Perfect Blue

Before this class came to a conclusion, I did want to make some personal posts about movies and stories I have seen on my own time. One example is the anime film, Perfect Blue, directed by Satoshi Kon. This movie is one of my favorites as it delves into an incredibly interesting side of psychological horror and depicts the difficulty of separating fantasy from reality. This theme is heightened as it tackles the subject of Japanese Idols and how they are perceived by the media and their audience. They are placed on a pedestal and are supposed to keep the perfect image of attainability, the perfect girl. What 'Perfect Blue' shows is how such a title can have extreme mental strain on whomever has to keep this image intact. In the movie, the main character, Mima, has decided to leave the world of idols and instead pursue acting. Her first opportunity is in a video series as the lead, which has a dark theme and even depicts her being raped. Her past fans are furious by her new career choice, saying she is a traitor and has tarnished her image. The film goes further and further, showing a dangerous stalker, what appears to be her own diary being posted to the internet, and a string of murders of the people who helped "tarnish" her image linked directly to her. She soon loses sight of reality and whether or not she truly is responsible for these crimes. Though this is an extreme view, it shows how mentally straining it is to be seen in the lime light, as someone who is "pure" and "perfect", as seen by the masses. The fans only see a little of the person they are so enamored by, a persona created to be appealing and be loved. The persona they are shown is most likely not who the person really is. What can be so damaging is fans seeing this person and being upset when they are no longer the character they fell in love with, and suddenly turning on this new persona they are being shown, going from love to hatred. The movie depicts why such a mentality can be detrimental to a persons mental health and safety, and why this is such a dangerous way for idols to be depicted.