I Can't Stop Thinking About This Psychological Thriller | Perfect Blue

[@MistaGG]

LIMITED MERCH DROP: inviz.tv/chapterone

[@WithScienceAsMySheperd]

similar series : SERIAL experiment L.A.I.N.

[@fionnagatechronicler1088]

I really do need to watch this movie. Awesome video man!

[@tomsea5769]

ithink rat man really did grape her but do you think any of the dialouge could be trusted? i just trying to sort this all im under the assumption that all the murders were rima. idk

[@vhsquid]

RIP Satoshi Kon - Perfect Blue is one of my favorite animated movies, but Kon himself was an icon who died way too young. Between Akira and Paprika, the dude was a master of his craft, and its tragic that we'll never get the chance to see more from him. Truly, he was one of the greatest creative minds the film industry has ever seen.

[@hellobro-f4l]

real

[@darkunykorn404]

For real though. Satoshi Kon was a master of the craft, gone far too soon. :(

[@MiraCassandre]

He was amazing.

[@Lifesizemortal]

He didn't make Akira, that was Katsuhiro Otomo. But yes, RIP Satoshi Kon. Both him and Moebius death deeply effected me.

[@vhsquid]

@@Lifesizemortal He wasn't he main mangaka, but it was actually one of his first manga jobs. Most manga authors have extra artists to help them, Otomo included. Edit - It's not like he drew the entire manga himself. Akira was just one of many works he contributed to.

[@niijimaaa7652]

Idk how on the nose this actually might be but another fun thing to note is that purity is very important in Idol culture. No alcohol or smoking, no sex, no relationships and so on. This is also why the scene in the movie and the photoshoot are so impactful and frowned upon by not only Rumi, but also Cham and the fans. It's more than just "out of character", it's something that actively makes it impossible for Mima to return to being a popstar/idol

[@realswobby]

That's interesting, now it makes sense to me why she was stressed so much. I thought it's just bc it happens in different times and she was a total innocent newbie.

[@ateam6543]

I think the dead fish in the tank actually was a metaphor for her innocence dying and why she flipped out tearing her room apart, only to then see that the fish were still actually alive at the end of that scene. A ton of symbolism is in this movie.

[@Tw0Dots]

No sex? Yea suuure. Just like the hostesses or massage therapists _never_ do anything more than flirt…

[@JuriAmari]

@@realswobbylook up the story of one of the members of AKB48. She was dating a boy band member under the same label. But she got more flack because AKB48’s contract has a no dating clause to make the idols be perceived as more accessible but distant to the fans, preserving a naive ethereal image. She shaved off her hair and filmed an apology as soon as the story went public. Thankfully most of the fans were understanding of the situation. As you can imagine, it makes it tough for idols to get into deeper and more mature topics let alone do the trappings of adulthood. In case you’re wondering, the boy band member she was dating didn’t have that clause in his contract. If anything, more of the outcry was due to that unreasonable expectation on her.

[@elyly]

@@Tw0Dots i think you're part of the problem

[@kingcatmushroom530]

During the kill of photographer, there is a cut to a traditional Japanese mask, Noh. These masks are used in Japanese theater productions, so a single actor can wear multiple masks, allowing them to play a range of characters. And that’s why we see Mima as the one killing the photographer. Because Rumi is, symbolically, wearing a mask of Mima’s face.

[@Possi_ball]

If I remember correctly you are referring on a mask that is also the mask of the villain on Satoshi Kon's manga "Opus". He was probably making a double reference there, unless I am confusing it with another scene. That manga got some similar themes with Perfect Blue, didn't know the mask has another meaning, I thought it was just a reference to his manga.

[@realswobby]

So I'm a bit confused, does it mean Mima wasn't r by this photographer?

[@kingcatmushroom530]

@@realswobby Rika killed the photographer. We see Mima because Rika is ,symbolic, using a Mima mask

[@realswobby]

@@kingcatmushroom530 Oh okay so in this particular video I had a problem with understanding everything this guy says in English so I didnt realize it... so what was Rika's reason to even kill him? She was his victim imstead?

[@kingcatmushroom530]

​@@realswobby Sorry I mistakenly wrote the wrong names. The photographer is killed by Rumi. Since Rumi has DID(Dissociative Identity Disorder) she calls her alternate personality the 'real' Mima. That is the symbolism and the why we as observers see the face of Mima during the killing.

[@timebubblw]

a few details I want to throw out there bc they're just so cool- 1) Not only is the view from "Mima's room" different enough to clue Mima and ourselves in to it NOT being her apartment, but also, the CHAM poster and the fish being there are a huge red flag. Mima's fish did die, I believe. They were a different color from the fish you see in Rumi's apartment. White with pale pink belly's, instead of blue and red. And Mima had previously taken down her CHAM poster at the beginning of the film, just before she recieved the fax from, who we can assume is Rumi. 2) At the end of the OG Japanese releaseof the film, when Mima expresses that she is the REAL Mima, the line is delievered by Rumi's voice actress- so it's just another "hey are you sure it's really her??" red herring. 3) Virtual Mima, or Dream Mima as you refer to her, is often seen with her hands behind her back. Rumi does the same, and can be seen doing so just before the manager drives off. Also, in many shots, the way they draw Virtual Mima- with her eyes spaced farther apart than the real Mima, is a nod towards her being Rumi, as she is also often depicted as having fairly spaced apart eyes. I love this movie- the details in it are amazing and you learn something new every time you watch it.

[@munchcat]

Someone else mentioned it was the Japanese dub that used Rumi's voice? And someone else pointed out that the director confirmed it's not Rumi, but Mima, and was confused why people thought otherwise.

[@specificsoup]

@@munchcatwhy is there a Japanese dub? Convinced since original language is Japanese ** oops i had meant confused

[@skrawberriez8628]

@@specificsoupall animated shows are technically “dubbed” over the animation if I’m not mistaken. It’s just that we generally refer to foreign iterations as dubbed for simplicity sake while the original is just that or the “sub.”

