Perfect Blue

Rating:
Summary: Anime on anime
Review: The anime universe is pretty self-contained, and as the canon grows the need to reference the outside world decreases. Most of the famous exceptions (eg Mononoke, Barefoot Gen, Grave of the Fireflies) aim for universal moral messages. Perfect Blue stands out in that it's an anime about contemporary Japan. Although it owes a lot to the thriller genre, Perfect Blue isn't as widely accessible as the familiar storyline might suggest. People who have spent time in Japan will recognize this. Those who haven't should just be aware that despite its being anime, and despite the surreal elements, Perfect Blue is about the real, present, non-anime Japan. The beautifully drawn scenes of everyday life in Tokyo, particularly the supermarket and train scenes, are a nice indication of this.

Perfect Blue tries to do lot of things and mostly succeeds. On one hand, it's a critique of the voyeurism and violent, juvenile misogyny of Japanese pop culture. On the other hand it's part of that culture itself, loaded with these very elements. For the most part, director Satoshi Kon not only manages to do everything, but actually integrates his own balancing act with the story's theme of existence on the margins of a predatory and all-pervasive pop culture. Kon's decision to produce Perfect Blue as an anime -- sometimes criticized on the grounds that it doesn't take full advantage of the genre -- was a stroke of genius.

Toward the end, Perfect Blue loses its balance and becomes more complicit than critical. The final action sequence is video-gamey and the contrived ending explains too much, undermining much of what was interesting about the movie.

Still, this is one of the best and smartest anime around. In its use of anime as a vehicle for examining contemporary Japan, Perfect Blue is highly original. On top of everything the theme song, "Ai no tenshi", is the best Japanese pop song ever. And in a fitting display of voyeuristic excess, the DVD lets you watch it being recorded in the studio.

Rating:
Summary: If she wakes up again...
Review: This is the best psychological/thriller that I have ever seen in my life! I don't just mean anime, I mean all movies. This film really messes with your head, sometimes you think the VCR is messed up, or the DVD is skipping, but it's just messing with your head. I don't want to give anything away, but if you like American Psycho, don't rent, but buy this film. You will not be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: The Anime of Basic Instinct
Review: Perfect Blue is not like other Jap anime which is typical with monsters, devils, martial arts and destructions. It's a psychological thriller/ suspense with absolutely remarkable script. The story, the art, the music, everything fits to be categorized as a suspense. You might say Perfect Blue is actually the anime Basic Instinct.

If there is an Academy Award for Anime then I'm sure that this movie would won Oscar for Best Movie, Best Screenwriter, Best Editing, Best Director and even Best Actress in a Leading Role! Yes, the creators made Mima (leading character) just like a real human with expression and emotions just like a normal movie. Not many anime can drawn a charactre like Mima.

If you're looking for an extraordinary anime, which is not a typical anime, then you must see Perfect Blue.

Rating:
Summary: Joy to watch
Review: For numerous reasons I really enjoyed this movie. The plot drags you in and hooks you. A psychological thriller a la Hitchcock. If you want a movie that makes you think, consider buying this one!

Rating:
Summary: "Excuse me, who are you?"
Review: I have to say that this is one of the BEST anime that I have seen. It follows just like a full-length feature film. I am really pleased that I purchased "Perfect Blue" dvd. I really enjoyed the bonus features. This is a must-see!!!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Anime With Confusing Plot Twist's
Review: Perfect Blue is one of the better anime's with a good plot and a good cast of charecters. The art work is ok but the plot makes up for it. The DVD is good you get the unrated version and a lot of other goodies.

Warning: This Film Is For Adults Only [...].

Rating:
Summary: Alright, though not revolutionary
Review: This anime piece is best described as a psychothriller. It involves a young girl named Mima who was originally a member of a Japanese pop trio. She becomes tired of being in it though, as she feels her image as an innocent, lovable, perfect pop idol is suffocating her. She yearns to be an actress. We also see other characters:her best friend and confidant Rumi, who's a bit chubby, a creepy security guard/stalker at the concert who seems intent on maintaining Mima's idol image, and some television station manager. Mima decides the best way to begin acting is by doing roles that will totally distance herself from her clean image. This includes being in a rape scene and posing nude for a magazine. This of course shocks her fans who find this outrageous. Soon, people involved in the destruction of her image wind up in violent deaths. Mima herself seems to go in and out of dreams and sees her former idol image(as a doppelganger) who claims she's the real one Mima, and the actress one is corrupt and dirty. This movie raises the issue of public spotlight, and what it does to your image, and how people view you, not necessarily the real you. It's in no way a revolutionary anime, though its ideas seemed to impress many. The violence compared with other animes is okay, still graphic though, and a little more than needed. Not for kids. The ending is a twist, though it does shed light on the rather confusing situation, and can be predicted if you watch key scenes carefully.

Rating:
Summary: Exactly that: PERFECT!
Review: This was the first real feature length Anime I saw many years ago and it had a profound effect on me. I have since bought countless DVD's with anime and this one still stands out as one of the best.

CONTENT: The movie is really special. By that I mean: No 2 people will get quite the same experience out of watching it. It's unique for everyone. I remember going through several emotional stages as I was watching it. Through the first 30 mins. I was completely uninterested. A story about a pop idol? BOOORING. How long did they expect us to watch this? Then as things started to happen the next 30 mins. I was totally confused but now at least mildly interested. What the heck was going on? The last 20 mins. or so I was totally hooked. I didn't dare to blink fearing I might miss something important. How was this story ever going to end? Would it make sense? COULD it ever make sense?
In the end it did, and upon rewatching it again and again I have found that not a single second of this film is a waste of time. It obviously doesn't have a huge budget, and it shows on the big screen, but the framing, coloring, lighting, camera movement, storyboarding, timing, animation and editing is absolutely perfect. They used what little they had avalable and made the best possible movie.
And the english dub actually isn't half bad. Not the best but certainly not the worst. (A contender for worst possible dub ever has to be "X the movie". Movie's fine but the dub - yeech!)

DVD: Very cool extras. Interviews with director. Trailers and such. And brief thoughts from the english cast which by the way includes Ruby Marlowe as Mima. She also did the voice of LAIN. A performance that was truly one step beyond perfection. Highly recomendable.

Rating:
Summary: A Provocative Look at Fantasies and Nightmares
Review: The first time I saw Perfect Blue, I was left with a huge question mark in my brain. Which parts of the movie were supposed to be reality, and which were supposed to be delusions? After watching it a second time, the pieces began to fall into place. While this movie is definately not for children, as it deals with some very disturbing topics, it is quite high up on my list of recommendations for people getting tired of the more tame Anime that we seem to get here in America.

Rating:
Summary: AWFUL
Review: it was SO BAD...all of them were ugly..the story was stupid and stilly..its not worth buying..rent and then buy it if u liked it..i regret buyin its dvd