Perfect Blue

Popular pop idol Mima Kirigoe quits the girl group to pursue acting, believing a change of pace will refresh her art. She lands a role on a crime drama, but the move unsettles friends and handlers who worry she's veering away from her image. As she dives into a darker side of show business, someone close to her begins to be harmed, and a stream of unsettling reminders from her past starts to appear. Mima finds herself watched, copied, and haunted by a mirror image of the girl she used to be. The boundaries between her waking life and the stories she stars in blur, leaving her unsure what's real and what exists only in her mind. Her confusion spills into daily routines, turning fans and colleagues into suspects.

Directed by Satoshi Kon, Perfect Blue adapts Yoshikazu Takeuchi's novel with a screenplay by Sadayuki Murai, produced by Madhouse. The 1998 release helped establish Kon as a bold voice in animated thrillers, with a stark, unsettling visual approach.

Perfect Blue is widely recognized as a watershed in anime for blending psychological tension with sharp observations about fame and media. Its striking visuals and relentless uncertainty inspired later creators and sparked conversations about the ethics of image making, influencing films and TV beyond animation. Its use of split screens and distorted reality mechanics became a template for future psychological anime.

Critics praised its audacious narrative and the way it traps the viewer in Mima's slipping sense of reality. The film tackles identity, the cost of stardom, and how quickly a persona can replace the person behind it. The film also raises questions about consent, voyeurism, and power in the entertainment industry. It remains a reference point for discussions on media ethics.

Box office details for Perfect Blue are not widely reported. The film built its reputation through festival screenings, word of mouth, and home video, ultimately earning a devoted following well beyond its initial release.