[@specificsoup]

@@skrawberriez8628 ok that makes sense! but i am wondering abt. it in this case - the comment about Rumi/Mima's voice seems to indicate a difference from the original version.

[@bobt0dd]

If you loved Perfect blue, look up the other titles by Satoshi Kon. He passed from cancer in 2010 and there's only 5 that's he directed, and a few more where he was involved. they are all super good. by far one of my top anime directors/writers.

[@Truthisscarierthanfiction]

He was so good Hollywood ripped him off, twice!

[@sweetstacks3631]

Paprika and Paranoia Agent are so good!

[@bobt0dd]

@@sweetstacks3631 paprika is one of my favorite movies from him. i cant watch one movie from him with out wanting to watch the rest of them

[@vagamer522]

Millimum Actress is probably his best work, but both are good

[@Che1Angelius]

@@sweetstacks3631 I never seen paprika, I saw Perfect Blue and P. Agent. It's good?

[@ChloelnWonderland]

I believe the singing “dream mima” performance, where we see dream mima join her ex-band mates on stage during a performance, is easy to explain. In my opinion, the guest singer is Rumi performing with the other two, in her dream mima costume. She was a pop idol before, as referenced in the movie, so she would have some singing talent and could have been recognized by people due to being a pop idol perviously. Fans could have believed it was a special performance or something. The security guard guy would have definitely been in his own state of delusion by this point, so we’re most likely seeing her as “dream mima” because of his perception of the performance. And this would also explain the horrified, worried, and confused look the other two singers give to the surprise guest singer as well. They would be more horrified and confused if their manager was on stage, in an idol costume, singing with the as if she was the new lead singer. But that’s just my speculation obviously.

[@syrusangi8743]

Yeah, that kind of makes sense

[@dylanjwicklund92]

Yeah, that's exactly what I think it is too. And the one guy is just happy and believes it's the real mima When it's not, and that's why the band mates. Have that weird look on their face

[@lex58762]

I agree! I was checking the comments to see if anyone said it first before I put mine on, but I completely agree with your speculation!

[@TheMedicatedArtist]

I went into Perfect Blue completely blind. All I knew was that it was an insane psychological thriller and I came out a completely different person when the credits rolled; it rewarded the audience for watching it more than once, which I absolutely adored.

[@shaymorcormick8743]

I found it when I was 15 and watched it because it was anime and it was one of the few at local rental store.....bruh it messed me up for awhile.

[@shue3771]

In the Japanese dub, Mima's voice in the end was actually Rumi's voice. So it could be another twist that Mima was the one hospitalised while Rumi became what she wanted: her idealised Mima

[@zaer-ezart]

I don't think she was. It's just a "what if" but it makes no sense for Mima to be the hospitalised. Rumi is the one stabbing herself with the shard and getting hit the hardest by the truck. Why would they ever let her go? Or how would she even leave with the severity of her wounds?

[@InfiniteLotus]

its confirmed by the director that it is still mima, and he was confused on why people think its rumi

[@syrusangi8743]

Naw, bruh. You nearly got me fucked up thinking it was the real Mima in hospital but that won't make a lick of sense considering the severity of Rumi's wounds compared to hers. Also, there's no way people would mistake Rumi for Mima n lock the real one away. As for the supposed change of voice tune, I would say judging by her appearance (e.g. her long hair), some time had passed after her incident with Rumi, enough time to develop her career as an actress while finding the confidence to be her unapologetic self, she sounded more mature n bold signifying her character growth at the end of the movie.

[@jeremiahmarkusmedia6915]

Possible that Mima is indeed stuck in the hospital, while Rumi succeeded instead, living vicariously through Cham’s replacement of Mumi. That would be heartbreaking

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

I interpret it as Rumi having won in the end by turning Mima into her (Rumi/Mima Idol). It's one of the creepiest endings in movie history for me, especially when at upbeat J-Pop song starts playing as the credits roll.

[@ashemartinez5524]

Throwing in my 2 cents on theories. I always assumed that when dream Mima is performing on the stage and the crowd is cheering, I actually think Rumi is the one performing on stage. For one, we already know a lot of times when we see Dream Mima interacting with the real world in some way, it’s because of Rumi’s influence (Sending the emails, keeping up with Mima’s room, etc.) Secondly, we already know that Rumi is near the Cham concert, or was at least there earlier in the day, by the fact she walked in on the conversation between the other 2 Cham Members. Lastly, Rumi was already previously an Idol, it would not be at all odd if there were people in the crowd who were fans of Rumi when she was still a star, and got excited to see a kind of ‘guest star’ in the performance. It would also explain why the other Two Cham members are visibly uncomfortable it someone just ran on stage in the middle of their performance! Just my thoughts though!

[@moxiemaxie3543]

I made the same comment. Cham didn't want to ruin the show and be good showmen. But I think the crowd cheering was Rumi's illusion. I also think the female costar is a therapist trying to break Rumi's DP AFTER she got locked up for murder. The events aren't linear

[@mlk0-0]

That idea of the audience reacting to Rumi as a special guest appearance and Cham continuing like professionals makes a whole lot of sense. And crazy man psycho stalker probably saw Rumi dressed like Mima and, since he believed Mima would be there anyway, just saw what he wanted to see. Perfect explanation imo

[@nadine1208]

It also stood out to me that dream mima's dancing is way off from the rest of the group. That could be an other indication.

