a in-movie photo of mima kirigoe. she is leaning out of a car window, smiling and waving at fans. camera flash is seen.

in-movie photo of mima, again. she is holding a microphone up to her mouth, which is open and in the middle of a lyric. she wears a white blouse with a red scarf, and seems happy.

CAST

Japanese Dub

Junko Iwao as Mima Kirigoe
Rica Matsumoto as Rumi
Masaaki Okura as Mamoru Uchida
Hideyuki Hori as Sakuragi

English Dub

Ruby Marlowe as Mima Kirigoe
Wendee Lee as Rumi
Bob Marx as Mamoru Uchida
Sparky Thornton as Sakuragi

CREW

Directed By Satoshi Kon
Screenplay by Saduyaki Murai
Cinematography by Hisao Shirai
Edited by Harutoshi Ogata
Music by Masahiro Ikumi

PLOT SUMMARY

Mima, the lead character of Perfect Blue, is a pop-idol turned actress, who begins to unravel as she quickly realizes that the TV industry is harming her more than it is helping her. The shift from pop-idol to actress affects her fans as well, including one man who begins to appear everywhere in her life, taunting her with his face. Slowly but surely, her mind comes undone. Mima's hallucinations of her old self become more and more physical, leading her into a downward spiral that she can't get out of.

IMPACT

Perfect Blue's impact has been felt in movies and other media since its 1997 release. Black Swan, the psychological horror movie directed by Darron Aronnofsky, was in part inspired by the devolution of Mima in Perfect Blue. Scenes from Perfect Blue have been replicated in non-animated movies, and its themes continue to be discussed in the present day. As a society, we tend to develop parasocial relationships with people on our screens and the ideas they embody. Stalkers are still prevalent. Celebrities constantly fight the devotion and love of their fans, some of which turn to be obsessive with that love and devotion. Anyone, really, can be a celebrity.

Mima was not a particularly famous individual. Her singing career was near shambles, and it was her decision to become a more seductive actress that brought her the most fame. Before, she wasn't as recognizable. By the end of the movie, two nurses struggle to accept that a star would even visit a hospital anymore. As she grew into something unrecognizable to herself, more and more people recognized her for her fame. The dangers of the internet, becoming famous, and all of it. It's a lot. We learn this every day.