Satoshi Kon was a director known for his meticulous imagery, invasive characters, and time-bending plotlines. Kon’s legendary movies are so infamous in the world of psychological thrillers, that you’ve probably seen more of his scenes recreated in other movies than in his own.
Unfortunately, Kon passed away in 2010. Though cut short, the work he did in his career made ripples in future cinema and cultivated a dedicated fanbase across the world.
Today, I’m beginning my journey into the world of Mr. Satoshi Kon. Yes, that means I’m talking about none other than his debut classic, Perfect Blue.
[Note: This script is a public video you can watch! Check it out if you’re interested!]
Perfect Blue stages Mima, a young girl who moved to Tokyo to become a singer. However, the band she’s in isn’t exactly popular. Their fans are few in number but are strong in admiration — some close to obsession. Mima seems to also have a talent for acting. Her producer, when given the chance, makes a desperate decision to remove her from the band and switch her focus from pop idol to actress. Though her mentor Rumi disapproves of the idea, Mima herself agrees to the change, convincing herself it’s what she wants. This decision is the inciting incident that leads into the rest of the film.
If you’re a fan of the thriller queen herself, Jodie Foster, you will probably catch Kon’s reference to Silence of the Lambs. The hit movie from 1991 starred Foster as a young detective stuck in a mental battle against a serial killer, as she tries to unravel the mystery of a recent string of killings. Silence of the Lambs is an amazing and well-respected film due to its dive into the psychology of its characters, and of course, Jodie Foster’s astonishing performance.
Perfect Blue, however, takes this deep dive to a whole new level. Mima’s first line as an actress is, “Who are you?” Which is a line that will repeat over and over, as she asks herself what she really is: a pop idol or an actress — and if she regrets her decision. The events that unfold only convince her of her repentance. Soon her mental state breaks apart, allowing her consciousness to seep into the movie. We are now stuck inside the mind of Mima Kirigoe.
The beginning of the movie is just set up to get to this point. What follows is a continuous loop of dreams that Mima goes through. Something happens, she wakes up, it repeats. It’s an extreme way to build an immense amount of tension. It begins to be unclear as to what is reality, what is a dream, and what is the actual plot. They mix to the point where there’s no real way to tell what happened and what didn’t. I loved watching this sequence. The whole breakdown of Mima’s psyche is ridiculous, disturbing, and exhilarating to watch. All this built-up tension leads to the best ending that truly could have taken place.
This film, for the first hour, just made me feel anxious. Like a tightness in my chest. The intensity of immersion this film creates not only seeps into the reality of the story but also into you as you watch it.
There are three main aspects throughout Perfect Blue that it builds on and needs to be closed in the ending:
1. Mima’s Stalker,
2. The murders of the screenwriter and the photographer,
3. Mima’s psychological condition.
And boy, do we get an answer to all three. Kon chose to end the movie in a way you couldn’t possibly have guessed, in fact, you weren’t given time to. Briefly, we’re told that Rumi, Mima’s mentor, was a failed Pop Idol, but never again is it elaborated on. This information is an inkling of the true ending of the movie. Rumi seems to care for Mima, but only just enough to not be helpful to her at all.
The truth is that Rumi all along was festering with envy of Mima: of her youth, of her beauty, of her success. And while working with Mima’s stalker, commits multiple murders and psychologically torments Mima, until she conducts an all-out attack to take Mima’s life. Giving the most intense chase scene you‘ve ever seen — and releasing any built-up tension or anxiety you felt during the first hour of the film in an incredibly satisfying way.
So with this altogether, let’s take a step back and look at Perfect Blue.
There are two sides to fame: on one hand, you have people starving for popularity and attention. Mima loved the spotlight and wanted more. Rumi lost her chance and became consumed by envy, which turned into a mental breakdown and violent disaster. They are the people who want fame and will do anything to reach it. On the other hand, you have the fans. The people who obsess over those who have more notoriety, sometimes a criminal obsession. They are the mob that protects the icon at all costs.
These two sides of fame create a constant cycle. The public feeds the beast and the renowned reap the rewards, but not without giving up their right to privacy. This is the cycle Perfect Blue is presenting, Mima being the famous, her stalker being the obsessed public, and Rumi being the starving failure.
Perfect Blue is about, clear throat, ~parasocial relationships~. A new kind of one-sided relationship that coexists with content creators. The internet is cool because it can connect you with people you would have never connected with before. But it also contains a wretched monster that has brewed, named stan culture. I’m talkin’ about the fanbases of the streamers, the tiktokers — all the people made famous solely by uploading themselves as bite-sized content and others eating it up.
And I mean, we all know at this point, parasocial relationships can be unhealthy. They aren’t necessarily bad and are pretty much impossible to stop. If you are a fan of someone and like their content, then you’ll have some sort of parasocial relationship with them without even trying. But there’s a point where it begins to seep into you and take over your life. Where it becomes an unhealthy infatuation with someone you don’t know and have never met before.
All this ramble to say, check your parasocial relationships. Don’t let them drown out you as a person, and if you need to, take a break from social media. But what do I know, I’m just a person on the internet talking about a movie I really liked, so make decisions for yourself and what’s best for you.
Conclusion
To conclude, Perfect Blue is so fucking good. Enough said. I’m excited to watch more of Satoshi Kon’s work, so subscribe and leave a like if you’d be interested in another video like this one. Also, check out the video I made on A Silent Voice, I really like it. Thanks for watching, and have a great day.