[@ahhhhyes]

​@@mlk0-0 the stalker dude also thinks real mima is an imposter so rumi coming put dressed as the old mima as well as him being delusional would probably make him not care enough to notice its obviously not her

[@stinks3137]

Exactly my thoughts too

[@RUBYthedragon]

I love this movie! I had a theory that when Mima wakes up, looks at her hands and is panicked, she finds the bloody clothes in the closet. Either she is in Rumi’s room that looks like her own and stayed the night after the tea cup accident, or Rumi planted the clothes after taking her home

[@Meretrix2]

Actually, its fairly known that the blood in those clothes IS Mima’s own blood, the one she spilt when she broke the teacup. She just freaked because she assumed those were the clothes from the killing, but nope, its simply just clothes that got stained the night before by accident

[@maxmfpayne]

​@@Meretrix2those aren't the clothes she was wearing when she broke the tea cup, and I don't think she was actually dreaming about the killing either. She woke up after breaking the tea cup and having a mental breakdown, then passing out. Throughout the movie she's having delusions, bordering on psychosis, she wasn't sure if that even happened. So when she startles awake checking for wounds, it's because that's the last thing she remembers, and she doesn't know if it was real or a dream. Rumi simply planted the bloody clothes while she was passed out.

[@maxmfpayne]

​@@Meretrix2just double checked to verify, Mima was wearing a brown shirt with a tan skirt when breaking the tea cup. The bloody clothes were a pizza delivery outfit with a green shirt and red hat, which is what we see fall out of the bag.

[@shirayuki6551]

this movie is INCREDIBLE and gets better with every rewatch!!! you catch tiny details like the state of the fish or the view out of the apartment window that hint whether we're in mima or rumi's apartment, it's just so thoroughly thought out, i absolutely adore it

[@ghostieeboi]

Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent are proof that horror and animation can work flawlessly when you think outside the box.

[@angelicafigueroa0221]

Who doesn't get sucked into Perfect Blue, it's just....that movie Also I think I'm not sure, the reason they were all reacting when 'Mima' was onstage was because it was Roumi in the outfit and no one knew how to react and just went with it and rat face was hit with a wave of nostalgia because Roumi having studied Mima so closely was perfectly reenacting Mimas routines, mannerisms, the 'old' mima the 'true mima' so because of Roumi we're seeing Mima but looking at the other band members they're looking at Roumi and each other like um is she for real? And being professionals just went with it. And the audience reacted and said nothing because maybe they enjoyed it in the moment an laughed at Roumi later on a different blog since all we ever see is Mimas Room so who's to say there wasn't a blog like 'fat hack does the chunk shuffle in an attempt to be Mima' we're only shown the movie through two perspectives, Mima who wasn't tech savvy until shown and Roumi who had this specific Mima bubble that she built for herself That's what I get out of the scene

[@Pdaaaawg]

And remember as well that Roumi USED to be a popstar. So the crowd probably got to see her come out of retirement briefly to do a colab with the rest of the girl group. That would understandably get the crowd to cheer, as they probably hadnt seen her perform in years. Ratface, like what Mista GG said, probably just saw the three girls together and cried with nostalgia, even if it wasnt Mima, she was singing her old songs. That's my take anyway!

[@plaguedoctor2882]

@@Pdaaaawg that would make sense! Roumi would be a relatively known figure for the fans as one of Mima’s agents (and for her past) people could have thought it was something like a cute little reference, the girls feeling uncomfortable and weirded out but they would kind of know Roumi, so it would make it even more confusing and uncanny, like hell, I would keep singing and dancing too, not knowing how to react aside from keeping the show going

[@angelicafigueroa0221]

@@Pdaaaawg your take is very interesting and I agree with so many points!. I've seen this movie a whole bunch so that's why I'm zeroed in on the plot. This, Paprika, Serial Experiments Lain. They were all psychological dramas that made you take a step back

[@T8-TR]

Makes sense. If you look at her co-stars, you see them adopt a sorta "Ayo wtf?" look while the crowd has a big :). To the crowd, it was this spontenous surprise that the producers planned. To the idols, it was a "uhhh, this wasn't on the script?" moment.

[@defaultoperation7986]

If you like psychological thriller anime, I would highly recommend Serial Experiments Lain. It's a cyberpunk anime from 1998, but it's not like your typical futuristic city cyberpunk types like Edgerunners, Ghost in the Shell, or Akira. It's about this girl who visits an internet world called The Wired and she gets an e-mail from another girl in her school who committed suicide and basically the rest of the anime is a clusterfuck of events that showcases what The Wired is capable of. It's insanely ahead of it's time because it basically predicted how people would use social media today.

[@FizzyCape]

its basically The Matrix a year before The Matrix came out

[@Deuzexmach1na]

Let’s all love lain

[@harm0ny_]

In contrast to a lot of movies that use the whole “people with DID are secretly killers” trope I think this movie handled it fairly well. I don’t have DID myself, so I can’t completely say if it’s proper or not, but unlike other movies where the disorder is framed as being the reason someone starts killing because their alter is just the “deadly personality” this one tells a much deeper story about mental health. Rumi needs help. But she’s also deeply woven into the industry where mental struggles are pushed aside for the sake of appeasing audiences and earning revenue. Being a former idol herself, Rumi is locked into the world of performances and used to having to wear a mask as to not upset anyone. Mima is in the same situation. She’s very clearly psychologically affected by everything happening around her but is denied the care she needs. It leads to her being unsure of herself and being panicked day in and day out. The mental well-being of both the protagonist and antagonist are big points of the movie. Mima (Rumi’s alter) killing isn’t a result of her being an alter and intended to show those with DID as criminals. It’s a result of the pain Mima is going through being reflected on Rumi’s alter. Both are deeply affected and traumatized. The emotions Mima is feeling carry over to Rumi’s alter of her, worsening her mental status while still having to uphold a perfect appearance even moreso than the real Mima. Because to her she IS Mima. So she’s being hurt so much by this situation and is living seeing another version of her being exploited and having nothing but the videos and pictures to show for it since Rumi’s alter didn’t live it. She gets revenge on the people causing this suffering because to Rumi’s alter it happened TO her. And the movie doesn’t end with her being portrayed as a monster, instead a victim of the industry finally getting the help she needs and being visited by someone who she put through so much pain but who understands because it was pain they shared.

[@AnimeAngel]

Love this! Glad I wasn't the only one picking up on why she chose to kill those specific men.

