perfect Blue, so just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Another reason why Perfect Blue is so outstanding is how creepy it can make one feel while watching it. When I first saw it, I had thought the Virtua-Mima character was nothing but an illusion. However that perception was shattered when Me-Mania saw the same thing. That raised some interesting questions in my mind, such as "How is it possible two very different people can see the same illusion when they're in separate places? The rules of reality begin to crack and break in this movie, and I could only watch in awe as it is molded into something different, scary and fascinating all at the same time. The final shape of this "new" reality will shock and astound you, so be prepared.

Overall this is absolutely a stylish and outstanding film with many layers of depth and meaning.  The viewer will enjoy peeling each part back to see what is revealed next. From the pressures of being a celebrity, to how stress can affect one's mind, to various psychological degrees, to having self-confidence in one's self, Perfect Blue covers it all. Also, what makes some scenes scary is how they could actually happen in real life. Remember, some people can handle lots of pressures in their life while others ultimately succumb to them.

In closing, no anime collection is perfect unless it contains Perfect Blue. You will want to watch this anime. Then you'll want to show it to all your friends, and so on, and so on. Come watch this brilliant and striking film. You will be amazed!

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