History Anime / PerfectBlue

** Pink appears prominently as part of Mima's pop idol image. Pink represents Mima's past since she's trying to move on from her pop idol career, something that constantly haunts her throughout the film.

Following instructions from a fan letter, Mima discovers an internet blog supposedly written by herself: or rather, the "innocent" persona she used as an IdolSinger. Mima has no memory of writing such a thing, but the entries are far too accurate and personal to be a hoax; and her obsession with the blog only grows after her character on the mini-series [[RapeAsDrama is raped as part of a scene]]. Is it a StalkerWithACrush? Has Mima developed a SplitPersonality? Or is something far more sinister afoot?

Mima Kirigoe (voiced by Creator/JunkoIwao) is a mildly-popular IdolSinger who decides to leave her group [[ContractualPurity to pursue a serious career as an actress]]. She manages to land a small role on a sexually-charged murder mystery series, but starts to struggle with the increasingly-intense demands of her part.

After her character [[RapeAsDrama is involved in a rape scene]], Mima discovers an internet blog supposedly written by herself, or rather, the "innocent" persona she used as an IdolSinger. Mima has no memory of writing such a thing, but the entries are far too accurate and personal to be a hoax. Is it a StalkerWithACrush? Has Mima developed a SplitPersonality? Or is something far more sinister afoot?

* AttemptedRape: Near the end of the film the stalker Me-Mania attempts to rape and kill Mima, [[spoiler:but she knocks him out by slamming a hammer into the side of his head.]]

* UnbuiltTrope: It is a deconstruction of an idol anime... except it came out in 1997, way before other idol anime without such destruction would come.

* AuthorAppeal: In-universe - it's suggested that the seedier aspects of ''Double Bind'' are done largely so the screenwriter can indulge his own perverted fantasies.

* BeCarefulWhatYouSay: Mima's managers tell the ''Double Bind'' producers that they want Mima to have a bigger role and more than one line. [[spoiler:This inspires the screenwriter to first write a rape scene with Mima's character, then expand the role into a young woman with dissociative personality disorder as well as the murderer behind the cases investigated in the series, since he hit a wall trying to come up with who the murderer was]].

* DarkReprise: A far-off, muffled version of "Angel of Love" is heard in the parking garage when [[spoiler:the screenwriter for Double Bind is murdered.]]

* ParasolOfPain: Umbrellas are not meant to be used that way, [[spoiler:Rumi.]]
* ParkingGarage: [[spoiler:The screenwriter of ''Double Bind'']] is murdered in the elevator of a spooky parking garage.

* SlutShaming: Mima gets this from the public and [=Reflection!Mima=] after she makes career moves that give her a less-than-squeaky-clean image, such as filming a rape scene and doing a nude photoshoot.

* SanitySlippage: Due to a combination of the stress she suffers from the awful experiences she is subjected to and lingering doubts about living the idol life behind her, Mima's grasp on reality and own identity starts slipping.

* UnreliableNarrator: Due to her SanitySlippage, Mima starts suffering from increasingly vivid delusions, though they are obvious to the audience at first, they become subtle [[spoiler:and at a couple of points, they come in the form of Daydream {{Surprise}}s]].

* UnreliableNarrator: Mima.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: When Mima's ''Double Bind'' character is manhandled and raped by a rowdy crowd, the actor playing said rapist quietly stammers, "I'm so sorry," between takes. He also apologizes to the director for messing up the first take.

-->'''Satoshi Kon:''' If the audience gets the impression from watching the film that the idol system in Japan is like that, I’m embarrassed. Of course, I did research before making the film and I visited a number of these idol events, but I didn’t see the kind of example that is used in the film.

* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Mima tries this with [[spoiler: Rumi]] at several points in the climax. It doesn't work.

* YouGotMurder: While Mima is trying out an acting bit on a crime procedural series, her two managers are discussing her part with the writer and producer when they receive a letter. It blows up in the face of one of them, who is later seen with bandaged hands. It was sent by Me-Mania, a StalkerWithACrush.

* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: InUniverse. Eri, the co-star of ''Double Bind'', praises the screenwriter, Shibuya, for his clever dialogue and story and asks him who the murderer is. Shibuya playfully replies that he won't say; it would be more fun for for her to find out herself. As Shibuya then walks out of earshot of the actors with the producer, Tejima, he tells to Shibuya that he really needs to make up his mind on who the killer is. In fact, the character he settles on -- [[spoiler:Yoko Takakura, Mima's character]] -- underwent drastic rewrites due to their agents badgering the crew to get them more scenes.

* {{Gaslighting}}: A small example. After both of them have started to go crazy, [[spoiler: Rumi manipulates objects in Mima's room to make her think Idol Mima has been around. For example, she borrows Mima's new clothes, wears them while murdering people, and then hides the bloodstained clothes in Mima's room, causing her to think she was responsible for the murders.]]

* WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants: InUniverse. Eri, the co-star of ''Double Bind'', praises the screenwriter for his clever dialogue and story. A private conversation as he wanders off reveals that he hasn't even decided on who the killer is yet. In fact, the character he settles on--[[spoiler:Yoko Takakura, Mima's character]]--underwent drastic rewrites due to their agents badgering the crew to get them more scenes.

* ShoutOut: From the parts we see of the plot of detective series ''Double Bind'' that Mima is an actor on, it bears more than a passing resemblance to ''Film/SilenceOfTheLambs''.

''Perfect Blue'' is a 1997 {{anime}} {{psychological thriller}} film, and the directorial debut of Creator/SatoshiKon. Technically, it's based on Yoshikazu Takeuchi's 1991 novel ''Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis'', but [[InNameOnly very loosely]].

* KansaiRegionalAccent: Mima and her mother both use the Kansai dialect in their phone conversation in the beginning.

''Perfect Blue'' is a 1997 animated {{psychological thriller}} film, and the directorial debut of Creator/SatoshiKon. Technically, it's based on Yoshikazu Takeuchi's 1991 novel ''Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis'', but [[InNameOnly very loosely]].

''Perfect Blue'' is a 1997 animated {{psychological thriller}} film, and the directorial debut of director Creator/SatoshiKon. Technically, it's based on Yoshikazu Takeuchi's 1991 novel ''Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis'', but [[InNameOnly very loosely]].

''Perfect Blue'' is the 1997 film debut of director Creator/SatoshiKon, who would go on to produce other work investigating the boundary between the real and the imaginary such as ''Literature/{{Paprika}}'', ''Anime/ParanoiaAgent'' and ''Anime/MillenniumActress''. Technically it's based on Yoshikazu Takeuchi's 1991 novel ''Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis'', but [[InNameOnly very loosely]].

For Western viewers interested in stories similar to ''Perfect Blue'', see ''Film/BlackSwan'' and ''Literature/{{Perfume}}''.

* FootFocus: There are a number of scenes with Mima being barefoot, with close-ups of her feet included.

* AdaptationDeviation: [[spoiler:The original novel had a far more straightforward story of an idol being hunted down by a deranged stalker, with the only real twist being that the stalker is MadeOfIron and manages to survive injuries that should be fatal several times over, as an allegory of how pervasive unhealthy obsessions can get. The movie has a far more complex plot that involves a good deal of {{Gaslighting}} and psychological horror, and the unnamed stalker is changed into being a pawn of the idol's best friend instead.]]

* AdaptationalVillainy: In the original novel, [[spoiler:Mr. Me-Mania the crazy stalker fan was just a RedHerring, while in the movie he commits [[MindScrew at least]] one actual murder]].

** Notably, the copyright of the movie was bought [[DoingItForTheArt just to recreate this 30 second long scene in]] ''Literature/RequiemForADream''. Director Creator/DarrenAronofsky actually became friends with Kon over this.