[@harm0ny_]

@@AnimeAngel Honestly the victims are such a good choice because they’re not solid proof of anyone being the killer until the very end. Me-Mania would absolutely have the same motivation to kill them because it’s his favorite idol being exploited by them, Mima herself could have potentially been pushed to the point of doing it, and of course Rumi’s alter of Mima for reasons discussed above. Their deaths fit perfectly into the plot and twist the mystery even further.

[@AnimeAngel]

@@harm0ny_ oh definitely! But with hindsight looking back Rumi was very emotional over everything Mima was pushed into doing. Makes me wonder if she has similar experiences when she was an idol.

[@harm0ny_]

@@AnimeAngel She really was! It reads as empathy on a first watch and she seems like one of the only truly caring people in Mima’s life but it could have been projection on her part. Something she suffered when she was an idol and is now reliving through Mima.

[@AnimeAngel]

@@harm0ny_ yes! I was really convinced for most of it that she was the only one actually looking out for Mima. The twist is super well done.

[@lukapitkanen3333]

Satoshi Kon was not only influential for animation, but for filmmaking in general (Inception, Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan as a few notable ones). And to think this was his debut film, the guy was truly talented. Gone way too soon rip.

[@Sillkymillky24]

I'm absolutely in love with Perfect Blue. I remember watching it for the first time last year and being in so much awe at the beautiful disturbance it produced.

[@Poutigirl]

YEA YEA YEA ITS SO GOOD. I LOVE THAT MOVIE SO FUCKIN MUCH

[@stanleyhudson5684]

@@Poutigirl completely agree!

[@IWroteSomeThings]

Around 28:35 I always assumed Rumi (since she was a former pop idol) started singing over the mic, from behind the curtain. Seeing as she knows everything about Mina I don’t think it would be too much of a stretch that she knows how to mimic her voice. The crowd reacting to Minas voice, and rat faces validation of “it was the real Mina that emailed me.” Makes so much sense. That and the group members looking at EACH OTHER (NOT the fake Mina) in confusion as well.

[@plagueyinthehouse6244]

The pop star scene might’ve been Mima coming back as a surprise to everyone, a sort of celebration for making the charts since she couldn’t do it earlier and wasn’t able to talk to them, or alternatively, Rumi in costume and making a surprise appearance (the rest of Cam look just as shocked and slightly unnerved by Dream Mima, which we’ve established is Rumi, and it would probably be weird for the girls if their former friend and member’s manager came in costume to dance and sing like she knew all the routines and songs) But it could also just be a mind fuck, which speaking of: I have a theory that a lot of this movies’ skips and mind fucks are equally Mima’s, and that during the first scene with Mima and Rumi, Rumi might’ve slipped something in Mima’s tea that made her hallucinate, but it’s been a while since I watched it so I could be wrong on that one

[@LichtdesMorgens]

Yeah I also thought it might have been Rumi I in costume. As she was a singer herself she surely could've sang the part with no issues

[@CallMeRedon]

I'm wondering if that scene is potentially Me-Mania's fantasy of the performance going on. The movie switches so much between reality and fiction that it would make sense to have it as a fantasy when the viewer knows that the real Mima isn't actually at the performance. The other thing is that the audience cheers to Mima-rin's arrival, and if it were Rumi in costume, the audience wouldn't be so fan-blinded to believe it's actually Mima on-stage. But Me-Mania is blinded by Rumi's manipulation and would be very likely to imagine her there - it also makes sense since at that point, Rumi hasn't been revealed as the mastermind, so it comes off as Me-Mania being solely behind the harassment for the pleasure of having Mima back as an idol.

[@matildeconsolado6716]

werent the bloody clothes mima found in "her" room a dead giveaway that rumi was the killer, since mima was actually in rumi's room? this is one of my fav movies of all time im so glad a creator i enjoy watching loved it as well and dissected it! The fact that the movie is shot thru the different perspectives of both mima and rumi, and their respective hallucinations really adds up to the brilliance.

[@fluffcake]

Something to notice is that Ratface and Rumi are based on two real people, Ricardo López and Yolanda Saldívar. Ricardo was the infamous Björk stalker and he recorded various tapes obsessing over her in a very unhealthy and creepy way and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, the final few tapes infamous for him being angry over her having to relationship he didn't approve of and sending her a bomb and also recording his suicide. With Yolanda, she was the president of famous singer Selena Quintanilla's fanclub and manager of her boutiques, who was removed from both positions after it was found she took the money from the organizations. Selena was unfortunately killed by her the morning after Selena family confronted her. Perfect Blue is one of my favorite movies ever, as being one of the best films made by the genius Satoshi Kon and also shows a perfect illustration of the Dark side of becoming a star, and how nowadays, that can happen to us.

[@LemonAnnie]

Perfect blue didn't get inspiration from the real events of Ricardo Lopez. The similarities are a coincidence and only prove further that Perfect Blue is more real then initially thought, a literal prediction of what is to come- they have nothing to do with each other unfortunately. Satoshi Kon has never made public statements about his characters being based on anyone, that is your own speculation. Not like how you can clearly state Black Swan (2010) is inspired by Perfect Blue, factually.

[@syntheticsilkwood2206]

@@LemonAnnie bro the björk stalker incident was BEFORE this movie was made lol and it WAS inspired by those events

[@syntheticsilkwood2206]

@@LemonAnnie bro the björk stalker incident was BEFORE this movie was made lol and it WAS inspired by those events

[@LemonAnnie]

@@syntheticsilkwood2206 And? I'm aware of the timeline of events however there has been 0 public statements from Satoshi Kon and his team about it being inspired by those events. Those are purely your own speculation. A quick google search would tell you that.

[@TequilaToothpick]

The similarities to the Bjork stalker are a coincidence. The novel Perfect Blue came out in 1991.

[@monsterwith21faces92]

The theme "virtual mima" is the most horrific thing to me ever it gives me nightmares but it also incapsulates the whole Paranoia of the movie perfectly

[@D44RK_Iced_Yogs]

As someone who doesn’t watch anime movies, or movies at all, I’ll gladly sit down and enjoy this with you! I’ve heard it’s a masterpiece and I’m glad I could experience it with a good ad and some great jokes too! This video didn’t disappoint, the breakdown is awesome and the movie is just insane!!

