Perfect Blue (18)

This is the first anime feature film from Satoshi Kon and, unusually for the time, is a dark psychological drama. It explores the boundries between reality and illusion that were clearly fascinating to Kon and appear as a theme in his other work, notably Paprika (2006), his final feature. (Satoshi Kon died in 2010 at the ago of only 46.)

It's worth remembering that this film was made thirty years ago, when the internet was in its infancy and social media was more of a concept that something all-pervasive. In the narrative, Mima, a singer in a J-pop idol group, decides she wants to move onto acting. She leaves the group, much to the disappointment of her fans, one of whom begins to stalk her. An acting acreer is not so straightforward, and she is persuaded to take on a role she is uncomfortable with, but which promises greater publicity to further her aspirations. In so many ways, the trajectory of the story is ominously prescient.

While some critics have been picky about the narrative thread, the film was well received on release, is a favourite among anime followers, and is now highly regarded as a masterpiece of film animation.

Japan | 1997 | 82 mins

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