[@CutiePatootiest]

I always thought the scene with the crowd was rumi dressed as mima coming out and singing and dancing well since the bandmates react in a way that looks concerned and afraid. Given that the crowd is mostly made of idol stans visibly older than all three girls, I'd assume that they were aware of Rumi's career and it's not uncommon for idol groups to do weird shit to replace members seen as "dirty" or "retired" by having a new member dress up as an old one or bring back a popular industry veteran for a one time performance. So my pet theory is that the girl intended for the real mima to join them on stage assuming it was a promotional tie in for double bind since the event would most likely be organized by Rumi since she was the band's agent/event organizer and they see Rumi killing it on stage and the fans are into it but are too freaked out to acknowledge the situation. I think Rumi's abuse of her power over the girls was another element of the movie that was very subtle and something that I noticed on rewatches. She forces the girls to have a separate space from Mima, gives them a smaller dressing room/hangout despite them having more commerical success in a shorter amount of time than Double Bind would be shot because of the production issues regarding the related deaths. The girls don't feel comfortable sharing their personal feelings around Rumi, even if those were mean things to say, a professional manager would know how to handle conflict resolution and communication. Rumi is such a fascinating villain and I think she really is what makes perfect blue shine

[@en2p187]

really that was a common occurence? I'm doing a research paper and I'd like to learn more about it, I would not be surprised

[@sarak2305]

I love how sincere you are when reviewing movies you genuinely enjoyed. Your exorcist review is awesome, and this is awesome. Find more you like and talk about them!!

[@mek0626]

🙌🙌🙌

[@LoreleiCatherine]

This movie has lived rent free in my head since the day I just so happened to find it on the shelf at a Suncoast video inside of the mall in early 2004. At age 14. I’m 34 years old now and I never forget this masterpiece.

[@anthonylawless2156]

Usually I watch a GG video and end it thinking "huh...glad I know to avoid that trash..." but this time I feel like I'm leaving going "Huh...glad I know to seek out this gem"...that's versatility from our boy Also the ad read...how can someone showing so little emotion deliver such FIRE

[@confusionandcreation6036]

I am thrilled that you decided to cover one of my favourite movies, and you absolutely did it justice. Some quick remarks: - It's awesome that you caught that subtle hint at Rumi's background as a pop idol, it took me at least four watches before I caught that one! - I love that this movie actually has an uplifting ending. They could've had Mima descend into madness and ultimately die tragically, but I think that having her conquering her struggles with her identity did a lot more for the message of the movie. - Speaking of which, I think the message is beautiful and very interesting. To me, the message mostly boils down to: You'll never live up to the avatar you create for yourself in public. You're not as perfect as that mask you put on, and you never will be. But no one is entitled to that perfect version of you, and you shouldn't feel forced to live up to it either. You'll never be perfect, but you can be *you*. And that's enough. - The movie is still super relevant, and with the Japanese pop idol industry still evolving in new ways, it's important to remember this movie for what it is: A biting criticism of the way that the industry creates and glorifies these completely unrealistic avatars. - Lastly: shoutouts to the soundtrack. 'Virtual Mima' is one of the most haunting tracks ever created. Absolutely masterful. Anyway, love you GG, looking forward to the next video. 💪🏻

[@emotionlordx1313]

The way I SCREAMED when I saw this notification. I absolutely love this movie. The first time I saw it, I was terrified and sweating. I have a huge fear of voyeurism. I recently rewatched it cause I have shudder, and I was like ahhh yes still amazing and still terrifying. ♥️

[@PaperPrince97]

I always interpreted the scene with Dream Mima on stage as old fans of the trio getting nostalgic about the duo performing an old song with their old choreography. So in a sense, just like Rat Face, they all "saw" their own versions of "Dream Mima" performing on stage as well. It just shows that Rat Face wasn't the only one obsessed with her, just the one the movie focuses on/the one that goes too far

[@tabithadickson36]

I always saw that virtual mima was never really there like yikiko and rei have new songs and new outfits and new material they've moved on and rumi and mimania and mima herself to an extent are stuck in the past rumi especially can't let go of her old career of being a failed popstar so ive always seen it as just not being real at all

[@cecivizz]

I’m SO happy you watched this movie! It’s amazing and I’m happy you enjoyed it 💙

[@totallytropi]

i always appreciate how watchable you make your sponsorships

[@mgelliott86]

Dude needs to be in marketing

[@masterpieceoneday8321]

I love seeing Mista GG discovering classics and sharing his opinion

[@gea6407]

I think that the movie also depicts Folie à deux "('folly of two', or 'madness [shared] by two'), also known as shared psychosis or shared delusional disorder (SDD), is a collection of rare psychiatric syndromes in which symptoms of a delusional belief, and sometimes hallucinations, are transmitted from one individual to another." because it seems that mima is kind of having the same hallucinations has to what her manager is also having.

[@NewAzn]

I fell into a weird corner of the internet like 7-8 years ago and heard about this movie. Watched it out of curiosity (more than curiosity- I had to buy an international blu ray player I think) and it immediately became one of my favorite animated movies of all time. Hyped that you’re posting a vid about it.

[@jmaddy3]

Another thing that pointed to Rumi killing the photographer and a link to her framing or implicating mima, is that besides being able to access her room, if you look closely at the before @25:36 the body proportions look much more different then when they do the close up, I think the switch from Rumi to Mima happened here and is showing that at this point Rumi believed herself to be the real Mima and did it on her behalf because of what Mima told her. She more than likely killed the photographer took off the clothes she borrowed from mima and put them back in her closet afterwards.

[@SwaggyG_2102]

Perfect Blue is one of my most favorite animated movies. The movie feels like what would happen if someone took a giallo and turned it into an anime.

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

Reminds me of the movie color of the night, tho this is way better

[@adamsmasher9769]

Could you explain what a "giallo" is for me please?

[@RosieSquall]

@@adamsmasher9769 Giallo is a term for a genre in italian cinema. It normally involves elements of slasher/mistery/thriller/sexplotation. A great example of this genre is the original Suspiria from Dario Argento.

[@adamsmasher9769]

@@RosieSquall would 120 days of sodom fall under this category?

[@SwaggyG_2102]

@@RosieSquall nah, I would say Suspiria is more in-line with supernatural horror. Movies such as Tenebre, New York Ripper, and Sotto il vestito niente would classify as giallos.

[@nitrocharge2404]

Seeing Perfect Blue, and Satoshi Kon, get attention like this makes me so damn happy. Everything about his works' just, for lack of a better term, perfect. Kon was a master class director in every conceivable way

[@Fleetwootmack]

Satoshi Kon’ works are greatly popular and widely known as classics. Wym get attention like this.

[@blankisfornerds]

a movie i never thought you’d cover, but im so happy you did. its a brilliant film that needs more recognition. its probably the most unsettled ive ever been watching a movie, even though im never really scared while watching horror movies, but perfect blue has such an ominous atmosphere, a very real feeling story, and a progressively escalating a terrifying runtime that by the end it leaves me not only freaked out, but wanting to rewatch it again and again to piece together more of what everything means. when a film makes me actively want to rewatch it to find out more, then the filmmakers succeeded at creating a gripping narrative.

[@lexiwexiwoo]

Oh wow! Rumi tried to make Mima into an Asian Selena. I think the guy, RatFace was a great red herring. This was definitely a crazy ride! Rumi likely envisioned herself as Rumi when she was doing all of those things and instead of it actually being Mima's POV all the time, we were seeing Rumi's memory of it. That's why we saw that Mima in the stabbing scene. In my own opinion.

[@ursidae97]

Oh God remember Selena?? Ugh

[@en2p187]

@@ursidae97 selena? Like the woman killed by yolanda?

[@dazaismyspiritanimalfr]

@@en2p187yup Selena Quintanilla-Pérez

[@ursidae97]

I literally could not have guessed you'd cover this. Made my day

[@imarock.7662]

Perfect Blue is probably one of the most unsettling anime horror movies out there, but is absolutely one of the most beautiful with an absolutely haunting message.

[@AzureRoxe]

Honestly, i think that the Mima that got on stage was actually Rumi too. At a distance, the audience might not have noticed it wasn't her, they just assumed it was from the outfit and manerisms, but if you look at her friends, they're STARING at her while singing and almost seem confused or even disturbed. That scene makes it clear it wasn't Mima dancing and singing, but that someone WAS doing it, so the only option is that the "Mima" on-stage was Rumi who had the skill to do it and the Mima personality to imitate her. It was also mentioned on the fan-site that Mima would be on stage and the one who was manipulating the creepy superfan.....was Rumi. Also, since Rumi was a former idol, even if people notice it's not Mima, they would still recognize a popular former idol doing a massive comeback with a new popular idol group, so it would still work perfectly if everyone knew it wasn't Mima.

[@Winkiefacedd]

28:33 that’s probably the manager dancing in rumi’s place for some reason that’s why the audience is in awe but the 2 members look confused and worried while looking at her and still singing. Like we saw before the manager saw them making fun of rumi saying “she’ll be fine just showing it off” in the dressing room and this performance came up right after which could be a direct correlation to “dream rumi” becoming a symbol for the manager being dressed as rumi

[@UncensoredScion]

Satoshi Kon was one of the single best directors of all time regardless of whether or not he is an anime director

[@bootay2835]

Rumi stabs out people eyes as punishment for ruining Mima reputation as an idol by seeing her wrong, at the beginning rat man looks at her through his RIGHT eye focusing on her like a camera but when he is killed he is stabbed in the LEFT eye, its almost like she spared the eye that appreciated Mima the way she was supposed to be viewed as a pop idol.

[@jsc315]

Satoshi Kon was a brilliant man. We lost him way to soon. This and Millennium Actress is some of my all time favorite movies.

[@quinnmowery2357]

As someone who loves Perfect Blue, I think its the epitome of a commentary of parasocial relationships. Its so fucked up and drives so much of the subtle problems of such relationships to their extremes that it screams "see what you creeps have done" imo. It truly is perfect.

[@notyoshke]

Perfect Blue is not just one of my favorite anime movies, it's one of my favorite movies, period. 28:18 I remember reading somewhere that that's Rumi, which would be consistent with all the other times Rumi is the fake Mima. At first everyone is weirded out, which makes sense, especially if she runs out there in the idol Mima outfit. But Rumi was a former idol so I assume she hangs in there, so everyone goes from weirded out to "hey this is kinda cool", and Rumi gets her validation as fake Mima.

[@shush9687]

my favorite sequence was when the line between reality and illusion became blurred to mima AND the audience. it was amazing

[@spookyandwithdrawn20]

Perfect Blue is a masterpiece and one of my favorite movies. Glad that it’s been getting more recognition over the years.

[@oscarpena00op]

Also it makes more sense if Rumi killed the photographer since his bloody clothes are found in Mima’s closet . Like who else would have access there

[@koterinus]

this movie has been one of my favorites for a decade, so I'm really happy seeing other people loving it aswell ❤

[@vanupanu1233]

ah love this movie!! btw i think what happened in the scene ur talking about at 28:43 is that she went onto stage to sing without consulting the other two idols. As they looked at mima like tf u doing??

[@lestat1uk]

When I watched perfect blue for the first time (many years ago), I got the impression that Rumi was drugging Mima to help destroy Mima's fragile mind and create the illusions.

[@kilssj2250]

This is probably, quite possibly, my favorite film. It is definitely on my top 5 list of my top 10 along with The Thing! (and I usually do not have favorite anythings.)

[@JackHarbon]

Can we talk about how at 18:21 we can see all three antagonists at once, all in order of proximity to Mima? First, there's dream Mima. Then, Rumi's reflection. Finally, both the red lamp on the wall that looks like an eye and the standing lamp that look a pair of lips creates the image of Me-Mania. The visuals in this movie are so good.

[@cgarcia3614]

Oh sh*t, that's so clever! Gives me chills. Thanks for pointing that out!

[@Prodbyjah464]

The third act of this movie is so complex yet so perfect, some of the most perfect filmmaking I’ve ever seen, genuinely the transitions between dream, fiction (double bid show) and reality, the subtle details that distinguish them all, the tension, the subversion, all culminating into a climax and ending that i a one of the best plot twists I’ve ever seen, genuinely a masterpiece.

[@sweetstacks3631]

Another really wild twist is that, at the end when Mima says "I'm the real Mima," it's with Rumi's voice. Only in the Japanese version, though. In the English version, it's Mima's voice.

[@thechosenjuan8776]

6:38 ohh I wonder if that laughter sound effect is just a shitpost, or maybe GG being cheeky with a melancholy addition to this already bittersweet scene- 6:43 ah.

[@megomobile9471]

I saw this movie first when I was a teen and it blew me away. All of Satoshi Kon's work is incredible, and his death was tragic. I'm always happy to see people discovering his stuff for the first time. He was a visionary and a talent that stood above many, and he deserves to be remembered for it.

[@TheSchism-y7p]

Perfect blue was crazy good. The reason I think the audience cheered might have been due to Rumi stepping out back into the spotlight for the first time in a while, I'm using the throwaway line of her being a former star for that one

[@teaforthepoor]

There's a theater in my state that did a showing for this movie! I watched it with my Dad and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. They even played bonus content of Satoshi Kon talking about the production of the film. It was actually in perfect order at first, but Satoshi had one idea to mix up all of the scenes, creating the most confusing yet fascinating animations of all time. My Dad even has a theory that everything BUT the one-on-one therapy scene in the middle of the movie was made up. Completely imagined. I don't have any good theories for the movie but it is a masterpiece I hold dear to my heart.

[@giot2818]

During the concert it's most likely Rumi on stage there's a look of awkwardness and uncomfortableness on the other singers faces, it's kind of like the crowd reacting to a cosplayer and since Rumi was a pop star she can most likely sing well so that pumps the crowd up even more!

[@pietpadda593]

Eyyyyyy, more GG content. Feels like you're in like everything these last few days, even featuring in Scott's video

[@Rio..o7..]

5:54 whoop there goes gravity

[@stormcat3648]

Mista GG movie reviews never fail to hit. Always get excited when I see a new one

[@kaimactrash]

No one can change my mind, Satoshi is the most consistently amazing anime creators I've ever seen. I cannot reccomend enough his other works enough.

[@YouHadMeAtBatman]

I did the assignment and watched Perfect Blue like you asked us to the other day.. boy what a ride. Thanks GG!

[@jonathan4189]

28:32 I think this is an actual hologram of Mima that was used by the two-person Chan stage show to recreate the old three person Chan for the fans. The movie is effing with us because it looks like a version of Mima we’ve seen and will see again. It might seem out of place in the 90s but that kind of near future (now reality) was conceivable at the time. I recall watching it when it first came out and someone putting forward that theory. And at the time it made sense.

[@Bumbly_Vee]

This, Paprika and Paranoia Agent are what made me fall in love with Satoshi Kon. He makes amazing work and honestly, it sucks that I'm able to met him to thank him for his contributions to anime. 💕

[@Bumbly_Vee]

Also, I'm pretty sure Rumi was on stage performing with Mima's form group and that's why everyone was looking confused at first.

[@deadmandevil2871]

Really happy and excited to see that GG is willing to watch movies that aren’t just western films. International and animated films all have some of the most amazing works in film history yet too many people are intimidated to really give them a try. Mista GG is helping people take that first step with videos like these and can’t wait to see more!

[@erbamystica]

this is my favorite movie of all time!! im so glad you watched it!! at 28:18 you mention being confused bc this scene is just weird. which completely makes sense, i was thrown off by it too, but i think that rumi (as her mima alter) is the one on stage. which is why the singers and audience react. the other members of cham look visibly uncomfortable, while the audience looks happy. i cant really explain why the audience would just readily go along with it considering rumi's physical body looks very different to mima's, but part of my theory is that they either recognized her as rumi (a former pop idol) or were just happy that somebody dressed like mima was there. also, fun detail-after the director is killed in the elevator scene, you can hear footsteps running away. one of my favorite little things in the movie

[@daughterofyith5393]

There is one more thing I notice about the murders. The pizza guy's eye is struck with someone's right hand. Ratface holds his weapon in his left hand. It can't be the same person.

[@AnotherGenericUsername]

This is an excellent choice! Perfect Blue holds up so well that it's horrifying.

[@dillonwalshpvd]

I hate that the original prints were lost but the ghostly glow of the existing film is also oddly beautiful… it’s actually kind of fitting

[@myprofilepictureisafish]

I watched Perfect blue last year and ive drawn the main character like 5 times now, it was really confusing for me when i first watched but with each rewatch it got alot more clear and yet it was still as confusing, it was a really interesting watch

[@moxiemaxie3543]

Main character being Rumi or Mima or the interpersonal persona of Mima? 😂Most scenes were technically Rumi thinking shes mima.

[@blakemaddox3681]

This movie always reminded me of David Lynch's works like Inland Empire and Mulholland Drive, even Lost Highway

[@kurtcobain279489]

As a long haired fellow myself, I gotta say you got a good growth going, got a princely look to you with it. Awesome video as always, glad you got to do something that wasn't a pain to sit through and is also one of the best animated thrillers out there. I watched it for the first time a few years ago and thought it was great, definitely a must watch for psychological or anime fans.

[@elegantdisarray]

I absolutely love your movie reviews, and how you take your time, unfolding the stories for us. I always finish feeling like I've actually watched the movie, while also wanting to seek them out to watch for real.

[@Ami_E_Bowen]

I love Perfect Blue. I have a VHS version of it that I bought years ago. I had my friends watch it once and they were speechless for a good five minutes after the credits rolled. They said it was one of the most enthralling yet hauntingly disturbing animes they'd ever seen.

[@Trickpants]

The new video title is really fitting, because I've watched this video 4-5 times already. I've always loved Super Eyepatch Wolf's video on Perfect Blue, and your video was like a perfect follow-up I didn't know I needed.

[@packnetadaija]

Oh I love this movie! I discovered this movie in a watch mojo list and it was really good! Psychological thriller is my favorite subsection of horror and stalking/stalkers is my favorite subsection of the thriller genre so this is right up my ally. I know people will say “boo tomato tomato” at this but I would love to see a remake of this with the rise of social media and parasocial relationships it could be really good and compelling

[@packnetadaija]

@@zogwort1522 I mean I didn’t really like it but I see what your saying

[@raineeace]

God, I love Perfect Blue. It's one of my favourites! And, it's definitely one of those movies where you can watch more than once and still learn/get something out of it (whether it's artistic details, hidden themes/meanings). It really is a gift that keeps on giving. Also, RIP to the master of this (and many more of his amazing creations), Satoshi Kon.

[@darthjc4]

I think when "dream mima" is on stage dancing, Rumi is on stage dancing. I say that because the other two members of the group look concerned or confused. almost like something happened that wasn't planned. With Rumi being an old Idol herself, the audience might have recognized her and got happy.

[@jasmineolivarez1294]

You kicked off October strongly with this review of one of the best psychological thrillers out there! So excited to see more!

[@ekonomixx]

Whoa whoa whoa I’m loving these constant videos firing right into my sub box. From this to the patreon videos, dude, you’re a machine. Much appreciated Gg

[@ekonomixx]

Yes he talked about a limited time drop of merch on his last patreon vid

[@Ghost19_]

Glad you finally saw this one! There's a reason why this is more regarded as an iconic piece than just a simple anime movie, and it really deserved its recognition~ Would also like to recommend Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, and Basilisk as some of the best to consider too :)

[@GloryHulle]

Yes! Another movie review! Thank you so very much, GG. You have no idea just how entertaining your reviews are! Right down to the ad reads, I’m engaged every second. Btw, you and Internet Historian do the world’s best brand deal bits, hands down. You guys deserve some kind of special award! Thank you again for this piece of perfection to kick off the weekend, GG! Keep up the awesomeness. 🖤

[@donnamarie33]

This is one of my favorite movies, I’m so glad you covered it!! More ppl need to see it

[@ErikaCartet]

soooo excited to hear your thoughts on this! never expected to see a video about this movie from you, satoshi kon’s films are incredible watches

[@---wq9xp]

Satoshi Kon was just a master of the psychological thriller. Paranoia Agent still fucks with me to this day (it is an excellent series for breaking down if you ever need content ideas). Paprika is one of my favorite films, though it's not as dark as Paranoia Agent or Perfect Blue.

[@PrincessDraculaura]

I kept waiting for you to mention the fact that the killings done by Rumi have a common theme of eye trauma and I was surprised you didn’t! I feel like it makes a lot of sense due to her image as an idol being tarnished in Rumi’s eyes, and the eye removal/trauma reads as a both symbolic and literal interpretation of not wanting people to view her in those compromising scenes/photos. Both Mima and Rumi felt like she was being taken advantage of by the men who were involved in boosting her acting career. I always thought that was interesting and to me it confirms that most of the killings were her doing

[@adamsmasher9769]

He did, multiple times

[@ShyShy_999]

He actually starts explaining the eyes and ice pick weapon connections in 23:35

[@PrincessDraculaura]

@@ShyShy_999 I guess what I meant was that the symbolic element of it wasn't mentioned when it was the first thing I thought of. I'm sorry if that wasn't conveyed in my original comment! I wasn't implying that GG didn't understand the connection, but the relevance of the eye stabbing wasn't something brought up

[@PrincessDraculaura]

The relevance in relation to Rumi's mental state and beliefs, I mean

[@adamsmasher9769]

@@PrincessDraculaura could you possibly elaborate on that for me? Like how does that relate to her mental,state specifically? I am genuinely curious

[@chelscara]

The beginning of a video got me to watch this movie, and I’m so glad it did. Now I’m just surfing KZbin, watching reviews and analyses, diving straight down this rabbit hole

[@Shiirow]

I have a theory about the return concert, we dont really know how far back Splinter and the surrounding guys are and if you look at the other two Cham members they look at each other with a confused expression. I think its Rumi in her Mima Cosplay coming up on stage to perform. They dont want to suddenly ruin the performance by stopping the song and going WTF so they just roll with it until the song is over. While Splinter & co, may be up in the nosebleeds and as far as they can tell Mima just rolled up on stage to sing hence their smiles along with Splinter.

[@fairygothmother111]

perfect blue is one of my fav movies of all time!!!!!! so happy it’s getting the recognition it deserves

[@witchplease2831]

That's probably one of my favorite movies, I've done school work about it, even. You've captured what intrigued me about the movie perfectly! An aside: one thing about the movie that I LOVED was how it went out of it's way to show us how Mima, Mima's pop group, and her acting co-star were beautiful, gorgeous people whilst others in the background were merely average looking, it made the world being shown seem so much more believable since it's populated by all kinds of people and it would make sense for our spotlight seekers to be more attractive. Second aside: My subsequent watches of the movie were enlightening since I started catching these little details in the background of the scenes but especially how you could always (I think, it's been a while since my last rewatch heh) tell how affected Mima's mental state was thanks to the lighting of the scene and the main color in the background (namely red), and how scenes with Rumi Mina tended to lack that lighting/color choices. Really enjoyed the video! You never miss, GG!

[@dav4661]

YES YES YES! I just watched this with a group of friends and we fell in love with it, going off in different theories and making our own conclusions. So glad it's getting attention.

[@Velociration]

GG you could do a whole series reviewing Kon’s work and I’d watch every single one. Please continue!